Customer Reviews

The Jews in the Greek Age

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_The Jews in the Greek Age_ is an excellent primer to the Intertestamental Period.

Beginning with Alexander the Great and running through the beginning of the Common Era, the book is organized roughly chronologically and by theme. Chapters treat in some detail such important issues as the Septuagint, the Jewish communities in the Diaspora, Aramaic literature, Jewish religious practices, the economy of Palestine during the period, the development of priestly and scribal classes, etc.

Bickerman's prose is elegant and readable without sacrificing detail, and a substantial bibliography organized by subject provides a great starting point for further research into specific questions. You'll want to read this in connection with any study of the Deuterocanonical books, the Pseudepigrapha or the Dead Sea Scrolls, or even as a useful bridge between study of the Old Testament and the New.

I always find myself coming back to this book. Bickerman's ideas inspired many to rethink Hellenistic Jewish history, and for good reason. An excellent book. The editors deserve a lot of credit for turning these notes into a very useful book, shedding light on some corners of the period not examined by others.