Verus Israel: A Study of the Relations Between Christians and Jews in the Roman Empire (AD 135-425) (Littman Library of Jewish Civilization) [Paperback]

Marcel Simon (Author), H. McKeating (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1874774277 | ISBN-13: 978-1874774273 | Publication Date: September 5, 1996

'A masterly survey . . . the sheer range of Simon's control of the Christian writers, and the sensitivity of his reading of the historical and theological elements in the process, will continue to make his study indispensable for anyone working in the field.' Judith Lieu, Journal of Religious History 'Masterly . . . The abiding value of the book rests not only in its particular scope and insights and in its closeness to primary sources, but also in its balanced and judicious tone . . . This is one of those historical works which cannot be neglected by those concerned with the position of the Jews in the contemporary world, and with Christian attitudes to Judaism.' William Horbury, Theology 'He succeeds in weaving a thread through a labyrinth of confusing claims and reports . . . a detailed picture of the nuances in the conflict of orthodoxies, underpinned by felicitous quotations . . . splendid book . . . will give the reader a feast.' Ulrich Simon, The Tablet Marcel Simon's classic study examines Jewish-Christian relations in the Roman empire from the Second Jewish War (132-5 CE) to the end of the Jewish Patriarchate in 425 CE{. First published in French in 1948, the book overturns the then commonly held view that the Jewish and Christian communities gradually ceased to interact and that the Jews gave up proselytizing among the gentiles. On the contrary, Simon maintains that Judaism continued to make its influence felt on the world at large and to be influenced by it in turn. He analyses both the antagonisms and the attractions between the two faiths, and concludes with a discussion of the eventual disappearance of Judaism as a missionary religion. The rival community triumphed with the help of a Christian imperial authority and a doctrine well adapted to the Graeco-Roman mentality.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'He succeeds in weaving a thread through a labyrinth of confusing claims and reports ... a detailed picture of the nuances in the conflict of orthodoxies, underpinned by felicitous quotations ... splendid book ... will give the reader a feast ... this work is a polished translation by H. McKeating and with a first-rate index and notes, triumphs over the usual transitoriness of scholarly monographs. Its lasting value cannot fail to inspire the present endeavours to heal the wounds of antisemitism and to promote the true dialogue heralded by the Pope's visit to the synagogue in Rome.' Ulrich Simon, The Tablet 'This masterly study of Jewish-Christian relations in the Roman Empire ... smooth-running translation ... The translation is none the less welcome, for no comparable historical synthesis has appeared in English in the post-war period. This gap is a tribute to the excellence of Simon's work ... The abiding value of the book rests not only in its particular scope and insights and in its closeness to primary sources, but also in its balanced and judicious tone ... his calm judgement ... is in itself a fundamental contribution to debate on antisemitism. This is one of those historical works which cannot be neglected by those concerned with the position of the Jews in the contemporary world, and with Christian attitudes to Judaism.' William Horbury, Theology 'Yet, while new questions are being asked and new methods and sources used, Verus Israel remains a classic, indispensable as a model of careful analysis and for the wealth of material it contains ... it marked paths for future research ... Its translation is long overdue and we must be grateful to H. McKeating for a smooth and highly readable rendering' J. M. Lieu REVIEWING THE PAPERBACK EDITION 'A masterly survey ... the sheer range of Simon's control of the Christian writers, and the sensitivity of his reading of the historical and theological elements in the process, will continue to make his study indispensable for anyone working in the field.' Judith Lieu, Journal of Religious History

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 552 pages
• Publisher: Littman Library Of Jewish Civilization (September 5, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1874774277
• ISBN-13: 978-1874774273
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,578,281 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Milestone, but One We've Passed, July 14, 2000

By 

Ricardo Signes "rjbs" (Bethlehem, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Verus Israel: A Study of the Relations Between Christians and Jews in the Roman Empire (AD 135-425) (Littman Library of Jewish Civilization) (Paperback)

Verus Israel is, without a doubt, an important milestone in the history of studies in early Jewish-Christian relations. Its scholarship is strong, its intentions are noble, and its conclusions are logical. That said, however, it is important to remember that it a milestone, written some time ago. Milestones show us how far we have come, but once we have passed them we must realize that they were not the destination.

Marcel Simon wrote Verus Israel some fifty years ago, in the shadow of the Holocaust. Despite the strange times in which he wrote, his work is fairly unbiased, but only in relation to other works of the period. Serious modern scholarship makes Verus Israel, in comparison, seem like something of a cultural relic which, in many ways, it is. Although a mere fifty years is brief when seen beside the nineteen centuries separating Simon from his period of interest, vast stores of data have since been found, and many basic assumptions in the field have changed.

Verus Israel is a classic, and a worthwhile read if you're interested not just in the field of ancient Christian-Jewish relations, but also in the subject's history. Reading this book alone, however, could lead to a false impression of what scholars currently consider to be reliable. It will be best read with several modern works on the subject.