Kenneth Atkinson adds to an already impressive body of work on the Hasmoneans, proposing that the history and theological beliefs of Jews during the period of the Hasmonean state cannot be understood without a close investigation of the histories of the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Empires, as well as the Roman Republic. Citing evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls and classical sources, Atkinson offers a new reconstruction of this vital historical period, when the Hasmonean family changed the fates of their neighbors, the Roman Republic, the religion of Judaism, and created the foundation for the development of the nascent Christian faith. Atkinson additionally provides reconstructions of events in classical history, including the most detailed examination of Pompey the Great's assassination in light of Jewish sources; by focusing on his death, this volume uncovers new information that explains the discrepancies in the classical accounts of this pivotal event that shaped Middle Eastern and Roman history, and which helped end the Republic. Collecting sources ranging from the beginning of the Hasmonean monarchy, through its religious strife and golden age, to its eventual downfall, Atkinson concludes that that Jewish sectarianism and messianism played far greater roles in the Hasmonean state than has previously be assumed.

Kenneth Atkinson tells the exciting story of the nine decades of the Hasmonean rule of Judea (152 - 63 BCE) by going beyond the accounts of the Hasmoneans in Josephus in order to bring together new evidence to reconstruct how the Hasmonean family transformed their kingdom into a state that lasted until the arrival of the Romans. Atkinson reconstructs the relationships between the Hasmonean state and the rulers of the Seleucid and the Ptolemaic Empires, the Itureans, the Nabateans, the Parthians, the Armenians, the Cappadocians, and the Roman Republic. He draws on a variety of previously unused sources, including papyrological documentation, inscriptions, archaeological evidence, numismatics, Dead Sea Scrolls, pseudepigrapha, and textual sources from the Hellenistic to the Byzantine periods. Atkinson also explores how Josephus's political and social situation in Flavian Rome affected his accounts of the Hasmoneans and why any study of the Hasmonean state must go beyond Josephus to gain a full appreciation of this unique historical period that shaped Second Temple Judaism, and created the conditions for the rise of the Herodian dynasty and the emergence of Christianity.

The first two chapters discuss the religious practices of the Hasmoneans. Chapter 1 explores why the Maccabees regarded Hanukkah as a festival of renewal, specifically of those traditions related to the Temple cult. Chapter 2 examines the manner in which the Hasmoneans used the protection and maintenance of the Jewish Temple to legitimize their rule—and how they worked to place the Temple at the center of the Jewish religion. Chapters 3–5 deal with different perspectives in the Hellenistic world on the role of government and royal ideologies. Specifically, chapter 3 explores both the Hellenistic and Jewish contexts for Hasmonean government and kingship. Regev shows how the Hasmonean dynasty built up its religious (in contrast to political) authority, suggesting that the Hasmonean state was not a conventionally Hellenistic one, but rather a 'national' monarchy, closer to Macedonian in type. Chapter 4 attempts to decipher the meaning of the symbols and epigraphs on Hasmonean coins, and examines how both Hellenistic symbols and Jewish concepts were employed to reinforce the dynasty's authority and introduce Jewish 'national' ideas into the populace. Chapter 5 then undertakes a comparative social-archaeological analysis of the Hasmonean palaces in Jericho in an effort to gain insight into their royal ideology. The author compares the Hasmonean palaces to other Hellenistic palaces – especially the Herodian palaces. Finally, the concluding chapter integrates the previous findings into a new understanding of and appreciation for the Hasmoneans' creation of an innovative Jewish corporal identity, one whose echoes we can still hear today.

Two millennia ago, the Jewish priest-turned-general Flavius Josephus, captured by the emperor Vespasian in the middle of the Roman-Jewish War (66–70 CE), spent the last decades of his life in Rome writing several historiographical works in Greek. Josephus was eagerly read and used by Christian thinkers, but eventually his writings became the basis for the early-10th century Hebrew text called Sefer Yosippon, reintegrating Josephus into the Jewish tradition. This volume marks the first edited collection to be dedicated to the study of Josephus, Yosippon, and their reception histories. Consisting of critical inquiries into one or both of these texts and their afterlives, the essays in this volume pave the way for future research on the Josephan tradition in Greek, Latin, Hebrew and beyond.

The essays in Sacred Texts and Disparate Interpretations shed new light on core themes in Qumran studies, such as the textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible, history of the Qumran community, Hebrew philology and paleography, Wisdom and religious poetry.

History of the Jews is the first comprehensive history of the Jewish people, written by Jewish historian Heinrich Graetz. This universal history offers an insight in Jewish history, covering the period from the early days to modern times. The work is divided in six volumes: Vol. I: From the Earliest Period to the Death of Simon the Maccabee (135 B. C. E.) Vol. II: From the Reign of Hyrcanus (135 B. C. E.) to the Completion of the Babylonian Talmud (500 C. E.) Vol. III: From the Revolt against the Zendik (511 C. E.) to the Capture of St. Jean d'Acre by the Mahometans (1291 C. E.) Vol. IV: From the Rise of the Kabbala (1270 C. E.) to the Permanent Settlement of the Marranos in Holland (1618 C. E.) Vol. V: From the Chmielnicki Persecution of the Jews in Poland (1648 C. E.) to the Period of Emancipation in Central Europe (c. 1870 C. E.) Vol. VI: Chronological Table of Jewish History.

DigiCat presents to you this unique religious collection containing the sacred texts of Judaism, history books and theological writings. Judaism is an ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. Considered to be the expression of the covenant that God established with the Children of Israel, it encompasses a wide body of texts, practices, and theological positions. The Torah is part of the larger text known as the Tanakh or the Hebrew Bible, and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrash and the Talmud. Contents: Religious Texts: "Tanakh" – The Hebrew Bible "Talmud" – The Central Text of Rabbinic Judaism "Torah – Bilingual (English/Hebrew)" – Five Books of Moses "Tales and Maxims from the Midrash" – Biblical Exegesis by Ancient Judaic Authorities "The Kabbalah Unveiled" – Translations and commentaries of the Books of Zohar "The Sepher Ha-Zohar" – Zohar, or Splendor is the most important text of Kabbalah. "Siddur – The Standard Prayer Book" – The Authorized Daily Prayer Book of the United Hebrew Congregations "The Union Haggadah" – Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. History: The Jewish Wars (Flavius Josephus) Antiquities of the Jews (Flavius Josephus) History of the Jews (Heinrich Graetz) The Legends of the Jews (Louis Ginzberg) Philosophical Works: Kitab al Khazari (Kuzari) (Judah Halevi) The Guide for the Perplexed (Moses Maimonides) Ancient Jewish Proverbs (Abraham Cohen)