edited by Henrietta L. Wiley and Christian A. Eberhart
SBL Press, 2016
eISBN: 978-0-88414-190-7 | Paper: 978-1-62837-155-0 | Cloth: 978-0-88414-191-4
Library of Congress Classification BM715.S23 2017
Dewey Decimal Classification 296.492

ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK

Critical and creative studies that offer fresh perspectives on ancient ideas and practices



The contributions to this volume deal in various ways with the cult at the Jerusalem Temple that epitomized the religious, cultural, and socio-political identity of Judaism for many centuries. Some essays examine ancient constitutive practices and concepts, such as purification rituals, sacrifices, atonement, or sacred authorities at the temple, with the goal of interpreting their meanings for modern readers. Other essays explore alternatives to ancient cultic meaning and practice. Essays critique established traditions, attempt to renegotiate them, or use metaphor and spiritualization to expand the potential of these phenomena to serve as terminological and ideological resources. Thus they examine and affirm the continuing relevance of ancient Jewish cultic notions long after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.



  • An international group of scholars representing different fields and diverse religious backgrounds

  • A thorough examination of traditions as through the lens of contemporaneous interpretive traditions such as Jewish prophecy, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Early Christian literature

  • Examination of topics such as purification, sacrifice, and atonement, and the depiction and development of sacred authority throughout the Bible


See other books on: Atonement | Cult | Exegesis & Hermeneutics | History & Culture | Sacrifice
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