ISBN:
9789004295834
Language:
English
Pages:
1 Online-Ressource (xi, 279 pages)
Year of publication:
1994
Series Statement:
Religions in the Graeco-Roman world v.122
Parallel Title:
Erscheint auch als Sabbath and Synagogue: The Question of Sabbath Worship in Ancient Judaism
Keywords:
586 B.C. - 210 A.D
;
Sabbath Biblical teaching
;
Sabbath in rabbinical literature
;
Judaism Sources History Post-exilic period, 586 B.C.-210 A.D
;
Judaism ; Post-exilic period (Judaism)
;
Sabbath ; Biblical teaching
;
Sabbath in rabbinical literature
;
History
;
Sources
Abstract:
Preliminary material -- INTRODUCTION -- SABBATH AND NEW MOON: THE HEBREW BIBLE -- SABBATH AS HOLY DAY OF THE JEWS: EARLY JEWISH LITERATURE -- SABBATH AS DAY OF REST AND STUDY OF THE LAW: PHILO AND JOSEPHUS -- SABBATH AS DOMESTIC CELEBRATION: GRAECO-ROMAN NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES -- SABBATH IN THE SYNAGOGUES: NEW TESTAMENT SOURCES -- DEBATE OVER KEEPING THE SABBATH: EARLY CHRISTIAN SOURCES -- SABBATH AS DAY OF REST AND READING THE TORAH: THE MISHNAH -- THE UNOBTRUSIVE SABBATH: ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA, INSCRIPTIONS AND PAPYRI -- CONCLUSIONS -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- INDEX OF BIBLICAL AND RELATED TEXTS -- INDEX OF ANCIENT AUTHORS -- INDEX OF MODERN AUTHORS -- INDEX OF SUBJECTS -- RELIGIONS IN THE GRAECO-ROMAN WORLD.
Abstract:
Sabbath worship as a communal event does not feature in the Hebrew Bible. In the context of the first century CE, according to Philo and Josephus, the sabbath gatherings took place only for the purpose of studying the law, and not for the liturgical recital of psalms or prayer. Classical authors depict Jews spending the sabbath at home. Jewish inscriptions provide no evidence of sabbath-worship in prayer-houses ( proseuchai ), while the Mishnah prescribes no special communal sabbath activities. The usual picture of Jews going on the sabbath to the synagogue to worship thus appears to be without foundation. It is even doubtful that there were synagogue buildings, for 'synagogue' normally meant 'community'. The conclusion of this study, that there is no evidence that the sabbath was a day of communal Jewish worship before 200 CE, has far-reaching consequences for our understanding of early Jewish-Christian relationships. This publication has also been published in paperback, please click here for details
Note:
Includes index
DOI:
10.1163/9789004295834
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