The Cambridge History of Judaism, Volume 1: Introduction: The Persian Period

The Cambridge History of Judaism #1

by William David Davies (Editor), Louis Finkelstein (Editor)

The first three volumes of The Cambridge History of Judaism cover the history of the Jews from the Exile in 587 BCE to the early Roman period extending into the third century CE. A comprehensive examination is made of all the relevant literary and archeological sources, and special attention is given to the interaction of Iranian, Semitic, Hellenistic and Roman cultures. The contributors include both Jewish and Gentile scholars from many countries, and this History thus helps to deliver the study of Jewish history and Christian origins from geographical and religious limitations, and contributes to a deeper understanding and a broader tolerance. This first volume opens with three introductory chapters to the work as a whole dealing with the geographical background, the chronology and the numismatic history of Judaism. The remainder of this volume concentrates on the Persian period, the two and a half centuries following the Babylonian Exile.

Genres: History, Religion, Jewish, Nonfiction, Judaism

482 pages, Hardcover

First published February 16, 1984

About the author

William David Davies, often known as W. D. P. Davies, (18 January 1897 – 7 July 1969) was a Welsh Presbyterian minister and writer on theological topics. After becoming the first Welsh student to obtain a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the University of Oxford, he turned down an offer to become a theology tutor at Oxford, along with a college fellowship, preferring to become a Presbyterian minister. He wrote various theological works and was regarded as an excellent scholar as well as a powerful preacher.

Reviews

[Dr. Peter Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable resource for ministers and theologians — with caveats

This volume from Cambridge offers an impressive sweep of Jewish life, literature and culture in the Persian period (roughly 539-332 BCE). For Christian ministers, theologians or serious Bible students, I found three chapters especially beneficial:

“Prophecy and Psalms in the Persian Period” (on post-exilic prophetic and hymn traditions)

“The Jewish Community in Palestine in the Persian Period” (on community structure, temple and Scripture dynamics)

“Persian Religion in the Achaemenid Age” (on Persian cosmology and its interaction with Jewish purity/ritual themes)

These chapters deepen one’s appreciation of the historical and cultural matrix in which the Old Testament and early Judaism developed, and thus help in framing the New Testament and ministry contexts.

At the same time I note a few reservations: the editors adopt a largely secular academic chronology (for example later redaction dates, authorship questions) that arguably conflicts with more traditional Scriptural‐confessional positions; the treatment often presumes multiple authors or later dating of biblical books; and the tone at times leans toward critical reconstruction rather than devotional reflection. If you read it aware of these “cons” you can still benefit greatly. On balance, I rate it 4 out of 5 stars for educational value.

If you are looking for a deep but accessible resource for ministry‐oriented biblical background, this work is a strong recommendation — especially if you focus on the three chapters above as entry-points.
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[Abdullah]

its very good