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Judaism and Hellenism: Studies in their encounter in Palestine during the Early Hellenistic Period
Paperback. 2 volumes bound as 1. Highlighter markings throughout. Wrappers are edge worn, curled, creased and scuffed.
649 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 2, 2012
read in grad school. A classic.
May 15, 2018
This technical book goes to great lengths to discuss just how Greek civilization affected Jewish culture and beliefs in the centuries before Rome's advance.
Hengel discusses how Greek culture impacted Jewish society before it even became an empire--largely through Greek mercenaries. Then he notes how Jewish mercenaries also brought into Jewish culture Greek ideas.
Then there was the language, which became essential to know if you were to be one of the upper class, as it became the lingua franca of the day.
Finally, there was education, which affected Jewish studies as well, even in ways in which Jewish thinkers tried to resist Greek influence. That resistance--the strength of it--was one effect. But even in that resistance, sometimes Greek ideas snuck in, in the form, for example, of formal education or in the idea that anyone could ascend to be a teacher through study and knowledge (as opposed to inherited familial limitations).
A large portion of the book devotes itself to how Greek thought affected Jewish writing. The author takes the position that Ecclesiastes, as well as some other wisdom books, was written after Greece took hold of the Promised Land and then traces the parallels in Greek philosophy to those books. I found this material less intriguing and, at times, ponderous. But the first half of the book provides a lot of information that I found very useful.
Hengel discusses how Greek culture impacted Jewish society before it even became an empire--largely through Greek mercenaries. Then he notes how Jewish mercenaries also brought into Jewish culture Greek ideas.
Then there was the language, which became essential to know if you were to be one of the upper class, as it became the lingua franca of the day.
Finally, there was education, which affected Jewish studies as well, even in ways in which Jewish thinkers tried to resist Greek influence. That resistance--the strength of it--was one effect. But even in that resistance, sometimes Greek ideas snuck in, in the form, for example, of formal education or in the idea that anyone could ascend to be a teacher through study and knowledge (as opposed to inherited familial limitations).
A large portion of the book devotes itself to how Greek thought affected Jewish writing. The author takes the position that Ecclesiastes, as well as some other wisdom books, was written after Greece took hold of the Promised Land and then traces the parallels in Greek philosophy to those books. I found this material less intriguing and, at times, ponderous. But the first half of the book provides a lot of information that I found very useful.
September 19, 2024
I'm always amazed by scholars like Hengel, in the breadth of data they investigate and the details they write about. He goes into great detail in analyzing the Hellenic period of Palestine which may seem overwhelming. Thankfully, he provides a summary of each section and a final book summary. These alone are worth the price of the book. For me, the bottom line of his research is that Palestinian Judaism shared the 'religious koine' of its Hellenistic oriental environment.
He deftly shows how the Essenes and Hasidic Jews shared a whole series of theological views despite their bitter opposition, ultimately tying the apostle Paul into the same constellation as a former Pharisee, which supplied the foundation of Paul's apocalyptic thinking. Very telling.
The book essentially destroys any suggestion that the Bible is some sort of pristine revelation from God. "Palestinian Judaism must be regarded as Hellenistic Judaism." (p. 252) "Concepts like 'reveal', 'mystery' and 'knowledge' are not fundamentally different from analogous concepts in the religious koine of the Hellenistic period.
It is very probable that between the Maccabean Revolt and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, the piety of Palestinian Judaism was shaped to a considerable extent by the apocalyptic expectation of the end in its many nuances. Of course it also shaped the Christian apocalypses as well.
He deftly shows how the Essenes and Hasidic Jews shared a whole series of theological views despite their bitter opposition, ultimately tying the apostle Paul into the same constellation as a former Pharisee, which supplied the foundation of Paul's apocalyptic thinking. Very telling.
The book essentially destroys any suggestion that the Bible is some sort of pristine revelation from God. "Palestinian Judaism must be regarded as Hellenistic Judaism." (p. 252) "Concepts like 'reveal', 'mystery' and 'knowledge' are not fundamentally different from analogous concepts in the religious koine of the Hellenistic period.
It is very probable that between the Maccabean Revolt and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, the piety of Palestinian Judaism was shaped to a considerable extent by the apocalyptic expectation of the end in its many nuances. Of course it also shaped the Christian apocalypses as well.
May 25, 2026
Superb research and insights.
November 12, 2012
REVIEW AND CRITIQUE Hengel, Martin. Judaism and Hellenism: Studies in their Encounter in Palestine During the Hellenistic Period. Translated by J. Bowden. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981.
Judaism and Hellenism is a comprehensive study of the impact of Hellenism on Judaism in the intertestamental period by Martin Hengel, late professor of New Testament Theology and Early Judaism at the University of Tubingen. Judaism and Hellenism is highly credible in terms of its amount of material and exhaustive survey of the Hellenistic civilization related to the development of second temple Judaism.
Hengel's thesis is that all Judaism from about the mid-third century B.C.E. must be regarded as Hellenistic in the strict sense in light of the pervasive Hellenistic influence over both the Hellenized and the anti-Hellenization groups in the Diaspora and in the Palestine, through the Hellenistic political, societal, cultural, and economic structures.
Hengel warned the dangerous distinction between “the Greek-speaking Judaism of the western diaspora and the Aramaic/Hebrew speaking Judaism of Palestine or of Babylonia” (p. 193), a caution that has been gradually noticed by contemporary NT scholarship.
Hengel believed that the Hellenistic reform movement and the persecution by Antiochus IV propelled the post-exilic Jewish community to put even greater emphasis on the Law as central to Judaism, preparing the theological background of the post-Hellenistic Judaism and the rise of the prophetic Christianity.
Critiques:
Hengel did not seem to free himself from the common presuppositions of the modern historian in interpreting the history of religion. The background factors are always stressed over the religious/psychological/spiritual factors in the development of religion.
Since Hengel's survey of Judaism in the early Hellenistic period does not often evaluate the philosophical/theological materials in closer detail, it may be dubious to conclude that the centrality of the Law in the post-Hellenistic Judaism is primarily the result of a political-cultural reaction to the pressure of Hellenization and Roman persecution.
The New Testament writers might have nuanced in some places about the kind of political sensitivity as Hengel highlighted in his thesis. For example, The Jews were said to be "zealous for the Law". Jesus failed to meet his contemporary Messianic expectations when he constantly appealed to the prophetic tradition by breaking the Law.
However the NT writers never make a direct appeal to this political background when denouncing the Jewish non-believers' self-righteousness in keeping the Law. They were denounced because of their failure of believing in God. The NT attacked on the hidden motives of human hearts that did not reveal on the surface of social behaviors.
Judaism and Hellenism is a comprehensive study of the impact of Hellenism on Judaism in the intertestamental period by Martin Hengel, late professor of New Testament Theology and Early Judaism at the University of Tubingen. Judaism and Hellenism is highly credible in terms of its amount of material and exhaustive survey of the Hellenistic civilization related to the development of second temple Judaism.
Hengel's thesis is that all Judaism from about the mid-third century B.C.E. must be regarded as Hellenistic in the strict sense in light of the pervasive Hellenistic influence over both the Hellenized and the anti-Hellenization groups in the Diaspora and in the Palestine, through the Hellenistic political, societal, cultural, and economic structures.
Hengel warned the dangerous distinction between “the Greek-speaking Judaism of the western diaspora and the Aramaic/Hebrew speaking Judaism of Palestine or of Babylonia” (p. 193), a caution that has been gradually noticed by contemporary NT scholarship.
Hengel believed that the Hellenistic reform movement and the persecution by Antiochus IV propelled the post-exilic Jewish community to put even greater emphasis on the Law as central to Judaism, preparing the theological background of the post-Hellenistic Judaism and the rise of the prophetic Christianity.
Critiques:
Hengel did not seem to free himself from the common presuppositions of the modern historian in interpreting the history of religion. The background factors are always stressed over the religious/psychological/spiritual factors in the development of religion.
Since Hengel's survey of Judaism in the early Hellenistic period does not often evaluate the philosophical/theological materials in closer detail, it may be dubious to conclude that the centrality of the Law in the post-Hellenistic Judaism is primarily the result of a political-cultural reaction to the pressure of Hellenization and Roman persecution.
The New Testament writers might have nuanced in some places about the kind of political sensitivity as Hengel highlighted in his thesis. For example, The Jews were said to be "zealous for the Law". Jesus failed to meet his contemporary Messianic expectations when he constantly appealed to the prophetic tradition by breaking the Law.
However the NT writers never make a direct appeal to this political background when denouncing the Jewish non-believers' self-righteousness in keeping the Law. They were denounced because of their failure of believing in God. The NT attacked on the hidden motives of human hearts that did not reveal on the surface of social behaviors.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews