The Formation of the Jewish Canon

Timothy H. Lim

ISBN 10: 0300164343 / ISBN 13: 9780300164343

Published by Yale University Press, 2013

About this Item

Examining the literary sources and historical circumstances that led to the emergence of authoritative scriptures in ancient Judaism, the author proposes a theory of the majority canon that posits that the Pharisaic canon became the canon of Rabbinic Judaism in the centuries after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. Series: The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library. Num Pages: 288 pages. BIC Classification: HRAX; HRJS; JFSR1. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 162 x 242 x 25. Weight in Grams: 566. . 2013. Hardcover. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780300164343

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Formation of the Jewish Canon
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0300164343
• ISBN 13: 9780300164343
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls provides unprecedented insight into the nature of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament before its fixation. Timothy Lim here presents a complete account of the formation of the canon in Ancient Judaism from the emergence of the Torah in the Persian period to the final acceptance of the list of twenty-two/twenty-four books in the Rabbinic period. Using the Hebrew Bible the Scrolls the Apocrypha the Letter of Aristeas the writings of Philo Josephus the New Testament and Rabbinic literature as primary evidence he argues that throughout the post-exilic period up to around 100 CE there was not one official "canon" accepted by all Jews; rather there existed a plurality of collections of scriptures that were authoritative for different communities. Examining the literary sources and historical circumstances that led to the emergence of authoritative scriptures in ancient Judaism Lim proposes a theory of the majority canon that posits that the Pharisaic canon became the canon of Rabbinic Judaism in the centuries after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.

About the Author

Timothy H. Lim is Professor of Hebrew Bible & Second Temple Judaism at the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh.