The Jewish People in the First Century

Historical Geography, Political History, Social, Cultural and Religious Life and Institutions

Volume One

Edited by S. Safrai and M. Stern in co-operation with D. Flusser and W. C. van Unnik

1974

Van Gorcum & Comp. B.V.—Assen

© 1974 By Stichting Compendia Rerum Iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum

No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm or any other means without written permission from the publisher.

The publication of this book was made possible through a grant from the Prince Bernhard Fund of Amsterdam

ISBN 90 232 1070 0

Compendia Rerum Iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum

section one

the jewish people in the first century

Historical Geography, Political History, Social, Cultural and

Religious Life and Institutions

in two volumes

Editorial Board:

Y. Aschkenasy, R. Le Déaut, D. Flusser,

J. van Goudoever, H. Kremers, W. C. van Unnik, G. Vermes

General Editors:

M. de Jonge, S. Safrai

Executive Editors:

W. J. Burgers, H. E. Gaylord, Jr.

Preface

In September, 1964, a working committee was created to produce a general handbook on the interrelation between Judaism and Christianity in the first two centuries. Aspects of this history had been explored previously by individual scholars, but this committee felt that this was an appropriate time to comprehensively gather together and evaluate the available information on the many sides of this question in a series of volumes. New discoveries, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the reevaluation of known materials stimulate reexamination.

Many factors have encouraged this new examination of our histories. The shared suffering of Jews and Christians during World War II convinced many that they were persecuted for their faithfulness to the same God. Although begun earlier, Christian reflection upon the ways in which misguided Christians and some forms of Christian theology has contributed to anti-Semitism has been intensified by these experiences in the war. Christians as well as Jews today are searching out and exposing such ideas to promote good understanding of the historical relations of our two communities.

The World Council of Churches, the growing Jewish-Christian dialogue and Vatican II have all encouraged a new look at the early Christian Church and its place in the Jewish world of that time. Renewed interest among Jewish scholars in Early Christianity has stimulated the rediscovery of the two Jews, Jesus of Nazareth and Paul of Tarsus. In all this a new conception of our two communities seems to be arising in which they are no longer rival brothers, each claiming the whole birthright, but sisters carrying on the traditional heritage. Each is beginning to see not only the legitimate values in its own history but that which the other preserves as well.

In previous works on this subject attention has been given to one side or the other. Thus, attention has focussed either on Early Christianity and its Jewish background or on the history ...