Hellenism, Early Judaism, and Early Christianity

Papers collected in this volume try to illuminate various aspects of philosophical theology dealt with by different Jewish and early Christian authors and texts (e.g. the Acts of the Apostles, Philo, Origen, Gregory of Nazianzus), rooted in and influenced by the Hellenistic religious, cultural, and philosophical context, and they also focus on the literary and cultural traditions of Hellenized Judaism and its reception (e.g. Sibylline Oracles, Prayer of Manasseh), including material culture ("Elephant Mosaic Panel" from Huqoq synagogue). By studying the Hellenistic influences on early Christianity, both in response to and in reaction against early Hellenized Judaism, the volume intends not only to better understand Christianity, as a religious and historical phenomenon with a profound impact on the development of European civilization, but also to better comprehend Hellenism and its consequences which have often been relegated to the realm of political history.

Radka Fialová, Jiří Hoblík and Petr Kitzler, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.

"... each contribution is refreshingly creative and full of genuine insight. Each essay sticks close to the theme of the volume, documenting interactions between Hellenism and Judaism, Hellenism and early Christianity, or Judaism and early Christianity."
Justin M. Rogers in Review of Biblical Literature 12/2024, originally published in SPhiloA 35 (2023): 347–49.