Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture, Volumes 1–3: Translation
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
The Hebrew Bible is only part of ancient Israel’s writings. Another collection of Jewish works has survived from late- and post-biblical times, a great library that bears witness to the rich spiritual life of Jews in that period. This library consists of the most varied sorts of texts: apocalyptic visions and prophecies, folktales and legends, collections of wise sayings, laws and rules of conduct, commentaries on Scripture, ancient prayers, and much, much more. While specialists have studied individual texts or subsections of this vast library, Outside the Bible seeks for the first time to bring together all the major components into a single collection, gathering portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Septuagint, the biblical Apocrypha, and Pseudepigrapha, and the writings of Philo of Alexandria and Josephus. The editors have brought together these diverse works in order to highlight what has often been neglected; their common Jewish background. For this reason the commentaries that accompany the texts devote special attention to references to Hebrew Scripture and to issues of halakhah (Jewish law), their allusions to motifs and themes known from later Rabbinic writings in Talmud and Midrash, their evocation of recent or distant events in Jewish history, and their references to other texts in this collection. This resource contains the translations of the text. The work of more than seventy contributing experts in a range of fields, Outside the Bible offers new insights into the development of Judaism and early Christianity. This three-volume set of translations, introductions, and detailed commentaries is a must-have for scholars, students, and anyone interested in this great body of ancient Jewish writings. The collection includes a general introduction and opening essays, new and revised translations, and detailed introductions, commentaries, and notes that place each text in its historical and cultural context. A timeline of the Second Temple Period, two appendixes (Books of the Bible; Second Temple Literature), and a general subject index complete the set.
Top Highlights
“Thus, the book was available, more or less in its present form, by 143 or 142—somewhat earlier than 1 Maccabees, which was completed no earlier than 135 or 134 bce.” (Page 2836)
“In contrast, 1 Maccabees is a Judean work about a dynasty that took Jewish history into its own hands, and God has a very limited role; he is hardly mentioned after the first chapters. 2 Maccabees is full of prayers, miracles, angels, apparitions, and divinely steered poetic justice; its story is very much a story of God’s providential involvement.” (Page 2835)
“Jubilees is a retelling of much of the book of Genesis and the first part of the book of Exodus. It claims to have been communicated to Moses on Mount Sinai by God’s chief angel, the ‘angel of the Presence.’” (Page 272)
“and often the willful attempt to promote a new interpretation of ancient texts,” (Page 8)
“And You will know whether he is faithful in everything in which You test him.’” (Page 357)
- Title: Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture, Volumes 1–3: Translation
- Authors: Louis H. Feldman, James L. Kugel, Lawrence H. Schiffman
- Volume: 1–3
- Publisher: Jewish Publication Society
- Print Publication Date: 2013
- Logos Release Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Judaism › History--Post-exilic period, 586 B.C.-210 A.D; Rabbinical literature › History and criticism
- Resource ID: LLS:BBL3VLMRLSCRPTRTRANS
- Resource Type: text.monograph.ancient-manuscript.translation
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-10-27T22:24:27Z