Judaism and the Origins of Christianity

by David Flusser

Publisher:

Magnes Press

, 1988

Overview

For more than three decades, Professor David Flusser of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem has pioneered new understandings of the Jewish background of early Christianity. Most of his scholarly articles in English, including some new contributions as well as many published in not easily accessible journals, have been collected in this one volume. A must for New Testament scholars and students of early Judaism, it will also be welcomed by the many lay persons for whom Professor Flusser has provided illumination on the origins of Christian faith.

Contents

Top Highlights

“Today it has become recognized by an increasing number of scholars that a study of the New Testament and early Christianity without an intimate knowledge of Jewish sources leads to inaccurate and fragmentary results. Hence it is essential for the scholar to have both a free access to all the available Jewish sources and a well-based, sound knowledge of all the trends and groups of Judaism in antiquity. In other words: a researcher of early Christianity also must be a creative scholar in Judaism. He has to recognize also that very often not only the synoptic gospels but also the whole New Testament contains witnesses of Jewish thought and life from a period anterior to most of the rabbinic texts.” (Page xii)

“Or, in other words: Judaism and Christianity are not mother and daughter, but they are in reality sisters, because the mother of both is ancient Judaism.” (Page xvi)

“IV Macc., ‘Do not suppose that it would be a petty sin if we were to eat defiled food; to transgress the law in matters either small or great is of equal seriousness, for in either case the law is equally despised’ (4 Macc. 5:19–21).” (Page 495)

“Talmudic literature remains our principal source of the Synoptic Gospels—which proves, to my mind, that Jesus and his followers were nearer to Pharisaic Judaism than to the Qumran Sect.” (Page xviii)

“Both communities also called themselves ‘Perfect’ (תמימים‎,” (Page 36)

Product Details

• Title: Judaism and the Origins of Christianity
• Author: David Flusser
• Publisher: Magnes Press
• Publication Date: 2007
• Pages: 732

About David Flusser

David Flusser (1917–2000) was a professor of early Christianity and Second Temple Judaism at Hebrew University. Flusser was an Orthodox Jew who applied his religious education in the Talmud and the Torah to Greek, Roman, and Arabic texts in order to illuminate first-century Judaism. His published works include Judaism and the Origins of Christianity, Jesus, and Judaism of the Second Temple Period.