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Seth L. Sanders - Ancient Jewish Sciences and the History of Knowledge in Second Temple Literature - 9781479823048 - V9781479823048
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Ancient Jewish Sciences and the History of Knowledge in Second Temple Literature

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Description for Ancient Jewish Sciences and the History of Knowledge in Second Temple Literature Hardback. Explores the tension between the hegemony of central scientific traditions and local scientific enterprises, showing the relevance of ancient data to contemporary postcolonial historiography of science Editor(s): Ben-Dov, Jonathan. Series: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. Num Pages: 275 pages, black & white illustrations. BIC Classification: HRCG; HRJ. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 237 x 160 x 23. Weight in Grams: 564.

Until very recently, the idea of ancient Jewish sciences would have been considered unacceptable. Since the 1990s, Early Modern and Medieval Science in Jewish sources has been actively studied, but the consensus was that no real scientific themes could be found in earlier Judaism. This work points them out in detail and posits a new field of research: the scientific activity evident in the Dead Sea Scrolls and early Jewish pseudepigrapha. The publication of new texts and new analyses of older ones reveals crucial elements that are best illuminated by the history of science, and may have interesting consequences for it. The contributors evaluate these texts in relation to astronomy, astrology, and physiognomy, marking the first comprehensive attempt to account
for scientific themes in Second Temple Judaism. They investigate the meaning and purpose of scientific explorations in an apocalyptic setting. An appreciation of these topics paves the way to a renewed understanding of the scientific fragments scattered throughout rabbinic literature.
The book first places the Jewish material in the ancient context of the Near Eastern and Hellenistic worlds. While the Jewish texts were not on the cutting edge of scientific discovery, they find a meaningful place in the history of science, between Babylonia and Egypt, in the time period between Hipparchus and Ptolemy. The
book uses recent advances in method to examine the contacts and networks of Jewish scholars in their ancient setting. Second, the essays here tackle the problematic concept of a national scientific tradition. Although science is nowadays often conceived as universal, the historiography of ancient Jewish sciences demonstrates
the importance of seeing the development of science in a local context. The book explores the tension between the hegemony of central scientific traditions and local scientific enterprises, showing the relevance of ancient data to contemporary postcolonial historiography of science. Finally, philosophical questions of the demarcation of science are addressed in a way that can advance the discussion of related ancient materials.
Online edition available as part of the NYU Library's Ancient World Digital Library and in partnership with the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW).

Product Details

Format
Hardback
Publication date
2014
Publisher
New York University Press United States
Number of pages
176
Condition
New
Series
Institute for the Study of the Ancient World
Number of Pages
275
Place of Publication
New York, United States
ISBN
9781479823048
SKU
V9781479823048
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 7 to 11 working days
Ref
99-1

About Seth L. Sanders
Jonathan Ben-Dov is Senior Lecturer, Department of Bible, at the University of Haifa. He is the author of Head of All Years: Astronomy and Calendars at Qumran in their Ancient Context. Seth L. Sanders is Assistant Professor of Religion at Trinity College. His first book, The Invention of Hebrew was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award.

Reviews for Ancient Jewish Sciences and the History of Knowledge in Second Temple Literature
It will open doors to new areas of importance for the study of ancient Judaism and its culture as well as for the study of ancient sciences.
Professor Francesca Rochberg, UC Berkeley

Goodreads reviews for Ancient Jewish Sciences and the History of Knowledge in Second Temple Literature


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