The Hasmoneans and Their Neighbors

New Historical Reconstructions from the Dead Sea Scrolls and Classical Sources

Kenneth Atkinson

• Publisher: T&T Clark
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780567680839
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

Kenneth Atkinson adds to an already impressive body of work on the Hasmoneans, proposing that the history and theological beliefs of Jews during the period of the Hasmonean state cannot be understood without a close investigation of the histories of the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Empires, as well as the Roman Republic. Citing evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls and classical sources, Atkinson offers a new reconstruction of this vital historical period, when the Hasmonean family changed the fates of their neighbors, the Roman Republic, the religion of Judaism, and created the foundation for the development of the nascent Christian faith. Atkinson additionally provides reconstructions of events in classical history, including the most detailed examination of Pompey the Great's assassination in light of Jewish sources; by focusing on his death, this volume uncovers new information that explains the discrepancies in the classical accounts of this pivotal event that shaped Middle Eastern and Roman history, and which helped end the Republic. Collecting sources ranging from the beginning of the Hasmonean monarchy, through its religious strife and golden age, to its eventual downfall, Atkinson concludes that that Jewish sectarianism and messianism played far greater roles in the Hasmonean state than has previously be assumed.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1: Introduction : The Sources and Their Limitations
• Chapter 2: The Early Hasmonean Period : New Evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Chapter 3: Prophetic Messianism and Hasmonean State Expansion : Dangers from the Seleucid Empire
• Chapter 4: The Creation of the Hasmonean Monarchy : Apocalyptic Expectations and the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Chapter 5: Religious Strife in the Hasmonean State : Foreign Threats, Ptolemaic Messianism, and the True Prophet
• Chapter 6: Military Deterrence and the Hasmonean Golden Age : The End of Days in the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Chapter 7: After the Loss of Sovereignty : New Light on Hasmonean and Roman History from the Dead Sea Scrolls and Classical Texts
• Chapter 8: A Dream Shattered : The End of the Hasmonean State and the Demise of Its Neighbors
• Bibliography
• Index of References
• Index of Authors