1. Multiplicity, monotheism, and memory in Ancient Israel; 2. Rethinking scribalism and change in Second Temple Judaism; 3. Writing angels, astronomy, and Aramaic in the early Hellenistic age; 4. Textualizing demonology as Jewish knowledge and scribal expertise; 5. Rewriting angels, demons, and the ancestral archive of Jewish knowledge.
A new explanation of the beginnings of Jewish angelology and demonology, drawing on non-canonical writings and Aramaic Dead Sea Scrolls.
Annette Yoshiko Reed is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies and Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University. A scholar of Judaism and Christianity, she focuses on questions of identity and literary practice across Second Temple Judaism and Late Antiquity. Her research looks to non-canonical and other neglected sources to open new perspectives on ancient Jews and Christians. Her books include Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity (Cambridge, 2005) and Jewish-Christianity and the History of Judaism (2018), as well as a number of edited volumes.
'By far the most richly textured and lucid explanation of
demonology and angelology I have ever seen. Demons, Angels,
and Writing is a consummate work of historical scholarship,
capturing the imaginative worlds of ancient Jewish scribes with
eloquence and insight. And in taking demons, angels, and the
multiplicity of divine forces seriously in ancient religious
experience, Reed makes an important contribution to the history of
religions more generally.' David Frankfurter, William Goodwin
Aurelio Chair of the Appreciation of Scripture, Boston
University
'This wide-ranging, immensely learned, study brings a new angle of
vision to bear on the transformation of Judaism in the Hellenistic
age. Focusing on the new attention to angels and demons, Reed
argues that this development has more to do with new conceptions of
knowledge than with the theological understanding of evil or with
political resistance. This is a major contribution that should
stimulate extensive reassessment of Judaism in this formative
period.' John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament, Yale
University
'… carefully argued technical study … a fine-grained analysis …' J.
S. Kaminsky, Choice
'Reed's work in Demons, Angels, and Writing in Ancient Judaism is
monumental and consequential. Not only does it serve as a model for
the type of synchronic analysis she undertakes, but also stands as
a testament to its fruitfulness. … essential reading, especially
for those working on Jewish literature and scribal practices in the
Second Temple period.' Michael DeVries, Reading Religion
'A fascinating volume about the unseen world and its important to
the scribal practices of the ancient cultures of the Levant.'
Archie T. Wright, Revue de Qumrân
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
