This volume introduces a cycle of stories about Abraham as preserved in fifteen unpublished, late medieval manuscripts in Armenian, published here in English for the first time with commentaries, annotations, and critical apparatus. The texts present embroidered Abraham stories dealing with his youth, his life in Egypt, the binding of Isaac, the story of Melchizedek, and other tales. Embedding …
Of view on literary unity -- The overall meaning -- The overall meaning in previous scholarship -- Gunkel -- Brandenburger and Harnisch -- Structural aspects of development in version 1-3 -- "The way of the most high" and Ezra's development -- Our approach -- Our analysis of the significance of the framework -- Development inherent in formal structures -- Structural indications of pivotal posit…
"In Ancient Judaism: New Visions and Views Michael Stone examines a broad range of basic issues in the study of Second Temple Judaism and calls for a radical rethinking of approaches to Jewish history. Stone challenges scholars and students to question theologically conditioned histories of ancient Judaism devised by later orthodoxies, whether Jewish or Christian, and to acknowledge religious e…