Vanderkam IEJ 2001

Jams Vanderkam is a modern leading expert in the field of Early Judaism. This book is very readable and informative. Its focus is the Second Temple period of Judaism from c. 538 BCE to 135 CE. The sections of the book that are most relevant to the topic studied in this course are the sections concerning the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Within the latter section, there are subsections on each of the two Jewish revolts.

Aside from the in depth historical information provided in this book, there is also a great deal of information regarding Jewish literature of the Second Temple period. The sections on literature are divided roughly by theme, with sections on Apocalypses, Narratives, Wisdom Literature, and Poetry respectively. There are also sections which focus on topics such as the Jewish priesthood, political parties, festivals, and Synagogue worship. The author provides excellent introduction material to anyone who might be interested in almost any topic with regard to Second Temple Judaism.