Seeking to discover the relationship between the experiences and historical settings of Jewish writers of the Second Temple Period and their perspectives on the shape of time, Mermelstein utilizes close readings of four texts as test cases--Wisdom of Ben Sira, the book of Jubilees, Fourth Ezra, and the Animal Apocalypse. He considers the intersections between the texts in relation to time and history as well as theological matters. Seven chapters are: the relationship between time and history in Second Temple literature; Wisdom of Ben Sira: Jewish history as the unfolding of Creation; Wisdom of Ben Sira: timelessness in support of the temple-state; the Book of Jubilees: timeless dimensions of a covenantal relationship; the Animal Apocalypse: the timeless symbols of history; Fourth Ezra: time and history as theological critique; synthesis and conclusions. There is a list of abbreviations and a bibliography. Annotation ©2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
In Creation, Covenant, and the Beginnings of Judaism, Ari Mermelstein examines Second Temple writers who described creation, rather than a historical event, as the beginning of Jewish history in order to resolve a perceived sense of temporal rupture with Israels covenantal past.
