Books (ed., au., coll.) by Jeffrey P García
Journal of Ancient Judaism - Supplements, Volume: 34, 2021
This book is an analysis of early Jewish thought on human nature, specifically, the complex of ch... more This book is an analysis of early Jewish thought on human nature, specifically, the complex of characteristics that are understood to be universally innate, and/or God-given, to collective humanity and the manner which they depict human existence in relationship, or lack thereof, to God.
Jewish discourse in the Greco-Roman period (4th c. BCE until 1st c. CE) on human nature was not exclusively particularistic, although the immediate concern was often communal-specific. Evidence shows that many of these discussions were also an attempt to grasp a general, or universal, human nature. The focus of this work has been narrowed to three categories that encapsulate the most prevalent themes in Second Temple Jewish texts, namely, creation, composition, and condition.
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Understanding the Gospels as Ancient Jewish Literature deals with the Gospels’ role as part of a ... more Understanding the Gospels as Ancient Jewish Literature deals with the Gospels’ role as part of a collection of Greco-Roman Jewish texts (4th cent. BC–3rd cent. AD) that include the Dead Sea Scrolls and the literature of the early Rabbis. While decades of research into the "Jewish backgrounds" of the Gospels have proven to be fruitful, little attention has been given to their function as a witness to the evolution of ancient Judaism. Comprehending this evolution sheds new light and meaning on the Gospel narratives, as well as the core message of the Jesus movement. This work argues that when viewed through the lens of ancient Judaism, the Gospels become a source for the geographical, historical, and religious reality of ancient Judaism—some of which would have otherwise been missing from the historical record—and, in turn, clarify some of the teachings attributed to Jesus by the Evangelists.
In The Gospels in First Century Judaea experts of Greco-Roman Judaism employ their
expertise to o... more In The Gospels in First Century Judaea experts of Greco-Roman Judaism employ their
expertise to offer fresh and innovative interpretations of gospel texts. Each study
examines closely a passage from one of the four canonical gospels in order to shed light
on it from various pertinent subject areas (e.g., linguistics, archaeology, fine art).
Articles by Jeffrey P García
Jewish and Christian Perspectives Series, Volume: 29, 2016
The Gospels in First-Century Judaea
Proceedings of the Inaugural Conference of Nyack College's G... more The Gospels in First-Century Judaea
Proceedings of the Inaugural Conference of Nyack College's Graduate Program in Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins, August 29th, 2013
The Brill Reference Library of Judaism, Volume: 63, 2021
Editors: Stuart S. Miller, Michael D. Swartz, Steven Fine, Naomi Grunhaus, and Alex P. Jassen
Th... more Editors: Stuart S. Miller, Michael D. Swartz, Steven Fine, Naomi Grunhaus, and Alex P. Jassen
This Festschrift in honor of Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman, a renowned authority on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Rabbinic Judaism, includes contributions by twenty of his former doctoral students, now colleagues. The volume is divided into two sections, the “Biblical and Second Temple Period” and “Rabbis, Other Jews, and Neighboring Cultures.” The diverse topics covered and the wide range of interdisciplinary approaches employed reflect Professor Schiffman’s success in cultivating a school of scholars who are making unique contributions to the study of the Jews and Judaism.
The study examines four exemplary occasions in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus is reported to util... more The study examines four exemplary occasions in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus is reported to utilize the Hebrew Scriptures: “Jesus’ Preaching at the Synagogue of Nazareth” (4:18-19), “Jesus’ Witness Concerning John” (7:27), “And You Shall Love…” (10:25-37) and “Jesus and Caiaphas” (22:66-71). The citations from the Hebrew Bible preserved in the Third Gospel are sometimes elliptical (e.g., 19:45-46) or preserve the fusion of two disparate passages that prima facie are literarily and contextually varied (e.g., 4:18-19). Scholarly opinions concerning these pericopae have assumed a Greek or Aramaic linguistic environment for their understanding of the way in which these passages were used. On the other hand, the authors argue that the exegetical ingenuity attributed to Jesus can only be fully appreciated by engaging the verses’ Hebrew idiom and the contours of emerging Jewish thought in the Second Temple period. Indeed, when read within their inherent religious and linguistic milieu the exegetical complexes often reflect the hermeneutical methods of the day. The authors’ two-pronged approach of Hebrew language and contemporary Jewish thought achieves fruitful results for understanding Luke’s Gospel, which itself reflects the larger interpretive tendencies and practices, as well as the expectations and hopes, of the Jewish people in the first century CE. Though limited in scope, this modest study indicates that there is further room for research concerning the linguistic environment of Jesus and the need to take more seriously the Third Gospel as a historical witness, particularly its testimony regarding Jesus’ use of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Book Reviews by Jeffrey P García
Journal of Hebrew Studies Vol. 60, 473-488, 2019
Talks by Jeffrey P García
Paper to be given @ Nyack College's Graduate Program in Ancient Judaism and Christian Origin's fi... more Paper to be given @ Nyack College's Graduate Program in Ancient Judaism and Christian Origin's first of a series of colloquia entitled, READING THE NEW TESTAMENT AS SECOND TEMPLE JEWISH LITERATURE
Ancient interpreters were so keenly aware of the divergent qualities of Genesis’ creation narrati... more Ancient interpreters were so keenly aware of the divergent qualities of Genesis’ creation narratives (1-2:3; 2:4-25) that topoi—the “image of God” and “from the ground”—developed in the Second Temple period and were utilized to describe unique human characteristics either innate or given by God. These literary threads were also employed to acknowledge a unique relationship between God and humanity. In particular, the unique language of Gen 2:7, “of the dust from the ground” (עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה), was expanded with synonymous phraseology, “out of/from earth” and from “dust/clay.” While the use of the “image of God” in Second Temple, early Rabbinic, and early Christian texts has garnered some attention, Rabbinic literature and the New Testament have received the lion’s share. Additionally, neither the second topos, “out of/from earth” or from “dust/clay,” nor the interplay of both to characterize humanity have gained much attention. Moreover, this study contends that the importance of these topoi was so compelling that they were rhetorically used in the Hodayot to emphasize the lowly state humanity. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine their employment in several Second Temple texts (Ben Sira, Wisdom of Solomon, Testament of Naphtali [TNaph], 4 Ezra ) with the additional objective of exploring the manner in which they highlight and intensify the baseness of humanity exhibited in the one of the closing hymns of the Hodayot (20:7-22:42).
A presentation for Nyack College undergraduate that briefly surveys the evidence for a Hebrew in ... more A presentation for Nyack College undergraduate that briefly surveys the evidence for a Hebrew in Second Temple Judaism and a Hebrew substratum in the Gospels.
1. What is Halakha? Why Does It Matter?
2. The Good, the Grain, and the Sabbath
3. Jesus' Halak... more 1. What is Halakha? Why Does It Matter?
2. The Good, the Grain, and the Sabbath
3. Jesus' Halakha of Charity.
While Jesus’ view of halakha (i.e. Jewish law) has been of general interest to New Testament scho... more While Jesus’ view of halakha (i.e. Jewish law) has been of general interest to New Testament scholars, “giving to the poor” as an integral part of this discussion has been largely neglected. Even the pioneering studies of New Testament scholars E.P. Sanders (Jewish Law between the Bible and the Mishnah [Trinity Press, 1990]) and J.P. Meier (A Marginal Jew: Law and Love [vol 4; YUP, 2009]) have overlooked the manner in which “giving to the poor” functions in Jesus’ view of observing Torah. Yet, biblical legislation, as well as the subsequent legal developments in the Second Temple Period, indicates that charity played a distinctive role in observing the commandments. Moreover, there are several narratives preserved in the Synoptic gospels that discuss charity in relation to other commandments. In fact, these discussions at times closely parallel discussions codified in the literature of the Tannaim, especially the Mishnah and Tosefta. Therefore, the purpose of this paper will be to explore four Synoptic narratives, “The Rich Young Man” (Matt 19:16-22; Mk 10:19-22; Luke 18:18-23), “The Law and Righteousness” (Matt 5:17-20, 6:1-4), “The Widow’s Mites” (Luke 19:1-10), and “Zacchaeus the Tax Collector” (Mk 12:41-44; Lk 21:1-4), in light of the legal context of “giving to the poor” in Second Temple texts and early rabbinic literature in order to shed light on an area of Jesus’ so-called halakha that has been heretofore ignored.
Since the discovery in Cave 1 of the collection known as the Hodayot (Thanksgiving Hymns) signifi... more Since the discovery in Cave 1 of the collection known as the Hodayot (Thanksgiving Hymns) significant scholarly attention has been given to these psalmic compositions (cf., Schuller and DiTommaso, DSD 4/1(1996): 55-101). Much of it has been focused on reconstruction, authorship, poetic style, placement on the landscape of Qumranic thought, and the liturgical utilization of these scrolls within the community (e.g., Licht, Stegemann, Chazon, Schuller, Kim, etc.). Interestingly, one of the major themes that have come to the fore is the depiction of humanity’s baseness and utter sinfulness (e.g., Licht, etc.). These differing portrayals are partially built on deft biblical allusions, which are employed as a poetic device in the Hodayot (cf. J. Hughes, Scriptural Allusions in the Hodayot [STJD 59; Brill, 2006]). Little attention, however, has been given to the manner in which the language of Thanksgiving Hymns is intended to allude to Genesis’ creation narrative(s), as well as the general anthropology of the Hebrew Bible. Moreover, while modern scholars have shown that Genesis preserves what were originally two Creation narratives, whether such a distinction was known in the ancient world is not readily evident. Yet, when read carefully not only do the hymns appear to preserve previously unnoticed allusions to Genesis but also appear to be intended to point the reader back to a specific creation narrative. Therefore the purpose of this study is to examine the linguistic nuances of the Hodayot that seem intended to allude to a specific Genesis narrative and the manner which they help to shed light on the author’s thought regarding humanity. Additionally, the examination of these hymns will help to provide some insight into how the ancients read and interpreted the creation narratives, and more specifically, shed light on the sectarian view of humanity.
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Books (ed., au., coll.) by Jeffrey P García
Jewish discourse in the Greco-Roman period (4th c. BCE until 1st c. CE) on human nature was not exclusively particularistic, although the immediate concern was often communal-specific. Evidence shows that many of these discussions were also an attempt to grasp a general, or universal, human nature. The focus of this work has been narrowed to three categories that encapsulate the most prevalent themes in Second Temple Jewish texts, namely, creation, composition, and condition.
See Less
expertise to offer fresh and innovative interpretations of gospel texts. Each study
examines closely a passage from one of the four canonical gospels in order to shed light
on it from various pertinent subject areas (e.g., linguistics, archaeology, fine art).
Articles by Jeffrey P García
Proceedings of the Inaugural Conference of Nyack College's Graduate Program in Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins, August 29th, 2013
This Festschrift in honor of Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman, a renowned authority on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Rabbinic Judaism, includes contributions by twenty of his former doctoral students, now colleagues. The volume is divided into two sections, the “Biblical and Second Temple Period” and “Rabbis, Other Jews, and Neighboring Cultures.” The diverse topics covered and the wide range of interdisciplinary approaches employed reflect Professor Schiffman’s success in cultivating a school of scholars who are making unique contributions to the study of the Jews and Judaism.
Book Reviews by Jeffrey P García
Talks by Jeffrey P García
2. The Good, the Grain, and the Sabbath
3. Jesus' Halakha of Charity.
Jewish discourse in the Greco-Roman period (4th c. BCE until 1st c. CE) on human nature was not exclusively particularistic, although the immediate concern was often communal-specific. Evidence shows that many of these discussions were also an attempt to grasp a general, or universal, human nature. The focus of this work has been narrowed to three categories that encapsulate the most prevalent themes in Second Temple Jewish texts, namely, creation, composition, and condition.
See Less
expertise to offer fresh and innovative interpretations of gospel texts. Each study
examines closely a passage from one of the four canonical gospels in order to shed light
on it from various pertinent subject areas (e.g., linguistics, archaeology, fine art).
Proceedings of the Inaugural Conference of Nyack College's Graduate Program in Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins, August 29th, 2013
This Festschrift in honor of Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman, a renowned authority on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Rabbinic Judaism, includes contributions by twenty of his former doctoral students, now colleagues. The volume is divided into two sections, the “Biblical and Second Temple Period” and “Rabbis, Other Jews, and Neighboring Cultures.” The diverse topics covered and the wide range of interdisciplinary approaches employed reflect Professor Schiffman’s success in cultivating a school of scholars who are making unique contributions to the study of the Jews and Judaism.
2. The Good, the Grain, and the Sabbath
3. Jesus' Halakha of Charity.