Oxford Handbook of Jewish Studies, The

Trinity Journal, Spring 2004 by Schnabel, Eckhard

Martin Goodman, ed. The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. xiv 1037 pp. $80.00.

This Oxford Handbook provides "a snapshot of the current state of research in Jewish studies" (p. xiii) in thirty-nine contributions written by forty-five specialists. Each essay of this fine volume surveys a major topic in Jewish studies, covering numerous aspects of Jewish culture, particularly literature, history, theology, law, sociology, and the fine arts, providing suggestions for further reading and extensive bibliographies. Martin Goodman, professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Oxford and the editor of the project introduces the volume with a discussion of "The Nature of Jewish Studies" (pp. 1-13), exploring the explosion of interest worldwide in Jewish studies as demonstrated by the publication programs of major academic presses and the prominence of Jewish studies in magazines and newspapers. Rather than list every chapter of the very comprehensive Handbook, I will focus on contributions that might be of particular interest for the readers of this journal.

A. Cooper illustrates the relationship of "Biblical Studies and Jewish Studies" (pp. 14-35) by examining two major commentaries on Leviticus (D. Z. Hoffmann, 1905/06; J. Milgrom, 1991-2000). M. Goodman describes "Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period" (pp. 36-52), while J. J. Collins surveys "The Literature of the Second Temple Period" (pp. 53-78). Two essays by S. Schwartz and C. Hezser explore the historiography and the literature of the "Talmudic" period (pp. 78-114, 115-40). Six essays discuss various topics related to Medieval Jewry, including the important contribution by R. Ben-Shalom on "Medieval Jewry in Christendom" (pp. 153-92) who surveys not only the historical and cultural development of Jewish communities in the various European countries, but also anti-Jewish violence, pogroms, expulsions, ghettos, and conversions. Four essays examine modern Jewish history and culture between 1492 and 1939, before S. Friedlander discusses "The Holocaust" (pp. 412-44, with an eleven-page bibliography) and S. Ilan Troen surveys "Settlement and State in Eretz Israel" (pp. 445-70). A later essay is devoted to the topic of "Anti-Semitism Research" (W. Benz, pp. 943-55). H. Diner's article on "American Jewish History" (pp. 471-90) does not survey the history of the Jewish communities in North America but, rather, the history of research and writing on the subject. Several contributions deal with language: P.-I. Halevi (Hebrew, pp. 491-514), C. E. Kuznitz (Yiddish, pp. 541-71), O. R. Schwarzwald (Judeo-Spanish, pp. 572-601), G. Khan (Judeo-Arabic and Judeo-Persian, pp. 601-21). M. Fishbane presents the current state of discussion in "Bible Interpretation" (pp. 680-704), while P. S. Alexander describes Jewish "Mysticism" (pp. 705-32), including discussions of Kabbalah and Hasidism. Further contributions explore the topics of Jewish philosophy and theology, women's studies, demography, art and architecture, archaeology, music, theater, film, folklore, and modern Jewish society.

An extensive index (pp. 1003-37) makes it possible to explore persons and subjects across historical periods and topical divisions in the Handbook. It was probably an editorial decision not to include maps, charts, or pictures. There will hardly be any reader of this handsome volume whose knowledge about a plethora of developments and details will not be increased immeasurably. The essays are written for students who seek to obtain up-to-date information about the major topic of Jewish studies, but the general reader will have no difficulty following the discussion. As a primary reference work, this Handbook serves well as a starting-point for research in Jewish studies. As a comprehensive guide to the discipline, it deserves to be on the shelves of every serious library and of everybody who is interested in the history and the culture of the Jewish people.

Eckhard Schnabel

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School