Most studies of Jews in the period from Alexander to Trajan have concentrated almost exclusively on Jerusalem and Judea. In this book; John Barclay assembles and analyzes evidence about the Jewish communities in Egypt; Syria; Cyrenaica; Rome; and Asia. Barclay's ambitious goal is to describe; as precisely as the evidence allows; the varying levels of assimilation and antagonism between Jews and the non-Jewish communities in these areas for this 440-year period. With a concluding review of Jewish identity in the Diaspora as a whole; this book provides our first comprehensive and multi-faceted survey of Diaspora communities and Diaspora literature.
#2462411 in Books 1996-08-01 1996-08-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.43 x .65 x 5.85l; .84 #File Name: 0520203240256 pages
Review
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful. An excellent answer to a fascintating questionBy BlahIn this work; Babb asks an interesting question. Why would Jains fast and starve themselves when they believe that the beings they worship are not only unaware of their existence but also can in no way help them even if they wanted? It is a fascinating book that explores this as well as ritual in jain culture. It is based mostly on the authors work in India. It is quite descriptive and can be understood by all as he expains many aspects of Jainist thought.In addition to describing the various rituals in play; the author also gives a very thorough explanation of the dieties and their roles. Furthermore; he effectively compares Jainism with Hinduism and Buddhism making the distinction much clearer. This is a difficult task when dealing with Indian religions. Finally; Babb does an excellent job of incorporating the ideas and stories of the people he interviewed into the work.
