A concise, highly readable and methodically argued re-evaluation of Jewish history and the beginning of 'Judaism' as a religion!

In 'The Origins of Judaism', Professor Adler quite expertly argues through an extensive overview of archaeological and historical sources that the Laws of the Torah were not widely known or put into practice earlier than the late 2nd Century BCE. It is at this time, and this time alone, that we begin to see solid historical evidence for most of the practices that would come to be seen as normative to Judaism (ritual immersion, tefillin, aversion to figurative imagery, celebration of major holidays, strict practice of kosher laws, the institution of the synagogue, etc).

Though the Torah was likely canonized much earlier and known to a minority of 'literati', before this period, we have no solid evidence that the majority of the Jewish people either knew or practiced its Laws as authoritative at any time in Jewish or First Temple Israelite history before the Late Hellenistic period, probably around the period that the Hasmoneans took power. In fact, there is quite a lot of historical and literary evidence to the opposite!

Though I was familiar with many of the claims of critical scholarship before reading this book, Professor Adler made me re-evaluate my own position that the Laws of the Torah must have become known in the Persian period as portrayed in the book of Ezra-Nehemiah in the Bible, perhaps under Imperial Persian patronage. It has totally changed how I view Jewish history, and can't recommend it enough!

I’ve you love architecture and are interested in religious history then this is a book you’ll thank yourself for reading.

Recently there has been a ton of work indicating that the Pentateuch is younger than previous supposed.

Much of it has been based on text criticism and intertextual dependency up to now.

The analysis presented here is firmly rooted in a giant meta-analysis of the archeological finds from the first century CE back to maybe 200 BCE.

The conclusions are concordant with much other recent work and seem very strong. Adler present the analysis in an accessible and concise manner. It is all quite fascinating. His tentative suggestion that the seminal event in the adoption of the Pentateuch is the Maccabean revolt has whispers of support from other sources.

Great book.

Fascinating! A very strong analysis of the archeological and historical sources which produces a narrative that may well become the central and mainstream interpretation. Or at least it will challenge many less well supported viewpoints.

Great seller fast delivery ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

book was in excellent shape when it arrived.. thought i would receive it earlier

Want to know when the bible was written? Watch when it has a social impact!

This is a thoroughly researched presentation that soars above the (unfortunately standard) writing of most academics. Precise discussion of hard facts without throwing shade on scriptures. Get it. Read it.

Adler is one of those few people who know how to do research: posit theories, and then try to establish to which extent they're backed by facts.

Falsifying one's own theory is pivotal in academics, and one of the quintessential elements so very dearly missing from almost all of biblical academic, that appears to have satisfied itself with the very low bar of positing opinions that are shared with alleged majority consensus.

None of that is to be found in this one by Adler, and while he produces objective and verifiable data, he also manages to do so in a very legible manner

Highly recommended

This book is a thoughtful and well-researched exploration of Judaism’s origins, presenting a compelling archaeological-historical reassessment. Its clear, rigorous, and highly informative nature sheds fresh light on religious developments in the ancient Near East.

- for anyone interested in how the history of the origins of one semitic group has been seen and interpreted to global effect. Readable and cogent.

Surveys the archaeological evidence for 2nd Temple Judaism outside of priestly writings and stories in books and finds it only surfaces in the context of the ordinary person in the middle of the 2nd century BC; that is around the time of the Hasmonean/Maccabean "revolt" and the foundation of the Hasmonean/Maccabean state.

Archaeology had already nixxed the TaNaKh as history; now even more of the "Chosen People" narrative finds the bin. The author is at pains to stress he is making no claims outside of archaeology but it is increasingly clear that Jewish "history" is for the most part legend [95% if I'm generous!], and that if you persist in evangelising it as something other than that you turn it into an outright lie.

But read it for yourselves, keeping in mind you are entitled to an alternative opinion but not to alternative facts.

A fascinating exploration of the origins of Judaism. Specifically, when is it likely that the Judeans adopted the Torah and Judaism as we know it was established. The author makes a convincing case that this could not have occurred before the middle of the second century BCE; and that the most likely period was during the reign of the Hasmonean kings. What is particularly fascinating is how he shows that many of the precepts of Judaism (the Sabbath, fasting on the Day of Atonement, Passover) were generally unknown prior to this period. Even the Bible, outside the Pentateuch, shows little or no knowledge or awareness of them.