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Title: The Scepter and the Star by John Colins ISBN: 0-385-47457-1 Publisher: Anchor Bible Pub. Date: 01 March, 1995 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: an in-depth study of a complex problem
Comment: The Scepter and the Star by John Joseph Collins is an in-depth study of the complex problem of messianism and the varied messianic expectation(s) and speculation(s) during the time of Second Temple Judaism. The subtitle of the book, "The Messiahs of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Other Ancient Literature" is important because Collins does not restrict his study to the Dead Sea Scrolls. He goes through the Pseudepigrapha (a large, open-ended collection of biblically-related and biblically-dependant literature that is not a part of the Bible), the Apocrypha, the Hebrew Bible/Tanak/Old Testament and the messianic ideas contained within those works. Collins also deals with Jesus and the New Testament in this work, although it is on the side that these discussions take place.
Collins' knowledge of the Hebrew Bible is extensive on both theological and historical levels. His knowledge is also useful because in the Hebrew Bible are the roots of the problems with messianic interpretation - the scriptures themselves. Once Collins places particular scriptures in their historical context, he then goes on to show their influence(s) and interpretation(s) in various post- and extra-biblical works of literature. We find a pre-existent, heavenly messiah, a priestly messiah, a kingly messiah, and a militant messiah in the works Collins analyzes. At least one messiah was expected and possibly and two, depending on who wrote the work. Collins also deals with the history of the word "messiah" and its various uses in the Hebrew Bible.
In reading the book, the reader will gain some insights as to how and why the writers of the New Testament understood Jesus the way that they did, but the goal of the book is not to connect these works to Jesus. The book is, in many ways, a survey of the messianic thought during and before Jesus' time.
This book is not an introduction by any means. It is an in-depth study; some previous knowledge of the Scrolls, the Pseudepigrapha, and Second Temple history will be useful to the reader. A glossary would have been nice and helpful and would have opened the doors for less knowledgeable readers to read and understand the book. Overall, this is an excellect read. However, previous knowledge will enable - and perhaps even be necessary - for reader to grasp the many insights in Collins' work.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent Book!!!
Comment: The Scepter and the Star is an excellent and indepth study of the controversy between Judaism and Christianity. In this book we find substantial support for the reasons that many Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah. The Jews were looking for two Messiahs- not one. There is scriptural support, which is well documented by John Collins that points to two Messiah figures of the Apocalypse. Collins also references Dead Sea Scroll material that specifically points out two figures- a Davidic and a Priestly Messiah . This book explains how two diverse religions came and stayed- Judaism and Christianity- over these differences. It shows how the Bible was more than a religious book, but a history book as well. This is an excellent, well written book that should get people to look again at the Bible and perhaps read it with insight instead of letting others TELL you what it says!!
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Title: Judaisms and their Messiahs at the Turn of the Christian Era by Jacob Neusner, William Scott Green, Ernest S. Frerichs ISBN: 0521349400 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 26 February, 1988 List Price(USD): $27.00 |
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Title: The Messiah Before Jesus: The Suffering Servant of the Dead Sea Scrolls by Israel Knohl, David Maisel ISBN: 0520234006 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: February, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Eschatology, Messianism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature, V. 1) by Craig A. Evans, Peter W. Flint ISBN: 0802842305 Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Pub. Date: September, 1997 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees in Palestinian Society: A Sociological Approach by Anthony J. Saldarini, James C. VanderKam ISBN: 0802843581 Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Pub. Date: May, 2001 List Price(USD): $28.00 |
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Title: Between Athens and Jerusalem: Jewish Identity in the Hellenistic Diaspora (The Biblical Resource Series) by John J. Collins ISBN: 0802843727 Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Pub. Date: October, 1999 List Price(USD): $32.00 |
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