Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Apocrypha, Apocalyptic Literature, and Pseudepigrapha (Jewish and Christian Texts) (2 vols.)

by Jan A. Sigvartsen

Publishers:

T&T Clark; Bloomsbury

, 2019

Overview

Jan A. Sigvartsen seeks to examine the immense interest in life after death, and speculation about the fates awaiting both the righteous and the wicked, that proliferated in the Second Temple period. In this collection Sigvartsen explores the Apocrypha and the apocalyptic writings in the Pseudepigrapha. He identifies the numerous afterlife and resurrection beliefs and presents an analysis that enables readers to easily understand and compare the wide-ranging beliefs regarding the afterlife that these texts hold.

Key Features

• Explores the major passages focused on resurrection
• Outlines the numerous afterlife views
• Demonstrates the abundance of beliefs in resurrection

Product Details

• Title: Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Apocrypha, Apocalyptic Literature, and Pseudepigrapha (2 vols.)
• Author: Jan A. Sigvartsen
• Editor: James H. Charlesworth
• Series: Jewish and Christian Texts
• Publisher: T&T Clark
• Publication Date: 2019
• Volumes: 2
• Pages: 688
• Resource Type: Monographs

Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Apocrypha and Apocalyptic Literature

• Author: Jan A. Sigvartsen
• Series: Jewish and Christian Texts
• Publisher: T&T Clark
• Publication Date: 2019
• Pages: 328

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Jan A. Sigvartsen seeks to examine the immense interest in life after death, and speculation about the fates awaiting both the righteous and the wicked, that proliferated in the Second Temple period. In this volume Sigvartsen explores the Apocrypha and the apocalyptic writings in the Pseudepigrapha. He identifies the numerous afterlife and resurrection beliefs and presents an analysis that enables readers to easily understand and compare the wide-ranging beliefs regarding the afterlife that these texts hold.

A careful reading of these resurrection passages, including passages appearing in Sirach, Maccabees, the Sibylline Oracles and the Ezra texts, reveals that most of the distinct views on life-after-death, regardless of their complexity, show little evidence of systematic development relational to one another, and are often supported by several key passages or shared motifs from texts that later became a part of the TaNaKh. Sigvartsen also highlights the factors that may have influenced the development of so many different resurrection beliefs; including anthropology, the nature of the soul, the scope of the resurrection, the number and function of judgments, and the final destination of the righteous and the wicked. Sigvartsen's study provides a deeper understanding of how the “TaNaKh” was read by different communities during this important period, and the role it played in the development of the resurrection belief—a central article of faith in both Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism.

Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Pseudepigrapha

• Author: Jan A. Sigvartsen
• Series: Jewish and Christian Texts
• Publisher: T&T Clark
• Publication Date: 2019
• Pages: 360

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Jan A. Sigvartsen seeks to examine the immense interest in life after death, and speculation about the fates awaiting both the righteous and the wicked, that proliferated in the Second Temple period. In this volume Sigvartsen analyses the texts of the Pseudepigrapha, identifies the numerous afterlife and resurrection beliefs they contain, and presents an analysis of these beliefs and how they functioned in the Second Temple period.

A careful reading of these diverse resurrection passages—from testaments to wisdom, philosophical literature, and prayers—reveals that most of these distinct life-after-death views, regardless of their complexity, show little evidence of systematic development relational to one another, and are often supported by several key passages or shared motifs from texts that later became a part of the TaNaKh. This volume examines testaments from Adam to the Twelve Patriarchs, expansions of stories and legends such as Joseph and Aseneth and the ladder of Jacob, and texts such as 4 Maccabees, before finally considering the posthumous body, the nature of the soul, and anthropological implications. Sigvartsen's study provides a deeper understanding of how texts that later became a part of the TaNaKh were read by different communities during this important period, and the role they played in the development of the resurrection belief—a central article of faith in both Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism.

This volume is a companion to Sigvartsen’s work on afterlife and resurrection in the Apocrypha and the apocalyptic literature of the Pseudepigrapha.

About Jan A. Sigvartsen

Jan A. Sigvartsen is a Dozent of Old Testament at the Theologische Hochschule Friedensau, Germany.