Israel's Day of Light and Joy : The Origin, Development, and Enduring Meaning of the Jewish Sabbath / Jon D. Levenson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Levenson, Jon Douglas, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sabbath--History.

Sabbath.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (297 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

University Park, PA : The Pennsylvania State University Press, [2024]

Summary:

This book begins by exploring the mysterious origins of an institution so familiar that most of us never wonder where it came from—the seven-day week. Jon D. Levenson then focuses on the historical development of the Jewish Sabbath and the rich range of theological and ethical meanings it has acquired over the centuries.Levenson evaluates the theory that the Hebrew word šabbāt derives from Akkadian and that the Sabbath may have begun as a day of ill omen, only later to be reinterpreted as the joyous festival that consummates the seven-day week. He explores the quasi-magical character of the number seven in ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean compositions and examines the revealing variation of the Sabbath commandment between the two biblical versions of the Decalogue in Exodus and Deuteronomy. He also treats sabbatical law in the Second Temple and rabbinic periods, critiquing contemporary efforts to extract a spirituality from the Sabbath that is divorced from larger questions of communal identity, normative practice, and religious affirmation. Levenson concludes by discussing modern challenges to Sabbath observance and the surprising prospects for its continuation.Written by an eminent scholar in the field, this sophisticated inquiry bridges the gap between studies that explore the spiritual meaning of Jewish Sabbath observance and those that focus strictly on the history of the tradition. It will appeal to a wide audience of academics and lay readers.

Contents:

Intro

COVER Front

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Two Origins of the Week

Notes to Chapter 1

Chapter 2: From Seventh Day to Sabbath

Notes to Chapter 2

Chapter 3: Six Days and the Seventh

Notes to Chapter 3

Chapter 4: The Creation of the World or the Exodus from Egypt?

Notes to Chapter 4

Chapter 5: Sharing His Majesty's Repose

Notes to Chapter 5

Chapter 6: What Is "Work"? or, the Indispensability of Law

Notes to Chapter 6

Chapter 7: Paradise Pre- Enacted

Notes to Chapter 7

Chapter 8: Modern Life Challenges the Sabbath-and Vice Versa

Notes to Chapter 8

Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781646022854

1646022858

9781646022861

1646022866

OCLC:

1439306283