Joseph Blenkinsopp (1927-2022) was a prolific scholar of the Old Testament. He served as the John A. O'Brien Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
Philip R. Davies
University of Sheffield
"Joseph Blenkinsopp's argument that the roots of Jewish
sectarianism can be traced back to the work of Ezra and Nehemiah is
presented with typical clarity, incisiveness, and breadth of
scholarship. No student of early Judaism will fail to learn much
from the numerous insights of this book, which range from the
relationship of Ezra 1-6 and Chronicles to the Hasmonean adoption
of Nehemiah and the ideological roots of the Damascus Document.
Blenkinsopp's unique combination of wide learning and elegant
argumentation makes his scholarship pleasurable as well as
instructive." Ehud Ben Zvi
University of Alberta
"Blenkinsopp has written a major contribution to the study of the
history of the Second Temple period. Recent years have seen much
work and discussion on Ezra and Nehemiah. One of the many strengths
of this particular volume is its wide historical perspective.
Blenkinsopp roots Ezra and Nehemiah (and their group and ideas)
within a general historical construction of the Second Temple
period. He looks backward into roots such as Ezekiel and Babylonian
settings and forward into later sectarianism and Maccabean ideas
and policies.
Blenkinsopp's profound knowledge of biblical (and related) texts
and their potential interrelationships is displayed prominently
throughout the volume. The combination of thoughtful detailed
analysis and an approach in which the 'big historical picture' is
always at the center ensures that this book will be widely read and
cited both by historians of the period and by scholars researching
particular texts relevant to the period. The fact that the book is
also an enjoyable read will facilitate its use by students and
laypersons."
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