In rabbinic parlance Japheth in the Tens of Shem Genesis 927 has become aproverbial expression for the interaction between Greek and Jewish cultures.The book co... » 

In rabbinic parlance Japheth in the Tens of Shem Genesis 927 has become aproverbial expression for the interaction between Greek and Jewish cultures.The book contains fifteen studies exploring a wide variety of aspects of thesecultures in antiquity. In the past 30 years the many varied manifestations ofJewish Hellenism have become the focus of intensive research. The author ofthis book has played an active part in the research and this book presents hisfindings. The book covers the extent to which Greek became the daily languageof the Jews and the Samaritans in Hellenistic and Roman Palestine theknowledge of Greek medical lore and science among the rabbis the developmentof Greek forms of the synagogal Eighteen Benedictions the Jewish participationin the HellenisticRoman debate about antediluvian knowledge wisdom frombefore the flood the background of the surprising phenomenon of voluntarycelibacy among ancient Jews the role of the veneration of the tombs ofbiblical prophets in Jewish popular religion the work of the JudaeoGreekalchemist Maria the first known female Jewish author the life and works ofthe most notorious antiSemite from pagan antiquity Apion and Josephusresponse to him the Samaritan diaspora in Rome the attractiveness of Judaismfor Christians and much more. «