Social and Economic Life in Second Temple Judea

by Samuel L. Adams

Overview

Those who study the Bible are becoming increasingly attentive to the significance of economics when examining ancient texts and the cultures that produced them. This book looks at the socioeconomic landscape of Second Temple Judea, from the end of the Babylonian exile to the destruction of the temple by the Romans (532 BCE to 70 CE). Adams carefully examines key themes, paying special attention to family life, the status of women, and children, while engaging relevant textual and archaeological evidence. He looks at borrowing and lending and the burdensome taxation policies under a succession of colonial powers. In this pursuit, Adams offers an innovative analysis of economic life with fresh insights from biblical texts. No other study has specifically analyzed economics for this lengthy timeframe, especially in relation to these key themes. This important book provides readers with a helpful context for understanding religious beliefs and practices in the time of early Judaism and emerging Christianity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780664237035
Publisher:	Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date:	08/25/2014
Pages:	268
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Samuel L. Adams is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. Adams is a regular blogger for Huffington Post and currently serves as coeditor of Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), he is the author of Wisdom in Transition: Act and Consequence in Second Temple Instructions.

Read an Excerpt

"This book examines the socioeconomic landscape of Judah/Judea in the Second Temple period, from the end of the Babylonian exile to the destruction of the Temple by the Romans (532 B.C.E. - 70 C.E.). No previous study has focused specifically on economics when analyzing this timeframe, and the current discussion will engage in a close reading of key sources, consideration of relevant archaeological evidence, and theoretical analysis. By taking up topics like marriage gifts, borrowing and lending, and taxation, our discussion will provide an overview of economic life, with fresh insights from relevant biblical texts, including passages and entire books that do not get enough attention in this regard (e.g., Ruth, Ezra-Nehemiah, Tobit)." —from the introduction

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Family Life and Marriage

• Basic Household Structures
• Household Size and Larger Population Estimates
• Life in the Household
• Marriage
• Finding a Partner
• Marriage Gifts and Dowry Arrangements
• The Economics of Divorce
• Summary

  Chapter 2. The Status of Women and Children
  

• Roles and Responsibilities of Women
• The Status of Widows
• Children
• Roles and Responsibilities of Male Offspring
• Roles and Responsibilities of Daughters
• Responsibilities toward Parents
• Inheritance
• Debt Slavery
• Summary

  Chapter 3. Work and Financial Exchanges
  

• Occupations
• The Challenges of Farming
• Animal Husbandry
• Other Occupations
• Financial Exchanges
• Borrowing and Lending
• Interest 1
• The Practice of Surety
• Bribery
• Summary

  Chapter 4. Taxation and the Role of the State
  

• Taxation in an Advanced Agrarian Economy:
• Anthropological Perspectives
• Persian Period
• Ptolemaic Period
• Seleucid Period
• The Hasmoneans
• Roman Period
• Summary

  Chapter 5. The Ethics of Wealth and Poverty
  

• Ethics of Wealth and Poverty in the Wisdom Literature
• Contradictions in the Book of Proverbs
• Skepticism in the Books of Job and Ecclesiastes
• Ben Sira and Social Ethics
• Second Temple Instructions and Question of an Afterlife
• Apocalyptic Eschatology, Economics, and Social Ethics
• 4QInstruction and the Dead Sea Scrolls
• The Epistle of Enoch and the Gospel of Luke
• Wisdom and Apocalypticism
• The Question of Social Location

Editorial Reviews

"This well-researched and innovative study is an essential resource for both researchers and religious leaders. Adams adeptly illustrates how the social and economic context of the ancient world helped to shape people's beliefs about God, justice, and fair balance. There are strong implications for our contemporary context as we witness a dramatic acceleration of wealth inequalities in the United States and around the world. The significance of Adams's work extends beyond a historical study and invites readers to seek the wisdom and alternative vision of ancient traditions of faith as we confront one of the most pressing problems of our own time."
—Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty, Chair, Department of Theology, Bellarmine University

"Sam Adams's exciting and timely book brings to life the social and economic world of Second Temple Judea. Adams masterfully balances attention to micro- and macroeconomic structures, giving equal space to the spheres of family and empire. Informed by critical gender studies and postcolonial theory, Adams examines old and new evidence with a keen and judicious eye. Accessible, well-organized, and fresh, this book will be a vital resource for students and scholars alike."
—Anathea Portier-Young, Duke Divinity School

"Social and Economic Life in Second Temple Judea serves as a major advance for the study of biblical economies. With a broad knowledge of early Judaism, Professor Adams deftly works through biblical and extrabiblical texts to present a balanced portrayal of the social currents of the Second Temple period. Beginning students will find this book accessible and engaging, while scholars will appreciate its thorough research and nuanced discussion."
—Roger S. Nam, George Fox University

"Adams's groundbreaking work provides a long overdue survey of the realities of economic life in Second Temple Judaism. Grounded in detailed knowledge of the literature, this book provides a solid and realistic basis for future work on social justice in early Judaism and the nascent Christian movement."
—John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation, Yale Divinity School

From the Publisher