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The Formation of the Jewish Canon (The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library) Hardcover – October 22, 2013

by Timothy H. Lim (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 4 ratings
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The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls provides unprecedented insight into the nature of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament before its fixation. Timothy Lim here presents a complete account of the formation of the canon in Ancient Judaism from the emergence of the Torah in the Persian period to the final acceptance of the list of twenty-two/twenty-four books in the Rabbinic period.Using the Hebrew Bible, the Scrolls, the Apocrypha, the Letter of Aristeas, the writings of Philo, Josephus, the New Testament, and Rabbinic literature as primary evidence he argues that throughout the post-exilic period up to around 100 CE there was not one official “canon” accepted by all Jews; rather, there existed a plurality of collections of scriptures that were authoritative for different communities. Examining the literary sources and historical circumstances that led to the emergence of authoritative scriptures in ancient Judaism, Lim proposes a theory of the majority canon that posits that the Pharisaic canon became the canon of Rabbinic Judaism in the centuries after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.
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  1. Part of series
    The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  5. Publication date
    October 22, 2013
  6. Dimensions
    9.49 x 6.41 x 1.03 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0300164343
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0300164343
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Timothy Lim offers a comprehensive exploration, wrestling with the ancient sources and modern scholars, deposing the old “early tripartite” consensus. His argument is intelligent, balanced, and non-polemical."―Eugene Ulrich, University of Notre Dame
-- Eugene Ulrich

“With great learning and great clarity, Timothy Lim studies the origins and significance of the canon of the Hebrew Bible. This book instantly becomes the point of departure for all future discussions of the subject.”―Shaye J.D. Cohen, Harvard University
-- Shaye Cohen

"Timothy Lim has dispassionately examined one of the most intractable problems in biblical studies, with detailed attention to the ancient sources, and the result is a magnificent contribution to an increasingly lively field. All biblical scholars should read it.”―John Barton, University of Oxford
-- John Barton

"In this cogently argued book, Timothy Lim’s important and fresh interpretations of all of the pivotal ancient texts are informed by his considerable knowledge of the relevant ancient languages and his advanced awareness of both canonical and non-canonical literature. An excellent volume!’’―Lee Martin McDonald, Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia
-- Lee Martin McDonald

“Lim has written a disciplined, substantive study of the evidence from ancient texts regarding the development of a Jewish canon and the many modern publications about the topic. The result is a valuable, up-to-date addition to the literature on this fascinating subject.”―James VanderKam, University of Notre Dame
-- James VanderKam

"Lim is a confident guide through the sources and the debates regarding the formation of the Jewish canon. In this essential and readable book, he deftly explores the problems of interpretation and recovery, cogently arguing for a persuasive yet nuanced position of his own."―Judith Lieu, University of Cambridge
-- Judith Lieu

“A valuable contribution to biblical scholarship”—Jay Michaelson, Forward -- Jay Michaelson ― Forward

About the Author

Timothy H. Lim is Professor of Hebrew Bible & Second Temple Judaism at the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press (October 22, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300164343
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300164343
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.49 x 6.41 x 1.03 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 4 ratings

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Timothy H. Lim

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4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
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Top reviews from the United States

Stefano Nikolaou
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Addition to the Canon Debate
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book will be referenced for the foreseeable future in the ongoing debate about the Old Testament Canon (I can't bring myself to call it the 'Jewish Canon'). Lim goes over all the familiar ground - early Canon lists, the Letter of Aristeas, Wisdom of Ben Sira, 2 Maccabees, Dead Sea Scrolls, Therapeutae, Gospels and Pauline Epistles but with some interesting conclusions.

I think it's best to include some of Lim's conclusions and encourage you to read the book and decide for yourself if he proves his points.

Here are some highlights

'I have found no evidence to support the view that scrolls found at the Temple were used to define the canon' - page 179

His [Josephus'] claim that every Jew regarded the Scriptures as the "decrees of God, to abide by them, and if need be, cheerfully die for them" is an exaggeration' - page 180

'When this Canon actually closed is not clear, but a rough estimate of between 150 and 250 CE would not be far off the mark' - page 180

'The closing of the Jewish canon may be seen as part of the Jewish reaction to knowledge of books of the New Testament and the increasing influence of Christianity' - page 182

'The closing of the Biblical canon of Rabbinic Judaism is more protracted than is often assumed' - page 183

'There is no evidence that the canon was closed in the second century. 2 Maccabees does not attest to the closing of the canon under Judas, as Leiman and Beckwith suppose.' - page 184

'In sum, the process did not develop from the many collections of authoritative scriptures to one canon. Rather, there were many collections and then there was the majority canon. Once sectarianism disappeared, so did the variety of collections.' - page 186
11 people found this helpful
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Eric Maroney
4.0 out of 5 stars Certainly Good, But a difficult topic to put to bed
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2019
Timothy H. Lim’s The Formation of the Jewish Canon is certainly an interesting book, and Lim explores all the correct sources to try and glean how the Jewish canon came about. The problem is, this question really has no firm answers, and never will. The early rabbis expressed reservations about certain books, especially The Song of Songs and Kohelet, and sometimes Esther or Job. But that is it; the so-called late books were called into question, as we would expect. How or when the Torah became canon remains a mystery.

There is not much to learn here, unless you are new to the topic.
3 people found this helpful
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