Úvod do judaistiky

A comprehensive introductory guide focused on the study of the Jewish religion, its history, and its literature. It offers a clear and well-organized overview of the field, enabling beginners to quickly gain an understanding of the discipline and allowing advanced students to review the material. G. Stemberger, professor at the Institute of Jewish Studies at the University of Vienna, describes the historical precursors of Jewish Studies as an academic discipline, particularly from the early 19th century and the so-called “science of Judaism,” and presents the key questions, texts, and methods of contemporary Jewish Studies. The main sections of the book are devoted to four epochs of Jewish history and culture: the Second Temple period (400 BCE–70 CE), the era of classical Rabbinic scholarship centered in Palestine and Babylonia (up to the 10th century), the Middle Ages with a focus on Europe, and the modern era. The author first defines the scope and character of each epoch and then discusses the various religious movements and their literature. The publication is valuable for its focus on the current state of the field: it devotes considerable attention to still-open questions, offers overviews of important resources (study opportunities, institutions, libraries), references for online research, a glossary, an index, and a list of the most important recent literature for each section, from which one can access older research as well as editions and translations of texts. The Czech edition is not merely a translation but also highlights the current state and opportunities for studying the field in the Czech Republic.