Raimo Hakola

Changes in Research on Judaism in the Hellenistic and Early Roman Periods

This article offers an overview of what every theologian and scholar of religion should know about changes in biblical studies that have taken place concerning the past depreciation of Second Temple Judaism, the use of newly discovered sources and their implications, as well as integrative approaches to top-down (reflected beliefs, prescribed practices, textual sources) and bottom-up (intuitive beliefs, lived practices, material culture) processes. Changes in the field lead to the re-writing of the history of the Bible and of Judaean society in the Greco-Roman context. By means of this co-authored research article, we wish to demonstrate the benefit of, as well as the need for, interdisciplinary work in the study of antiquity.

The Kinneret Regional Project Excavations of a Byzantine Synagogue at Horvat Kur, Galilee, 2010-2013: A Preliminary Report

The article presents the preliminary results from four seasons of excavations at Horvat Kur in the Galilee. The excavations conducted by the Kinneret Regional Project have exposed the remains of a broad-house synagogue from the Byzantine period. The most important finds include an elevated platform (i. e., a bemah) that supported a chest holding Torah scrolls, an ornamented limestone seat that was probably used by the leader of the congregation, and a basalt stone table that features geometric figures on three sides and figurative representations on one side. The Horvat Kur synagogue represents a valuable example of the diversity of Galilean synagogues that were built or renovated between the 5th and the 7th centuries C.E.

Erik H. Erikson’s identity theory and the formation of early Christianity

Many scholars have recently maintained that it is difficult if not impossible to postulate the definite parting of the ways between Judaism and Christianity in antiquity. It is argued in this paper that recent criticisms against the ‘parting of the ways’‐model resemble criticisms levelled against the classical identity theory formulated by Erik H. Erikson. His identity theory emphasises the sense of personal sameness and historical continuity. In recent decades, however, it has become common to question whether the notion of unified and consistent self does justice to diverse social realities in which individuals construct their sense of who they are. Furthermore, the developmental stage model claims to be universal and culturally neutral while, as a matter of fact, it is implicitly moralistic and value‐laden. In case of the ‘parting of the ways’‐model it has become clear that the model does not match the evidence showing an intense interaction between various Jewish and Christian communities during the first centuries CE. In addition, it has been claimed that the model is not an unbiased historical account but serves Christian theological interests. Comparing the ‘parting of the ways’‐theory with the Eriksonian identity theory highlights the problems inherent in both theories. It is suggested that psychological and social‐psychological theories arguing for the flexible and dynamic nature of identity construction are best suited to describe the emergence of early Christian identity in relation to Jews and Judaism.