The canons of first-century Judaism
Abstract
The paper is about first-century Judaism and their sacred texts. In this period, we cannot yet speak of a canon in its modern or Christian theological sense. We only find communal preferences regarding the selection of sacred books. The sources indicate that the sociological and historical characteristics of any specific group, their devotional or theological orientations, the events affecting them, and their relations with other groups left a mark on their views concerning sacred writings. The set of sacred books is often recognizable through the socio-cultural history of a community. At the same time, the books could also shape the groups that revered them. The books which attained canonical status oriented the groups in existential or cognitive questions. We also discuss how Jesus’ canon foreshadowed the process of Christian canon formation.
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