Jonathan A. Goldstein (1929–2004)
Author of I Maccabees : a new translation, with introduction and commentary
About the Author
Works by Jonathan A. Goldstein
I Maccabees : a new translation, with introduction and commentary (1976) — Translator; Translator — 259 copies, 1 review
II Maccabees : a new translation with introduction and commentary (1983) — Translator; Translator — 215 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Goldstein, Jonathan A.
- Other names
- Goldstein, Jonathan A., 1929-
- Birthdate
- 1929-07-19
- Date of death
- 2004-12-01
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Columbia University (PhD)
Harvard University (BA, MA) - Occupations
- biblical scholar
academic - Organizations
- University of Iowa
American Association of University Professors
Israel Exploration Society
Archaeological Institute of America
Association for Jewish Studies - Short biography
- Jonathan Goldstein studied at Jewish Theological Seminary and received a doctorate at Columbia University, where he was an instructor in history for two years. He was a professor of ancient history and classics at the University of Iowa from 1962 until his retirement in 1997. In addition to many scholarly articles, Goldstein is the author of the definitive commentary on First and Second Maccabees for the Anchor Bible series. He lives in Iowa City, Iowa. [from Peoples of an Almighty God (Doubleday, 2002)
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- New York, New York, USA
- Places of residence
- Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Iowa City, Iowa, USA - Place of death
- Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
This book shows both the strengths and the weaknesses of the Anchor Bible.
The strength is that this is an incredibly detailed commentary on I Maccabees and on the whole Maccabean period (and Goldstein adds even more in the volume on II Maccabees). Together they supply one of the most substantial, if not the most substantial, analysis of the period, including the text of the books, the chronology, the historical background, and more.
The weakness is that Goldstein has a number of highly show more unusual hypotheses about the Maccabean period and about our authors. He has reconstructed some of the history of the period, and his ideas naturally influence this book.
This is, of course, a perfectly valid thing to do; Goldstein's ideas a provocative, and some may well be right, and all scholarship of the Maccabean period should take them into account. But... in a mainline Bible commentary? The new ideas would be much better in journal articles or specialty publications, not taking over a commentary. (If they are widely accepted, then they go in the commentaries.) Because the Anchor Bible volumes are (mostly) monographs, there is always the danger of someone with an unusual viewpoint being assigned a volume and running with it. As happened here.
Even with that caveat, this is a very good book. All that immense detail is incredibly useful, for the historian even more than the theologian. (Although II Maccabees in particular has a very strong theological bent.) Just be sure to check a few other histories of the period. show less
The strength is that this is an incredibly detailed commentary on I Maccabees and on the whole Maccabean period (and Goldstein adds even more in the volume on II Maccabees). Together they supply one of the most substantial, if not the most substantial, analysis of the period, including the text of the books, the chronology, the historical background, and more.
The weakness is that Goldstein has a number of highly show more unusual hypotheses about the Maccabean period and about our authors. He has reconstructed some of the history of the period, and his ideas naturally influence this book.
This is, of course, a perfectly valid thing to do; Goldstein's ideas a provocative, and some may well be right, and all scholarship of the Maccabean period should take them into account. But... in a mainline Bible commentary? The new ideas would be much better in journal articles or specialty publications, not taking over a commentary. (If they are widely accepted, then they go in the commentaries.) Because the Anchor Bible volumes are (mostly) monographs, there is always the danger of someone with an unusual viewpoint being assigned a volume and running with it. As happened here.
Even with that caveat, this is a very good book. All that immense detail is incredibly useful, for the historian even more than the theologian. (Although II Maccabees in particular has a very strong theological bent.) Just be sure to check a few other histories of the period. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 6
- Members
- 576
- Popularity
- #43,501
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 1
- ISBNs
- 13