The Story of Judaism

Good short history of Judaism with a concise and somewhat controversial summary of Maimonides. Bamberger argues that Maimonides was a rationalist and that his version of immortality was reserved for those who had risen to the highest level during their lifetime on earth. Bamberger says that Maimonides held there was no survival of individual consciousness after death. Sort of a permanent reunion of the human soul with God's "Active Intellect". This veers towards Averroism which Aquinas did not see Maimonides as holding. Bamberger offers a nice summary of Aquinas' position here. The essential factor was the restoring of the Mosaic Sacrifices by the Messiah at his return. A decent book altogether.

History from the Foundations to modern times