Background
Goldstein, Jonathan Amos was born on July 19, 1929 in New York City. Son of David Aaron and Rose Frances (Berman) Goldstein.
(II Maccabees continues the chronicle of the "Time of the ...)
II Maccabees continues the chronicle of the "Time of the Troubles" (167-64 B.C.E.), begun in I Maccabees. It recounts the stories of conflict between militant Jews, led by Judas Maccabaeus, and their Hellenistic oppressors. Aside from the story of the struggle to control the temple and the holy city of Jerusalem, though, II Maccabees shares little in common with I Maccabees. The second volume of reflections of Jewry in the generation following the Maccabaean revolt presents and evaluates the experience from its own unique perspective. How these events came to be written, who told the stories, and what reasons motivated such divergent yet parallel interpretations are the questions Jonathan A. Goldstein, translator and commentator on both Maccabaean histories, addresses here. Goldstein utilizes the full array of scholarly tools to examine the critical issues raised by II Maccabees. By examining its language and style, its Hellenic yet Jewish flavor, its comparison and relationship to I Maccabees, its use of sacred writings (Torah and Prophets), its historical context, and the role of the miraculous, Goldstein thoroughly elucidates this powerful account of a pivotal period in Jewish history. As the commentary makes clear, II Maccabees focuses on certain themes: miracles as God's tools for shaping history; the holiness of the Jerusalem temple; the dynamic relationship between the Hasmonaean rulers and their pious opponents; praise of martyrdom; the doctrine of resurrection. An abridgment of Jason of Cyrene's work, II Maccabees advances its own theological perspective to its Greek-speaking audience, refuting the Hasmonaean partisan's view that pervades I Maccabees. Jonathan A. Goldstein, author of I Maccabees, is Professor of History and Classics at the University of Iowa. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees at Harvard, and a doctorate at Columbia University.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385048645/?tag=2022091-20
("The Apocryphal book of "I Maccabees" (Volume 41 in the a...)
"The Apocryphal book of "I Maccabees" (Volume 41 in the acclaimed "Anchor Bible" series) is an inspirational thriller." With the help of God, the aged priest Mattathias and his sons - Judas Maccabaeus, Jonathan, and Simon - dramatically lead the Jews of Judaea first to victory and then to freedom against the formidable successors of Alexander the Great. Their struggles begin in guerilla warfare, responding to the terrible persecutions decreed by King Antiochus IV, and courageously accomplish their first great triumph - still celebrated in the festival of Hanukkah.The Introduction to this volume considers not only "I Maccabees", but also the parallel accounts found in "II Maccabees" and shows that the two authors of "I & II Maccabees" wrote with passionate conviction to teach two sharply opposed points of view. In some cases their convictions blinded them to the truth, but Professor Goldstein renders their teachings accessible to the modern reader and reconstructs what really happened, making valuable contributions to Greek and Roman as well as to Jewish history. Nineteen maps and diagrams set the scene of the dramatic struggle and the troubled times described in "I Maccabees".
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300140738/?tag=2022091-20
(Some ancient civilizations, notably the Babylonians and t...)
Some ancient civilizations, notably the Babylonians and the Israelites, held fast to the belief that their particular god (or gods) were stronger than all other heavenly powers and gods combined, supremely able to protect their well-being and success as a nation. This belief (which resounds in the modern-day rallying cry "God is on our side") led to some foolhardy and rash decisions, particularly when it came to war. For a nation defeated or conquered by a foreign power inevitably faced the profound, perplexing question: "Why did our God, who has sworn to protect us, allow this to happen?"Jonathan A. Goldstein turns to the religious literature of these ancient peoples to discover how they reconciled their beliefs with the realities of history. In a magnificent blend of several academic disciples (literary criticism, political theory, biblical and classical history), he compares and contrasts the responses of different eras and nations - from the Israelites, Babylonians, and Egyptians to the Zoroastrians, Iranians, and Persians under Alexander the Great. Goldstein's close readings of literature written following such devastating events as the fall of the Israelites to the Assyrians and the Babylonians demonstrate that theology, far from being a static and unchanging set of beliefs, evolves with the course of history. Revealing how each defeat helped to shape and define the religious beliefs of the conquered, "Peoples of an Almighty God" clearly demonstrates that no belief can remain unchanged or untouched by the beliefs of other people.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300140592/?tag=2022091-20
ancient history and classics educator
Goldstein, Jonathan Amos was born on July 19, 1929 in New York City. Son of David Aaron and Rose Frances (Berman) Goldstein.
AB cum laude, Harvard University, 1950. AM, Harvard University, 1951. Master of Hebrew Literature, Jewish Theological Seminary, 1955.
Doctor of Hebrew Letters (honorary), Jewish Theological Seminary, 1987. Doctor of Philosophy, Columbia University, 1959.
Instructor Columbia University, New York City, 1960-1962. Professor University Iowa, 1962-1997, professor emeritus, 1997—2004.
(Some ancient civilizations, notably the Babylonians and t...)
("The Apocryphal book of "I Maccabees" (Volume 41 in the a...)
("The Apocryphal book of "I Maccabees" (Volume 41 in the a...)
("The Apocryphal book of I Maccabees (Volume 41 in the acc...)
(II Maccabees continues the chronicle of the "Time of the ...)
President Congregation Agudas Achim, Iowa City, 1969-1970. Fellow American Academy for Jewish Research. Member American Association of University Professors, American Philological Association, Association Ancient Historians, Archaeol.
Institute American, Phi Beta Kappa.
Married Helen Charlotte Tunik, February 1, 1959. Children– Rise Belle, Rachel Sarah.