In the Greco-Roman period there arose among the Jews
a new form for retelling Bible stories and for composing
new religious stories—the novel. Written around the time
of the Dead Sea Scrolls and New Testament, these worldly
texts reveal the ambiguities and conflicts encountered
by Jews of that period. Some of the texts here are well
known, while others will be totally new to modern readers.
Some are developed novels, while others are rudimentary
fragments. Taken together, they constitute a marvelous
laboratory for uncovering how popular novels arose in the
ancient world, and contribute greatly to our understanding
of Jewish culture and classical civilization. In fresh, lively
translations by Professor Lawrence M. Wills, included are
texts from the Jewish apocrypha such as Judith and Tobit,
several historical novels and selections from the Testaments
of the Twelve Patriarchs.
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