Kingdom of Priests, A

Kingdom of Priests, A

By Martha Himmelfarb

Book Description

When God declared the Israelites would become "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" at Mount Sinai, these words carried a profound paradox that would echo through centuries of religious thought. How can an entire people be priestly when priests traditionally represent a select few? What does it truly mean for a nation to embody holiness?

Martha Himmelfarb explores these compelling questions by examining how ancient Jewish communities grappled with fundamental tensions in their spiritual identity. If holiness comes through birth rather than merit, how do people and priests alike achieve genuine sanctity? When some religious leaders fall short of their calling, how does a community reconcile ideals with reality? Most importantly, what practical steps can transform a people into the kingdom of priests they were called to become?

Drawing from diverse Second Temple period texts including the Book of Watchers, Jubilees, Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo of Alexandria's writings, and the Book of Revelation, Himmelfarb traces how different communities approached these enduring spiritual challenges. She reveals how rabbinic Judaism eventually emphasized ancestral descent as the key to belonging among the chosen people, particularly as early Christianity questioned whether Abraham's lineage alone could ensure salvation.

This scholarly exploration offers valuable insights for anyone seeking to understand how religious communities define themselves, pursue holiness, and navigate the complex relationship between calling and reality in spiritual life.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)

📄 Length: 296 pages

What You'll Discover

  • ✓ Explore Joden
  • ✓ Explore Priester
  • ✓ Explore Pseudepigraphen
  • ✓ Explore RELIGION
  • ✓ Explore Identität
  • ✓ Explore Criticism, interpretation
  • ✓ Explore Judaism
  • ✓ Explore Dead Sea scrolls

Topics Covered

Joden Priester Pseudepigraphen RELIGION Identität Criticism, interpretation Judaism Dead Sea scrolls Judaism, history, post-exilic period, 586 b.c.-210 a.d. Jewish Priests Apocryphal books Post-exilic period (Judaism) Judentum Priesterschap Apokryphen (Altes Testament) Heiligkeit Frühjüdische Literatur History Qumrantexte Holiness

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