CONTENTS Preface Abbreviations 22. The Cultural setting I. Population and Language 1 II. The Spread of Hellenism 29 III. The Position of Judaism in regard to Paganism 81 23. Political Institutions 85 I. The Hellenistic Citis 85 1. Raphia 97 2. Gaza 98 3.Anthedon 104 4. Ascalon 105 5. Azotus 108 6. Jamnia 109 7. Joppa 110 8. Apollonia 114 9. Traton's Tower 115 10. Dora 118 11. Ptolemais 121 12. Damascus 127 13. Hippus 130 14. Gadara 132 15. Abila 136 16. Raphana 137 17. Kanata? 138 18. Kanatha 140 19. Scythopolis 142 20. Pella 145 21. Dium 148 22. Geraasa 149 23. Philadelphia 155 24. Samaria 160 25. Gaba 164 26. Esbon or Hesbon 165 27. Antipatris 167 28.. Phasaelis 168 29. Caesarea Panias 169 30. ?Julias 171 31. Sepphoris 172 32. Julias or Livias 176 33. Tiberias 178 II. The Jewish Region 184 III. The Sanhedrin 199 1. History of the Sanhedrin 200 2. The Composition of the Sanhedrin 218 3. The Competence of the Sanhedrin 218 4. Time and Place of Sessions 223 5. Judicial Procedure 225 IV. The High Priest 227 24. Priesthood and tem ple Wirship 237 I. The Priesthood as a Class238 II. The Priestly Dues 257 III. The Priestly Offices 275 IV. Daily Worship 292 Appendix: Gentile Participation in Worship at Jerusalem 309 25. Torah Scholarship 314 I. The Canonicity of Scripture 314 II. The Torah Scholars and their Work in General 322 III. Halakhah and Haggadah 337 1. Halakhah 339 2. Haggadah 346 IV. Major Torah Scholars 356 26. Pharisees and Sadducees 381 I. The Pharisees 388 II. The Sadducees 404 27. School and Synagogue 415 I. School 417 II. Synagogue 23 1. Community Organization 427 2. Officers 433 3. Buildings 439 4. Worship 447 Appendix: The Shema' and the Shemoneh 'Esreh 454 28. Life and the Law 464 I. General Remarks 464 II. Sabbath Observance 467 III. Purity Laws 475 IV. Ritualism 479 V. Social Changes and the Law 484 29. Messianism 488 I. Relation to the Oldeer Messianic Hope 492 II. Historical Survey 497 III. Systematic Presentation 514 1. The final Orderal and Confusion 514 2. Elijah as Precursor 515 3. The coming of the Mesiah 517 4. The last Assault of the Hostile Powers 525 5. Destruction of Hostile Powers 526 6. the Renewal of Jerusalem 529 7. The gathering of the Dispersed 530 8. The Kingdom of Glory in the Holy Land 531 9. The Renewal of the World 537 10. The General Resurrection 539 11. The Last Judgement Eternal Bliss and Damnation 544 Appendix A. The Sufẻing Messiah 547 Appendix B. The Qumran Messiahs and Messianism 550 30. The Essenes 555 I. The Essenes according to Philo, Josephus and Pliny 562 1. Organization of the Community 562 2. Ethics, Customs and Usages 567 3. Religious Thuoght 571 II. The Qumran Community according to the Dead Sea Scrolls 575 1. Organization of the Qumran Community 575 2. Doctrine and Religious Observances 583 3. The Qumran Community and the Essenes 585 Appendix A. The Therapeutae 591 I. Philo' Account 591 II. Therapeutae--Essenes--Qumran 593 III. The Relationship betwen Therapeutae nad Essenes 595 Appendix B. The Fourth Philosophy: Sicarii and Zealots 598