Homer, the Bible, and Beyond

As distinct from the extant studies of ancient canonical texts, which focus either on literary (Greco-Roman) or religious (Judeo-Christian) canons, the present volume aims at bridging between these two fields by proposing the first comparative study of canon. An international team of experts discusses the processes of canon-formation in societies of the ancient world, addressing such issues as canon and the articulation of identity; the hermeneutical attitude toward canonical texts; textual fixity and openness; oral and written canons; methods of transmission, and more. Among the topics discussed are Mesopotamian canons; Zoroastrianism; the Bible; Homer; literary and philosophical canons in ancient Greece and Rome; the New Testament; the Roman law; Rabbinic Judaism and Kabbalistic literature. The future of the so-called Western Canon is one of the most hotly debated issues of the day. There is reason to believe that what is perceived today as a unique crisis, can be put into perspective by students of ancient societies, for the simple reason that the ancient world offers us the historical perspective of civilizations as a whole and allows us to study cultural phenomena in the longue duree. Contributors include: Niek Veldhuis, Steven Chapman, Cristiano Grottanelli, Shaul Shaked, Margalit Finkelberg, Hayden Pelliccia, Hubert Cancik, Amiel D. Vardi, Guy G. Stroumsa, Christoph Markschies, Robert Lamberton, Hagith Sivan, David Stern, Moshe Halbertal, and Andrew Plaks.