Historical Dictionary of Judaism (4th ed.)

What we now call “Judaism” is the religion of the rabbis; it is rooted in scripture—the Hebrew Scriptures—but it is not to be identified with Old Testament theology. Judaism in its many manifestations has continued to evolve, rereading its ancient texts and extracting new meaning, while addressing contemporary issues such as the status of women and attitudes to sexual orientation. History, or rather our perception of it, has changed substantially. Previously unknown documents and artefacts have