Our RRJ Book Review of Naomi G. Cohen. Philo’s Scriptures: Citations from the Prophets and Writings: Evidence for a Haftarah Cycle in Second Temple Judaism.

RRJ Book Review by Tzvee Zahavy of Naomi G. Cohen. Philo’s Scriptures: Citations from the Prophets and Writings: Evidence for a Haftarah Cycle in Second Temple Judaism. Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism Series. November 2007, Brill Academic Publishers, Inc., Hardcover, 278pp. ISBN: 9004163123

Naomi G. Cohen taught for many years at Tel-Aviv and Haifa Universities and is presently a Senior Research Fellow at Haifa University. She has published both on Philo and on Jewish Liturgy, including her book, Philo Judaeus: His Universe of Discourse (Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 1995).

A methodical monograph, Philo’s Scriptures elucidates core issues important to the study of ancient Judaism. It explores in meticulous detail the roles of Philo within his Hellenistic Judaic community and the nature of learning in that community’s academies. Through painstaking examinations of the textual records in the works of Philo, this study also determines aspects of the development of the Judaic synagogue practice of reciting selections from the biblical prophets, known as the Haftarot. Thus the main readership for this book includes students of Philo of Alexandria, of Hellenistic Judaism, Bible scholars, researchers of Midrash, and those interested in the development of Jewish liturgy...more (pdf)