Homer, the Bible, and beyond: literary and religious canons in the ancient world

"As distinct from the extant studies of ancient canonical texts, which focus either on literary (Greco-Roman) or religous (Judeo-Christian) canons, the present volume aims at bridging the gap between these two fields by proposing the first comprehensive study of canon.". "An international team of experts discusses the process 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."--BOOK JACKET.