With his customary insight, Jacob Neusner examines the canonical writings of the ancient rabbis and the way in which these writings treat five subjects: the outsider, the city, the Messiah, the Torah, and the meaning of Scripture. These interdependent studies consistently suggest the writings of fourth-century rabbis as the turning point for a Judaism in contention with Christianity. From that time, we see a Judaism constant from the Talmud of Babylonia to the present day.
Neusner's conclusion is provocative: Judaism evolved in direct response to the crisis resulting from the triumphant rise of Christianity to power.
