1.1 Encyclopedias and Dictionaries Encyclopaedia Judaica

The ˜eld of Jewish literature can be mystifying to the non-specialist. The initial obstacle often is where to go for texts, translations, concordances, and bibliography. Even many researchers more familiar with these materi-als often fail to take advantage of the best critical texts, translations, and helps currently available. The goal of this article is to summarize in a single location the principal texts, translations, and foundational resources for the examination of the central Jewish literature potentially pertinent to the background study of early Christianity. 1 Generally the procedure followed for each Jewish writing is to list the single most important work in the categories of bibliography, critical text, translation, concordance/index, lexical or grammatical aides, introduction, and commentary. Where deemed helpful, more than one work may be noted. English translations, introductions, and helps are generally preferred. Also noted in many instances are the language(s) of extant manuscripts and the likely dates of composition (re˘ecting the current scholarly consensus). While the emphasis is on printed editions, some computer-based resources are noted. Space did not permit bibliographies on Samaritan texts or on early Jewish liturgies, papyri, and inscriptions