Tobit - A New Path of Righteousness

The Book of Tobit, one of the books of the Apocrypha is not only a delightful novel, but offers the reader a new, or reinforced set of religious and ethical values that were uniquely adaptable to the conditions of Jews living far from the Temple in Jerusalem. The storyline, focusing on the lives of two branches of a Jewish family in the eastern diaspora is masterful, and beyond its social and religious import even found its way into the imagination of medieval artists. The Book of Esther is not the only literary reflection on the life and challenges that Jews confronted in the diaspora of the Second Temple Period. Following a general introduction, this series will discuss two less familiar ancient books of that period: Tobit and 3 Maccabees. These works provide insights into Jewish life outside the Land of Israel in this period, but from widely diverse vantage points.