Next Year in Jerusalem

Next Year in Jerusalem recognizes that Jews have often experienced or imaged periods of exile and
return in their long tradition. The
fourteen papers in this collection examine this phenomenon from different
approaches, genres, and media. They
cover the period from biblical times through today. Among the exiles highlighted are the
Babylonian Exile (sixth century BCE), the exile after the destruction of the
Jerusalem Temple (70 CE), and the years after the Crusaders (tenth century
CE). Events of return include the
aftermath of the Babylonian Exile (fifth century BCE), the centuries after the
Temple’s destruction (first and second CE), and the years of the establishment
of the modern State of Israel (1948 CE). In each instance authors pay close attention to the historical settings,
the literature created by Jews and others, and the theological explanations
offered (typically, this was seen as divine punishment or reward for Israel’s behavior). The entire volume is written authoritatively
and accessibly.