• I. Methodological Issues


• 1: Catherine Hezser: Correlating Literary, Epigraphic, and Archaeological Sources


• 2: Catherine Hezser: The Graeco-Roman Context of Jewish Daily Life in Roman Palestine


• 3: Tal Ilan: Gender Issues and Daily Life


• II. Life in a Roman Province


• 4: Rudolf Haensch: The Roman Provincial Administration


• 5: Jill Harries: Courts and the Judicial System


• 6: David Goodblatt: Population Structure and Jewish Identity


• 7: Willem Smelik: The Languages of Roman Palestine


• III. City and Countryside


• 8: Benjamin Isaac: Infrastructure


• 9: Dianne van de Zande and Jürgen Zangenberg: Urbanization


• 10: Ann Killebrew: Village and Countryside


• 11: Catherine Hezser: Travel and Mobility


• IV. Labour and Trade


• 12: Alexei Sivertsev: The Household Economy


• 13: Zeev Safrai: Agriculture and Farming


• 14: Uzi Leibner: Arts and Crafts, Manufacture and Production


• 15: Jack Pastor: Trade, Commerce, and Consumption


• 16: Gildas Hamel: Poverty and Charity


• V. Family Life


• 17: Jonathan Schofer: The Different Life-Stages: From Childhood to Old Age


• 18: Michael Satlow: Marriage and Divorce


• 19: Dafna Shlezinger-Katsman: Clothing


• 20: Tziona Grossmark: Jewellery: The Literary Evidence


• 21: Katharina Galor: Jewellery: The Archaeological Evidence


• 22: David Kraemer: Food, Eating, and Meals


• 23: Katharina Galor: Domestic Architecture


• 24: Steven Fine: Death, Burial, and Afterlife


• VI. Education and Literacy


• 25: Catherine Hezser: Private and Public Education


• 26: Carol Bakhos: Orality and Writing


• VII. Religion and Magic


• 27: Günter Stemberger: The Impact of Paganism and Christianity


• 28: Lee I. Levine: The Synagogue


• 29: Stefan Reif: Prayer and Liturgy


• 30: Lutz Doering: Sabbath and Festivals


• 31: Giuseppe Veltri: Magic and Healing


• VIII. Entertainment and Leisure Time Activities


• 32: Yaron Z. Eliav: Bathhouses as Places of Social and Cultural Interaction


• 33: Zeev Weiss: Theatres, Hippodromes, Amphitheatres and Performances


• 34: Joshua Schwartz: Play and Games

Catherine Hezser is Professor of Jewish Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and is an expert in the social history of Jews in Roman Palestine in late antiquity.

An indispensable reference compendium on the day-to-day lives of Jews in the land of Palestine in Roman times. Written by a distinguished team of scholars, The Handbook covers all the major themes, from clothing and domestic architecture to food and meals, labour and trade, and leisure time activities, in a comprehensive yet easily accessible way.