For Goodman . . . the Jewish story has much more to do with shared ideas and beliefs. He is interested in what made Jews Jews, rather than in what made them simply human.---Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker
Mr. Goodman . . . sketches every figure, defines every movement and captures the 'kaleidoscopic variety' of Judaism's modulating expressions without losing sight of its living core. He is an invaluable guide to the faith that has led the Jews like the pillar of fire that guided Moses and the Hebrews in the desert.---Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal
Goodman . . . integrates up-to-date scholarship into an accessible narrative look at more than 2,000 years of Judaism. . . . Despite the volume's ambitious scope, Goodman leaves no significant topic unaddressed. This is the rare scholarly volume that offers new insights and details for the lay and academic reader alike. * Publishers Weekly *
A hugely welcome addition to the library of Jewish studies for the general reader and an absolute godsend for rabbis always perplexed by what book they should recommend to people about how Jewish beliefs and practices have evolved. . . . Goodman has done both Jews and non-Jews a great service with this book, encapsulating most of Jewish thought over four millennia in one extraordinarily readable volume.---Julia Neuberger, Literary Review
An expansive and fascinating history. . . . Goodman . . . has crafted a worthy addition to the wide-ranging genre of Jewish studies, offering a hefty yet accessible historical overview of the Jewish religion. . . . Well-written and exhaustively researched, Goodman's work is a masterpiece of pedagogy crafted as a tool for teaching and learning about one of civilization's oldest religions. * Kirkus *
Taking in three millennia of religious thought and practice, Goodman's scholarship is formidable.---Daniel Beer, The Guardian
It was a particularly inspired example of lateral thinking to ask Professor Martin Goodman, a renowned Jewish historian and specialist in Graeco-Roman Jewish history, to write a history of Judaism. Bringing a huge amount of historical knowledge to an analysis of the development of dogma and doctrine inevitably leads to a finely pitched study of great objectivity and worth. . . . A History of Judaism is beautifully written and meticulously annotated, and includes maps and illustrations. Goodman holds the book with authority and impeccable even-handedness, engaging the reader with his erudition, but also season ing the narrative with some of the great and most influential Jewish lives. I could hardly recommend it more.---Rabbi Dr Charles Middleburgh, Church Times
Imagine a scholarly history of Judaism, told from the points of view of the time, rather than treating so many events as lead-ups to later anti-Semitism. . . . I found the book to be a useful mood affiliation jiu jitsu, plus it has plenty of information that competing sources don't, most of all about the immediate post-Temple period. Recommended.---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution
One won't find within a single volume a more comprehensive account of Jewish religious history.---Steven Weitzman, Moment Magazine
A History of Judaism is an accessible read. While expansive in content, it does not overwhelm the reader with details of Jewish history that might detract from a broader understanding of Judaism's complex and nuanced development.---Jonathan Fass, The Jewish Book Council
Keenly conceived, tightly constructed, and very well written.---Hillel J. Kieval, Reading Religion
[A] magisterial work.---David Tesler, Association of Jewish Libraries
