David E. Aune in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly
"A remarkable book. . . Collins has provided us with an exceptionally well-crafted discussion of the variety of religious self-definitions that characterized Egyptian diaspora Judaism."
Journal of Biblical Literature
"This important work is fresh and suggestive. . . An impressive display of insight and careful scholarship. . . Exemplary in both its design and its execution."
Religious Studies Review
"As an introduction and an exegetical tool, this book is indispensable for study of the ancient literature and especially of the fragmentary material. It provides us with an innovative perspective on Jewish religion, theology, and culture in the Greco-Roman period."
Choice
"This book should be in libraries of all colleges and universities where the Bible, ancient Israel, Christian origins, formative Judaism, or classical culture are taught to upper-level undergraduates."
Society for Old Testament Study Booklist
"This is a very useful and reliable introduction to those Second Temple Jewish writings in Greek. . . All students of Second Temple Judaism and related areas will be pleased to have an updated edition in a handy and affordable form."
Martin Goodman in Journal of Jewish Studies
"Scholars and students who have benefited immensely from this work will. . . be delighted to see it re-emerge in a second edition. . . Collins's mastery of the range of material treated in this book is awesome, and his close engagement with these Diaspora texts and their cultural meaning is a model for all. Minor Diaspora authors who have long been neglected, or even generally unknown, are here again brought to the attention of the scholarly world in a way that should ensure their recognition in future debates about Second Temple Judaism. . . Students and scholars will be immensely grateful for this guide, which will play a central role in future discussion of the Diaspora."
