ThelegendaryAkivabenYosefhasfascinatedJewsforcenturies.ArguablythemostimportantoftheTannaim,orearlyJewishsages,AkivalivedduringacrucialerainthedevelopmentofJudaismasweknowittoday,andhistheologyplayedamajorpartinthedevelopmentofRabbinicJudaism.ReuvenHammerdetailsAkiva’slifeasitledtoamartyr’sdeathandhedelvesintotherichlegacyAkivaleftus.ThatlegacyplayedanextraordinarilyimportantroleinhelpingtheJewishpeoplesurvivedifficultchallengestoforgeavibrantreligiouslifeanew,anditcontinuestoinfluenceJewishlaw,ethics,andtheologyeventoday.Akiva’scontributiontothedevelopmentofOralTorahcannotbeoverestimated,andinthisfirstbookwritteninEnglishaboutthesagesince1936HammerreassessesAkiva’srolefromtheperiodbeforethedestructionoftheTemplein70CEuntiltheBarKokhbarevoltin135CE.HealsoassessesnewfindingsaboutthegrowthofearlyJudaism,thereasonswhyAkivawassooutspokenabout“ChristianJews,“theinfluenceofHellenism,theSeptuagint,andthecanonizationoftheHebrewBible.UltimatelyHammershowsthatJudaismwithoutAkivawouldbeaverydifferentreligion.
