Jonathan Klawans
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195162639
- eISBN:
- 9780199785254
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195162639.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter examines an array of rabbinic sources concerning the temple, including Mishnah, Midrash, and Talmud, drawing a number of contrasts with Qumran literature in particular. The Rabbis seem ...
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This chapter examines an array of rabbinic sources concerning the temple, including Mishnah, Midrash, and Talmud, drawing a number of contrasts with Qumran literature in particular. The Rabbis seem to agree with the sectarians that the temple was flawed, recalling instances of priestly greed, theft, and even murder. But the rabbis downplay the moral defilement of the temple and deny to the end that the temple was ritually defiled to any significant degree before its destruction by Romans in 70 CE. Unlike the sectarians, the rabbis took a stance toward the temple and its purity that was less idealistic, but more practical and permissive.Less
This chapter examines an array of rabbinic sources concerning the temple, including Mishnah, Midrash, and Talmud, drawing a number of contrasts with Qumran literature in particular. The Rabbis seem to agree with the sectarians that the temple was flawed, recalling instances of priestly greed, theft, and even murder. But the rabbis downplay the moral defilement of the temple and deny to the end that the temple was ritually defiled to any significant degree before its destruction by Romans in 70 CE. Unlike the sectarians, the rabbis took a stance toward the temple and its purity that was less idealistic, but more practical and permissive.
Martin S. Jaffee
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195140675
- eISBN:
- 9780199834334
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195140672.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Explores the connection between the presence of written versions of rabbinic tradition and the emergence among Galilean sages of the third century c.e. of an explicit ideological claim that the ...
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Explores the connection between the presence of written versions of rabbinic tradition and the emergence among Galilean sages of the third century c.e. of an explicit ideological claim that the entire rabbinic tradition originated in Sinaitic revelation to Moses as unwritten Torah in the Mouth. Of great comparative interest is the Greco‐Roman tradition of rhetorical education, represented in the tradition of rhetorical textbooks (Progymnasmata), which prized memorization of written texts for exclusively oral performances that included rule‐governed transformations and revisions of texts in the performative setting. The chapter examines Amoraic traditions of Byzantine Galilee (the Palestinian Talmud, Midrash Tanhuma, Midrash Pesiqta Rabbati) for evidence that they were mastered from written versions and intentionally revised in performative settings. From this comparative perspective, the chapter concludes that the rabbinic conception of Torah in the Mouth is designed to legitimate the authority of the sage in the setting of discipleship training.Less
Explores the connection between the presence of written versions of rabbinic tradition and the emergence among Galilean sages of the third century c.e. of an explicit ideological claim that the entire rabbinic tradition originated in Sinaitic revelation to Moses as unwritten Torah in the Mouth. Of great comparative interest is the Greco‐Roman tradition of rhetorical education, represented in the tradition of rhetorical textbooks (Progymnasmata), which prized memorization of written texts for exclusively oral performances that included rule‐governed transformations and revisions of texts in the performative setting. The chapter examines Amoraic traditions of Byzantine Galilee (the Palestinian Talmud, Midrash Tanhuma, Midrash Pesiqta Rabbati) for evidence that they were mastered from written versions and intentionally revised in performative settings. From this comparative perspective, the chapter concludes that the rabbinic conception of Torah in the Mouth is designed to legitimate the authority of the sage in the setting of discipleship training.
Howard Wettstein
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199576739
- eISBN:
- 9780191595165
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199576739.003.0033
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter takes issue with something fundamental in the overall outlook of many of the contributors to the volume. It sketches a traditional religious approach that nevertheless agrees with the ...
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This chapter takes issue with something fundamental in the overall outlook of many of the contributors to the volume. It sketches a traditional religious approach that nevertheless agrees with the critics on the ethical awfulness of some of what the Hebrew Bible attributes to God. The approach draws its inspiration from Jewish tradition, and focuses special attention on the Akedah and the Book of Job, stories that present extreme challenges to the conception of God as ethically perfect. These stories, it is argued, have great religious power and meaning, which is not to say that we understand God's role in them, his attitude towards his beloved, what he allows, commands, mandates. The chapter ends with some speculations about what we might make of God's treatment of Abraham and Job.Less
This chapter takes issue with something fundamental in the overall outlook of many of the contributors to the volume. It sketches a traditional religious approach that nevertheless agrees with the critics on the ethical awfulness of some of what the Hebrew Bible attributes to God. The approach draws its inspiration from Jewish tradition, and focuses special attention on the Akedah and the Book of Job, stories that present extreme challenges to the conception of God as ethically perfect. These stories, it is argued, have great religious power and meaning, which is not to say that we understand God's role in them, his attitude towards his beloved, what he allows, commands, mandates. The chapter ends with some speculations about what we might make of God's treatment of Abraham and Job.
Marie Noonan Sabin
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195143591
- eISBN:
- 9780199834600
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195143590.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Knowing that the earliest Jesus traditions took shape in a Jewish milieu, Sabin sets the composition of the earliest gospel in the context of the theological discourse of first‐century Judaism. That ...
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Knowing that the earliest Jesus traditions took shape in a Jewish milieu, Sabin sets the composition of the earliest gospel in the context of the theological discourse of first‐century Judaism. That discourse took the form of an exchange between current events and Scripture: contemporary persons and events were understood through the lens of the Hebrew Bible, while at the same time, the biblical word was reopened – i.e., reinterpreted – so as to reveal its relevance to the present faith community. Applying this kind of compositional process (which is related to Midrash) to the Gospel of Mark, Sabin uncovers a fresh reading of the Seed, Fig Tree, and Vineyard parables; of the various Temple scenes; of the foolish disciples and the wise women; and of the gospel's open‐ended ending. She highlights the results of her findings by juxtaposing them with interpretations of the same passages by various church fathers as well as by readings from modern critics. Sabin sees Mark as an original theologian shaping his material out of two primary Jewish traditions: the Wisdom traditions, with their emphasis on God's presence in daily life, and Creation theology, which imagined the End Time not as a catastrophe but as a return to the Garden. She thus offers a new way of understanding Mark's use of Scripture, his eschatology, and his presentation of Jesus. In conclusion, she argues that retrieving Mark's voice in the context of Early Judaism brings with it insights much needed in our day: of God's presence in the ordinary, of God's image reflected in female as well as male, of watchfulness as the way of wisdom, and of God's revelation as ongoing.Less
Knowing that the earliest Jesus traditions took shape in a Jewish milieu, Sabin sets the composition of the earliest gospel in the context of the theological discourse of first‐century Judaism. That discourse took the form of an exchange between current events and Scripture: contemporary persons and events were understood through the lens of the Hebrew Bible, while at the same time, the biblical word was reopened – i.e., reinterpreted – so as to reveal its relevance to the present faith community. Applying this kind of compositional process (which is related to Midrash) to the Gospel of Mark, Sabin uncovers a fresh reading of the Seed, Fig Tree, and Vineyard parables; of the various Temple scenes; of the foolish disciples and the wise women; and of the gospel's open‐ended ending. She highlights the results of her findings by juxtaposing them with interpretations of the same passages by various church fathers as well as by readings from modern critics. Sabin sees Mark as an original theologian shaping his material out of two primary Jewish traditions: the Wisdom traditions, with their emphasis on God's presence in daily life, and Creation theology, which imagined the End Time not as a catastrophe but as a return to the Garden. She thus offers a new way of understanding Mark's use of Scripture, his eschatology, and his presentation of Jesus. In conclusion, she argues that retrieving Mark's voice in the context of Early Judaism brings with it insights much needed in our day: of God's presence in the ordinary, of God's image reflected in female as well as male, of watchfulness as the way of wisdom, and of God's revelation as ongoing.
ALEXANDER SAMELY
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264744
- eISBN:
- 9780191734663
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264744.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This chapter examines historical reconstruction and literary structures of rabbinic texts using the Leviticus Rabbah as an example. It explains that Leviticus Rabbah is a commentary on the Book of ...
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This chapter examines historical reconstruction and literary structures of rabbinic texts using the Leviticus Rabbah as an example. It explains that Leviticus Rabbah is a commentary on the Book of Leviticus which now forms part of Midrash Rabbah. It proposes ten theses about the special problems which the literary structures of rabbinic texts pose for the historian and analyses a section of the amoraic work of Leviticus Rabbah to describe some of those literary structures. The findings suggest that it is impossible to explain how the textuality of rabbinic sources worked and that many rabbinic works fill the same functional position in a text more than once.Less
This chapter examines historical reconstruction and literary structures of rabbinic texts using the Leviticus Rabbah as an example. It explains that Leviticus Rabbah is a commentary on the Book of Leviticus which now forms part of Midrash Rabbah. It proposes ten theses about the special problems which the literary structures of rabbinic texts pose for the historian and analyses a section of the amoraic work of Leviticus Rabbah to describe some of those literary structures. The findings suggest that it is impossible to explain how the textuality of rabbinic sources worked and that many rabbinic works fill the same functional position in a text more than once.
MICHAEL FISHBANE
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780198267331
- eISBN:
- 9780191602078
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198267339.003.0015
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This chapter presents a synthesis of all chapters discussed in this book. Three specific concepts are emphasized. The first is that this book is an exploration of the morphologies of myth and ...
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This chapter presents a synthesis of all chapters discussed in this book. Three specific concepts are emphasized. The first is that this book is an exploration of the morphologies of myth and mythmaking found in three distinct bodies of literature: the Hebrew Bible; clusters or anthologies of Midrash; and the book of Zohar. Second is that the myths studied are cultural forms and the concrete expressions of a vital mythic imagination found in classical texts of the Jewish monotheistic tradition. Finally, that the three literary corpora investigated provide different accounts of perceptions of what is called the theosphere and its relation to the biosphere.Less
This chapter presents a synthesis of all chapters discussed in this book. Three specific concepts are emphasized. The first is that this book is an exploration of the morphologies of myth and mythmaking found in three distinct bodies of literature: the Hebrew Bible; clusters or anthologies of Midrash; and the book of Zohar. Second is that the myths studied are cultural forms and the concrete expressions of a vital mythic imagination found in classical texts of the Jewish monotheistic tradition. Finally, that the three literary corpora investigated provide different accounts of perceptions of what is called the theosphere and its relation to the biosphere.
P. S. Alexander
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198263913
- eISBN:
- 9780191601187
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198263910.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This is the second of five chapters on the Old Testament and the reader, and presents an analysis of the Bible in Qumran (the site occupied by the early Jewish monastic community who lived near the ...
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This is the second of five chapters on the Old Testament and the reader, and presents an analysis of the Bible in Qumran (the site occupied by the early Jewish monastic community who lived near the shores of the Dead Sea) and early Judaism. The first part gives an account of the rediscovery of Midrash—a term initially borrowed from rabbinic literature, where it denotes the specifically rabbinic tradition of Bible exegesis—the commentary created in dialogue with the scared Scripture in early Judaism. The rediscovery of Midrash was prompted in particular by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1947–1956), and the finding of the Codex Neofiti 1 in the Vatican library in 1953; these and other examples of Midrash have given rise to numerous monographs and articles over the last thirty years of the twentieth century. The second part discusses the use of the Scripture and the Dead Sea sect of Qumran, and the third analyses the use of Scripture among other Jewish rabbinical groups in late antiquity. The last two sections look at the Scripture in the Alexandrian schools and among the early Christians, and at the emergence of Judaism and Christianity as ‘Religions of the Book’.Less
This is the second of five chapters on the Old Testament and the reader, and presents an analysis of the Bible in Qumran (the site occupied by the early Jewish monastic community who lived near the shores of the Dead Sea) and early Judaism. The first part gives an account of the rediscovery of Midrash—a term initially borrowed from rabbinic literature, where it denotes the specifically rabbinic tradition of Bible exegesis—the commentary created in dialogue with the scared Scripture in early Judaism. The rediscovery of Midrash was prompted in particular by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1947–1956), and the finding of the Codex Neofiti 1 in the Vatican library in 1953; these and other examples of Midrash have given rise to numerous monographs and articles over the last thirty years of the twentieth century. The second part discusses the use of the Scripture and the Dead Sea sect of Qumran, and the third analyses the use of Scripture among other Jewish rabbinical groups in late antiquity. The last two sections look at the Scripture in the Alexandrian schools and among the early Christians, and at the emergence of Judaism and Christianity as ‘Religions of the Book’.
Mira Balberg
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780520295926
- eISBN:
- 9780520968660
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520295926.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Blood for Thought delves into a relatively unexplored area of classical rabbinic literature: the vast corpus of laws, regulations, and instructions pertaining to sacrificial rituals. The book traces ...
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Blood for Thought delves into a relatively unexplored area of classical rabbinic literature: the vast corpus of laws, regulations, and instructions pertaining to sacrificial rituals. The book traces and analyzes the ways in which the early rabbis interpreted and conceived of biblical sacrifices, and examines sacrifice and worship in the temple as sites through which the rabbis negotiated new and old intellectual, political, and religious ideas and practices. In its focus on legal-ritual texts and in its cultural orientation, this book diverges from the prevalent approach to the cessation of sacrifice in early Judaism. Rather than viewing the rabbinic project as an attempt to transform a sacrificial religion into a non-sacrificial religion, Blood for Thought argues that the rabbis developed anewsacrificial vision. This new sacrificial vision does not seek to “substitute” obsolete sacrificial practices, but rather to rearrange, reframe, and redefine sacrifice as a critically important component of social and religious life. The book argues that through their seemingly technical legal and ritual discussions, the rabbis present remarkably innovative perspectives on sacrifices and radical interpretations of biblical cultic institutions, and that their reinvention of sacrifice gives this practice new meanings within the greater context of the rabbis’ political and religious ideology.Less
Blood for Thought delves into a relatively unexplored area of classical rabbinic literature: the vast corpus of laws, regulations, and instructions pertaining to sacrificial rituals. The book traces and analyzes the ways in which the early rabbis interpreted and conceived of biblical sacrifices, and examines sacrifice and worship in the temple as sites through which the rabbis negotiated new and old intellectual, political, and religious ideas and practices. In its focus on legal-ritual texts and in its cultural orientation, this book diverges from the prevalent approach to the cessation of sacrifice in early Judaism. Rather than viewing the rabbinic project as an attempt to transform a sacrificial religion into a non-sacrificial religion, Blood for Thought argues that the rabbis developed anewsacrificial vision. This new sacrificial vision does not seek to “substitute” obsolete sacrificial practices, but rather to rearrange, reframe, and redefine sacrifice as a critically important component of social and religious life. The book argues that through their seemingly technical legal and ritual discussions, the rabbis present remarkably innovative perspectives on sacrifices and radical interpretations of biblical cultic institutions, and that their reinvention of sacrifice gives this practice new meanings within the greater context of the rabbis’ political and religious ideology.
Alan Cooper
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195137279
- eISBN:
- 9780199849482
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195137279.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The Hebrew text of Proverbs 22:6 has been interpreted in the following manner: “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray”. The twin pillars of Jewish pedagogy are ...
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The Hebrew text of Proverbs 22:6 has been interpreted in the following manner: “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray”. The twin pillars of Jewish pedagogy are habituation and discipline: the inculcation of right thinking and behavior, and the chastisement of those who stray from them. Those halakhic prescriptions constitute a “pedagogical duty” imposed on the parents of young children. This chapter uses the interpretation of Proverbs 22:6 as a lens through which to view traditional Jewish attitudes about children and early childhood education. It cites commentaries that give clear examples of the intimate relationship between Jewish reading and Jewish living, and vivid demonstrations of the social and cultural relevance of biblical interpretation. Two distinct attitudes have emerged, traceable to the 9th-century Midrash on Proverbs and the 10th-century translation and commentary of Saadia Gaon—and ultimately to Aristotle's Ethics. The gist of the verse is an obvious principle: there is nothing more fundamental to the perpetuation of Judaism than the education of children.Less
The Hebrew text of Proverbs 22:6 has been interpreted in the following manner: “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray”. The twin pillars of Jewish pedagogy are habituation and discipline: the inculcation of right thinking and behavior, and the chastisement of those who stray from them. Those halakhic prescriptions constitute a “pedagogical duty” imposed on the parents of young children. This chapter uses the interpretation of Proverbs 22:6 as a lens through which to view traditional Jewish attitudes about children and early childhood education. It cites commentaries that give clear examples of the intimate relationship between Jewish reading and Jewish living, and vivid demonstrations of the social and cultural relevance of biblical interpretation. Two distinct attitudes have emerged, traceable to the 9th-century Midrash on Proverbs and the 10th-century translation and commentary of Saadia Gaon—and ultimately to Aristotle's Ethics. The gist of the verse is an obvious principle: there is nothing more fundamental to the perpetuation of Judaism than the education of children.
Howard Wettstein
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199841363
- eISBN:
- 9780199950003
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199841363.003.0009
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter takes issue with something fundamental in the outlook of many religious people. It sketches a traditional religious approach that nevertheless agrees with religion’s critics on the ...
More
This chapter takes issue with something fundamental in the outlook of many religious people. It sketches a traditional religious approach that nevertheless agrees with religion’s critics on the ethical awfulness of some of what the Hebrew Bible attributes to God. The approach draws its inspiration from Jewish tradition, and focuses special attention on the Akedah and the Book of Job, stories that present extreme challenges to the conception of God as ethically perfect. These stories, it is argued, have great religious power and meaning, which is not to say that we understand God’s role in them, His attitude towards his beloved, what He allows, commands, mandates. The chapter ends with some speculations about what we might make of God’s treatment of Abraham and Job.Less
This chapter takes issue with something fundamental in the outlook of many religious people. It sketches a traditional religious approach that nevertheless agrees with religion’s critics on the ethical awfulness of some of what the Hebrew Bible attributes to God. The approach draws its inspiration from Jewish tradition, and focuses special attention on the Akedah and the Book of Job, stories that present extreme challenges to the conception of God as ethically perfect. These stories, it is argued, have great religious power and meaning, which is not to say that we understand God’s role in them, His attitude towards his beloved, what He allows, commands, mandates. The chapter ends with some speculations about what we might make of God’s treatment of Abraham and Job.
Jason Sion Mokhtarian
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520286207
- eISBN:
- 9780520961548
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520286207.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter analyzes the dozens of texts in rabbinic literature, including the Jerusalem Talmud and Midrashim, that describe the Persians as an imperial ethno-class. After explicating the range of ...
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This chapter analyzes the dozens of texts in rabbinic literature, including the Jerusalem Talmud and Midrashim, that describe the Persians as an imperial ethno-class. After explicating the range of scholarly debates, from Jacob Neusner’s pessimism to Yaakov Elman’s optimism, regarding the extent to which there exist Persian influences on the Talmud, chapter 3 investigates the rabbis’ attitudes and debates surrounding Persians as external others. For its part, the Babylonian Talmud discusses Persian cuisine, sex habits, fashion, festivals, and law in various places, typically as a means of contrast with rabbinic culture. Several common leitmotifs are found in these passages—namely, the Persians as haughty, horse riders, and bears (Dan. 7:5). Both exegesis and history play a role in the way in which the Babylonian rabbis depict the Persians. Notably, the Talmud does not focus on the Zoroastrian elements of Persian culture, thus downplaying the religious dimensions of the Jewish-Persian interface. This chapter also discusses at length the interpretation of Iranian loanwords in the Talmud.Less
This chapter analyzes the dozens of texts in rabbinic literature, including the Jerusalem Talmud and Midrashim, that describe the Persians as an imperial ethno-class. After explicating the range of scholarly debates, from Jacob Neusner’s pessimism to Yaakov Elman’s optimism, regarding the extent to which there exist Persian influences on the Talmud, chapter 3 investigates the rabbis’ attitudes and debates surrounding Persians as external others. For its part, the Babylonian Talmud discusses Persian cuisine, sex habits, fashion, festivals, and law in various places, typically as a means of contrast with rabbinic culture. Several common leitmotifs are found in these passages—namely, the Persians as haughty, horse riders, and bears (Dan. 7:5). Both exegesis and history play a role in the way in which the Babylonian rabbis depict the Persians. Notably, the Talmud does not focus on the Zoroastrian elements of Persian culture, thus downplaying the religious dimensions of the Jewish-Persian interface. This chapter also discusses at length the interpretation of Iranian loanwords in the Talmud.
Daniel H. Weiss
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199895908
- eISBN:
- 9780199949854
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199895908.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter centers around a close reading of Cohen’s introduction to Religion of Reason. By looking at Cohen’s own account of his project, we can gain insight into the proper way to read the main ...
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This chapter centers around a close reading of Cohen’s introduction to Religion of Reason. By looking at Cohen’s own account of his project, we can gain insight into the proper way to read the main body of his text. The chapter begins by assessing Cohen’s critique of the inductive method of historicism. It then examines Cohen’s account of the basic structure relating reason, philosophy, and religion. Though his attempt to uphold both philosophy and religion as distinct sub-realms within reason seems leads to an irremediable contradiction, he does not reject or deprioritize either of the two. Without resolving this contradiction, he turns to the classical Jewish literary sources—including the Bible, Talmud, and Midrash—in order to highlight a mode of reasoning that encompasses theoretical multiplicity while maintaining practical unity, thus anticipating his own methodological approach.Less
This chapter centers around a close reading of Cohen’s introduction to Religion of Reason. By looking at Cohen’s own account of his project, we can gain insight into the proper way to read the main body of his text. The chapter begins by assessing Cohen’s critique of the inductive method of historicism. It then examines Cohen’s account of the basic structure relating reason, philosophy, and religion. Though his attempt to uphold both philosophy and religion as distinct sub-realms within reason seems leads to an irremediable contradiction, he does not reject or deprioritize either of the two. Without resolving this contradiction, he turns to the classical Jewish literary sources—including the Bible, Talmud, and Midrash—in order to highlight a mode of reasoning that encompasses theoretical multiplicity while maintaining practical unity, thus anticipating his own methodological approach.
Hayim Lapin
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195179309
- eISBN:
- 9780199950355
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179309.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter surveys the contents of the rabbinic canon for two purposes. First, much of the argument of the book draws on the contents of these works, so that a historically grounded understanding ...
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This chapter surveys the contents of the rabbinic canon for two purposes. First, much of the argument of the book draws on the contents of these works, so that a historically grounded understanding of these works is essential. Second, the chapter argues that in the absence of other data, the works themselves must serve as historical artifacts, and studied for the evidence they provide of Rabbinic group-formation or institutionalization. The chapter also surveys some of the evidence for the emergence of the rabbinic movement in the late first and early second century, showing that the evidence is tainted by the concerns of the tradents and editors who preserved and promulgated the material. In a sense, we can document a Rabbinic movement with the production of the Mishnah in about 200. The historiographical task of reconstructing early history works backwards from that fixed point.Less
This chapter surveys the contents of the rabbinic canon for two purposes. First, much of the argument of the book draws on the contents of these works, so that a historically grounded understanding of these works is essential. Second, the chapter argues that in the absence of other data, the works themselves must serve as historical artifacts, and studied for the evidence they provide of Rabbinic group-formation or institutionalization. The chapter also surveys some of the evidence for the emergence of the rabbinic movement in the late first and early second century, showing that the evidence is tainted by the concerns of the tradents and editors who preserved and promulgated the material. In a sense, we can document a Rabbinic movement with the production of the Mishnah in about 200. The historiographical task of reconstructing early history works backwards from that fixed point.
Reuven Firestone
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199860302
- eISBN:
- 9780199950621
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199860302.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
In the wake of the Destruction rose a new class of Jewish leadership in the rabbis. This chapter discusses the emergence and dominance of Rabbinic Judaism and its sacred literature after the ...
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In the wake of the Destruction rose a new class of Jewish leadership in the rabbis. This chapter discusses the emergence and dominance of Rabbinic Judaism and its sacred literature after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 ce. The trauma of destruction encouraged the new leadership to develop a different approach toward dealing with conflicts between Jews and Gentiles.Less
In the wake of the Destruction rose a new class of Jewish leadership in the rabbis. This chapter discusses the emergence and dominance of Rabbinic Judaism and its sacred literature after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 ce. The trauma of destruction encouraged the new leadership to develop a different approach toward dealing with conflicts between Jews and Gentiles.
Devorah Schoenfeld
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780823243495
- eISBN:
- 9780823243532
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823243495.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This chapter shows how Rashi draws selectively on a range of midrashic sources (including Genesis Rabbah and Midrash Tanchuma) and adapts them by truncating and rearranging them to create a ...
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This chapter shows how Rashi draws selectively on a range of midrashic sources (including Genesis Rabbah and Midrash Tanchuma) and adapts them by truncating and rearranging them to create a commentary that is very different from those it is based on. It traces the development of Rashi’s commentary on Genesis 22 from its midrashic sources through the manuscript tradition, and examines the strategies that help it present itself as arising directly from the biblical text. It shows that Rashi’s ideal reader reads the layered commentary of recombined midrash worked into the language of the biblical text in terms of two possibly contradictory medieval assumptions about the biblical text: that the Bible is self-glossing, and that the Bible requires a layer of authoritative, inspired exegesis in order to be understood.Less
This chapter shows how Rashi draws selectively on a range of midrashic sources (including Genesis Rabbah and Midrash Tanchuma) and adapts them by truncating and rearranging them to create a commentary that is very different from those it is based on. It traces the development of Rashi’s commentary on Genesis 22 from its midrashic sources through the manuscript tradition, and examines the strategies that help it present itself as arising directly from the biblical text. It shows that Rashi’s ideal reader reads the layered commentary of recombined midrash worked into the language of the biblical text in terms of two possibly contradictory medieval assumptions about the biblical text: that the Bible is self-glossing, and that the Bible requires a layer of authoritative, inspired exegesis in order to be understood.
Bat-Sheva Garsiel
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780813036496
- eISBN:
- 9780813041810
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813036496.003.0004
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
This chapter analyzes the Quran, stressing the possible Jewish, Christian, Judeo-Christian, or Gnostic sources of inspiration for the Quranic revelation. Abraham emerges as a figure that is respected ...
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This chapter analyzes the Quran, stressing the possible Jewish, Christian, Judeo-Christian, or Gnostic sources of inspiration for the Quranic revelation. Abraham emerges as a figure that is respected by the Bible and Quran. Although at first glance the Quranic depiction of Abraham “seems to be a modification of some earlier Jewish traditions,” Abraham is perceived in the Quran as a prophet, the father of the believers, and the first Muslim. The Prophet saw himself as the final prophet in the footsteps of Abraham, where true monotheistic religion was falsified by the Jews and Christians.Less
This chapter analyzes the Quran, stressing the possible Jewish, Christian, Judeo-Christian, or Gnostic sources of inspiration for the Quranic revelation. Abraham emerges as a figure that is respected by the Bible and Quran. Although at first glance the Quranic depiction of Abraham “seems to be a modification of some earlier Jewish traditions,” Abraham is perceived in the Quran as a prophet, the father of the believers, and the first Muslim. The Prophet saw himself as the final prophet in the footsteps of Abraham, where true monotheistic religion was falsified by the Jews and Christians.
Fergus Millar
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780197265574
- eISBN:
- 9780191760396
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265574.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
This chapter examines the pronounced variations in the expression of biblical monotheism found in commentaries written in the Roman Near East during the fourth and fifth centuries. In particular, it ...
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This chapter examines the pronounced variations in the expression of biblical monotheism found in commentaries written in the Roman Near East during the fourth and fifth centuries. In particular, it looks at a number of biblical commentaries composed in four different languages and four different scripts; all offer interpretations of the account of the Creation in the first chapter of Genesis, accompanied by a remarkably free Jewish translation (Targum) into Aramaic of part of the same chapter. Five texts are analysed: the Jewish commentary, Midrash; its translation into Jewish Aramaic, Targum Neofiti; Ephrem's Commentary on Genesis; and the commentaries by Eusebius of Emesa and Jerome. These examples show the overwhelming importance of the Bible as a source of meaning, its currency in several different languages within the Near East, and the different traditions and methods of interpretation applied to it.Less
This chapter examines the pronounced variations in the expression of biblical monotheism found in commentaries written in the Roman Near East during the fourth and fifth centuries. In particular, it looks at a number of biblical commentaries composed in four different languages and four different scripts; all offer interpretations of the account of the Creation in the first chapter of Genesis, accompanied by a remarkably free Jewish translation (Targum) into Aramaic of part of the same chapter. Five texts are analysed: the Jewish commentary, Midrash; its translation into Jewish Aramaic, Targum Neofiti; Ephrem's Commentary on Genesis; and the commentaries by Eusebius of Emesa and Jerome. These examples show the overwhelming importance of the Bible as a source of meaning, its currency in several different languages within the Near East, and the different traditions and methods of interpretation applied to it.
Howard Wettstein
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520228641
- eISBN:
- 9780520926899
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520228641.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter explores a Jewish identity for which galut is one central pillar. It contends that even in modern times, galut cannot and should not be avoided. Rather than steering clear of the almost ...
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This chapter explores a Jewish identity for which galut is one central pillar. It contends that even in modern times, galut cannot and should not be avoided. Rather than steering clear of the almost inbred Jewish sense of dislocation—one that we cannot quite lose even in our own Western diasporic setting—galut must be reckoned with. But such a reckoning does not necessarily issue in a bleak outlook. An ultimately positive take on the human and Jewish conditions requires that we give substantial weight to unpleasant, stubborn facts about human and Jewish dislocation. The chapter distinguishes two galut phenomena. First there is in the human condition called “normal dislocation.” Being the sorts of all-too-human creatures that we are, living in the sort of world we find ourselves in, has always meant big trouble. The second and specifically Jewish galut phenomenon is not normal; it is extraordinary. It relates to the following cataclysmic sequence of events: the churban, the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 c.e., the defeat of Bar Kochba in 135, and the attendant dispersion. The chapter sketches aspects of the Rabbinic response to the cosmic jolt and explores how a tradition smitten by and obsessed with galut develops practices and an outlook to cope. It focuses on a crucial theological aspect of the rabbinic response, specifically the super-anthropomorphizing tendency one sees so clearly in the commentary, Midrash Rabbah, on the Book of Lamentations.Less
This chapter explores a Jewish identity for which galut is one central pillar. It contends that even in modern times, galut cannot and should not be avoided. Rather than steering clear of the almost inbred Jewish sense of dislocation—one that we cannot quite lose even in our own Western diasporic setting—galut must be reckoned with. But such a reckoning does not necessarily issue in a bleak outlook. An ultimately positive take on the human and Jewish conditions requires that we give substantial weight to unpleasant, stubborn facts about human and Jewish dislocation. The chapter distinguishes two galut phenomena. First there is in the human condition called “normal dislocation.” Being the sorts of all-too-human creatures that we are, living in the sort of world we find ourselves in, has always meant big trouble. The second and specifically Jewish galut phenomenon is not normal; it is extraordinary. It relates to the following cataclysmic sequence of events: the churban, the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 c.e., the defeat of Bar Kochba in 135, and the attendant dispersion. The chapter sketches aspects of the Rabbinic response to the cosmic jolt and explores how a tradition smitten by and obsessed with galut develops practices and an outlook to cope. It focuses on a crucial theological aspect of the rabbinic response, specifically the super-anthropomorphizing tendency one sees so clearly in the commentary, Midrash Rabbah, on the Book of Lamentations.
Adam J. Silverstein
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- November 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198797227
- eISBN:
- 9780191838712
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198797227.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This book examines the ways in which the biblical book of Esther was read, understood, and used in Muslim lands, from ancient to modern times. It zeroes-in on a selection of case studies, covering ...
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This book examines the ways in which the biblical book of Esther was read, understood, and used in Muslim lands, from ancient to modern times. It zeroes-in on a selection of case studies, covering works from various periods and regions of the Muslim world, including the Qur’an, premodern historical chronicles and literary works, the writings of a nineteenth-century Shia feminist, a twentieth-century Iranian dictionary, and others. These case studies demonstrate that Muslim sources contain valuable materials on Esther, which shed light both on the Esther story itself and on the Muslim peoples and cultures that received it. The book argues that Muslim sources preserve important, pre-Islamic materials on Esther that have not survived elsewhere, some of which offer answers to ancient questions about Esther, such as the meaning of Haman’s epithet in the Greek versions of the story, the reason why Mordecai refused to prostrate himself before Haman, and the literary context of the “plot of the eunuchs” to kill the Persian king. Furthermore, throughout the book we will see how each author’s cultural and religious background influenced his or her understanding and retelling of the Esther story: In particular, it will be shown that Persian Muslims (and Jews) were often forced to reconcile or choose between the conflicting historical narratives provided by their religious and cultural heritages respectively.Less
This book examines the ways in which the biblical book of Esther was read, understood, and used in Muslim lands, from ancient to modern times. It zeroes-in on a selection of case studies, covering works from various periods and regions of the Muslim world, including the Qur’an, premodern historical chronicles and literary works, the writings of a nineteenth-century Shia feminist, a twentieth-century Iranian dictionary, and others. These case studies demonstrate that Muslim sources contain valuable materials on Esther, which shed light both on the Esther story itself and on the Muslim peoples and cultures that received it. The book argues that Muslim sources preserve important, pre-Islamic materials on Esther that have not survived elsewhere, some of which offer answers to ancient questions about Esther, such as the meaning of Haman’s epithet in the Greek versions of the story, the reason why Mordecai refused to prostrate himself before Haman, and the literary context of the “plot of the eunuchs” to kill the Persian king. Furthermore, throughout the book we will see how each author’s cultural and religious background influenced his or her understanding and retelling of the Esther story: In particular, it will be shown that Persian Muslims (and Jews) were often forced to reconcile or choose between the conflicting historical narratives provided by their religious and cultural heritages respectively.
Benjamin Williams
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- October 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198759232
- eISBN:
- 9780191819858
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198759232.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Judaism
The ʾOr ha-Sekhel of Abraham ben Asher (Venice, 1567) is of great importance in the history of the study of midrash. It is the first book in which Genesis Rabba was accompanied by commentaries, one ...
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The ʾOr ha-Sekhel of Abraham ben Asher (Venice, 1567) is of great importance in the history of the study of midrash. It is the first book in which Genesis Rabba was accompanied by commentaries, one spuriously attributed to Rashi and the other written by Abraham ben Asher himself. In the mid-sixteenth century, writing commentaries on midrashim was something of a novelty; immediate precedents are hard to identify. Yet the ʾOr ha-Sekhel was among the first of a new outpouring of such expositions. The need for correct texts and explanations of obscure vocabulary was foremost in the minds of interpreters such as Issachar Berman of Poland. However, the importance of midrash in the sermons of the Iberian immigrants to the Ottoman Empire inspired the composition of more discursive commentaries. An analysis of Abraham ben Asher’s expositions shows that his interpretations should be seen in this latter context. By publishing homiletic discourses on midrashim in the ʾOr ha-Sekhel along with a medieval commentary attributed to Rashi, Abraham ben Asher grounded his innovative endeavour to expound Genesis Rabba in the work of the most celebrated commentator on the Bible and the Babylonian Talmud. He thereby presented this midrash as a text requiring dedicated study and the guidance of learned commentators. By printing the text of Genesis Rabba along with two commentaries in the ʾOr ha-Sekhel, Abraham ben Asher provided readers with a comprehensive resource to accomplish this task.Less
The ʾOr ha-Sekhel of Abraham ben Asher (Venice, 1567) is of great importance in the history of the study of midrash. It is the first book in which Genesis Rabba was accompanied by commentaries, one spuriously attributed to Rashi and the other written by Abraham ben Asher himself. In the mid-sixteenth century, writing commentaries on midrashim was something of a novelty; immediate precedents are hard to identify. Yet the ʾOr ha-Sekhel was among the first of a new outpouring of such expositions. The need for correct texts and explanations of obscure vocabulary was foremost in the minds of interpreters such as Issachar Berman of Poland. However, the importance of midrash in the sermons of the Iberian immigrants to the Ottoman Empire inspired the composition of more discursive commentaries. An analysis of Abraham ben Asher’s expositions shows that his interpretations should be seen in this latter context. By publishing homiletic discourses on midrashim in the ʾOr ha-Sekhel along with a medieval commentary attributed to Rashi, Abraham ben Asher grounded his innovative endeavour to expound Genesis Rabba in the work of the most celebrated commentator on the Bible and the Babylonian Talmud. He thereby presented this midrash as a text requiring dedicated study and the guidance of learned commentators. By printing the text of Genesis Rabba along with two commentaries in the ʾOr ha-Sekhel, Abraham ben Asher provided readers with a comprehensive resource to accomplish this task.
