The Cambridge Companion to the Talmud and Rabbinic Literature (Cambridge Companions to Religion)

This volume guides beginning students of rabbinic literature to the range of historical-interpretive and culture-critical issues that contemporary scholars use when studying the rabbinic texts of late antiquity. The editors, themselves well-known interpreters of rabbinic literature, have gathered an international collection of scholars to support students' initial steps in confronting the enormous and complex rabbinic corpus. Unlike other introductions to rabbinic writings, the present volume includes approaches shaped by anthropology, gender studies, oral-traditional studies, classics, and folklore studies. The Cambridge Companion to The Talmud and Rabbinic Literature......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 Contributors......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 11 Brief Time Line of Rabbinic Literature......Page 13 Glossary......Page 17 Abbreviations......Page 21 Introductions: The Talmud, Rabbinic Literature, and Jewish Culture......Page 23 Part 1: The Conditions of Rabbinic Literary Activity......Page 37 1 - Rabbinic Authorship as a Collective Enterprise - Martin S. Jaffee......Page 38 2 - The Orality of Rabbinic Writing - Elizabeth Shanks Alexander......Page 59 3 - Social and Institutional Settings of Rabbinic Literature - Jeffrey L. Rubenstein......Page 79 4 - The Political Geography of Rabbinic Texts - Seth Schwartz......Page 96 Part II - The Genres of Rabbinic Literary Composition......Page 118 5 - Rabbinic Midrash and Ancient Jewish Biblical Interpretation - Steven D. Fraade......Page 119 6 - The Judaean Legal Tradition and the Halakhah of the Mishnah - Shaye J. D. Cohen......Page 141 7 - Roman Law and Rabbinic Legal Composition - Catherine Hezser......Page 164 8 - Middle Persian Culture and Babylonian Sages: Accommodation and Resistance in the Shaping of Rabbinic Legal Tradition - Yaakov Elman......Page 185 9 - Jewish Visionary Tradition in Rabbinic Literature - Michael D. Swartz......Page 218 10 - An Almost Invisible Presence: Multilingual Puns in Rabbinic Literature - Galit Hasan-Rokem......Page 242 Part III - Hermeneutical Frames for Interpreting Rabbinic Literature......Page 260 11 - The "Other" in Rabbinic Literature - Christine Hayes......Page 261 12 - Regulating the Human Body: Rabbinic Legal Discourse and the Making of Jewish Gender - Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert......Page 288 13 - Rabbinic Historiography and Representations of the Past - Isaiah Gafni......Page 313 14 - Rabbinical Ethical Formation and the Formation of Rabbinic Ethical Compilations - Jonathan Wyn Schofer......Page 331 15 - Hellenism in Jewish Babylonia - Daniel Boyarin......Page 354 Bibliography......Page 382 Index......Page 410 Source Index......Page 417 Rabbinic Authorship As A Collective Enterprise / Martin S. Jaffee -- The Orality Of Rabbinic Writing / Elizabeth Shanks Alexander -- Social And Institutional Settings Of Rabbinic Literature / Jeffrey L. Rubenstein -- The Political Geography Of Rabbinic Texts / Seth Schwartz -- Rabbinic Midrash And Ancient Jewish Biblical Interpretation / Steven D. Fraade -- The Judaean Legal Tradition And The Halakhah Of The Mishnah / Shaye J.d. Cohen -- Roman Law And Rabbinic Legal Composition / Catherine Hezser -- Middle Persian Culture And Babylonian Sages : Accommodation And Resistance In The Shaping Of Rabbinic Legal Tradition / Yaakov Elman -- Jewish Visionary Tradition In Rabbinic Literature / Michael D. Swartz -- An Almost Invisible Presence : Multilingual Puns In Rabbinic Literature / Galit Hasan-rokem -- The Other In Rabbinic Literature / Christine Hayes -- Regulating The Human Body : Rabbinic Legal Discourse And The Making Of Jewish Gender / Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert -- Rabbinic Historiography And Representations Of The Past / Isaiah Gafni -- Rabbinical Ethical Formation And The Formation Of Rabbinic Ethical Compilations / Jonathan Wyn Schofer -- Hellenism In Jewish Babylonia / Daniel Boyarin. Edited By Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert, Martin S. Jaffee. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 365-392) And Indexes. Rabbinic authorship as a collective enterprise / Martin S. Jaffee The orality of rabbinic writing / Elizabeth Shanks Alexander Social and institutional settings of rabbinic literature / Jeffrey L. Rubenstein The political geography of rabbinic texts / Seth Schwartz Rabbinic midrash and ancient Jewish biblical interpretation / Steven D. Fraade The Judaean legal tradition and the halakhah of the Mishnah / Shaye J.D. Cohen Roman law and rabbinic legal composition / Catherine Hezser Middle Persian culture and Babylonian sages : accommodation and resistance in the shaping of rabbinic legal tradition / Yaakov Elman Jewish visionary tradition in rabbinic literature / Michael D. Swartz The almost invisible presence : multi-lingual puns in rabbinic literature / Galit Hasan-Rokem The "other" in rabbinic literature / Christine Hayes Regulating the human body : rabbinic legal discourse and the making of Jewish gender / Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert Rabbinic historiography and representations of the past / Isaiah Gafni Rabbinical ethical formation and the formation of rabbinic ethical compilations / Jonathan Wyn Schofer Hellenism in Jewish Babylonia / Daniel Boyarin. This volume introduces students of rabbinic literature to the range of historical and interpretative questions surrounding the rabbinic texts of late antiquity. The editors, themselves well-known interpreters of Rabbinic literature, have gathered an international collection of scholars to support students' initial steps in confronting the enormous and complex rabbinic corpus. Unlike other introductions to Rabbinic writings, the present volume includes approaches shaped by anthropology, gender studies, oral-traditional studies, classics, and folklore studies. This companion guides beginning students of rabbinic literature to the range of historical-interpretive and culture-critical issues that contemporary scholars use when studying the rabbinic texts of late antiquity