A History of the Jews in Babylonia, Part III

by Jacob Neusner PhD

Overview

Jacob Neusner is Research Professor of Religion and Theology at Bard College and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard. He has published more than 900 books and unnumbered articles, both scholarly and academic and popular and journalistic, and is the most published humanities scholar in the world. He has been awarded nine honorary degrees, including seven US and European honorary doctorates. He received his AB from Harvard College in 1953, his PhD from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in 1961, and rabbinical ordination and the degree of Master of Hebrew Letters from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1960. Neusner is editor of the 'Encyclopedia of Judaism' (Brill, 1999. I-III) and its Supplements; Chair of the Editorial Board of 'The Review of Rabbinic Judaism,' and Editor in Chief of 'The Brill Reference Library of Judaism', both published by E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands. He is editor of 'Studies in Judaism', University Press of America. Neusner resides with his wife in Rhinebeck, New York. They have a daughter, three sons and three daughters-in-law, six granddaughters and two grandsons.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606080764
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	12/11/2008
Series:	History of the Jews in Babylonia , #3
Pages:	418
Product dimensions:	0.50(w) x 0.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Jacob Neusner is Research Professor of Religion and Theology at Bard College and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard. He has published more than 900 books and unnumbered articles, both scholarly and academic and popular and journalistic, and is the most published humanities scholar in the world. He has been awarded nine honorary degrees, including seven US and European honorary doctorates. He received his AB from Harvard College in 1953, his PhD from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in 1961, and rabbinical ordination and the degree of Master of Hebrew Letters from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1960. Neusner is editor of the 'Encyclopedia of Judaism' (Brill, 1999. I-III) and its Supplements; Chair of the Editorial Board of 'The Review of Rabbinic Judaism,' and Editor in Chief of 'The Brill Reference Library of Judaism', both published by E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands. He is editor of 'Studies in Judaism', University Press of America. Neusner resides with his wife in Rhinebeck, New York. They have a daughter, three sons and three daughters-in-law, six granddaughters and two grandsons.

Table of Contents

Preface IX

List of Abbreviations XXII

I From Shapur I to Shapur II, 273-309 1

i Politics 1

ii Kartir, Mani, and Papa. Jewish-Christianity 8

iii "Either in Your Shadow or in Esau's" 17

iv Taxation and Slavery 24

v Between Jews and Gentiles 29

vi Summary 37

II Exilarchate and Rabbinate: Uneasy Alliance 41

i The Exilarchate in Parthian and Early Sasanian Times 41

ii Huna II, Mar 'Uqba II, Nehemiah: Geonic Evidences 48

iii Talmudic Data 50

iv Rabbah b. Abbuha and the Exilarchate 58

v R. Nahman as Vizier 61

vi Academic Subversion: Geniva 75

vii Further Traditions about an Unnamed Exilarch 81

viii The Exilarchate From Shapur I to Shapur II: Summary 87

III The Rabbi and his Torah 95

i The Role of the Rabbinate in Babylonian Jewish History 95

ii The Rabbi as a Holy Man 102

iii Torah, Medicine, and Magic 110

iv A Spade to Dig With? 126

v The Education and Conduct of a Sage 130

vi Theology 149

vii Liturgy 158

viii Scriptural Exegesis 179

ix Summary 192

IV The Rabbinical Academy and Popular Culture 195

i Academy and Monastery, Similarities and Differences. Retrospect and Prospect 195

ii Legal Sources for Social History 202

iii The Academies from ca. 265 to ca. 309 213

iv Means of Law Enforcement 220

v Court Functions and Procedures 229

vi Court and Synagogue 234

vii Instruments of Piety 238

viii Purity Laws 240

ix The Sabbath 243

x Festivals and Holidays 252

xi Dietary Rules 259

xii Summary 266

V The Rabbinical Court and Daily Life 272

i Introduction 272

ii Personal Status: Marriage, Levirate Connection, Divorce 274

iii Conduct of Family Affairs 283

iv Inheritances and Estates 286

v Farmand Marketplace 295

vi Suits for Civil Damages and Personal Injury. Crimes against Property 302

vii Transfers of Property 305

viii Collection of Debts and Mortgages. Commercial Documents 312

ix Agency and Trust 316

x Summary and Conclusions 317

Appendices

I Armenian Jewry before 300 339

II Christianity in Adiabene 354

Supplementary Bibliography 359

Index of Biblical and Talmudic Passages 366

General Index 372