Building Blocks of Rabbinic Tradition

The Documentary Approach to the Study of Formative Judaism

Jacob Neusner author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:University Press of America

Published:22nd Oct '07

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Building Blocks of Rabbinic Tradition cover

This book responds to a question that came to the author from Professor Maren Niehoff of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem: 'Have you written a simple introduction to your documentary theory and method, which can serve as a starting point for my students?' In this book are gathered eight of the more fundamental items of documentary theory and practice_three in theory, five in practice_for Professor Neihoff's students and anyone else who takes an interest in the formative history of Judaism. The documentary thesis of Rabbinic literature holds that the document_the Mishnah, Sifra, Lamentations, Rabbah, the Bavli, for example_forms the basic building block of the Rabbinic tradition. Excluded by that definition are sayings attributed to, and stories told about, named sages. These cannot serve in the reconstruction of the Rabbinic tradition, its literature, history, religion, and theology.

This book clearly sets out in user-friendly fashion the principles underlying the vast research programme which has occupied Neusner for so many years. Students will certainly welcome, and benefit from, this compliation, which presents the reader with a carefully judged combination of theoretical discussion and worked examples of texts. Spring 2009

ISBN: 9780761838685

Dimensions: 230mm x 152mm x 24mm

Weight: 458g

308 pages