Book Description

This volume continues the studies on the most important source of late antique Judaism, the Talmud Yerushalmi, in relation to its cultural context. The text of the Talmud is juxtaposed to archaeological findings, Roman law, and contemporary classical authors. The attitude of the Rabbis towards main aspects of urban society in the Mediterranean region of late antiquity is discussed. Hereby Rabbinic Judaism is seen as integrated in the cultural currents prevalent in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. From reviews of the first volume: »The essays in this volume do not seek to establish a global approach to the task, or any general methodological principles. Caution is everywhere apparent. ... This is an excellent beginning, and more is promised. It would be good if this initiative prompted more Talmudic scholars to take the Greek background of Palestinian rabbinism seriously, and finally put paid to the tendency to consider it as in some way separated from or in conflict with late antique Hellenism.«N.R.M. De Lange in Bulletin of Judaeo-Greek Studies Winter 1998/99, no. 23, p. 24Survey of contentsPreface - Martin Goodman: Palestinian Rabbis and the Conversion of Constantine to Christianity - Catherine Hezser: The (In)Significance of Jerusalem in the Talmud Yerushalmi - Hayim Lapin: Rabbis and Cities. Some Aspects of the Rabbinic Movement in its Graeco-Roman Environment - Giuseppe Veltri: Römische Religion an der Peripherie des Reiches. Ein Kapitel rabbinischer Rhetorik - Martin Jacobs: Pagane Tempel in Palästina; rabbinische Aussagen im Vergleich mit archäologischen Funden - Catherine Hezser: Interfaces Between Rabbinic Literature and Graeco-Roman Philosophy - Catherine Hezser: Rabbis and Other Friends. Friendship in the Talmud Yerushalmi and in Graeco-Roman Literature - Aharon Oppenheimer: The Attempt Of Hananiah, Son of Rabbi Joshua's Brother, to Intercalate the Year in Babylonia. A Comparison of the Traditions in the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds.