Judaism II: Literature

Description

Judaism, the oldest of the Abrahamic religions, is one of the pillars of modern civilization. A collective of internationally renowned experts cooperated in a singular academic enterprise to portray Judaism from its transformation as a Temple cult to its broad contemporary varieties. In three volumes the long-running book series Die Religionen der Menschheit (Religions of Humanity) presents for the first time a complete and compelling view on Jewish life now and then - a fascinating portrait of the Jewish people with its ability to adapt itself to most different cultural settings, always maintaining its strong and unique identity. Volume II presents Jewish literature and thinking: the Jewish Bible; Hellenistic, Tannaitic, Amoraic and Gaonic literature to medieval and modern genres. Chapters on mysticism, Piyyut, Liturgy and Prayer complete the volume. Cover Titlepage Contents Foreword 1 Die Wissenschaft des Judentums 2 World War II and Vatican II 3 Jacob Neusner resets the agenda 4 Martin Hengel, Judentum und Hellenismus (Judaism and Hellenism) 5 The New Academy 6 Kohlhammer’s Die Religionen der Menschheit The Jewish Bible: Traditions and Translations 1 The Transmission of Hebrew Scripture in Jewish Channels 2 The Traditional Hebrew Text of the Bible: The Masoretic Text 2.1 The Medieval Masoretic Text and Its Forerunner, Proto-MT 2.1.1 Proto-MT and the Judean Desert Texts 2.1.2 The Socio-religious Background of the Judean Desert Texts 2.1.3 The Origins of the Proto-MT 2.1.4 How the Proto-MT Was Created 2.2 The Scribes of the Proto-Masoretic Text and Their Practices 2.2.1 Precision Copying 2.2.2 Rabbinic Traditions about the Use of Corrected Scrolls 2.3 The Forerunners of the Proto-Masoretic Text 2.3.1 Precise Transmission of Inconsistent Spelling 2.3.2 Internal differences within the various books 2.3.3 Scribal Marks Puncta Extraordinaria Inverted Nunim 2.4 Key Characteristics of the Masoretic Text 2.4.1 Consistency in Spelling 2.4.2 Diversity 2.5 The Masoretic Text Compared with the Other Texts 2.6 Traditional Judaism’s Relationship to Other Text Traditions 2.7 Comparing Details in MT to Other Text Traditions 2.8 Variation in Editions of MT 2.8.1 The Leningrad and Aleppo Codices 2.8.2 Scholarly Editions 2.8.3 Translations: Ancient and Modern 2.8.4 Modern Translations NJPS Other Modern Translations 2.8.5 Translation Fashions 3 Biblical Scrolls from the Dead Sea 4 The Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations 4.1 The Septuagint 4.1.1 Name and Nature 4.1.2 Scope 4.1.3 Sequence of the Books 4.1.4 Original Form, Jewish Background, Place, and Date Jewish Background Place Date 4.1.5 Evidence 4.1.6 The Greek Language of the LXX 4.1.7 Translation Character and Textual Analysis 4.1.8 The World of the Translators 4.1.9 Hebrew Source of the LXX 4.1.10 The Greek Versions and Christianity 4.2 The Other Greek Translations 4.2.1 Kaige-Theodotion 4.2.2 Aquila 4.2.3 Symmachus 4.3 Targumim 4.3.1 Targumim to the Torah Targum Onqelos Palestinian Targumim 4.3.2 Targum to the Prophets 4.3.3 Targumim to the Hagiographa 5 Summary For Further Reading Jewish Literature in the Hellenistic-Roman Period (350 BCE-150 CE) 1 Introduction 1.1 Judaism and Hellenism 1.1.1 Koine 1.1.2 Texts and Traditions 2 Historical and Legendary Texts 3 Fragments of Hellenistic-Jewish Historians 4 Teachings in Narrative Form 5 Teachings in Didactic Form 6 Poetic Writings 7 Apocalyptic Literature 8 Dead Sea Scrolls 9 Philo of Alexandria 10 Flavius Josephus For Further Reading Tannaitic Literature 1 Mishnah and Tosefta 1.1 Mishnah 1.1.1 Contents 1.1.2 Origins 1.1.3 Purpose of the Mishnah 1.1.4 Literary form, publication and authority of the Mishnah 1.1.5 The text, its transmission and its commentary 1.2 Tosefta 1.2.1 Contents 1.2.2 Origins 1.2.3 The Relationship between Tosefta and Mishnah 1.2.4 The text of the Tosefta, its transmission and commentary 2 Tannaitic Midrashim 2.1 General observations 2.2 The Mekhilta de-Rabbi Yishmael 2.2.1 Contents and Structure 2.2.2 Character and Date 2.2.3 The Text, its Transmission and Translations Manuscripts and printed editions Translations 2.3 The Mekhilta de-Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai 2.3.1 Text 2.3.2 Contents and Character 2.4 Baraita de-Melekhet ha-Mishkan 2.5 Sifra 2.5.1 Contents and Structure 2.5.2 The Literary Program of Sifra 2.5.3 The Unity of Sifra 2.5.4 The Text of Sifra, its Transmission and Translations. 2.6 Sifre Numbers 2.6.1 Contents and Structure 2.6.2 Character and Date 2.6.3 Text, Translation, and Commentaries 2.7 Sifre Zutta to Numbers and Deuteronomy 2.7.1 Sifre Zutta to Numbers 2.7.2 Sifre Zutta to Deuteronomy 2.8 Sifre Deuteronomy 2.8.1 Contents and Structure 2.8.2 Character and Date 2.8.3 Text and Commentaries 2.9 Midrash Tannaim (Mekhilta on Deuteronomy) 2.10 Seder ʿOlam For Further Reading Amoraic Literature (ca 250-650 CE): Talmud and Midrash 1 Amoraim 2 Disciple Circles and Study Halls 3 The Talmuds 3.1 The Palestinian Talmud (The Yerushalmi) 3.2 The Babylonian Talmud (The Bavli) 4 Midrash 4.1 Midrashic Compilations 4.2 Genesis Rabbah 4.3 Lamentations (Eikhah) Rabbah 4.4 Song of Songs (Shir ha-Shirim) Rabbah 4.5 Leviticus Rabbah 4.6 Pesikta de Rav Kahana 4.7 Ecclesiastes Rabbah 5 Conclusion For Further Reading Rabbinic-Gaonic and Karaite Literatures 1 Rabbinic-Gaonic literatures (ca. 650-1050 CE) 1.2 Gaonic Mishnah and Talmud Commentaries, Introductions 1.3 Gaonic Law (Halakhah) and Custom (Minhag) 1.3.1 Halakhot Pesuqot and Halakhot Gedolot 1.3.2 Responsa 1.3.3 Saadia 1.3.4 Shmuel ben Hofni 1.3.5 Hai ben Sherira 1.3.6 Differing Customs between Babylonian and Palestinian Rabbinic Jews 1.4 Midrash 1.4.1 She’iltot 1.4.2 Ve-hizhir 1.4.3 Tanhuma literature 1.4.4 Midrash Kohelet Rabbah 1.4.5 Pirqe Rabbi Eliezer and Targum Ps. Jonathan 1.4.6 Seder Eliahu 1.4.7 Midrash Mishle 1.4.8 Avot DeRabbi Natan 1.5 Biblical exegesis 1.5.1 Tafsīr and Commentary 1.5.2 Masoretes 1.5.3 Grammarians 1.6 Philosophy 1.7 Medieval Mysticism 1.8 Piyyut 1.9 Liturgy 1.10 Polemic 1.10.1 Iggeret Rav Sherira 1.10.2 Rabbenu Nissim ibn Shahin and Rabbenu Hananel ben Hushiel of Kairawan, Shmuel ibn Naghrela of Granada 2 Karaite Literature and its Genres (9th-11th c.) 2.1 Legal texts 2.2 Exegetical works 2.3 Masorah 2.4 Grammatical tradition 2.5 Philosophical treatises 2.6 Polemical texts 2.7 Homilies and propaganda writings 2.8 Karaite liturgy and piyyutim 3 Conclusions For Further Reading Medieval Commentary, Responsa, and Codes Literature 1 Introduction 2 The Geonim 2.1 Commentary of the Geonim 2.2 Responsa Literature of the Geonim 2.3 Codes Literature of the Geonim 3 The Rishonim 3.1 Muslim Spain and North Africa 3.1.1 Commentary in Muslim Spain and North Africa 3.1.2 Responsa from Spain and North Africa (Muslim period) 3.1.3 Codes Literature from Spain and North Africa (Muslim Period) 3.2 Northern Europe 3.2.1 Commentary in Northern Europe 3.2.2 Responsa in Northern Europe 3.2.3 Codes Literature in Northern Europe 3.3 Christian Spain 3.3.1 Commentary in Christian Spain 3.3.2 Responsa of Christian Spain 3.3.3 Codes Literature of Christian Spain 4 The Fifteenth to the Sixteenth Century: R. Joseph Caro and R. Moses Isserles For Further Reading Medieval Biblical Commentary and Aggadic Literature 1 Biblical Commentary 1.1 From Derash to Peshat 1.1.1 The Emergence of the Northern French School 1.1.2 Rashi (1040-1105) 1.1.3 Rashbam (1080-1160) 1.1.4 Ibn Ezra (c. 1089-1164) 1.2 The Expansion of Meaning 1.2.1 Moses Maimonides and Philosophy (1135-1204) 1.2.2 David Kimhi and Narrative (1160-1235) 1.2.3 Nahmanides and Mysticism (1194-1270) 1.2.4 Bahya ben Asher and Four-fold Exegesis (c. 1255-1340) 2 Aggadic Literature 2.1 Orality and the Open Book 2.2 The »Problem« with Aggadah 2.3 Midrash Reimagined 2.3.1 Midrash-Commentary Hybrids 2.3.2 Halakhah-Aggadah Hybrids 2.3.3 Additional new directions 2.4 Development of Narrative 2.4.1 Narrative Midrash 2.4.2 Minor Midrashim 2.4.3 Absorption of foreign material and original Jewish stories 2.5 Historiography 2.5.1 Apocalypse 2.5.2 Exempla, Hagiography and Martyrology 2.6 Ethical Literature 2.7 Anthologies and Collections 2.7.1 Anthologies 2.7.2 Midrash Rabbah and Medieval Collections For Further Reading Piyyut 1 Poetic Genres 1.1 Piyyutim for the Shema 1.2 Piyyutim for the Amidah 1.3 Further Piyyutim 2 History of Piyyut 2.1 Pre-classical Piyyut 2.2 Classical Piyyut 2.3 Post-classical Piyyut 2.4 Andalusian Piyyut 2.5 Italian Piyyut 2.6 Ashkenazic piyyut 2.7 Other Piyyut Traditions 3 Criticism and Rejection of Piyyut 4 Scholarly Research For Further Reading Jewish Liturgy 1 The History of Jewish Prayer 1.1 Prayer in the Hebrew Bible: Spontaneous personal prayer and Psalms 1.2 Prayer in the Second Temple Period: The root sources of Jewish prayer 1.3 Prayer in the Rabbinic Era: Creation of prayer structure and primary content 1.4 The Babylonian and Palestinian Talmuds and the Midrashic compilations of the Amoraic Era (ca. 220-550 CE) 1.5 Prayer in the Gaonic Era: The First Prayer Books 1.6 The »Rishonim« Period—ormation of Local Liturgical Customs 1.7 The Ahronim: Influences of Printing and the Kabbalah upon Jewish Prayer 1.8 Prayer in the Modern Era: from the eighteenth through the mid-twentieth centuries 1.9 Jewish Liturgy from the mid-20th century to today: Modernity and Post-Modernity 2 The Structure of Jewish Liturgy 2.1 The Liturgy of the Shema The portions of the Shema The blessings surrounding the Shema 2.2 The ʿAmidah The Opening ÜcfSemiBoldItÝBenedictions/BlessingsÜfyMyriadProÝÜcfSemiBoldÝ The Middle Benedictions/Blessings The Closing Benedictions/Blessings 2.3 The Torah Service 2.4 Opening and Conclusion of Prayer 2.5 Sabbath and Festival Prayers 2.6 Home Liturgies For Further Reading Jewish Mysticism 1 Sources and Major Topics 2 Current Discussion in Research 3 Early Jewish Mysticism 3.1 Merkavah Mysticism and Hekhalot Literature 3.2 Shiʿur Qomah (Measures of Stature) 3.3 Sefer Yezirah (Book of Creation) 4 Medieval Jewish Mysticism and the Rise of Kabbalah 4.1 Hasidei Ashkenaz 4.2 Kabbalah in Provence and the Sefer haBahir 4.3 Kabbalah in Catalonia 4.4 Kabbalah in Castile 4.5 The Zohar 4.6 Abraham Abulafia (1240-after 1292) 4.7 Joseph Gikatilla (1248-c. 1305) 4.8 Theosophy and Theurgy 5 Renaissance and Early Modern Times 5.1 14th-16th Centuries - Spanish Expulsion to Safed Community 5.2 Isaac Luria, Ari (1534-1572) 5.3 Sabbatai Zevi (1626-1676) 5.4 Jacob Frank (1726-1791) 6 18th Century Kabbalah 6.1 The »Besht« and the Upsurge of Hasidism 7 Kabbalah in the 20th and 21th Centuries For Further Reading Index 1 Sources 1.1 Hebrew Bible 1.2 New Testament 1.3 Deuterocanonical Works and Septuagint 1.4 Old Testament Pseudepigrapha 1.5 Dead Sea Scrolls 1.6 Philo of Alexandria 1.7 Flavius Josephus 1.8 Rabbinical Sources 1.9 Classical and Ancient Christian Writings 2 Names 3 Keywords