Power, Ethics, and Ecology in Jewish Late Antiquity

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1316395650
Total Pages : 423 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (163 download)

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Book Synopsis Power, Ethics, and Ecology in Jewish Late Antiquity by : Julia Watts Belser

Download or read book Power, Ethics, and Ecology in Jewish Late Antiquity written by Julia Watts Belser and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-08-06 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rabbinic tales of drought, disaster, and charismatic holy men illuminate critical questions about power, ethics, and ecology in Jewish late antiquity. Through a sustained reading of the Babylonian Talmud's tractate on fasts in response to drought, this book shows how Bavli Taʿanit challenges Deuteronomy's claim that virtue can assure abundance and that misfortune is an unambiguous sign of divine rebuke. Employing a new method for analyzing lengthy talmudic narratives, Julia Watts Belser traces complex strands of aggadic dialectic to show how Bavli Taʿanit's redactors articulate a strikingly self-critical theological and ethical discourse. Bavli Taʿanit castigates rabbis for misuse of power, exposing the limits of their perception and critiquing prevailing obsessions with social status. But it also celebrates the possibilities of performative perception - the power of an adroit interpreter to transform events in the world and interpret crisis in a way that draws forth blessing.

Power, Ethics, and Ecology in Jewish Late Antiquity

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107113350
Total Pages : 253 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis Power, Ethics, and Ecology in Jewish Late Antiquity by : Julia Watts Belser

Download or read book Power, Ethics, and Ecology in Jewish Late Antiquity written by Julia Watts Belser and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-08-06 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyzes rabbinic responses to drought and disaster, revealing how the Talmudi grapples with problems of power, ethics, and ecology in Jewish late antiquity.

Power, Ethics, and Ecology in Jewish Late Antiquity

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9781316397275
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (972 download)

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Book Synopsis Power, Ethics, and Ecology in Jewish Late Antiquity by : Julia Watts Belser

Download or read book Power, Ethics, and Ecology in Jewish Late Antiquity written by Julia Watts Belser and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-07-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rabbinic tales of drought, disaster, and charismatic holy men illuminate critical questions about power, ethics, and ecology in Jewish late antiquity. Through a sustained reading of the Babylonian Talmud's tractate on fasts in response to drought, this book shows how Bavli Taʿanit challenges Deuteronomy's claim that virtue can assure abundance and that misfortune is an unambiguous sign of divine rebuke. Employing a new method for analyzing lengthy talmudic narratives, Julia Watts Belser traces complex strands of aggadic dialectic to show how Bavli Taʿanit's redactors articulate a strikingly self-critical theological and ethical discourse. Bavli Taʿanit castigates rabbis for misuse of power, exposing the limits of their perception and critiquing prevailing obsessions with social status. But it also celebrates the possibilities of performative perception - the power of an adroit interpreter to transform events in the world and interpret crisis in a way that draws forth blessing.

The Oxford Handbook of the Bible and Ecology

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190606738
Total Pages : 497 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (96 download)

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Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of the Bible and Ecology by : Hilary Marlow

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Bible and Ecology written by Hilary Marlow and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2022 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental issues are an ever-increasing focus of public discourse and have proved concerning to religious groups as well as society more widely. Among biblical scholars, criticism of the Judeo-Christian tradition for its part in the worsening crisis has led to a small but growing field of study on ecology and the Bible. This volume in the Oxford Handbook series makes a significant contribution to this burgeoning interest in ecological hermeneutics, incorporating the best of international scholarship on ecology and the Bible. The Handbook comprises 30 individual essays on a wide range of relevant topics by established and emerging scholars. Arranged in four sections, the volume begins with a historical overview before tackling some key methodological issues. The second, substantial, section comprises thirteen essays offering detailed exegesis from an ecological perspective of selected biblical books. This is followed by a section exploring broader thematic topics such as the Imago Dei and stewardship. Finally, the volume concludes with a number of essays on contemporary perspectives and applications, including political and ethical considerations. The editors Hilary Marlow and Mark Harris have drawn on their experience in Hebrew Bible and New Testament respectively to bring together a diverse and engaging collection of essays on a subject of immense relevance. Its accessible style, comprehensive scope, and range of material means that the volume is a valuable resource, not only to students and scholars of the Bible but also to religious leaders and practitioners.

A Companion to Late Ancient Jews and Judaism

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Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119113970
Total Pages : 604 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (191 download)

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Book Synopsis A Companion to Late Ancient Jews and Judaism by : Gwynn Kessler

Download or read book A Companion to Late Ancient Jews and Judaism written by Gwynn Kessler and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-03-26 with total page 604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An innovative approach to the study of ten centuries of Jewish culture and history A Companion to Late Ancient Jews and Judaism explores the Jewish people, their communities, and various manifestations of their religious and cultural expressions from the third century BCE to the seventh century CE. Presenting a collection of 30 original essays written by noted scholars in the field, this companion provides an expansive examination of ancient Jewish life, identity, gender, sacred and domestic spaces, literature, language, and theological questions throughout late ancient Jewish history and historiography. Editors Gwynn Kessler and Naomi Koltun-Fromm situate the volume within Late Antiquity, enabling readers to rethink traditional chronological, geographic, and political boundaries. The Companion incorporates a broad methodology, drawing from social history, material history and culture, and literary studies to consider the diverse forms and facets of Jews and Judaism within multiple contexts of place, culture, and history. Divided into five parts, thematically-organized essays discuss topics including the spaces where Jews lived, worked, and worshiped, Jewish languages and literatures, ethnicities and identities, and questions about gender and the body central to Jewish culture and Judaism. Offering original scholarship and fresh insights on late ancient Jewish history and culture, this unique volume: Offers a one-volume exploration of “second temple,” “Greco-Roman,” and “rabbinic” periods and sources Explores Jewish life across most of the geographic places where Jews or Judaeans were known to have lived Features original maps of areas cited in every essay, including maps of Jewish settlement throughout Late Antiquity Includes an outline of major historical events, further readings, and full references A Companion to Late Ancient Jews and Judaism: 3rd Century BCE - 7th Century CE is a valuable resource for students, instructors, and scholars of Jewish studies, religion, literature, and ethnic identity, as well as general readers with interest in Jewish history, world religions, Classics, and Late Antiquity.

Trial Stories in Jewish Antiquity

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198865147
Total Pages : 266 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (988 download)

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Book Synopsis Trial Stories in Jewish Antiquity by : Chaya T Halberstam

Download or read book Trial Stories in Jewish Antiquity written by Chaya T Halberstam and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2024-08-02 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trial Stories in Jewish Antiquity is the first book to examine what early Jewish courtroom narratives can tell us about the capacity and limits of human justice. Drawing from affect theory and feminist legal thought, Chaya T. Halberstam offers original readings of some of the most famous trials in the ancient Jewish tradition.

Talmudic Transgressions

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Publisher : BRILL
ISBN 13 : 9004345337
Total Pages : 596 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (43 download)

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Book Synopsis Talmudic Transgressions by : Charlotte Fonrobert

Download or read book Talmudic Transgressions written by Charlotte Fonrobert and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2017-05-15 with total page 596 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Talmudic Transgressions, scholars offer new perspectives on rabbinic literature and related areas, in essays which respond to the work of Daniel Boyarin.

Desire and Disunity

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Publisher : Liverpool University Press
ISBN 13 : 1802073752
Total Pages : 248 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Desire and Disunity by : Ulriika Vihervalli

Download or read book Desire and Disunity written by Ulriika Vihervalli and published by Liverpool University Press. This book was released on 2024-06-15 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Open Access edition will be available on publication thanks to the kind sponsorship of the libraries participating in the Jisc Open Access Community Framework OpenUP initiative. Desire and Disunity explores the struggles of Christianising late ancient sexuality in the late Roman West. Through an examination of fourth to sixth century sermons, letters, laws, and treatises in Latin-speaking communities, the difficulties of late antique clerics in moving ascetically influenced sexual ideals into wider practice become evident. Western clerics faced challenges on several fronts: the dedication and devoutness of lay Christians varied, while the military-political upheavals of the fifth century created new challenges and opportunities for influencing one’s flock. Furthermore, Roman sexual norms continued to inform the thinking of many clerics and lay figures alike, even when in opposition to more scripturally based moral reasoning. Problems of bigamy, concubinage, sex work, incest, homosexual acts, adultery, and more troubled western Christian communities, with contradicting rules and traditions on what was acceptable and what was not. What reach did elite clerical perspectives on sexual norms have amongst the non-elite? How did clerics navigate tensions between the idealisation of Christian communal purity and the actions of congregants that fell short of these ideals? What influenced clerical perceptions of sex and how did they articulate these ideas to their audiences? Clerical sources of this time reflect these challenges as well as varying church attempts to reform the sex lives of their congregants – and, indeed, church failure in doing so.

Rabbinic Tales of Destruction

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190600470
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (96 download)

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Book Synopsis Rabbinic Tales of Destruction by : Julia Watts Belser

Download or read book Rabbinic Tales of Destruction written by Julia Watts Belser and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Rabbinic Tales of Destruction examines early Jewish accounts of the Roman conquest of Jerusalem from the perspective of the wounded body and the scarred land. Amidst stories saturated with sexual violence, enslavement, forced prostitution, disability, and bodily risk, the book argues that rabbinic narrative wrestles with the brutal body costs of Roman imperial domination. It brings disability studies, feminist theory, and new materialist ecological thought to accounts of rabbinic catastrophe, revealing how rabbinic discourses of gender, sexuality, and the body are shaped in the shadow of empire. Focusing on the Babylonian Talmud's longest account of the destruction of the Second Temple, the book reveals the distinctive sex and gender politics of Bavli Gittin. While Palestinian tales frequently castigate the "wayward woman" for sexual transgressions that imperil the nation, Bavli Gittin's stories resist portraying women's sexuality as a cause of catastrophe. Rather than castigate women's beauty as the cause of sexual sin, Bavli Gittin's tales express a strikingly egalitarian discourse that laments the vulnerability of both male and female bodies before the conqueror. Bavli Gittin's body politics align with a significant theological reorientation. Bavli Gittin does not explain catastrophe as divine chastisement. Instead of imagining God as the architect of Jewish suffering, it evokes God's empathy with the subjugated Jewish body and forges a sharp critique of empire. Its critical discourse aims to pierce the power politics of Roman conquest, to protest the brutality of imperial dominance, and to make plain the scar that Roman violence leaves upon Jewish flesh"--

Unsettling Science and Religion

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Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1498556426
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (985 download)

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Book Synopsis Unsettling Science and Religion by : Lisa Stenmark

Download or read book Unsettling Science and Religion written by Lisa Stenmark and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-05-24 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book borrows from the intellectual labor of queer theory in order to unsettle—or “queer”—the discourses of “religion” and “science,” and, by extension, the “science and religion discourse.” Drawing intellectual and social cues from works by influential theorists such as Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, and Eve Sedgwick, chapters in this volume converge on at least three common features of queer theory. First, queer theory challenges givens that on occasion still undergird religiously and scientifically informed ways of thinking. Second, it takes embodiment seriously. Third, this engagement inevitably generates new pathways for thinking about how religious and scientific “truths” matter. These three features ultimately lend support to critical investigations into the meanings of “science” and “religion,” and the relationships between the two.

Beloved David—Advisor, Man of Understanding, and Writer

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Publisher : SBL Press
ISBN 13 : 1951498992
Total Pages : 775 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (514 download)

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Book Synopsis Beloved David—Advisor, Man of Understanding, and Writer by : Naftali S. Cohn

Download or read book Beloved David—Advisor, Man of Understanding, and Writer written by Naftali S. Cohn and published by SBL Press. This book was released on 2024-06-07 with total page 775 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings together the latest scholarship on Jewish literary products and the ways in which they can be interpreted from three different perspectives. In part 1, contributors consider texts as literature, as cultural products, and as historical documents to demonstrate the many ways that early Jewish, rabbinic, and modern secular Jewish literary works make meaning and can be read meaningfully. Part 2 focuses on exegesis of specific biblical and rabbinic texts as well as medieval Jewish poetry. Part 3 examines medieval and early modern Jewish books as material objects and explores the history, functions, and reception of these material objects. Contributors include Javier del Barco, Elisheva Carlebach, Ezra Chwat, Evelyn M. Cohen, Naftali S. Cohn, William Cutter, Yaacob Dweck, Talya Fishman, Steven D. Fraade, Dalia-Ruth Halperin, Martha Himmelfarb, Marc Hirshman, Tamar Kadari, Israel Knohl, Susanne Klingenstein, Katrin Kogman-Appel, Jon D. Levenson, Paul Mandel, Annett Martini, Jordan S. Penkower, Annette Yoshiko Reed, Jeffrey L. Rubenstein, Shalom Sabar, Raymond P. Scheindlin, Seth Schwartz, Sarit Shalev-Eyni, Moshe Simon-Shoshan, Peter Stallybrass, Josef Stern, Barry Scott Wimpfheimer, Elliot R. Wolfson, Azzan Yadin-Israel, and Joseph Yahalom.

Wealth, Poverty, and Charity in Jewish Antiquity

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Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520386906
Total Pages : 301 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (23 download)

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Book Synopsis Wealth, Poverty, and Charity in Jewish Antiquity by : Gregg E. Gardner

Download or read book Wealth, Poverty, and Charity in Jewish Antiquity written by Gregg E. Gardner and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2022-05-24 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charity is central to the Jewish tradition. In this formative study, Gregg E. Gardner takes on this concept to examine the beginnings of Jewish thought on care for the poor. Focusing on writings of the earliest rabbis from the third century c.e., Gardner shows how the ancient rabbis saw the problem of poverty primarily as questions related to wealth—how it is gained and lost, how it distinguishes rich from poor, and how to convince people to part with their wealth. Contributing to our understanding of the history of religions, Wealth, Poverty, and Charity in Jewish Antiquity demonstrates that a focus on wealth can provide us with a fuller understanding of charity in Jewish thought and the larger world from which Judaism and Christianity emerged.

Weeds and the Carolingians

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1009080792
Total Pages : 237 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis Weeds and the Carolingians by : Paolo Squatriti

Download or read book Weeds and the Carolingians written by Paolo Squatriti and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2022-06-09 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why did weeds matter in the Carolingian empire? What was their special significance for writers in eighth- and ninth-century Europe and how was this connected with the growth of real weeds? In early medieval Europe, unwanted plants that persistently appeared among crops created extra work, reduced productivity, and challenged theologians who believed God had made all vegetation good. For the first time, in this book weeds emerge as protagonists in early medieval European history, driving human farming strategies and coloring people's imagination. Early medieval Europeans' effort to create agroecosystems that satisfied their needs and cosmologies that confirmed Christian accounts of vegetable creation both had to come to terms with unruly plants. Using diverse kinds of texts, fresh archaeobotanical data, and even mosaics, this interdisciplinary study reveals how early medieval Europeans interacted with their environments.

Structural Dividers in the Qur'an

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000210669
Total Pages : 433 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Structural Dividers in the Qur'an by : Marianna Klar

Download or read book Structural Dividers in the Qur'an written by Marianna Klar and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-12-03 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume showcases a wide range of contemporary approaches to the identification of literary structures within Qur’anic surahs. Recent academic studies of the Qur’an have taken an increasing interest in the concept of the surah as a unity and, with it, the division of complete surahs into consecutive sections or parts. Part One presents a series of case studies focussing on individual Qur’anic surahs. Nevin Reda analyzes the structure of Sūrat Āl ʿImrān (Q 3), Holger Zellentin looks at competing structures within Sūrat al-ʿAlaq (Q 96), and A.H. Mathias Zahniser provides an exploration of the ring structures that open Sūrat Maryam (Q 19). Part Two then focusses on three discrete aspects of the text. Nora K. Schmid assesses the changing structural function of oaths, Marianna Klar evaluates how rhythm, rhyme, and morphological parallelisms combine in order to produce texture and cohesion, while Salwa El-Awa considers the structural impact of connectives and other discourse markers with specific reference to Sūrat Ṭāhā (Q 20). The final section of the volume juxtaposes contrasting attitudes to the discernment of diachronic seams. Devin Stewart examines surah-medial oracular oaths, Muhammad Abdel Haleem questions a range of instances where suggestions of disjointedness have historically been raised, and Nicolai Sinai explores the presence of redactional layers within Sūrat al-Nisāʾ (Q 4) and Sūrat al-Māʾidah (Q 5). Bringing a combination of different approaches to Qur’an structure into a single book, written by well-established and emerging voices in Qur’anic studies, the work will be an invaluable resource to academics researching Islam, religious studies, and languages and literatures in general. Chapters 3 and 6 of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

Rabbinic Drinking

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Publisher : University of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520300424
Total Pages : 323 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (23 download)

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Book Synopsis Rabbinic Drinking by : Jordan D. Rosenblum

Download or read book Rabbinic Drinking written by Jordan D. Rosenblum and published by University of California Press. This book was released on 2020-01-21 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though ancient rabbinic texts are fundamental to analyzing the history of Judaism, they are also daunting for the novice to read. Rabbinic literature presumes tremendous prior knowledge, and its fascinating twists and turns in logic can be disorienting. Rabbinic Drinking helps learners at every level navigate this brilliant but mystifying terrain by focusing on rabbinic conversations about beverages, such as beer and wine, water, and even breast milk. By studying the contents of a drinking vessel—including the contexts and practices in which they are imbibed—Rabbinic Drinking surveys key themes in rabbinic literature to introduce readers to the main contours of this extensive body of historical documents. Features and Benefits: Contains a broad array of rabbinic passages, accompanied by didactic and rich explanations and contextual discussions, both literary and historical Thematic chapters are organized into sections that include significant and original translations of rabbinic texts Each chapter includes in-text references and concludes with a list of both referenced works and suggested additional readings

Studies in Rabbinic Narratives, Volume 1

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Author :
Publisher : SBL Press
ISBN 13 : 195149881X
Total Pages : 444 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (514 download)

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Book Synopsis Studies in Rabbinic Narratives, Volume 1 by : Jeffrey L. Rubenstein

Download or read book Studies in Rabbinic Narratives, Volume 1 written by Jeffrey L. Rubenstein and published by SBL Press. This book was released on 2021-03-31 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explore new theoretical tools and lines of analysis of rabbinic stories Rabbinic literature includes hundreds of stories and brief narrative traditions. These narrative traditions often take the form of biographical anecdotes that recount a deed or event in the life of a rabbi. Modern scholars consider these narratives as didactic fictions—stories used to teach lessons, promote rabbinic values, and grapple with the tensions and conflicts of rabbinic life. Using methods drawn from literary and cultural theory, including feminist, structuralist, Marxist, and psychoanalytic methods, contributors analyze narratives from the Babylonian Talmud, midrash, Mishnah, and other rabbinic compilations to shed light on their meanings, functions, and narrative art. Contributors include Julia Watts Belser, Beth Berkowitz, Dov Kahane, Jane L. Kanarek, Tzvi Novick, James Adam Redfield, Jay Rovner, Jeffrey L. Rubenstein, Zvi Septimus, Dov Weiss, and Barry Scott Wimpfheimer.

The Jewish Dietary Laws in the Ancient World

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1108107664
Total Pages : 209 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (81 download)

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Book Synopsis The Jewish Dietary Laws in the Ancient World by : Jordan D. Rosenblum

Download or read book The Jewish Dietary Laws in the Ancient World written by Jordan D. Rosenblum and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-12-15 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Jewish Dietary Laws in the Ancient World Jordan D. Rosenblum explores how cultures critique and defend their religious food practices. In particular he focuses on how ancient Jews defended the kosher laws, or kashrut, and how ancient Greeks, Romans, and early Christians critiqued these practices. As the kosher laws are first encountered in the Hebrew Bible, this study is rooted in ancient biblical interpretation. It explores how commentators in antiquity understood, applied, altered, innovated upon, and contemporized biblical dietary regulations. He shows that these differing interpretations do not exist within a vacuum; rather, they are informed by a variety of motives, including theological, moral, political, social, and financial considerations. In analyzing these ancient conversations about culture and cuisine, he dissects three rhetorical strategies deployed when justifying various interpretations of ancient Jewish dietary regulations: reason, revelation, and allegory. Finally, Rosenblum reflects upon wider, contemporary debates about food ethics.