Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations and References
- A Note of Introduction
- 1 The Prehistory of Judaism
- 2 The Beginnings of Monotheism
- 3 The Book and the People
- 4 Crisis and a New Beginning
- 5 The First Kingdom of Judaea
- 6 Diaspora and Homeland
- 7 A Century of Disasters
- 8 The Rebirth of Judaism
- 9 The Rabbis and Their Torah
- 10 The End of Ancient History
- APPENDIX 1 Three Sample Passages from the Babylonian Talmud
- APPENDIX 2 Rabbinic Biographies
- APPENDIX 3 The Sabbath
- Glossary
- Chronology
- Notes
- Suggestions for Further Reading
- Index
APPENDIX 1 - Three Sample Passages from the Babylonian Talmud
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations and References
- A Note of Introduction
- 1 The Prehistory of Judaism
- 2 The Beginnings of Monotheism
- 3 The Book and the People
- 4 Crisis and a New Beginning
- 5 The First Kingdom of Judaea
- 6 Diaspora and Homeland
- 7 A Century of Disasters
- 8 The Rebirth of Judaism
- 9 The Rabbis and Their Torah
- 10 The End of Ancient History
- APPENDIX 1 Three Sample Passages from the Babylonian Talmud
- APPENDIX 2 Rabbinic Biographies
- APPENDIX 3 The Sabbath
- Glossary
- Chronology
- Notes
- Suggestions for Further Reading
- Index
Summary
the following pages present three extended passages from the Babylonian Talmud. These extracts were not placed in boxes within the text because they are too long, but they should be read in connection with the description of the Talmud to be found in Chapter 9. These texts were chosen because each represents an important feature of the talmudic enterprise: interpreting older texts, establishing the law, using narrative to explore theology. Each translation is followed by a brief commentary in italics indicating some characteristic features of the text.
BERAKHOT 2A–3A
mishnah: From when [may people] recite the evening Sh'ma? From the hour that the priests come in to eat of their teruma-offering, until the end of the first watch; [these are] R. Eliezer's words, but the sages say, Until midnight. Rabban Gamaliel says, Until the first light of dawn….
gemara:… The Master said: “From the hour the priests come in to eat of their teruma-offering.” Now when do priests eat teruma-offering? From the hour the stars come out. So let him [straightforwardly] teach “from the hour the stars come out”! [By teaching the law obliquely] he teaches us something extra by the way: Priests eat teruma-offering from the hour the stars come out.
And this teaches us [in turn] that [need for] an expiation-sacrifice does not disqualify [a priest from eating teruma], as it is taught: “And when the sun sets he shall be clean” (Leviticus 22:7).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Origins of JudaismFrom Canaan to the Rise of Islam, pp. 193 - 209Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2007