Development of a Legend: Studies on the Traditions Concerning Yohanan Ben-Zakkai (Studia Post Biblica) [1 ed.] 9004021485, 9789004021488

Table of contents :
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Preface
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
i. The Problem
ii. The Broken Process of Tradition
iii. Event and Tradition
iv. Ipsissima Verba
v. Editorial Tendencies
vi. Talmudic “Historiography”
vii. The Growth of the Normative Tradition
PART ONE THE TRADITIONS IN HISTORICAL SEQUENCE
I. TANNAITIC MIDRASHIM
i. School of R. Ishmael
ii. School of R. ʿAqiva
iii. General Comments
iv. Midrash Tannaim
II. MISHNAH AND TOSEFTA
i. Mishnah
ii. General Comments
iii. Tosefta
iv. General Comments
III. TANNAITIC MATERIALS IN THE Gemarot OF PALESTINE AND BABYLONIA
i. Palestinian Talmudic Traditions Attributed to Tannaim
ii. Babylonian Talmudic Traditions Attributed to Tannaim (Beraitot)
iii. General Comments
IV. AVOT DE RABBI NATAN
i. Texts
ii. General Comments
V. AMORAIC TRADITIONS
i. Palestinian Talmud
ii. Babylonian Talmud
iii. General Comments
VI. SOME LATER MIDRASHIM
i. Genesis Rabbah
ii. Lamentations Rabbati
iii. Pesiqta de Rav Kahana
iv. Pesiqta Rabbati
v. Tanḥuma
vi. Qohelet Rabbah
vii. Numbers Rabbah
viii. Deuteronomy Rabbah
ix. Song of Songs Rabbah
x. Midrash on Psalms
xi. Scholion to Megillat Taʿanit
xii. General Comments
PART TWO SYNOPTIC STUDIES
VII. INTRODUCTION
VIII. LEGAL SAYINGS AND STORIES
i. “Conventional” Sayings
ii. Woe if I say it
iii. Further Subscriptions
iv. The Story Is Told
v. His Disciples Asked
vi. Laws reported by Disciples
vii. Disputes
viii. The Ordinances of Yavneh
ix. Conclusion
IX. BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS
i. One-hundred-twenty Years
ii. Eighty Disciples
iii. They Said Concerning Yoḥanan
iv. Death Scene
v. A Good Court
vi. Conclusion
X. HISTORICAL STORIES
i. The Escape
ii. The Destruction
iii. Because You Did Not Serve
iv. Conclusion
XI. STORIES ABOUT DISCIPLES
i. The Five
ii. Eliezer’s Origins
iii. The Merkavah-Setmon and Related Materials
iv. Conclusion
XII. SCRIPTURAL EXEGESIS
i. Disputes with Gentiles
ii. Exegesis in “Standard” Form
iii. Analogical Exegeses (Kemin Ḥomer)
iv. Conclusion
PART THREE CONCLUSION
XIII. FORMATION OF A LEGEND
i. The Cumulative Tradition
ii. Yoḥanan and the Tannaim
iii. Yoḥanan and the Amoraim
iv. Conclusion
INDEX OF BIBLICAL AND TALMUDIC CITATIONS
GENERAL INDEX

Citation preview

STUDIA POST-BIBLICA

VOLUMEN SEXTUM DECIMUM

STUDIA POST-BIBLICA INSTITUTA A P.A. H. DE BOER

ADIUVANTIBUS

T. JANSMA

ET ].

SMIT SIBINGA

ED ID IT

J. C. H. LEBRAM VOLUMEN SEXTUM DECIMUM

LEIDEN

E.

J. BRILL 1970

DEVELOPMENTOFALEGEND STUDIES ON THE TRADITIONS CONCERNING YOHANAN BEN ZAKKAI BY

JACOB NEUSNER Professor of Religious Studies Brown University

LEIDEN

E.J.BRILL 1970

Copyright 1970 by E. ]. Brill, Leiden, Netherlands All rights reserved. No part ~( this book ma_y be reproduced or translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche or any other means without written permission from the publisher PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS

For Morton Smith i'OM -

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface . . . . . . . List of Abbreviations .

XI • XVIII

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . i. The Problem . . . . . . . . . ii. The Broken Process of Tradition. iii. Event and Tradition . iv. Ipsissima Verba . . . v. Editorial Tendencies. vi. Talmudic "Historiography". vii. The Growth of the Normative Tradition

1 1 2 3 5 6 8 9

PART ONE

THE TRADITIONS IN HISTORICAL SEQUENCE I.

T ANNAITIC MID RAS HIM . i. School of R. Ishmael . ii. School of R.

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