Reviews of Fishman, "Becoming the People of the Talmud"

BOOK REVIEWS:

Talya Fishman. Becoming the People of the Talmud: Oral Torah as Written Tradition in Medieval Jewish Cultures. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011. 413 pp. $65.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-8122-4313-0.

Reviewed by Joseph Shatzmiller (Duke University)
Published on H-Judaic (October, 2011)
Commissioned by Jason Kalman

The Transformation of Oral Law into Written Law

“Oral matters may not be inscribed,” decrees a Jewish principle formulated in late antiquity. The subject of this prohibition was “the oral Torah” (the Mishnah and the Gemarah, i.e., the Talmud that tradition maintained was handed to Moses on the Sinai together with the Holy Scriptures, the only ones to be kept inscribed). This prohibition notwithstanding, Jews have possessed since the High Middle Ages innumerable copies of the Talmud, either handwritten or, mostly, printed, which continue to be “oral law.” How did this happen? When and where did the transition take place?

While anthropologists and literary scholars assure us that some persons have the ability to memorize very long and complicated scriptures, the abandonment of this way of learning in favor of the use of the written word met at times with discontent by members of their societies. But our forefathers, who were not strangers to controversy and confrontation, did not leave us any trace of any strife that may have surrounded this transition to the written, as noticed by Jacob Sussman, the illustrious Talmudic scholar of Jerusalem. This prevents us from formulating exact answers to the questions of when and where.

Talya Fishman, who obviously spent many years and much effort trying to untangle these complexities, does not suggest solutions to these problems, but strives to point rather to documents and situations which may help to alleviate the difficulties. ...


How Jews Became the People of the Talmud
Thinkers Have Long Puzzled Over Oral and Written Traditions
By Lawrence Grossman
Published October 28, 2011, issue of November 04, 2011. (The Forward)

Becoming the People of the Talmud: Oral Torah as Written Tradition in Medieval Jewish Cultures
By Talya Fishman
University of Pennsylvania Press, 424 pages, $65

[...]

Fishman, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania, seeks to pinpoint when and how the Babylonian Talmud as a physical book turned into the very essence of Jewish learning, or, put conversely, how the People of the Book — the Jews who brought the Bible to the world — became, as her title puts it, the “People of the Talmud.” She also addresses the social and religious impact of the change.

[...]

Lectures on the Gospel of Thomas

LECTURES ON THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS in Fort Wayne, Texas:

Conference examines Gospel of Thomas

Rosa Salter Rodriguez | The Journal Gazette

In a time when the Christian message seems split among members of different cultures, denominations, generations, genders and sexual orientations, it might behoove Christians to look back at the first couple of centuries after Jesus.

That’s the view of Milton C. Moreland, Rhodes College biblical scholar and archeologist, who will be in the city Friday and Saturday as part of a conference sponsored by The Jesus Seminar, a contentious group that revisits Christian ideas about Jesus.

Moreland will speak during “The Fifth Gospel: The Gospel of Thomas and the Wisdom of Jesus,” which begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Fort Wayne.

The event, which also features co-presenter Rubén René Dupertuis, assistant professor of religion at Trinity University in San Antonio, continues from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

[...]

Mughrabi Gate Bridge may be closed soon

TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: The Mugrahbi (Mugrabi) Gate Bridge may be closed soon:

Mughrabi Gate bridge
Photo by: Marc Israel Sellem
J'lem again vows to demolish temporary Mughrabi Gate bridge
By MELANIE LIDMAN (Jerusalem Post)
10/26/2011 02:16

Structure leading to the Temple Mount is dangerous, says the Jerusalem city engineer.

For the second time in six months, Jerusalem’s city engineer has threatened to destroy the temporary bridge connecting the Western Wall Plaza to the Temple Mount in an effort to force the Western Wall Heritage Fund to replace the aging structure.

City Engineer Shlomo Eshkol said the bridge, used by non-Muslims, was in danger of collapse and gave the Western Wall Heritage Fund 30 days to work on a replacement plan.

RELATED:
City: Destroy Mughrabi Gate within two weeks
Mughrabi Bridge renovation gets municipal nod

Eshkol made similar threats in May, when he said the Fund had two weeks to remove the bridge or the city would destroy it. The Fund said that the decision depended on the Prime Minister’s Office, and since then no plans were made to demolish the bridge.

The covered ramp has been used since 2004, when a small earthquake and winter storm caused part of the original bridge to collapse. The Mughrabi Bridge is the main entry point for non-Muslim tourists to access the Temple Mount from the Western Wall plaza, as well as for security forces entering the area in times of unrest.

[...]


Complex disputes may close Mughrabi Bridge walkway giving Jews access to Temple Mount
posted by Rob Kerby, Senior Editor | 4:51pm Tuesday October 25, 2011 (Beliefnet)

Jewish access to their most holy site, Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, may be cut off after the city’s engineer, Shlomo Eshkol, ruled the temporary Mughrabi Bridge has become unsafe — and the Muslim fraternity that oversees the sensitive area forbade any repairs.

The covered ramp leads from the base of the Mount at the Western Wall — the “Wailing Wall” — and provides non-Muslims with access to the area where Solomon’s Temple stood. A temporary structure, the walkway was built in 2004 after an earthquake destroyed a stone ramp built by soldiers at the end of the 1967 Six-Day War that gave Israel control of the holy area.

[...]


The Mughrabi Bridge must be built

By NADAV SHRAGAI
10/25/2011 22:28 (Jerusalem Post)

It is time to put an end to this sad affair, which has been blown beyond all proportion. The temporary bridge leading to the Temple Mount must be replaced with a permanent one.

[...]

Needless to say, there has never been any basis to the venomous claim that Israel is endangering the Temple Mount mosques or seeks to cause their collapse. Radical elements such as Raed Salah have utilized the events at the Mughrabi Ascent to increase their own status, to incite against Israel and to attempt to destabilize Israeli sovereignty in a unified Jerusalem.

It is time to put an end to the Mughrabi Gate affair, which has been blown beyond all proportion, and to speedily replace the temporary bridge with a permanent one. There is no need for stealth or covert action. It should be done openly and with full transparency, just as Israel has acted so far, while displaying consideration and sensitivity for the ties of various Islamic and Arab bodies to the site.

However, a clear line should be drawn, one that distinguishes between consideration, sensitivity and respect, and the conduct befitting a sovereign nation that is obligated to manage crises, but also to reach decisions and execute them, even in the highly sensitive area of the Temple Mount.

Background here with endless links. The story of the ramp collapse that led to the building of the temporary bridge was noted here and here back in 2004.

Hannibal and Kocaeli, part 2

PUNIC WATCH: Part two of Elsie Alan's survey of the life of Hannibal has been published in Today's Zaman: [THE OUTSIDER] Kocaeli dead celebrities: Hannibal, menace of Rome (2). Excerpt:

Back to Spain, 218 B.C., New Carthage (Cartagena): Little Hannibal has grown up, and is finally in a position to avenge his now-dead daddy, Hamilcar, by managing to pick a fight with Rome. Rome has demanded that Hannibal and his very talented brothers all come to Rome in chains, or it is war. This was very stupid of Rome; that was just what Hannibal wanted them to say. Oh boy, a war with Rome! Like a kid with a new toy, Gen. Hannibal put together a very diverse, scary army, consisting of Spaniards, Celts and Africans. The Africans consisted of Northern Berber tribes, as well as the formidable and feisty Numidians, crazy-fierce horsemen who were renowned for their savagery and skill. He also had elephants, probably shipped down the Med from Syria. So in May, 218 B.C., the all-grown-up Hannibal left Cartagena with 90,000 foot, 12,000 cavalry and 32 elephants to surprise Rome by attacking it FROM THE NORTH; 102,000 people are five times the population of my home town; Hannibal was 29 years old.

The only way he could approach Rome by land, of course, was to go up the Iberian Peninsula, into France, across the Rhone with his elephants, over the Swiss Alps and down into Italy, pursued in Keystone Kops hilarity by the Roman army, who had got the word that Hannibal was up to something no good. He also had to secure Roman and Greek settlements along the way and fight Gallic tribes throughout the Alps, which was where the Victor Mature scenes come in and deal with bad directions from his “friendly” Gallic turncoat guides; never mind the snow and ice past the tree line. Easy, right? In the less than six months it took for him to succeed, for succeed he did, he lost or left behind to secure his back 79,000 men and 31 elephants and many, many horses and mules. At least half the men died, and all of the elephants except the one. But he did it.

Latest on Jerusalem Museum of Tolerance

THE LATEST on the Jerusalem Museum of Tolerance and the Mamilla Cemetery:

Grave concerns
International archaeologists are calling for work to stop at the Museum of Tolerance.

By Noam Dvir (Haaretz)

Eighty-four senior archaeologists from leading research institutions around the world have called on the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Jerusalem municipality and the Israel Antiquities Authority to put an end to construction of the Museum of Tolerance in the center of the city. In a letter sent to the three bodies over the weekend, the archaeologists argue that the establishment of the museum on the site of the Mamilla Muslim cemetery contradicts ethical standards in the archaeological world, as well as Israeli law. In May 2010, Haaretz published a comprehensive report on the secret removal of remains from the cemetery.

"The bulldozing of historic cemeteries is the ultimate act of territorial aggrandizement: the erasure of prior residents," says Prof. Harvey Weiss of Yale University, a leading expert on the beginning of urbanization in the world. "Desecration of Jerusalem's Mamilla cemetery is a continuing cultural and historical tragedy," he said.

[...]

Background here with many links.

Not looking good for bloggers in Egypt

EGYPTIAN BLOGGERS seem to be faring no better under the new government:

Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil sent to mental hospital, “unacceptable” says health official

Sarah Sheffer | 24 October 2011 | 0 Comments (Bikyamasr)

CAIRO: The Egyptian government’s referral of Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad to the Abbaseyya Mental Hospitral is “a dangerous and unacceptable affair,” according to a statement from Basma Abdel Aziz, Director of Media Department of Egypt’s General Secretariat of Mental Health.

Nabil, who has been on a prison hunger strike since August 23, was referred to the Abbaseyya Mental Hospital by Egyptian authorities.

[...]

Nabil was sentenced to a three-year jail term for insulting the Egyptian military on his blog “Son of Ra,” in a blog post published last March entitled, “The people and the military were never one hand.”

Nabil, a Coptic Christian, holds controversial political views. As such, he has received little attention from the activist and pro-rights community in Egypt.

[...]

For similar atrocities under Mubarak, see here (a different Nabil), here, and here, and follow the links.

Qur'anic manuscript exhibit at INL

QUR'ANIC MANUSCRIPT EXHIBITION AT THE ISRAEL NATIONAL LIBRARY:

Rare Muslim manuscripts go on display at Israel's National Library
Among the texts to be displayed as part of a special series on the history of Islam, are two Korans from the ninth century, just 200 years or so after the writing of the first Koran.

By Nir Hasson Tags: Islam Israel culture (Haaretz)

The National Library in Jerusalem is to begin displaying old Muslim religious texts from its collections, including some that are quite rare. Among the texts to be displayed as part of a special series on the history of Islam, are also two Korans from the ninth century, just 200 years or so after the writing of the first Koran.

[...]

More on early Qur'anic manuscripts here, here, here, and here.

Google Time Travel?

GOOGLE TIME TRAVEL?

Visualizing Egypt’s Elephantine with Vienna University of Technology’s gePublish

Posted on 2008/03/16 by Stefan Geens (Ogle Earth)

In the run-up to the talk about Google Earth and Egypt, Peter Ferschin at the Institute of Architectural Sciences, Digital Architecture and Planning at the Vienna University of Technology got in touch to show what he and his colleagues have been working on in association with the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Cairo: A KML and COLLADA content management system called gePublish that really pushes the envelope in helping archaeologists visualize how ancient settlements evolved over time.

[...]

Cool graphics.

For much more on ancient Elephantine and its Aramaic papyri, see here and links.

Back in St. Andrews

BACK IN ST. ANDREWS. More tomorrow.

More on "The Dovekeepers"

MORE ON THE DOVEKEEPERS: Alice Hoffman presents her new novel at 2 South Florida book fairs.

More reviews noted here.

"Footnote" reviewed by M&C

FOOTNOTE is reviewed by Monsters and Critics.

More reviews here and links.

Shemini Atzeret and Simhat Torah

SHEMINI ATZERET AND SIMHAT TORAH (more here) came and went while I was out of circulation. Best wishes to all those who celebrated.

I'm in the San Diego Airport, taking advantage of the free wireless while I wait for my flight. Looks like things have been quiet for the last few days, but I'll do a little posting before I grab an early lunch.

Back to St. Andrews

HEADING BACK TO ST. ANDREWS later this morning. I expect to be there Sunday evening.

Cairo Geniza digitization at TAU

CAIRO GENIZA DIGITIZATION AT TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY: Piecing Together the Priceless 'Cairo Genizah' (Science Daily).

Now researchers at Tel Aviv University are working to piece together this illuminating collection, bringing the pages of the texts back together for the first time in centuries. The results are being made available to scholars around the world through a website. Profs. Lior Wolf and Nachum Dershowitz of TAU's Blavatnik School of Computer Science have developed sophisticated software, based on facial recognition technology, that can identify digitized Genizah fragments thought to be a part of the same work and make editorial "joins."

Their technology was developed in close collaboration with the Friedberg Genizah Project, a non-profit organization that seeks to facilitate Genizah research by tracking, cataloguing, and digitizing all the fragments of this collection. The research was presented at the 2011 IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision.

More on the Friedberg Geniza Project here. More on manuscript digitization projects here and here.

AP: Ancient stone to be part of scroll exhibit in NYC

AP: Ancient stone to be part of scroll exhibit in NYC. A stone from the Western Wall, no less.

Background on the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition at Discovery Times Square here.

More on the rescued Bible manuscripts from Syria

MORE ON THE RESCUED BIBLE MANUSCRIPTS FROM SYRIA:

Carr helped get ancient Bible out of Damascus

By VIVA SARAH PRESS, CJN Israel Bureau
Wednesday, 19 October 2011

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Toronto’s Judy Feld Carr – who rescued Syrian Jewry – told a packed audience at Israel’s national library about how she got a 700-year-old Bible out of Damascus and eventually brought it to Jerusalem.

[...]

Background here.

ALex Joffe: Diversity at Dura-Europos

ALEX JOFFE: Diversity at Dura-Europos (Jewish Ideas Daily).

A new exhibit at New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World brings to life the ancient city of Dura-Europos, which stands high above the Euphrates River on the eastern border of modern Syria, a monument to vanished eras. The exhibition celebrates both the peoples who lived there—Jews, Christians, and pagans—and, more quietly, the scholars who unearthed the city during the 20th century's golden age of Near East archaeology

Background on the exhibition and on Dura Europos here and many links.

Ancient Sukkot iconongraphy

FOR SUKKOT: An Ancient 'Obsession' with Sukkot Iconography.

But although Sukkot emphasizes the present-and a recently created annual design competition called Sukkah City has lent the ritual a postmodern thrust-there is something primordial about its symbols. The lulav and etrog, whether alongside each other or appearing separately, are some of the most prominent symbols in early Jewish art.

Has some nice photos of mosaics etc.

Syriac symposium at Artuklu University

ARAMAIC WATCH: An International Syriac Symposium is planned at Mardin Artuklu University:

SYRIAC IN ITS MULTI-CULTURAL CONTEXT
20-22 April 2012, Mardin

We cordially invite you to contribute to the first Syriac Studies Symposium of Mardin Artuklu University, Turkey. With great pleasure, we organize this symposium in Mardin, a city integral to Syriac culture, history, archaeology and architecture.

[...]

Follow the link for details, registration information, etc.

(Via Elif Keser on the Hugoye list.)

More on the Syriac program at Artuklu University here and links.

Hannibal and Kocaeli

PUNIC WATCH: At Today's Zaman, Elsie Alan opens a two-part series on Hannibal, inspired by her residency in Kocaeli where he spent the end of his life: [THE OUTSIDER] Kocaeli dead celebrities: Hannibal, menace of Rome.