Rabbinic Literature

The Aramaic composition known as New Jerusalem is only known from multiple, highly fragmentary copies from Qumran. These preserve detailed descriptions of an ideal Jerusalem, the temple, and its cult. However, the fragmentary nature of the manuscripts makes it extremely difficult to reconstruct the composition, interpret its contents, and evaluate its relation to other descriptions of the Jerusalem temple. In this paper I present improved readings and new reconstructions of two cultic passages of the Aramaic New Jerusalem, preserved in fragments salvaged from a petrified manuscript from cave 11 (11Q18). I further examine the relationships between these passages and other descriptions of the temple and its cult in Early Jewish literature, from the Temple Scroll, through Flavius Josephus, down to early rabbinic sources. Thus, through the material and textual investigation of the Aramaic New Jerusalem fragments I hope to shed more light on broader processes of transmission, adaptation, and debates around the order of the cult during and after the Second Temple period.

זו גישה ביקורתית כלפי העדוּת המקראית על היבוסים, תושבי ירושלים לפני כיבוש העיר בידי דוד המלך. היות שאין עדויות חוץ-מקראיות המאשרות את קיומם של היבוסים או של עיר בשם "יבוס", עולה ספק לגבי אמינות המקרא כמקור היסטורי בעניין זה. בהתבסס על דמיון צורני בין האותיות רי"ש ובי"ת בכתב העברי הקדום, ועל דמיון פונטי בין העיצורים שׂי"ן וסמ"ך, ייתכן שהשם המקורי היה "ירושׂים", המתייחס לתושבי ירושׂלים, עיר שהייתה בעבר מרכז כוהני דת של אמונת שׂלם. הסופר המקראי שינה את השם ל"יבוסים" כדי להרחיק את הקשר בין מקדש שׂלם לבין המלך שלמה, ובכך לחזק את הנרטיב של המלך שלמה כמייסד המקדש. גישה זו מציעה קריאה ביקורתית של כלל הטקסט המקראי, המדגישה את האפשרות של מניעים פוליטיים ודתיים בעיצוב הנרטיב ההיסטורי. היא מעודדת בחינה מחודשת של מקורות היסטוריים וארכאולוגיים כדי להבין את ההיסטוריה המורכבת של ירושלים ותושביה הקדומים.

This is the second volume of the series that describes the major "rites of passage" of the Jewish life cycle. From birth, through circumcision, to marriage, divorce, sickness, death and mourning. Daniel Sperber presents detailed descriptions of the major customs attending these events. These customs are examined in light of their original sources, their integration and evolution in varying Jewish communities, and the popular explanations given for their practice, both historically and today. This second volume adds to the first, drawing on die whole spectrum of rabbinic literature, comparing its stories and explanations with folk beliefs of other cultures throughout the world. Sperber makes use of a wide range of resources -medieval and modern, legal, folkloristic, anthropological and hterary -in his discussion of customs, proving that Jewish communities were never isolated from their emironment. He also examines in depth the earliest origins of many of our well-known and commonly practiced Jewish customs. This volume, like the first, makes use of iconographic material found in illustrated books written by non-Jews describing Jewish practice. These illustrations are analyzed in detail, constitutingyet another rich source for the understanding of the evolution ofJewi sh customs. Customs, by their nature, are often taken for granted. In this book, Daniel Sperber offers an expert, detailed and lively analysis of some of the most and least commonly practiced customs in JcAvish tradition.

The purpose of my PhD has been to examine the figures of Moses and Elijah in the writings of Qumran and in the Tal-mudim even though it has been necessary to analyse them in the Hebrew Bible because they are both pivotal personages of biblical world. Before going into specifics, it is necessary to say that they have been studied before separately and then together, because the arrival point of my work is to establish if they are in competition or complementary. In this context it is useful to describe the relationship between Moses and Elijah in these three traditions: Biblical, Qumran and Talmudim. In the biblical context Moses appears as multitasker because he is servant of God, a man of God, a mediator, an intercessor, a lawgiver, a prophet, a priest, and a shepherd. Anthropological-ly, it seems impossible for one person to assume all these roles; nevertheless, Moses has all these features. Memories of Moses are often tied to the exodus, the Torah, and the exile: all historical events that marked the people of Israel. Moses was not the author of these events, but the instrument with which God conducted history. The rule of Moses is to make God known to Israel, because the Lord brings the people out of Egypt, he builds a history with Israel and then he brings the people to the Promised Land. Moses will be the means of communication between God and Israel. For this reason, Moses is entrusted with giving the Torah and the precepts to the people. The re-340 340 BULLETIN BULLETIN

The ethical policy of Ancient Iranian Studies is based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and complies with International Committee of Ancient Iranian Studies Editorial Board codes of conduct. Readers, authors, reviewers and editors should follow these ethical policies once working with Ancient Iranian Studies. The ethical policy of Ancient Iranian Studies is liable to determine which of the typical research papers or articles submitted to the journal should be published in the concerned issue. For information on this matter in publishing and ethical guidelines please visit www.publicationethics.org. www.tissaphernesArc.ac.ir Daštān (Bīnamāzi), the Related Rules in Sasanian and Post-Sasanian Texts

This essay aims to contribute to the way we think about the mechanics of rabbinic biblical interpretation. It suggests that in certain cases the rabbis of a particular era may view a specific unit of text larger than several verses as possessing a consistent field of interpretation. Individual rabbis or traditions often explicate one or two verses from that larger unit, as if in isolation; but, in fact, their interpretation relates to a shared prior framing of what the whole unit means. Yet at the same time, the shared prior frame does not fully control exegesis. It merely informs it. Individual rabbis or traditions vie with one another within this preexisting field of interpretation and debate each other about live social, exegetical, and theological issues. Ultimately, these cases may show that interpretive tradition deeply binds certain instances of creative exegesis and, in turn, the novel social arguments that emerge from rendering a biblical text anew. To turn this abstraction into something concrete, this essay presents a case study. It tells the story of Psalm 29 in early rabbinic literature. It will show that the tannaitic rabbis (ca. 70-200 ce) consistently understood the entire psalm as a key source for thinking about God's revelation at Sinai. 1 At the same time, * I consider myself fortunate for having studied with Martha Himmelfarb, an incontestably excellent scholar. But I am lucky seven-fold for having the opportunity to learn from her. Tractate Derekh Eretz Zuta begins by listing the "ways of the sage." A sage, among many other things, is modest; alert; loved by all; judges fairly; sits and studies; learns from others; one in whom no evil may be found; and asks pertinent questions. One can read this passage as an attempt to describe the ideal traits of the late ancient rabbi. But I would much rather view it as a prophetic pronouncement about Martha Himmelfarb. Indeed, she embodies the very first two words of the tractate's title. And as the rabbis tell us elsewhere: derekh eretz preceded Torah unto the world stage (Lev. Rab. 9:3) just as Martha's derekh eretz precedes her scholarship and informs it. Students of Martha greatly benefit from her intellectual genius. But it is to emulate her boundless humanity which they may also aspire. 1 To my knowledge, this exegetical trend has yet to receive a detailed explication. For some earlier studies that note this framing of Psalm 29, see Steven D.

In my role as a rabbi and shadchan in the Lakewood community, I have witnessed firsthand the beauty and responsibility of building a Jewish home founded on Torah values. Every bayis ne'eman b'Yisrael begins not with walls and a roof, but with shared commitment, mutual respect, and the guidance of Hashem in every decision.

As both a rabbi and an active shadchan in the Lakewood community, I have had the privilege of guiding countless couples from their first introduction to the building of a bayis ne'eman b'Yisrael-a faithful Jewish home. Through years of observation, learning, and practical experience, I have come to understand that the key to a lasting shidduch lies in balancing spiritual values with practical compatibility.

In this EBR entry, I summarize what we know about the sectarian genre of prophetic interpretation.  The term pesher (pl. pesharim) refers to sectarian hermeneutics, an exegetical method, and a literary genre of biblical interpretation found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Timothy H. Lim, ‘Pesher, Pesharim’ in Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception.  vol. 25:1-5.  Berlin: de Gruyter, 2025.

נושא ההתבגרות והזקנה העסיק סופרים ומשוררים רבים מאז ומעולם. התהיות על חידת החיים ועל מהותו של האדם בערוב ימיו קדומות כימיו של האדם עלי אדמות. השאלות בדבר מקומו של האדם הזקן בחברה ובמשפחה ובדבר הטעם והמשמעות שיכול האדם המתבגר לראות בחייו מצאו את ביטוייו ביצירות הספרותיות לדורותיהן. כיום שאלות אלו מקבלות משנה תוקף בשל הישגי הרפואה המתפתחת, שהביאה להארכת תוחלת חייו של האדם ולשיפור איכותם.

Die Pharisäer spielen im Neuen Testament eine wichtige Rolle. Wer waren diese Pharisäer? Ausführlich liegen sechs Ordnungen der jüdischen Mischna vor. Darin geht es um die Diskussionen der jüdischen Gelehrten bezüglich der „mündlichen Überlieferung“, welche sich weitgehend auf die Zeit vor 70 n. Chr. beziehen. Was beinhaltet diese Überlieferung und in welchem Zusammenhang steht sie einerseits zu den Pharisäern (und Sadduzäern) und andererseits zum Neuen Testament? Neben der Behandlung dieser Grundfragen geht es in diesem vorliegenden Buch um die Parallelen und auch um die Unterschiede zwischen der jüdischen Mischna und dem Neuen Testament. Das führt zu äußerst spannenden Entdeckungen, die zeigen, wie stark das Neue Testament „jüdisch“ ist. Eine grundlegende Studie für „Profis“ und „Laien“.
Siehe https://www.eva-leipzig.de/de/thiessen-die-juedische-mischna-und-das-juedische-neue-testament

The synagogue, as both a sacred and public space, has evolved in terms of the inclusion and exclusion of women over time. While most research on women’s synagogues has concentrated on the religious background of gender segregation, comparatively little has been said about their architectural developments. Consequently, women's sections have often been interpreted as annexes or attachments rather than autonomous structures in their own right. However, the early women’s synagogues of the thirteenth century in the Rhineland were elaborately designed buildings with opulent interiors. These women’s sections had distinct architectural styles and benefited from advancements in building technology during the transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles.
The women’s synagogues, therefore, could also represent the wealth of the Jewish community in medieval cities. These buildings expanded the spatial footprint of synagogues within the urban landscape and were recognizable as significant public spaces due to their distinctive appearance.
While medieval research on Christian women has increasingly focused on monastic architecture and the use of material culture in religious practices, similar attention has not been devoted to architecture associated with Jewish women. This talk aims to represent women’s synagogues as autonomous buildings within urban settings, to suggest a new perspective on their development and significance.

The Hebrew Bible’s twenty-four books were transmitted over the ages as two parallel traditions: that of the scribes and that of the readers. The oral tradition of the readers (miqra) was later committed to writing. The details of this story are well-known to scholars, yet most studies and surveys focus on narrow aspects of a single tradition, while others discuss “the masoretic text” (MT) as a single document. We argue that this lack of perspective has kept modern textual scholarship from understanding the MT’s centrality within critical editions of the Hebrew Bible.

Our encoding of the MT as the digital dataset called Miqra According to the Masorah (MAM) leads to further conclusions: (1) Only through an effective dataset can the mature product of the masoretes be fully expressed. (2) The masoretic project is best understood by viewing it in retrospect as a kind of dataset. (3) Several significant oral elements that were given sporadic expression in the Tiberian masorah can be marked consistently in a modern dataset; such activity may be viewed as a modest extension of elements already present within the masoretic project, and as faithful to its spirit. Finally, we suggest that the most effective way to preserve and disseminate the masoretic project in digital form is through an open license.

AI is destined to transform research into a universal, shared reservoir, then the role of the human scholar will not vanish — but it will change. The most enduring value of human authorship will lie not in possessing knowledge, but in embodying it. This is where rhetoric returns.

This paper, presented at the World Congress of Jewish Studies and here in expanded form as a draft for an upcoming article, considers proposes to locate the area of production of this noted translation of Hebrew Prophets based on the anomolous geolinguistic features that appear in what is otherwise a median-southern base.  A revised dating is also proposed, based on a codicological review as well as on an eccentric translation at Ez 26:9 with exegetical-historic implications.

h e n o t i o n that God chose the people of Israel over other nations is a millennia-old enigma that has caused no little embarrassment, not to mention danger, for many Jews. The trouble began more than 2,000 years ago, when Jews living in Hellenistic centers such as Alexandria and Antioch outraged their neighbors by shunning public festivals celebrating other gods. That the Jews refused to participate out of devotion to their own relatively unknown god, who purportedly ruled all humanity but chose only them, was considered to be especially absurd given that they buttressed their nonparticipation with scriptures that condemned their ancestors for disobedience. The Jews' claim of chosenness fueled their reputation as misanthropic elitists, a reputation that has proven unfortunately durable. It's no wonder that Jews soon grew uncomfortable with this central tenet of their theology. To solve the problem of chosenness, Jews produced scriptural inter-m a l ka z . s i m ko v i c h A 2,500-Year-Old Problem The Jews never deserved God's love.

בהרצאה זו אבחן מעשייה מורכבת על חסיד מתחזה שמתגלה כגר מתחזה, שנשמרה בפסיקתא לעשרת הדברות (חיבור שאופיו קרוב למדרשי חז"ל הקלאסיים, אף שהגיע לידינו בתוך קובץ מאוחר בהרבה - פסיקתא רבתי). מצד אחד אצביע על התפתחות המעשייה בתוך ספרות חז"ל והיסודות השונים שנצטרפו בה. מצד שני אשווה אותה למעשיית קדושים נוצרית, בת אותה תקופה בקירוב (שלהי העת העתיקה, אולי מן המאה השישית או השביעית) שמתארת תקרית דומה בין יהודי לנוצרי. שתי המעשיות קושרות בין יחסי ממון לבין מתח בין-דתי ומעבר מקבוצה לקבוצה, אם כי בכיוונים מנוגדים (מבחינת המספרים): הגר הרמאי יצא מכלל ישראל לאחר שנתגלתה רמאותו, ואילו היהודי המרומה הצטרף לכנסייה לאחר שהושב לו פקדונו בדרך פלא. השוואת הסיפורים מעלה שאלות של שאילה, השפעה, ושיתוף מסורות סיפוריות, אבל גם חושפת דרכים שונות להתמודד עם האחר הדתי, לקבל אותו או לדחות אותו.

In this paper I examine a complex tale about an impostor pious who turns out to be an impostor convert. This tale appears in the Pesikta of the Ten Commandments, a “classic” rabbinic midrash which is only preserved as part of a much later collection – Pesikta Rabbati. I will trace the development of the tale within rabbinic literature and the various elements of which it is composed. Then, I will compare it to a Late Antique Christian tale, which describes a strikingly similar incident between a Jew and a Christian. Both tales tie financial relations to interreligious tension and transition from one group to another, albeit in opposite directions (from their narrators’ perspective): In the rabbinic tale, the deceitful convert withdrew from living as a Jew after his deception was discovered; while in the Christian story, the deceived Jew joined the church after his deposit was miraculously returned. The comparison of both tales raises questions about borrowing, influencing, and sharing narrative traditions, as well as reveals different ways of dealing with the religious other, either through acceptance or rejection.

While there is no single format for how Mishnah tractates are arranged, we can identify several redactorial methods employed in the redaction of tractates. Along with well-known methods, such as numerical openings and closing with aggadic statements, we will examine several additional tools, including opening or closing tractates with a mishnah that explicitly or implicitly refers to the topics presented in the tractate, anaphora and epiphora, inclusion, segues, and literary echoes.

We present an axiomatic approach for multilocus informativeness measures for determining the amount of information that a set of polymorphic genetic markers provides about individual ancestry. We then reveal several surprising properties of a decision-theoretic based measure that is consistent with the set of proposed criteria for multilocus informativeness. In particular, these properties highlight the interplay between information originating from population priors and the information extractable from the population genetic variants. This analysis then reveals a certain deficiency of mutual information based multilocus informativeness measures when such population priors are incorporated. Finally, we analyse and quantify the inevitable inherent decrease in informativeness due to learning from finite population samples.

This homily explores the dangers of greed through Luke 12:13–21 and Ecclesiastes, urging Christians to embrace spiritual detachment, generosity, and divine trust. It contrasts worldly accumulation with godly wisdom, illustrating that true wealth lies in contentment, stewardship, and love. Life’s value is not in possessions but in one’s relationship with God and others.

Ariadne, Niobe, Byblis, and Apollo. According to Migiel, the destabilization of these evocations presents interstitial spaces in which subject positions become overlaid with one another such that "she is like Orpheus and not like him; she is both an active agent and a subject who is acted upon" (50). She posits that it is precisely from these ambiguities that the force of Veronica Franco's power comes into being. Migiel is at her best when she engages in an analysis of the prosody of both sets of poetic exchanges. Her philological methodology enriches her reading of Franco's ability to contrast her poetic identity against her male addressee, to whom she grants no less sustained attention than she does to Franco herself. In chapter 5, "Seductive Insinuation and Obliquely Frank Refusal: Terze rime 9 and 10," Migiel shows how the male author seeks to possess Franco by insinuating himself into her interior space through his metrically unsettling enjambment and his willingness to break the versification rules of the day. She speculates that "a man willing to break with expectations about versification is a man who might well break other boundaries" (101). Franco capitalizes on his metrical and poetic failures by turning his verses against him in sets of binary oppositions that highlight the tension of obliqueness and frankness that she deploys in order to manage her persistent lover. Migiel concludes the monograph where she begins, by asking what we truly see in Veronica Franco's poetry-a question that she answers: "by beginning her Terze rime with the dialogic poems, Franco creates a foil against which she can craft her image of herself as neither condescending or haughty but still the equal or better than most of her male interlocutors" (164). Migiel has demonstrated that a deeper and more reflective exploration of Franco's poetry yields a more complex narrative of the woman who has been labeled a feminist of her age. What truly remains is a figure whose often tentative and indirect responses reveal a woman who was an astute judge of character as well as of her times.

This book, The First Twelve Angels of the Bible: Helping and Interceding for Christians Today, offers more than historical or theological exploration—it serves as a spiritual guide for those seeking practical faith and comfort. By tracing the earliest angelic appearances in the Bible and integrating scriptural exegesis, patristic insights, and Christian tradition, the work reveals how different angels correspond to different human needs and trials. Each chapter connects an angelic encounter to a specific area of spiritual or moral struggle—be it protection, consolation, courage in suffering, healing, purification, or discernment—demonstrating how angels continue to intercede and support Christians in daily life. The book invites readers to seek out spiritual and moral help from these holy messengers, emphasizing their unique roles in God’s plan and their readiness to assist believers facing abandonment, injustice, temptation, loss, spiritual warfare, and the search for purpose. Ultimately, it provides both theological depth and accessible, practical faith guidance for anyone yearning for divine help and spiritual growth.

Rather than remaining a purely academic study, this volume is written for all who hope for real assistance in their spiritual journey. It draws attention to the rich tradition that Christians are not left alone—heavenly helpers walk beside us in many forms. By highlighting how angels have addressed both the ordinary and extraordinary trials of God’s people, this book shows how their help is available still, and how every believer can find both moral guidance and spiritual comfort through prayerful openness to the angelic presence described in Scripture.

However, the question remains as to who is being addressed in this saying, and why Matt 21:45 would state that the people considered Jesus a prophet? An alternative reading of this verse in light of the spatial rhetoric of the vineyard is offered in the combined contribution from Eric Ottenheijm and Boaz Zissu.

Daštān is a Persian word meaning the menstrual cycle that happens to every girl after puberty. In Zoroastrianism, the menstrual cycle is tied to mythology so that they believed it occurred after the Ahriman’s kiss on the forehead of Jahī (Demoness of lasciviousness). The consequence of this belief about menstruation (Daštān) resulted in strict rules to prevent pollution and impurities of sacred elements. Most rules were written in post-Sasanian texts. The obligations of a woman in time of Daštān were stated in those texts. This research describes and analyzes the issue of Daštān in texts based on literary evidence. It examines whether the strict laws surrounding Daštān originated from religious laws or were rooted in myth, and what attitude towards women they created. Studies show that Daštān was considered filthy. Since the menstrual cycle is a periodical condition, a set of rules were conducted for women to obey in order to prevent the spread of pollution. In spite of negative ideas in some texts including Bundahišn and Zādspram about this issue, there were no negative approaches towards women.

המאמר עוסק בגלריה "אלף" שפעלה בתל אביב בשנות השמונים בניהולה של ריבי פקר, וניסה להשיב את החפץ האומנותי—כגון טקסטיל, קרמיקה ותכשיטים—למרכז השיח התרבותי והאמנותי בישראל. פקר, מתוך אמונה עמוקה בערך התרבותי של ה־craft, הקימה גלריה ייחודית בלב סצנת האמנות הגבוהה, וניסתה להעניק במה שווה ערך לאובייקטים שימושיים, חומריים ומיומנים, הנוצרים בעבודת יד. המאמר מתאר את מאמציה, את ההתנגדות מצד ממסדים אמנותיים ואקדמיים, ואת הדחיקה של עבודות האומנות לשולי התרבות, על אף איכותן הגבוהה. המאמר מצביע על הפער בין ערכים אסתטיים וחברתיים של הקראפט לבין ההגדרות המקובלות של אמנות עילית, ומעלה שאלות ביחס לערך, זהות, הכרה, ומנגנוני הדרה. דרך הסיפור של "גלריה אלף" נבחנת גם האפשרות למפגש מחודש בין craft ו-art בתרבות הישראלית.
This article explores the story of Gallery Alef, a unique venue established in the 1980s by Rivy Peker in Tel Aviv, which sought to reintegrate craft objects—such as textiles, ceramics, and jewelry—into the Israeli art discourse. Motivated by her deep appreciation for the cultural value of handmade work, Peker challenged the established hierarchy that privileged high art over crafts. The gallery showcased works rooted in materiality, skill, and traditional techniques, yet received little institutional or critical recognition. The article examines the socio-cultural reasons for the marginalization of crafts in Israeli visual culture and highlights the difficulties of attributing value to craft objects within a system that favors symbolic, conceptual, and autonomous art forms. Through the case of Gallery Alef, the article raises broader questions about the cultural positioning of craft, its potential for aesthetic and emotional resonance, and its role in shaping local identity and cultural discourse.

"This paper serves to introduce a new critical edition of Armenian Deuteronomy, forty years after the diplomatic edition was prepared as a doctoral thesis at the University of Toronto. It deals with the challenges involved ...; advances the rewards that repay the preparation of such a critical edition ...; an appreciation of the contribution of the translator in shaping the theological message of the book."

Dear reader,

Please note this article is published with Brepols Publishers as a Gold Open Access article under a Creative Commons CC 4.0: BY-NC license.

The article is also freely available on the website of Brepols Publishers: https://www.brepolsonline.net/doi/abs/10.1484/J.MEMAS.5.150234 under this same license.

This paper explores the continuity and transformation of ancient Mesopotamian religious elements within Syriac magical texts and incantations. Drawing on a comparative analysis of Mesopotamian and early Christian Syriac sources, the study reveals the persistence of mythological motifs, cosmological structures, and ritual formulas originating from Babylonian and Assyrian traditions. Special attention is given to the adaptation of demonological concepts, healing rituals, and protective invocations in late antique and early medieval Syriac manuscripts. By examining these continuities, the paper highlights the dynamic interplay between cultural memory and religious innovation in the development of Syriac magical practices, suggesting that such texts served not only therapeutic and protective purposes but also as vehicles of cultural transmission across time and tradition.