A History of the Mishnaic Law of Holy Things, Part 6

by Jacob Neusner PhD (Editor)

Overview

The history of Jews from the period of the Second Temple to the rise of Islam.
From 'A History of the Mishnaic Law of Appointed Times, Part 1'
This volume introduces the sources of Judaism in late antiquity to scholars in adjacent fields, such as the study of the Old and New Testaments, Ancient History, the ancient Near East, and the history of religion. In two volumes, leading American, Israeli, and European specialists in the history, literature, theology, and archaeology of Judaism offer factual answers to the two questions that the study of any religion in ancient times must raise. The first is, what are the sources — written and in material culture — that inform us about that religion? The second is, how have we to understand those sources in reconstructing the history of various Judaic systems in antiquity. The chapters set forth in simple statements, intelligible to non-specialists, the facts which the sources provide. Because of the nature of the subject and acute interest in it, the specialists also raise some questions particular to the study of Judaism, dealing with its historical relationship with nascent Christianity in New Testament times. The work forms the starting point for the study of all the principal questions concerning Judaism in late antiquity and sets forth the most current, critical results of scholarship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781556353543
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	04/01/2007
Series:	Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity , #28
Pages:	334
Product dimensions:	7.19(w) x 8.94(h) x 0.77(d)

About the Author

Jacob Neusner is Research Professor of Religion and Theology at Bard College and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard. He has published more than 900 books and unnumbered articles, both scholarly and academic and popular and journalistic, and is the most published humanities scholar in the world. He has been awarded nine honorary degrees, including seven U.S. and European honorary doctorates. He received his AB from Harvard College in 1953, his PhD from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in 1961, and rabbinical ordination and the degree of Master of Hebrew Letters from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1960.

Neusner is editor of the Encyclopedia of Judaism (Brill, 1999. I-III) and its Supplements; Chair of the Editorial Board of The Review of Rabbinic Judaism, and Editor in Chief of The Brill Reference Library of Judaism, both published by E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands. He is editor of Studies in Judaism, University Press of America.

Neusner resides with his wife in Rhinebeck, New York. They have a daughter, three sons and three daughters-in-law, six granddaughters and two grandsons.

Table of Contents

Preface     XI
Preliminary Reflections on The Temple Scroll   Baruch A. Levine, New York University     XVII
Abbreviations and Bibliography     XXI
Transliterations     XXXII
Introduction     1
The System as a Whole
The Mishnaic System of Sacrifice and Sanctuary     13
Mishnah's System     13
Scripture's System: The Priestly Law of Sacrifice and Sanctuary of Leviticus and Numbers     19
The System of Mishnah in Relationship to the System of Scripture: Preliminary Observations     26
Synchronic Comparison: Mishnah's System and the Issues of Sacrifice and Sanctuary in Some Contemporary Christian Writings     35
Conclusion     44
The Formation of the Tractates
Zebahim     49
Introduction     49
Attitude and the Act of Slaughter     54
Rules for the Sacrifice of Animals and Birds     63
Rules for the Altar     66
Conclusion     81
Menahot     84
Introduction     84
Attitude and Meal-offerings     86
Rules for the Offering of Meal-offerings     90
Vows and Meal-offerings     103
Conclusion     107
Hullin     109
Introduction     109
Rules of Slaughter of Animals for Use in the Cult or at Home     110
Other Rules on the Preparation of Food for Use at Home     120
Conclusion     131
Bekhorot     133
Introduction     133
The Firstborn of Animals     134
Slaughter of a Firstling by Reason of Blemishes     139
Firstborn Sons     144
The Tithe of Cattle     146
Conclusion     148
Arakhin     150
Introduction     150
Valuations and Vows for the Benefit of the Temple and the Altar     150
The Dedication and Redemption of a Field Received as an Inheritance. The Devoted Thing. The Sale and Redemption of a Dwelling House in a Walled City     156
The Dedication and Redemption of an Inherited Field     156
The Devoted Thing     159
The Dwelling House in a Walled City     160
Conclusion     162
Temurah     164
Introduction     164
The Rules of Substitution     164
The Status of the Offspring of Substitutes     167
The Language Used in Effecting an Act of Substitution     170
Conclusion     171
Keritot      172
Introduction     172
The Sin-offering     172
A Single Sin-offering and Multiple Sins     177
The Suspensive Guilt-offering     180
Conclusion     183
Meilah     184
Introduction     184
Sacrilege against Sacrifices in Particular     184
Sacrilege against Temple Property in General     191
Conclusion     194
Tamid, Middot, Qinnim     196
Introduction     196
Tamid     196
Middot     207
Qinnim     210
Conclusion     212
The Unfolding of the Law
Before 70: Mishnaic Rules in the Time of the Temple     215
Introduction     215
Survey of Holy Things before 70     217
Sacrifice: Praxis of the Cult     217
Sanctuary: Maintenance of the Cult     218
Tractates before 70     219
Conclusion     219
From 70 to 140: The Mishnaic System of Sacrifice and Sanctuary in the Time of Yavneh     223
Introduction     223
Survey of Holy Things from 70 to 140     226
Sacrifice: Praxis of the Cult     227
Right Attitude and the Act of Slaughter      227
The Altar and its Offerings     228
The Altar and Sacrilege     231
Sacrifice outside of the Sanctuary     232
Food for Domestic Use     233
Miscellanies     233
Rules Expressive of Conceptions Not Particular to Sanctuary and Sacrifice     234
Sanctuary: Maintenance of the Cult     235
Tithe of Cattle     235
Firstlings and Other Gifts to Priests     235
The Sanctuary and Sacrilege     236
Tractates of Yavneh     236
Zebahim     236
Bekhorot     237
Temurah     238
Keritot     238
Meilah     239
Qinnim     240
Conclusion     240
From 140 to 170; The Mishnaic System of Sacrifice and Sanctuary in the Time of Usha     245
Introduction     245
Survey of Holy Things from 70 to 140     247
Sacrifice: Praxis of the Cult     249
Right Attitude and the Act of Slaugher     249
The Altar and its Offerings     250
The Altar and Sacrilege     254
Sacrifice outside of the Sanctuary     255
Food for Domestic Use     256
Miscellanies      257
Rules Expressive of Conceptions Not Particular to Sanctuary and Sacrifice     258
Sanctuary: Maintenance of the Cult     258
Tithe of Cattle     258
Firstlings and Other Gifts to Priests     259
The Sanctuary and Sacrilege     259
Valuations     260
Miscellanies     260
Tractates of Usha     261
Menahot     261
Hullin     262
Arakhin     262
Tamid     263
Middot     263
Conclusion     263
The System in Context
Mapping Sacrifice and Sanctuary     273
Defining the Question     273
Scripture and Mishnah: Concluding Observations     275
Mishnah out of Context     276
Mishnah in Context: The World of Second-Century Judaism     280
Mishnah in Context: The World of Late Antiquity     285
Index     291