Friday

Breslauer: pp. 95-115

8 Rabbi’s study bible Mikra’ot Gedolot

• Torah or Tanakh text

• Full Masorah

• Targums

• Commentaries

• Cross-references.

Commentators

• RASHI 11 century France “Plain Meaning”

• Ibn Ezra 11-12 century born: Spain.

Rational, linguistic, anti Karaite

Astrological

RAMBAN: R. Moses ben NahmanNahmanides:

13th century Spain..

• Traditional yet influenced by Kabbalah

• Secret Knowledge contained in Torah.

http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/TalmudMap/MG.html

Printing press

• Allows text and commentary together

• Allows wider distribution of texts.

• Less control over teaching, etc.

Medieval Judaism700-1500

• Jews under Christianity and Islam– Prosperity / Persecution

• Cultural differentiation– Sephardic– Ashkenazic

In Islamic lands

• Jews and Christians “Protected People”– “People of the Book”

– Much Freedom, but still second class citizens– Special taxes.

Abbasid dynasty747 ce

• Baghdad

• Rationalistic philosophy

• Pluralistic, tolerant

• Hierarchical

Islam and Judaism

• Islam: Sunna traditions of Muhammad.Proper Islamic life

• Judaism: Oral Torah becomes authoritative for Jews.

curiouser and curiouser…

• Compilation of Sunna may have been influenced by Oral Torah

• Judaism thrived when it could be made to appear more like Islam.

Karaite movement

• Second half of 8th century

• “Written” Torah interpreted by tradition.

• BUT: No second canon of “Oral Torah”No Rabbinic authorities.

Karaites

• Similar to Sunni Islam

• Qur’an and Hadith / Sunnah– Tradition not authority figures

Anan ben David

• Early Karaite leader. 8th century

• Accused Rabbinate of corrupting scripture

8th- 11th century.

• Rabbinic Judaism defended Rational

Authentic

• Described in Islamic terms:– Scripture and tradition

750-950

• Islamic expansion– Middle East– North Africa– Spain

– Much of Turkey still under Christian Byzantium

Jewish leadership

• Exiliarch: political leader of Babylonian Jews

• Geonim: Leaders of Babylonian Jewish academies.

• Tensions between political/economic and religious leadership.

Israel and Diaspora

• Tensions between Jewish leadership in Israel and in Diaspora.

• Calendar

Last Geon

• Saadiah al-Fayumi (882-942).

• Addressed Karaite challenge.

Saadia

• Rationalist

• Hebrew follows rational principles (Like Arabic)

• Bible into Arabic

• God knowable through the intellectMuslim influence

Abbasid dynasty collapse

• 10th century.

• New centres: Egypt and Spain

• Jewish life decentralizes

Rise of Trade

• Jewish Caravan traders

• India Africa Spain Christian regions.

Jewish Traders

• Commerce between Islamic and Christian lands.

• Some Jews become very wealthy.

9 -11 century

• North African, Spanish Jews prosper

• Talmud commentators

• RESPONSA: Rabbinic answers to questions of Halakhah.

Jewish Spain

• Golden Age. 10-12 century.

• Philosophy

• Ibn Ezra

Spain 12-13 century

• Christian Re-conquest

• Islamic rulers Distinctive clothesJews barred from important posts. Forced conversion to Islam

• Many Jews flee to Christian regions

Maimonides

• Guide for the Perplexed– 13 principles

• Mishnah Torah– Summary of Halakhah.

11-12 century

• African Muslim dynasties remove protection laws for Jews.

Re-conquest

• Jews used to resettle Spain by Christian armies.

• Initially given some protection. Second class citizens