Jewish identity in early rabbinic writings

Description:

Jewish Identity in Early Rabbinic Writings is more than a question of legal status: it is the experience of being Jewish or of 'Jewishness' in all its social and cultural dimensions. This work describes this experience as it emerges in Talmudic and Midrashic sources. Besides the question of 'who is a Jew?', topics include the contrast between Israel and the non-Jews, the physical embodiment of Jewish identity, the 'boundaries' of Israel and resistance to assimilation. Jewish identity, it is argued, hinges essentially on the Divine commandments (mitzvot) and on Israel's perceived proximity with the Divine. Drawing on a variety of disciplines, including the theories of William James and Merleau-Ponty, this study raises important issues in anthropology, as well as accounting for central aspects of early rabbinic Judaism.

subjects: Rabbinical literature,  Judaism,  Gentiles in rabbinical literature,  History and criticism,  Relations,  Jews in rabbinical literature,  Identity,  Jews,  Frühjudentum,  Interfaith relations,  Littérature rabbinique,  Juifs dans la littérature,  Identité,  Histoire et critique chrétiennes,  Rabbinische Literatur,  Judaïsme,  Joden,  Identité collective,  Juifs,  Judentum,  Gentils dans la littérature rabbinique,  Histoire et critique,  Rabbijnse literatuur,  Identiteit,  Identität,  Juifs dans la littérature rabbinique,  Jews, identity,  Rabbinical literature, history and criticism,  Judaism, relations