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Sunday, 29 September 2024

489) Pharisees and Sadducees: The politics of Sages and Priests

Pesher Nachum from Qumran 13
Introduction

This article – based extensively on the research by Professor Eyal Regev[1] − examines the theological differences between the Sadducees (צָדוֹקִים - Tzadokim) and Pharisees (פְּרוּשִׁם - Perushim). It identifies the differences between the early class of Jewish priests, known as the Sadducees, and an emerging rabbinic class, known as the Pharisees. It focuses on the moment when rabbinic Judaism, as we understand it, became the more dominant force in the future development of Jewish history, as the nascent rabbinic sages (Pharisees) began to displace the established Temple priests (Sadducees). 

Sunday, 22 September 2024

488) Gershom Scholem’s messianic claim


 

Introduction

This article based extensively on the research by Professor Boaz Huss[1] and Professor Michael Brenner[2] explores aspects of the life story and personal thought of Gershom (Gerhard) Scholem (1897-1982), the first researcher and professor of Jewish mysticism. 

Meeting with the kabbalists of Jerusalem

In 1915, while still in Berlin, a young Scholem had already met and become friends with Walter Benjamin. Benjamin was later to kill himself by an overdose of morphine tablets in 1940 rather than surrender to the Nazis. Scholem dedicated his famous work, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, to his friend Walter Benjamin. 

Sunday, 8 September 2024

487) Self-promotion or natural authority? The case of Chavot Yair.

 


Introduction

This article based extensively on the research by Professor Jay Berkovitz[1] examines the charismatic image and commanding authority of the Halachic decisor, known as the Posek, whose task is to determine Jewish religious law. In this case, the rabbinic authority, R. Yair Chaim Bacharach (1638–1702) is used as an exemplar of the rise of the modern Posek.  He is known as the Chavot Yair after the title of his Responsa by that name, and he was active around the city of Worms in Germany. Responsa is sometimes called Sheilot uTeshovt (questions and answers) or Shut literature). The Chavot Yair was known for his innovation in law and independence of thought. 

Sunday, 1 September 2024

486) An ancient (pre)text of Deuteronomy?

 

A cartoon in Punch magazine, 1883, showing Moses Wilhelm Shapira being apprehended by Christian David Ginzburg outside the British Museum, for allegedly forging an ancient textual find.

Introduction

This article based extensively on the research by Professor Idan Dershowitz[1] examines a work that for many years was regarded as a forgery, but, arguably, turned out to be one of the most significant textual finds of the nineteenth century. 

Part 1 describes the human-interest story of the original owner of the text, Moses Wilhelm Shapira and his eventual suicide after being accused of being the forger of the text. 

Part 2 advocates for the authenticity of the text, and discusses some of the consequences of this find which Dershowitz considers to be “a text that could change everything” (Dershowitz 2021:vi). Because the text resembled sections of the Book of Deuteronomy which deals with Moses’ farewell speech, Dershowitz has called the Shapira texts the ‘Valediction of Moses.’