Monday

www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/TalmudMap/Mishnah.html

Overview

• 70-700 CE

Oral TorahRabbinic JudaismIn wake of rebellions

to

Rise of Islam

70 ce to 700 ce.

Centre moves

• Jerusalem destroyed…

• Yavneh then Babylon.

• Jews live all over Mediterranean world and Middle East

Christianity• Begins as a Jewish sect around Jesus of

Nazareth as “Messiah” or “Christ”

• by 2nd century bce, “Nazarenes” take Gospel to non-Jews

• Christianity becomes independent– Lingering associations with Judaism.

Political changesPalestine / Mediterranean

• 0- 4th century Rome Pagan

• 4th century Rome Christian

• 7-8th century South / East: Islam

Political ChangesMesopotamia / Babylonia

• to 3rd century: Parthians

• 3rd to 7th centuries Sassanian (Persian)Zoroastrians

• 7-8th century Islam

Islam

• Prophet Muhammad

• 570 to 632

• Saw himself as the final prophet of the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians.

Rapid Arab expansion

• 7th century: Arab Muslims capture considerable territory

• Many Jews now live under Islamic rule.

Rabbinic Judaism

• Developed 150 bce to 700 ce

• TALMUD completed about the time of Muhammad.

70 to 700

• Massive Political Change

• Massive Religious Change

3 religions

• Islam 620-30’s

• Christianity 1st century

• Rabbinic Judaism 1st century b

Early development of R. Judaism

TWO TORAHS

Torah that is in Tanakh

Oral Torah: Rabbinic teachings.

“TANNAIM”Early Oral Torah teachers

• Tanna – Singular

• Ca. 150 bce. to second century ce.

• Influenced by Pharisaic ideas.

• Bible and Mishnah

After 70 c.e.

New form of Judaism

Without temple

On Pharisee / Tannaim model

“Oral Torah” collected to preserve teachings

offer alternative to temple.

Yohanan ben Zakkai

• Pharisaic teacher

• Made peace with Rome

• Gathered surviving Jewish scholars after 70 ce.

Yavneh / JamniaNew Centre of Jewish learning.

Tannaim

• “Repeaters” of Torah tradition.

New Scholars“Rabbis”

• Preserve – Old traditions– Memories of temple– Teachings of great scholars

Ben Zakkai:

• Yavneh is equal to Jerusalem.

• Temple rites now symbolized in new rites in Yavnah

Scripture

• Increased accent on Scripture / Study

• Temple holiness transferred to individual.

Synagogues

• Assume new role

• Surrogate Temple– Shofar

Yavneh Sanhedrin

• New Leadership

• Innovation and Tradition

No alternative

• “Old” form of Judaism beyond recovery.

• No temple

Diaspora life for almost all Jews.

132-135 bceSecond rebellion

• Attempt to rebuild temple results in disastrous war.

• Simon Bar KokhbaClaims priesthood

• “Messiah”

Oral Torah

• Basis of new Judaism alongside Tanakh

• Oral Torah is Written down

TANNAIMRabbi Akiba

Judah HaNasi

• Judah compiled the writings & teachings of Akiba and others.

MISHNAH

• First major text of the Oral Torah.

• 170-220 bce

• Judah HaNasi.

Love / justice, not offerings

• Hosea 6:6

• Micah 6:6-8

• Psalm 51:16-17

Teachers, not priests

• Rabbi, – by education and ordination, not birth

– Remembered as “sages”

Diaspora

• Alexandria

• Babylon

• Contact with Sanhedrin.

Midrash = traditions attached to Bible

Mishnah = independent

Mishnah: “Repetition”“Memorized”

Major part of ORAL TORAH

Written in land of Israel

Mishnah

Late 2nd Cent. early 3rd.– 6 “ORDERS”

– 63 “TRACTATES”

• Chapters • Sections “Mishnah”

Mishnah

• REMEMBERS TEMPLE

• TORAH INTERPRETATION

• TEACHINGS OF SAGES

Legitimization

God Moses … Sages

Hillel + Shammai J. b. Zakkai