Table Of ContentJEWISH IDENTITY
IN EARLY RABBINIC WRITINGS
ARBEITEN ZUR GESCHICHTE
DES ANTIKEN JUDENTUMS
UND DES
URCHRISTENTUMS
HERAUSGEGEBEN VON
Martin Hengel (Tiibingen), Peter Schafer (Berlin),
Pieter W. van der Horst (Utrecht), Martin Goodman (Oxford),
Daniel R. Schwartz Gerusalem)
XXIII
JEWISH IDENTITY
IN EARLY RABBINIC WRITINGS
BY
SACHA STERN
EJ.BRILL
LEIDEN · NEW YORK · KOLN
1994
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the
Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library
Resources.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stem, Sacha.
Jewish identity in early rabbinic writings/ by Sacha Stem.
p. cm. - (Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antikenJudentums und
des Urchristentums, ISSN 0169-734X ; [Bd.) 23)
Rev. version of the author's thesis (D.Phil.)-Jews' College.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 9004100121 (alk. paper)
I. Jews in rabbinical literature. 2. Jews-Identity. 3. Gentiles
in rabbinical literature. 4. Rabbinical literature--History and
cnnc1sm. 5. Judaism-Relations. I. Title. II. Series.
BM509J48S73 1994
296. l '2-dc20 94-14802
CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahnte
Stern, Sacha:
Jewish identity in early rabbinic writings / by Sacha Stem. -
Leiden; New York; Koln: Brill, 1994
(Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des
Urchristentums ; 23)
Zugl.: Diss.
ISBN 90-04-10012-1
NE:GT
ISSN 0169-734X
ISBN 90 04 10012 I
© Copyright 1994 by E.J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherl.and.s
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CONTENTS
Acknowledginents . .. ......... .. . .. .. .. ..... ..... .. .. .. ..... ..... .. ... . . .. ... ... .. ... .. . 1x
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Note on transliteration Xlll
Introduction .. .. ......... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. . .. .. ... .. .. ... .. . .. ... . . .. ... .. ..... .. . ...... .. . xiv
l. The topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv
2. Anthropological issues ................................................. xv
3. Approaches to rabbinic writings ................................ xx11
4. The historical dimension and its limits .................... xxix
5. Additional remarks ....................................................... XXXVI
I. Israel and the nations: assumptions, images
and representations ........................................................... .
l. Self and other: cultural representations ................... .
A. The dialectics of self and other ....................... .
B. The other as a cultural construct ....... .. . .. .. ... .. .. 4
2. Jews and non:Jews: collectivity, polarity
and interdependence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
A. Jews and non:Jews: nomenclature ..................... 7
B. Israel as a single body ........................................ 12
C. The nations: plurality and ethnographic
confusion . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
D. Jacob and Esau: polarity and
interdependence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3. The wicked and the righteous .. ... .. ............ ... ... .. ....... 22
A. The non:Jews as wicked .. .. ... .. ....... ..... .. ... ... .. ...... 22
B. Israel as 'the righteous' ....................................... 30
4. Animals and angels ..................................................... 33
A. The non:Jews as animals .................................... 33
B. Israel as angels ..................................................... 39
5. Israel among the nations and the world ..................... 42
A. The superiority of Israel ..................................... 42
B. Israel in the world . ... .. .. ..... .. ... .... .. ... ........ ... ... ... .. . 44
C. Non-Jewish attitudes towards Israel ................ 47
VI CONTENTS
II. Identity, the commandments, and bodily
expenence . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. . .. .. . .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . .. .. .. .. . 51
1. Non:Jewish impurity and the experience
of revulsion ................................................................ 52
A. Impurity .......................................................... ...... 52
B. Forbidden food .................................................... 56
C. The prepuce ........................................................ 59
D. Revulsion and identity: a bodily experience ... 60
2. The bodily features of Israel ................................... 63
A. Circumcision .. . .. .. .. .. . . .. ... .. . .. . . .. .. .. . .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . 63
B. External features .................................................. 67
3. The commandments: experience and praxis .......... 71
A. The commandments as a whole .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 71
B. Torah learning .. .. .. .... .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. 74
C. Shabbat, festivals, and other customs ................. 76
4. Conclusion ................................................................. 79
Appendix to chapters 1-11: Israel in symbolic imagery ....... 82
A. Rabbinic sources .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. . 82
B. Archaeological sources ....................................... 85
III. The people of Israel: centre and periphery ................ 87
1. Introduction: lineal identity and the 'periphery' ... 87
2. Converts ..................................................................... 88
A. Regular conversion .. .. .. .. ...... . ... .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 88
B. Residents and slaves .......................................... 95
C. Kutim (Samaritans) .............................................. 99
3. Apostates .............................................................. ...... 105
A. Apostasy: limited and comprehensive .. .. . .. .... .. . 106
B. Minim and heresy ............................................... 109
C. The Sadducees ................................................... 112
4. The common people ................................................ 114
A. Amei haAretz:, .. .... .. .... .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .................... .... .. . 114
B. 'Sinners of Israel' ............................................... 120
5. The rabbis and the people: a centripetal
expenence ................................................................... 124
A. The problem of the 'grey areas' ..................... 124
B. 'Israel' and centripetal experience ................... 127
C. Jewish identity and 'boundaries' ...................... 135
CONTENTS vu
IV. The protection of Jewish identity: dissociation
and dissimilation .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . 139
1. Social control: 'boundaries' and dissociation ......... 140
A. Commercial transactions . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 141
B. Social relations ........................................ ........... 146
C. Dissociation and Jewish identity ...................... 155
D. The prohibition of intermarriage .................... 159
E. Preliminary conclusion ...................................... 170
2. Cultural control: resistance to assimilation ............ 170
A. Introduction: assimilation and dissimilation .... l 70
B. Greek wisdom .................................................... 176
C. The ways of the Amorite ................................ 181
D. The customs of the nations ............................ 185
E. Clothes, names, and language . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. 191
3. Conclusion ........................................ ......................... 194
V. Being Israel: solipsism, introversion and
transcendence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 199
1. Solipsism: the nations excluded .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 200
A. The Torah and the commandments . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 200
B. The Noahide laws ............................................. 204
C. The praxis of Jewish identity ........................... 206
D. Solipsism: an interpretation . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 215
2. Tzeniut the ontology of concealment ..................... 223
A. The norms of tzeniut ........................................... 223
B. Tzeniut and Jewish identity ............................... 226
C. Ontology and habitus .......................................... 232
D. Women, tzeniut, and Jewish identity ............... 237
E. Conclusion .......................................................... 24 7
3. Transcendence: the Almighty and Israel ............... 247
A. Endearment to the Almighty ........................... 248
B. 'Chosenness' and reciprocity ............................ 251
C. Concreteness and transcendence ..................... 253
D. Solipsism and transcendence ............................ 256
E. Conclusion: Israel and covenantal
transcendence . . . . .. .. . . . .. .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .. . . .. .. . . . .. .. . . . .. .. . . . . 258
Bibliography .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . .. .. . . . . . .. .. . . .. .. . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . 260
Index .......................................................................................... 267
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Foremost acknowledgments are due to the Harold Hyam Wingate
Foundation, without whose generous financial assistance ( 1988-91) my
D.Phil. thesis, of which this book is a revised version, could never
have been written. I am also grateful to the Craven Foundation (1988-
91) and to Jews' College for a research fellowship ( 1990-1 ).
The thesis itself was written under the supervision of Martin
Goodman, who encouraged me to engage in this work and who has
continued assisting me in every possible manner. I am most grateful
for his support and friendship. Essential advice was also provided by
Lin Foxhall,Jadran Mirnica, my examiners Geza Vermes andJonathan
Webber, and two anonymous readers. I am also grateful to Allen
Abramson, Sue Gessler, Debbie Golden, Irving Jacobs, Esra Kahn
(Jews' College library), Francis Landy, Maryon McDonald, John
Matthews, Fergus Millar, Oonagh O'Brien, Alison Salvesen, Yaacov
Schonberg, Joseph Spitzer, Giuseppe Veltri, and Tamra Wright; and
finally, to my wife and relatives for their constant assistance, patience
and support.
This book is dedicated to the memory of my mother, z.l.
