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Other Peoples' Rituals: Tannaitic Portrayals of Graeco-Roman Ritual

Shannon, Avram Richard
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429830562

Abstract Details

2015, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures.
This dissertation looks at the ways in which the Tannaitic Sages portrayed and discussed non-Jewish ritual. Although this has been traditionally characterized as “idolatry,” this dissertation argues that that is not a category which would have been applied by the Sages of the Mishnah, Tosefta and the Tannaitic Midrashim. In fact, the Sages did not consider worship of avodah zarah, as it is called in this text, as something which was wholly different from their own ritual. The Tannaitic Sages conceived of non-Jewish ritual and Jewish ritual to be part of a single category of ritual. This category ultimately derived from the ritual practices of the Jerusalem Temple, which meant that rituals which were performed outside of that context were sacrilege and an affront to the God of Israel. It was precisely the similarities, rather than the differences, between Jewish and non-Jewish ritual which gave the Tannaitic Sages pause. These similarities, however, also gave the Sages tools for controlling non-Jewish ritual. They did this through a quest for plausible contexts for non-Jewish ritual behavior. Through establishing these contexts, the Tannaitic Sages are able to control what does and does not qualify as the worship of avodah zarah.
Michael Swartz (Advisor)
Sarah Johnston (Committee Member)
Sam Meier (Committee Member)
Daniel Frank (Committee Member)
Lynn Kaye (Committee Member)
442 p.
Ancient Languages; Judaic Studies; Religion
Rabbinic Judaism; ancient religion; sacrifice; Mishnah; Tosefta; avodah zarah; idolatry; Mekhilta

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Shannon, A. R. (2015). Other Peoples' Rituals: Tannaitic Portrayals of Graeco-Roman Ritual [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429830562

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Shannon, Avram. Other Peoples' Rituals: Tannaitic Portrayals of Graeco-Roman Ritual. 2015. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429830562.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Shannon, Avram. "Other Peoples' Rituals: Tannaitic Portrayals of Graeco-Roman Ritual." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429830562

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1429830562
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.