Mishna and Tosefta Studies

by Robert Brody

Publisher:

Magnes Press

, 2014

Overview

This book breaks new ground in several areas of Talmudic philology, especially with regard to the central work of classical rabbinic literature, the Mishnah, and its companion volume the Tosefta. The first section, devoted to the textual criticism of the Mishnah, exposes a number of widespread fallacies with regard to the so-called “Palestinian” and “Babylonian” manuscripts of this work. The second section, the largest and most innovative of the book, seeks to place the textual criticism of the Tosefta on a firm foundation on the basis of a detailed analysis which upends the scholarly consensus in this area. The third section contributes to the ongoing debate concerning the relationship between Mishnah and Tosefta, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of this relationship which varies substantially from one passage to another. Finally, the afterword makes an impassioned plea for editors of classical rabbinic texts to abandon the antiquated notions of legitimate editorial practice which still prevail in the field in favor of approaches which have long been accepted in other disciplines.

Key Features

• Breaks new ground in several areas of Talmudic philology, especially with regard to the Mishnah.
• Exposes a number of widespread fallacies with regard to “Palestinian” and “Babylonian” manuscripts.
• Contributes to the ongoing debate concerning the relationship between Mishnah and Tosefta.

Contents

• Foreword
• Part One: The Text of the Mishnah
• Introduction
• Chapter One: The Theory of a Palestinian and a Babylonian Mishnah
• Chapter Two: The Text of Mishnah Ketubbot
• Part Two: The Text of the Tosefta
• Introduction
• Chapter Three: Why is Lieberman’s Edition Based on MS Vienna?
• Chapter Four: Textual Traditions of Tosefta Ketubbot
• Chapter Five: The London Manuscript of the Tosefta
• Chapter Six: The Case of Tractate Sotah (Chapters 3–15)
• Chapter Seven: Do the Tosefta Manuscripts Preserve Ancient Independent Traditions?
• Part Three: The Relationship between Mishnah and Tosefta
• Introduction
• Chapter Eight: Mishnah and Tosefta Ketubbot
• Chapter Nine: Some Examples from Other Tractates
• Afterword: Editing Classical Rabbinic Literature
• Bibliography
• Index of Talmudic Sources

Praise for Mishna and Tosefta Studies

Robert Brody, a highly respected Talmudist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has made a significant contribution to scholarship by publishing this monograph. It is short and written in English, but it is by no means an introductory text. It contains the fruit of deep, careful philological research in rabbinic texts refracted through the perspective of a sharply logical mind.

Review of Biblical Literature, September 2015

Product Details

• Title: Mishna and Tosefta Studies
• Author: Robert Brody
• Publisher: Magnes Press
• Print Publication Date: 2014
• Pages: 190
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• ISBNs: 9789654937672, 9654937670
• Resource ID: LLS:MISHNATOSEFTAST
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-12-13T19:22:46Z

About Robert Brody

Robert Brody is Professor of Talmud at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and has taught at Yale and Harvard universities. He has published numerous books and articles, most of which deal with the literature of the Babylonian Geonim. In recent years the primary focus of his research has shifted to earlier rabbinic literature, primarily the Mishnah, the Tosefta and the Babylonian Talmud. He is also the author of The Responsa of Natronai bar Hilai Goan (1994, second edition 2011), which was awarded the Jerusalem Prize for Rabbinic Literature, and The Geonim of Babylonia and the Shaping of Medieval Jewish Culture (1998), which received a National Jewish Book Award.