From Tablet to Talmud: Canonised Knowledge in Late Antiquity

The article explores whether key features of Babylonian textual standardisation may have may have influenced basic patterns of text and commentary in the Babylonian Talmud. The paper takes the view that canonicity is a complex process involving different levels of standardising texts. On the whole,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of ancient Near Eastern history Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 171 - 179
Main Author Geller, Markham J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Boston De Gruyter 25.06.2021
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Subjects
Ancient civilizations
canonicity
commentary
nishu
Talmud
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Summary:The article explores whether key features of Babylonian textual standardisation may have may have influenced basic patterns of text and commentary in the Babylonian Talmud. The paper takes the view that canonicity is a complex process involving different levels of standardising texts. On the whole, canonicity preserved major texts (like Gilgamesh, the Bible, the Hippocratic Corpus), but others considered as non-canonical (or ‘outside’) could still be used for explanatory purposes. The structure of the Babylonian Talmud (Mishnah, Gemara, Tosephta-based Beraitôt) serves as a useful model for comparison with earlier cuneiform compendia.
ISSN:2328-9554
2328-9562
DOI:10.1515/janeh-2020-0011