Early Christian monastic literature and the Babylonian Talmud
This book examines literary analogies in Christian and Jewish sources, culminating in an in-depth analysis of striking parallels and connections between Christian monastic texts (the Apophthegmata Patrum or 'The Sayings of the Desert Fathers') and Babylonian Talmudic traditions. The import...
| Summary: | This book examines literary analogies in Christian and Jewish sources, culminating in an in-depth analysis of striking parallels and connections between Christian monastic texts (the Apophthegmata Patrum or 'The Sayings of the Desert Fathers') and Babylonian Talmudic traditions. The importance of the monastic movement in the Persian Empire, during the time of the composition and redaction of the Babylonian Talmud, fostered a literary connection between the two religious populations. The shared literary elements in the literatures of these two elite religious communities sheds new light on the surprisingly inclusive nature of the Talmudic corpora and on the non-polemical nature of elite Jewish-Christian literary relations in late antique Persia. Christianity in the Babylonian Talmud: an introductory discussion -- Monasticism in the Persian Empire -- The Apophthegmata Patrum and rabbinic literature: form, style, and common themes -- The Apophthegmata Patrum and rabbinic literature: narrative -- The making of a monk-rabbi: the stories of R. Shimon bar Yoḥai in the cave -- Repentant whore, repentant rabbi: the story of Elazar b. Dordya |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015) |
| ISBN: | 1139149415 |
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/CBO9781139149419 |