Bibliography
| Title: Techniques and Assuptions in Jewish Exegesis before 70 CE Secondary Title: TSAJ 30 Type: Book Year: 1992 Abstract: "This survey of Jewish exegesis during the era of Herod' s Temple comes to some startling conclusions about the techniques and assumptions used by these early exegetes. The scribal predecessors of the rabbis in Palestine did not use allegory, did not ignore the context and did not read the text differently to suit their interpretation. However, Jewish interpreters in Alexandria, Qumran, and Rabbis after 70 CE did all these things. Previous studies in rabbinic interpretation have assumed that the early exegetes interpreted the Bible in the same way as those after 70 CE. This has led New Testament scholars to assume that Paul also used these later techniques. As a result of this book, Pauline exegesis must be regarded in a completely new light. The book contains all the Biblical interpretations found in rabbinic literature which can be dated before 70 CE. These are in Hebrew with line-by-line translations. They are accompanied by notes on dating and analyses of the exegetical techniques used. These techniques are also introduced and discussed separately, and the ancient lists of these Middoth are provided in an appendix in Hebrew and translation into English. The techniques are compared with techniques used by other Jews of this time, including Josephus, Philo and Qumran scholars. The different types of interpretive techniques used by these groups suggest that they had different assumptions about the nature of Scripture. - Prepared as a doctoral dissertation under the direction of W. Horbury and submitted to the University of Cambridge, this volume contends that the pre-A.D. 70 predecessors of the rabbis did not interpret Scripture out of context, did not look for any meaning in Scripture other than the plain sense, and did not change the text to fit their interpretation, though the later rabbis did all these things. It first examines exegeses in scribal traditions: introduction, exegeses by named authorities, exegeses by Pharisees and Sadducees, exegeses by Beth Hillel and Beth Shammai, techniques in scribal exegesis, assumptions in scribal exegesis, and comparison of scribal with rabbinic exegesis. Then it considers exegesis in non-scribal traditions: introduction, exegesis in ancient texts and translations, exegesis of the Dorshe Reshumot and Dorshe Hamurot, Josephus, Qumran, Philo, techniques and assumptions, and comparison of non-scribal with scribal exegesis. The two appendixes provide (1) lists of Middot and (2) a summary of scribal exegeses". Keywords: Theology of Ancient Judaism and early Christianity |