Rereading the Mishnah: A New Approach to Ancient Jewish Texts (Texts & Studies in Ancient Judaism) [Hardcover]

Judith Hauptman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 2005 | ISBN-10: 3161487133 | ISBN-13: 978-3161487132

Judith Hauptman argues that the Tosefta, a collection dating from approximately the same time period as the Mishnah and authored by the same rabbis, is not later than the Mishnah and its associated supplement, the Tosefta, when composing his work.

The author compares the earlier and the later texts to determine the agenda of the Redactor and to trace the evolution of Jewish law, practice and ideas. When the Mishnah is seen as later than the Tosefta, it becomes clear that the Redactor inserted numerous mnemonic devices to assist in transmission.

The synoptic gospels may have undergone a similar kind of editing. The author is professor of Talmud & Rabbinic Culture at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, where she received her Ph.D.

Partial Contents: Rethinking the relationship between the Mishnah & the Tosefta. The Tosefta as a commentary on the early Mishnah. Rewriting the Tosefta's Halakic paragraphs for inclusion in the Mishnah. Condensing Aggadah. Editing for ease of memory. From Tosefta to Mishnah to Talmud. A new model. Bibliography. Source index. Index of modern authors. Index of subjects.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Abm Komers (September 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3161487133
• ISBN-13: 978-3161487132
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #536,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Where did the Mishnah come from?, October 29, 2006

By 

R. Kaiser (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rereading the Mishnah: A New Approach to Ancient Jewish Texts (Texts & Studies in Ancient Judaism) (Hardcover)

Judith Hauptman is a professor of Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. A book review in "Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Review of Jewish Studies" states:

This work contains the results of many years of carefully reading and evaluating the relationship between the Tosefta and the Mishnah. The book has the following chapters:
(1) Rethinking the Relationship between the Mishnah and the Tosefta; (2) The Tosefta as a Commentary on an Early Mishnah; (3) Rewriting Tosefta's Halakhic Paragraphs for Inclusion in the Mishnah; (4) Condensing Aggadah; (5) Editing for the Ease of Memory; (6) From Tosefta to Mishnah to Talmud; (7) A New Model of the Mishnah-Tosefta Relationship.

This book contains a bibliography and an index that lists sources, modern authors, and subjects. Most of the materials were presented as papers at academic conferences such as the Association for Jewish Studies Conferences; this reviewer was present at virtually all of Judith Hauptman's presentations that led to this revolutionary book which sets forth the premise that the Tosefta preceded the Mishnah.

...Hauptman's assessment of the relationship of Tosefta, Mishnah, Tosefta Atiqta and "Ur-Mishnah" is impressive and demonstrates a remarkable breadth of rabbinic knowledge. Her book and related scholarship could serve as a catalyst for the reevaluation of the conventional wisdom concerning the assumed chronology of the Mishnah and the Tosefta. Additionally, the relationship of the tannaitic, halakhic midrashim with the Mishnah/Tosefta needs to be reconsidered as well. Her discussion of the interdependency and sequencing of rabbinic documents may change some views of rabbinic texts; there are many collections that may predate the edited documents in which they surface...

For the entire review read here:
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