Of course not. This, I understand, parachutes me into an area that I readily confess to know nothing about. There must be a scientific literature on this, and I am sure that there are passionate dog owners who are positive that their dogs possess … [Continue reading] about Do Dogs Have Free-will?
Were the Rabbis Revolutionary?
Yes. Kind of. Maybe.Thus is the status quaestionis as it emerged from a mini-symposium at Harvard University yesterday. Firmly on one side of the question was Shaye Cohen and Moshe Halbertal. Both pointed to the radical difference between the … [Continue reading] about Were the Rabbis Revolutionary?
Conference Reflections: Archaeology and Texts
Academic conferences tend to peter out. The time is late; all are tired; even some of the panelists have already left for home. There is thus often little time or energy at the end for reflection, synthesis, and robust discussion. The Talmuda … [Continue reading] about Conference Reflections: Archaeology and Texts
Archaeology and the Rabbis: 2
Today was a full day of papers. So without further ado:Shawn Zelig Aster, Yeshiva University, Mishnah Baba Metzia 7,7 and the Distribution of the Phoenician Jar: The Relationship of Mishnaic Hebrew to Northern Biblical Hebrew and to PhoenicianUsing … [Continue reading] about Archaeology and the Rabbis: 2
Archaeology and the Talmud: 1
This week Yeshivah University is hosting a 2-day conference entitled, Talmuda de-Eretz Israel: Archaeology and the Rabbis in Late Antiquity. Here is a report on day 1:Eric Meyers, Duke University, The Use of Archaeology in Understanding Rabbinic … [Continue reading] about Archaeology and the Talmud: 1