Review by the
Michael L. Satlow , Jewish marriage Hrvatska Еѕene za marku in the antiquity. Princeton: Princeton College Drive, 2001. xii, 431 users ; 25 cm. ISBN 069100255X $.
Tawny Holm , Indiana College away from Pennsylvania.
That it illuminating and complete publication from the Satlow happens much to exhibit you to discussion on the subject of ong Jews, and you may amongst their Christian, Roman, and Greek locals, as it is now during the progressive American and progressive Jewish area. Satlow, whom notices matrimony due to the fact a socially built, culturally created organization, provides an excellent refreshingly historical position towards the alarmist commentary nowadays. “The fact your commentary out of public marital ‘crisis’ is indeed old at least would be to aware me to the fresh new options we try referring to a question of rhetoric way more than just facts. xvi-xvii). As for the comparing upbeat belief one to modern matrimony is rather an improvement for the crappy past of one’s patriarchal past, Satlow means that old Judaism is much more tricky than of many guess, and contains “one or more rabbinic articulation off relationship beliefs . . . to help you opponent our own egalitarian impression” (p. xvii).
If the “one rabbinic articulation” off near-egalitarianism impresses most of the reader, Satlow’s case for higher variety involving the additional Jewish communities are well-produced (the Palestinian rabbis continuously come in a better light compared to Babylonian), with his publication have a tendency to ergo feel tempting not only to students out of Near East antiquity and you may Judaism, but toward learned personal. The research requires a plastic material way of Jewish matrimony regarding the Mediterranean Levant (particularly Palestine) and you may Babylonia in the Persian several months towards the rabbinic months (ca. five hundred B.C.E. so you’re able to 500 C.Elizabeth.). Discover about three first arguments: (1) private Jewish categories of antiquity differed regarding one another within their knowledge of matrimony, usually but not always conceiving matrimony with respect to the historical and you may geographical perspective; (2) there is nothing basically Jewish on the Jewish relationships up to Jews adapted life style and you can traditions shared with its host societies in their very own idiom so you’re able to erican marriages today, ancient Jewish ideals about relationships most likely diverged greatly off fact, and differing old legal medications by rabbis should not be taken due to the fact detailed.
Satlow correctly warnings an individual regarding the characteristics of the number one sources; certain episodes have little or skewed evidence, especially the Persian months (which we just have Ezra-Nehemiah from the Bible and Aramaic court files of Egypt) therefore the Babylonian Amoraic months two hundred-500 C.E. (by which we have the Babylonian Talmud, an enormous provider but one which reflects a shut rabbinic society rather than Babylonian Jews as a whole). Otherwise the fresh new supplies and incorporate the newest Palestinian Talmud and you will midrashim, Jewish web log into the Greek (for instance the Septuagint interpretation of your own Hebrew Bible as well as the Brand new Testament), the latest Inactive Sea Scrolls, scattered archaeological stays and you may inscriptions, and many recommendations to Jews by non-Jewish Greek and you may Latin writers.
After the addition, where Satlow lines his arguments, contributions, strategy, offer, and you will methods, the publication try divided into three pieces. Part I, “Considering wedding,” takes into account the newest ideology, theology, and judge underpinnings of wedding. Region II, “Marrying,” actions from the ideals out of old relationships on the truth, to which is you can easily: matchmaking, exactly who y), betrothal, the wedding, as well as irregular marriage ceremonies (elizabeth.grams. next marriages, polygynous marriages, concubinage, and you may levirate marriages). Region III, “Being Married,” talks about the brand new business economics of wedding while the articulation off Jewish ideals during the ancient literature and you can inscriptions. After a last part away from conclusions, in which Satlow reorganizes their results diachronically because of the period and you can part, the publication closes with comprehensive end notes, a comprehensive bibliography, and you may three spiders: topic, premodern sources, and progressive authors.