Comment from the
Michael L. Satlow , Jewish relationship in antiquity. Princeton: Princeton School Force, 2001. xii, 431 pages ; twenty five cm. ISBN 069100255X $.
Tawny Holm , Indiana School of Pennsylvania.
That it lighting-up and total publication of the Satlow happens far to show you to definitely discussion about ong Jews, and you can among all of their Religious, Roman, and you can Greek neighbors, as it is now during the progressive American and modern Jewish neighborhood. Satlow, exactly who observes relationships once the a socially created, culturally built place, gives a refreshingly historical position on the alarmist discourse of today. “The actual fact that the discourse regarding personal relationship ‘crisis’ is really old at minimum will be alert us to brand new opportunity that people are writing on a point of rhetoric way more than simply facts. xvi-xvii). Are you aware that comparing optimistic belief one modern marriage is actually instead an improve toward bad days of the past of patriarchal earlier, Satlow suggests that ancient Judaism is much more tricky than simply of numerous assume, and contains “at least one rabbinic articulation of relationship ideals . . . so you’re able to opponent our very own egalitarian notions” (p. xvii).
Whether or not the “that rabbinic articulation” away from near-egalitarianism impresses every reader, Satlow’s circumstances for great variety involving the more Jewish communities are well-made (the new Palestinian rabbis constantly appear in a better light versus Babylonian), and his awesome book commonly ergo feel enticing not just to scholars away from Close East antiquity and Judaism, however, for the read societal. The study takes a synthetic method of Jewish matrimony from the Mediterranean Levant (specifically Palestine) and you may Babylonia throughout the Persian several months towards rabbinic several months (ca.