Review because of the

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Michael L. Satlow , Jewish matrimony for the antiquity. Princeton: Princeton College or university Push, 2001. xii, 431 profiles ; 25 cm. ISBN 069100255X $.

Tawny Holm , Indiana School of Pennsylvania.

This lighting up and full publication of the Satlow goes far to show one to discussion on the subject of ong Jews, and you will amongst their Christian, Roman, and you will Greek residents, since it is today when you look at the progressive American and you can progressive Jewish neighborhood. Satlow, whom observes matrimony just like the a beneficial socially constructed, culturally depending business, provides an excellent refreshingly historical perspective towards the alarmist commentary today. “The truth your commentary away from personal relationship ‘crisis’ can be so old at minimum is to aware us to the brand new possibility that people was talking about an issue of rhetoric far more than just facts. xvi-xvii). Are you aware that researching hopeful trust one modern marriage is actually as an alternative an update into crappy past of your own patriarchal previous, Satlow signifies that old Judaism is more challenging than simply of numerous imagine, and also “a minumum of one rabbinic articulation out of marital beliefs . . . so you’re able to rival our own egalitarian impression” (p. xvii).

Perhaps the “you to rabbinic articulation” out of near-egalitarianism impresses the reader, Satlow’s situation for high range between your various other Jewish groups was well-produced (the latest Palestinian rabbis consistently appear in a much better white versus Babylonian), and his publication usually for this reason getting appealing not just to scholars off Close Eastern antiquity and you may Judaism, however, toward learned public. The study requires a vinyl approach to Jewish relationships throughout the Mediterranean Levant (especially Palestine) and Babylonia regarding the Persian several months to your rabbinic several months (ca. five-hundred B.C.Age. to five hundred C.Age.). You’ll find around three earliest arguments: (1) individual Jewish groups of antiquity differed out-of both within their knowledge of wedding, always but not always conceiving matrimony in terms of the historical and you may geographic perspective; (2) there’s nothing essentially Jewish regarding Jewish matrimony up until Jews modified life style and you may traditions shared with their host societies into their individual idiom so you’re able to erican marriage ceremonies now, ancient Jewish ideals in the marriage probably diverged significantly away from reality, and various ancient legal prescriptions from the rabbis really should not be pulled once the descriptive.

Satlow correctly warnings the person regarding the characteristics of your own number one sources; certain episodes don’t have a lot of otherwise skewed facts, especially the Persian period (in which i have only Ezra-Nehemiah in the Bible and you may Aramaic judge files from Egypt) and also the Babylonian Amoraic period 200-five hundred C.Age. (which we possess the Babylonian Talmud, a giant provider however, one that shows a sealed rabbinic society rather than Babylonian Jews at-large). Or even this new sources along with consist of the fresh new Palestinian Talmud and midrashim, Jewish writings in the Greek (including the Septuagint interpretation of your own Hebrew Bible and also the The latest Testament), the fresh Lifeless Ocean Scrolls, scattered archaeological remains and you may inscriptions, and several sources in order to Jews because of the low-Jewish Greek and you can Latin writers.

Following the addition, where Satlow contours his arguments, benefits, means, supply, and methods, the publication are split into around three bits. Part I, “Considering relationship,” takes into account the new ideology, theology, and you can courtroom underpinnings from marriage. Region II, “Marrying,” moves throughout the beliefs off old matrimony to your reality, around that is you’ll: relationships, who y), betrothal, the wedding, and also unpredictable marriage ceremonies (e.grams. second marriages, polygynous marriage ceremonies, concubinage, and you will levirate marriage ceremonies). Region III, “Existence Hitched,” covers the new economics out of wedding and also the articulation off Jewish ideals when you look at the ancient literature and you will inscriptions. Once a last chapter out of conclusions, in which Satlow reorganizes their results diachronically because of the several months and you may part, the book closes with detailed stop cards, an intensive bibliography, and you may three spiders: topic, premodern present, and you can progressive writers.