Rabbinic Literature and Greco-Roman Philosophy. A Study of Epicurea and Rhetorica in Early Midrashic Writings PDF
Preview Rabbinic Literature and Greco-Roman Philosophy. A Study of Epicurea and Rhetorica in Early Midrashic Writings
STUDIA POST-BIBLICA VOLUMEN VICESIMUM PRIMUM STUDIA POST-BIBLICA INSTITUTA A P.A.H. DE BOER ADIUVANTIBUS T. JANSMA J. SMIT SIBINGA ET EDIDIT J. C. H. LEBRAM VOLUMEN VICESIMUM PRIMUM LEIDEN E. J. BRILL 1973 RABBINIC LITERATURE AND GRECO-ROMAN PHILOSOPHY A STUDY OF EPICUREA AND RHETORICA IN EARLY MIDRASHIC WRJTINGS BY HENRY A. FISCHEL LEIDEN E. J. BRILL 1973 ISBN 90 04 03720 9 Copyright 1973 by E. J. Brill, Leiden, Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or translated in any /orm, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche or any other means without written permission from the publisher PRINTED IN BELGIUM In loving memory of my parents TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface IX PART I. The "Four in 'Paradise'" (f;Iagigah, et al.): Anti-Epi curean Stereotype, Biography, and Parody m the Por- trayals of Tannaim . 1 Epicureanism in the Ancient N ear East 1 PART II. An Epicurean Sententia on Providence and Divine J ustice in the Midrash 35 PART III. Epicurea and Rhetorica in the Midrash of Ben Zoma 51 1. An Heurematological Oration . 51 2. An Oration on Table Manners and Gratitude 65 3. Stoic Paradoxa 70 4. An Anti-Epicurean Sorites . 74 5. A Ohria on Absentmindedness . 78 PART IV. APPENDIX. Epicurea and Rhetorica of Ben Azzai? 9Ö 1. The Meaning of Sacrifice 90 2. Laughter at Death . 90 3. The Sage's Death 90 4. Two Bona and Two Mala 91 5. Celibacy . 92 6. Education of W omen 92 7. Endorsement of Controversial Books 92 8. Man in God's Image and Imitatio Dei 92 9. Av oidance of Sin 93 10. The Sage's Asceticism 93 11. Memento Mori 95 12. Inclination and Fate 96 13. Man and the Cosmos 96 VIII TABLE OF CONTENTS Epilogue 98 Notes to Part I 99 Notes to Part II 128 Notes to Part III 138 Notes to Part IV 161 N otes to Epilogue . 165 Bibliography 166 Index of References 167 Terms and Keywords 182 General Index 186 Index of Modern Authors 198 PREFAOE This is the first of a series of inquiries emanating from a !arger research project "Studies in Bureaucratic Phenomena in Olassical Oivilizations". This particular study was made possible by a 1969-1970 Fellowship of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation the instrumentality of which is hereby gratefully acknowledged. For several years preliminary studies had been faithfully supported by the Office of Research and Advanced Studies of Indiana University to whom like wise long overdue gratitude is herewith e:xpressed together with grateful acknowledgment of their contribution to the printing costs of this volume. Furthermore, l desire to express many thanks to Dr. J. 0. H. Le bram, the editor of Studia Post-Biblica, and to Mr. F. Th. Dijkema, the Oriental Editor of E. J. Brill, for their decision to include this work in their series, their valuable assistance, and their suggestions for the final title. Thanks go to my colleagues in the Olassics Department of Indiana University, Professors David L. Sigsbee and John R. Wilson, for useful hints and, above all, to Professor Paul D. Eisenberg of the Department of Philosophy who read parts of the manuscript and offered valuable criticism and corrections. The three parts of this study had originally been written as three independent essays. lt is hoped that the traces of their former inde pendent existence have been eliminated and that the reader will find repetition only where the argument requires it. In many instances, the interdisciplinary character of this inquiry has made it necessary to quote in detail the title, edition, and purpose of a standard work or basic text which is only too well-known to the expert in one field but novel to that in another, be it Olassics, J udaic Studies, Patristics, Philosophy, or Religion. The uses of literary terms peculiar to this inquiry, however, have not been burdened with exten sive definitions but e:xplain themselves by their application. Similarly, terms of classical rhetoric have been used according to their most simple definitions without complex distinctions and mention of controversial points which abound in ancient criticism. lt seemed practical to use three different systems of transcribing Hebrew and Aramaic:
The list of books you might like
