Menachem Mendel

In 1981 Shaye J.D. Cohen wrote a very influential article “Epigraphical Rabbis” [The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Ser., Vol. 72, No. 1. (Jul., 1981), pp. 1-17]. In this article Cohen examines the names of rabbis for whom we have epigraphical evidence of their existence, comparing the “epigraphical” to the “literary” rabbis. His conclusions were that

If we allow the epigraphical evidence to speak for itself and do not impose upon it ideas derived from literary sources, we may reach the following conclusions from our analysis of the catalogue of forty-eight inscriptions: for centuries “rabbi” remained a popular title which could describe individuals who were not part of that Hebrew and Aramaic-speaking society which produced the Talmud; synagogues in both Israel and the diaspora were not led by men titled “rabbis”; the Rabbinic presence in the diaspora was meager. If we circumscribe the sphere of activity of the Rabbis, we limit the extent of Rabbinic Judaism; it is difficult to imagine Rabbinic Judaism without Rabbis. What was the nature of this non-Rabbinic Judaism in the diaspora and the synagogue, I do not know. In this essay 1 did not treat this aspect of the subject (which would include an analysis of synagogue art) beyond noting that Goodenough’s Philonic thesis is unconvincing. If we allow the term “rabbi” to include more than just the Rabbis of the Talmud, we admit that even in Israel, where Rabbinic influence was strong, many Jews were led by men who might not have found favor in the eyes of those who were establishing what was to become, but still was not, “normative” Judaism. At what point the synagogue became the focal point of Rabbinic activity, the diaspora began to look to Israel and Babylonia for leadership, and “rabbi” became a technical term with a specific meaning, requires investigation. Perhaps the Arab conquest served as the catalyst for these changes. In any case, a great desideratum is the collection and analysis of all Rabbinic texts which explicitly refer to the Rabbinic presence in, and control of, synagogues and diaspora. In the absence of such a work, archeology is our only sure guide.

Since Cohen’s article was written others have revisited this question. See this treatment by Catherine Hezser. According to an article (Heb.) in Maariv, we can now add two more epigraphical rabbis to the list. In Sepphoris/Tzippori, the following inscription from a grave was discovered,

Tzippori has a very rich history and connection to the rabbis of late antiquity and the excavations there have produced very important archaeological finds. See here, here, and here for some information about excavations at Tzippori. If you have never visited Tzippori, make sure that you don’t miss it, and even if you have been there, there is probably much more to see since your last visit.

Posted on June 10th, 2009 under Ancient Judaism, Rabbinic Literature, archeology • RSS 2.0 feed • You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed