1. Concept and history prior to the early modern period
The Hebrew term rabbi (my master) is derived from the root rav (great, many, important). Although it does not occur in the Hebrew Bible as a title or form of address, it does appear in Greek transliteration in the Gospels of the New Testament and in rabbinical literature (e.g. Mishna, Talmud; Judaic law). Following the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem (70 CE), the rabbis assumed spiritual leadership of Judaism a…