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[German Version] rabbinic scholar in Palestinian Lydda c. 200 ce. Tarfon belonged to a priestly family and is assigned to the second generation of Tannaim. Rabbinic literature preserves most of his teachings in discussions with Akiba ben Joseph. He should probably not be identified with the Trypho mentioned by Justin Martyr. Martin Jacobs Bibliography J.D. Gereboff, Rabbi Tarfon: The Tradition, the Man and Early Rabbinic Judaism, 1979 F.G. Willems, “Le juif Tryfon et rabbi Tarfon,” Bijdr. 50/3, 1989, 278–292.

[German Version] I. Pesiqta Rabbati The name Pesiqta, Aramaic for “section” or “chapter,” is used for two homiletic Midrashim, the Pesiqta Rabbati ( Pesiq. Rab.) and the Pesiqta deRab Kahana ( Pesiq. Rab Kah.; see II below). The Pesiqta Rabbati is a collection of homilies on the Jewish festivals and selected Sabbaths; its scope was finally determined by the various printed editions. While the first edition (1653 or 1656) contained 47 sections, later editions and the English translation contain up 53 chapters. Individual manuscripts c…

[German Version] (1st cent. ce), eminent Palestinian rabbi after the destruction of the second temple (II, 4.a). Rabbinic literature sometimes gives him the title Rabban (ןבָּרַ, “Our Master”). During the Judeo-Roman war (Jewish Revolt, First) according to rabbinic legend, he fled from Jerusalem besieged by the Romans to Yavne, where he prophesied that Vespasian (reigned 69–79 bce) would become emperor. Thereupon he is said to have been given permission to establish a school in Yavne. There are several variants of the tradition ( ARN A 4.22f.; ARN B 6.19; b. Giṭ. 56a–b; Lam. Rab. on Lam…

[German Version] The office of a scribe in the sense of legal scholar is already attested in ancient Near Eastern sources. In Judaism the development of the scribes is associated with the central role the Torah came to play in the postexilic period. Like Ezra (Ezra 7:6, 11; cf. Neh 8:1ff.), many scribes were priests. Even though the Pharisees shared the ideal of Torah erudition with the scribes, some of the scribes appear to have been Sadducees. With the Pharisees, the scribes were among the group…

[German Version] The Aramaic term תַּנָּא/ tannāʾ, “reciter, teacher” (pl. תַּנָּאִים/ tannāʾîm) is generally applied to the Palestinian rabbis (II, 1) of the 1st–3rd centuries ce, i.e. before the compilation of the Mishnah; their teaching, considered authoritative, was originally preserved through oral recitation. As representatives of the formative phase of rabbinic Judaism, the Tannaim are distinguished from the Amoraim, their successors, the authorities of the Talmud. In the Talmud, however, the title Tanna can also be given to a “reciter” in the Amoraic academy…

[German Version] Since the tribal territories of Judah (Judah/Judea) and Benjamin lay within the biblical Southern Kingdom, it is generally assumed that ¶ ten of the 12 tribes of Israel lived in the Northern Kingdom. We read in 2 Kgs 17:6 and 18:11 that Sargon II deported the population of the Northern Kingdom in 722 bce and settled its members in various places in Assyria. According to the version of Chronicles (Chronicles, Books of; 1 Chr 5:26), in 733 bce Tiglath Pileser III had already carried off some tribes to the same places, where they lived “to this day.” Since Ez…

[German Version] (born Dioguo Pirez; c. 1500, Lisbon? – 1532, Mantua). As a son of Conversos (Anusim), Molko was first a royal official in Lisbon. In connection with the messianic expectations (Messiah/Messianism: II, 2) aroused by D. Reuveni in 1525 among the Conversos in Portugal, he circumcised himself and declared his faith in Judaism. He produced kabbalistic writings (Kabbalah: II) and caused a sensation as a magician and as a visionary messianic personality. In Italy, he enjoyed the protecti…

[German Version] I. Old Testament - II. Early Judaism I. Old Testament The origin of the name is uncertain. In the Old Testament Aaron is the brother of Mose and his spokesman (Exod 4:14f.). He was reputed to be a “Levite” (priest; Exod 4:14), and the traveling companion and deputy of Moses (Exod 7:1–7), a miracle-worker (Exod 8:1f.), a charismatic leader (Exod 17:10–12…

[English Version] I. Zum BegriffDer hebr. Titel רַבִּי/rabbî leitet sich vom Nomen רַב/rab (»groß«, »von hohem Rang«) ab, das im nachbibl. Hebr., unterschieden vom Sklaven oder Schüler (mSuk 2,9; mGit 4,4; mAv 1,3), die Bedeutung von »Meister« (Rav) annahm. Die Anrede Rabbi (R.; »mein Meister/Lehrer«) wurde zum Titel und u.a. mit den Namen paläst. Gelehrter verbunden (z.B. R. Aqiva), während Rav für bab. Rabbinen gebraucht wurde. R. kommt auch als Name für Jehuda (ha-Nasi) vor. Die aram. Form Rabban (»unser…

[German Version] I. Old Testament – II. Early Judaism – III. Liturgy I. Old Testament The priestly Blessing, transmitted within the framework of the so-called Priestly Source (Pentateuch) in Num 6:23-26, which is also attested in some inscriptions (e.g. in Ketef Hinnom near Jerusalem), consist of traditional blessing formulae, linked together in three stair-stepped lines. …

[German Version] I. Terminology The Hebrew title רַבִּי/ rabbî is derived from the nominalized adjective רַב/ rab, “great, of high rank,” which in postbiblical Hebrew took on the meaning “master” (Rav) in contrast to a slave or student/disciple ( m. Sukk. 2:9; m. Giṭ. 4:4; m. ʾAbot 1:3). The honorific rabbi (“my master/teacher”) became a title, associated with the names of Palestinian men of learning (e.g. Rabbi Akiba ben Joseph), while Rav was used for Babylonian rabbis. Rabbi is also found as a name for Judah ha-Nasi. The Aramaic form rabban (“our master”) is associated with some…

[German Version] I. Bible – II. Christianity – III. Judaism – IV. Islam I. Bible 1. Old Testament From the biblical perspective, David, whose name means “darling, beloved,” is the embodiment of the ideal ruler. He governed in the early 10th century bce, allegedly for 40 years, of which seven and a half were in Hebron, the rest in Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:4f.). Although he is the king of whom the Bible has most to tell (Kingship in Israel), he remains a …