For session 8 (18 November)...

Our next session will focus on the parting of the ways between Christianity and Judaism, and will explore the rise of rabbinic Judaism. For this session you will need to have read the following handouts:

• Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 461-470;
• Barrett, New Testament Background: Selected Documents, pg. 139-153.

Here are some questions to consider when doing your reading:

• What do we mean when we talk about 'rabbinic literature' (Ferguson, 461-2)?
• What are halakah, haggadah, and midrash (Ferguson, 462)?
• What is the Mishnah, and what is it concerned with (Ferguson, 463-5) How does this relate to the Talmud (466)?
• What are the Targumim (Ferguson, 468-9)?

• From Barrett, focus on the following selections, and highlight what each has to say about rabbinic Judaism, its identity, faith and theology:

• Aboth 1:1f (p. 139)
• Aboth 3:14-17 (p. 142-3)
• Aboth 4:1ff (p. 144)
• Shabbath 153a (p. 149)
• Shabbath 7:1ff (p. 154)
• Numbers Rabbah 8:3ff (p. 165)
• Aboth 3:1 (p. 167)