Jews of Babylonia in the Talmudic Era

social and cultural history

The monograph is well-known Israeli scholar devoted to the social and cultural history of the Jews of Babylonia in the early Christian era and before the end of the Babylonian Talmud at the end of five centuries AD

Based on the rich material drawn from the Talmudic texts, rabbinic literature, early Christian literature and historical chronicles of the period under review, the researcher recreates the appearance of the community, whose contribution to the shaping of Jewish life for generations has no equal.

Particular attention is paid to socio-political context of Jewish life in Babylon under the Parthian and Sassanian rule, as well as the structure and functioning of the Jewish community institutions, among them the central place occupied by the Babylonian Academy - Yeshiva - became a decisive factor in the rise of the Babylonian diaspora to a higher level of internal hierarchy in Jewish world.

Written in lively and clear language and based on the most recent historical data, the book is intended both for specialists in ancient history and Hebrew literature, and for any educated reader.