Comments on: Jesus was(n’t) a rabbi http://www.masstheology.com/2008/03/17/jesus-wasnt-a-rabbi/ Conversations in Theology and its interaction with Culture Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:11:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Anne http://www.masstheology.com/2008/03/17/jesus-wasnt-a-rabbi/#comment-5984 Anne Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:27:43 +0000 http://www.masstheology.com/2008/03/17/jesus-wasnt-a-rabbi/#comment-5984 I've got an electronic version of the Soncino translation of the Talmud, which helps in research. The Mishnah does have some references (English translation, hoping it's faithful) to, say, "R. Gamaliel" (Paul's teacher), with "R." being the standard abbreviation for Rabbi. But as the Mishnah wasn't put down til late compared to the life of that particular Gamaliel, it's hard to know whether the "R." was how people would have addressed him at the time, or how the compiler(s) of the Mishnah retroactively viewed him, or even a translation deal since I don't have the original language ... I’ve got an electronic version of the Soncino translation of the Talmud, which helps in research. The Mishnah does have some references (English translation, hoping it’s faithful) to, say, "R. Gamaliel" (Paul’s teacher), with "R." being the standard abbreviation for Rabbi. But as the Mishnah wasn’t put down til late compared to the life of that particular Gamaliel, it’s hard to know whether the "R." was how people would have addressed him at the time, or how the compiler(s) of the Mishnah retroactively viewed him, or even a translation deal since I don’t have the original language …

]]> By: Hank http://www.masstheology.com/2008/03/17/jesus-wasnt-a-rabbi/#comment-5972 Hank Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:04:22 +0000 http://www.masstheology.com/2008/03/17/jesus-wasnt-a-rabbi/#comment-5972 I would probably say P -> R is probably right since the Jewish War of AD 70 basically wiped out the Sadducees and Essenes and/or the Qumran community, leaving only Pharisees. Thus it would seem that their leading scholars or "teachers" would have become Rabis and not just rabis. That makes sense to me, at least. Does Meeks deal with the use of rabi in the Mishnah and other early Jewish writings that refer to major teachers as Rabis? I'm curious. I would probably say P -> R is probably right since the Jewish War of AD 70 basically wiped out the Sadducees and Essenes and/or the Qumran community, leaving only Pharisees. Thus it would seem that their leading scholars or "teachers" would have become Rabis and not just rabis. That makes sense to me, at least.

Does Meeks deal with the use of rabi in the Mishnah and other early Jewish writings that refer to major teachers as Rabis? I’m curious.

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