Greco-Roman Culture in the Talmud
Final Review
I. Short Answers:
Dates:
I may ask you for the dates or give you the date and ask for the major event. You should
be able to describe each event or period in one sentence.
1000BCE
King David
586 BCE
Destruction of Temple I
332 BCE
Alexander the Great conquers Israel
516 BCE
Second Temple Built
164 BCE
Maccabean Revolt
150BCE-70CE
Pharisees
70 CE
Second Temple Destroyed
132 CE
Bar Kokhba Revolt
50-200 CE
Tannaitic Period
220 CE
Mishnah & Tannaitic Midrash Compiled
200-500 CE
Amoraic Period
400 CE
Yerushalmi & Amoraic Midrash Compiled
600 CE
Bavli Completed
Name a couple of Tannaim. Name a couple of Amoraim from Israel and from Bavel.
What books did the Tannaim write? Name the Tannaitic Midrash for each book of
Humash. What books did the Amoraim write?
II. Essays (or I may choose part of a question and ask it as a short answer)
1. Relate the conversation between Rabban Gamaliel and the philosopher in the
bathhouse. What can we learn from this story about the relationship between the
Rabbis and their surrounding culture, specifically as it pertains to art and pagan
mythology?
2. Relate Plato’s myth of the cave as well as the story of R. Shimon bar Yohai in the
cave. What are the similarities between the two stories and what are the
differences – both in terms of their plots and their lessons. Do you think the
Rabbis knew of Plato’s myth? Is there any other literature that might provide and
closer context for the Rashbi story? Explain.
3. Cite five potential parallels between statements by Stoic writers and statements by
the Rabbis. Do you think they each reflect direct influence, general cultural
knowledge, or no relation at all?
4. What is the earliest recorded rabbinic sermon? Describe its structure and content?
How does it relate to the structure taught in Greek schools of rhetoric?
5. Cite 5 sources that describe the nature of rabbinic sermons in Talmudic times and
what we can learn from them. What were the typical structures of these derashot
and how might they relate to Greco-Roman rhetorical structure?
6. What is the earliest outline of the Passover Haggadah? List the parts of the
Passover Haggadah as described in this source and note significant manuscript
variants. Analyze the haggadah in terms of Greco-Roman rhetoric.
7. Summarize the derasha at Bavli Shabbat 30a and analyze it in terms of GrecoRoman rhetoric.
8. Describe the court procedure common in Greek and Roman courts. What alternate
court procedure is common in Europe today? Compare this to rabbinic court
procedure and the roles of lawyers and judges in court proceedings. Explain the
thought behind the rabbinic system and what it says about their attitude to truth,
argumentation, and justice.
9. How do various Aggadot describe the heavenly court? Does it resembe rabbinic
earthly courts? If not, what is it modeled on and why? Cite at least four specific
examples. What does this teach us about God’s character and his relationship to
us?
10. Who introduced the exegetical rules to whom? Name three of them. Describe the
circumstances in which they were introduced. Why were they introduced into
halakhic midrash and on what may they be based? Cite an example of a Kal
va’homer from midrash. Who used the Kal Va’homer to attack the Rabbis? Cite
an example. What did the Rabbis do in order to limit the use of Kal Va’homer –
cite two sources.
III. Texts
I will provide the text in Hebrew and English of one or two texts that we studied in class
and ask you a question about it.
Yes, there will be choice.