Rabbinic Literature & the New Testament: What We Cannot Show, We Do Not Know
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Overview
Jacob Neusner begins with a study of the characteristics of rabbinic literature and a demonstration of why this literature cannot be easily used for the kind of history New Testament scholarship proposes to produce. He then critiques the writings of various New Testament scholars and highlights the differences between his own work and that of his critics.
Top Highlights
“That is because many scholars imagine that, while the New Testament has to be subjected to the most astringent and incredulous inspection applied to any book of faith, the rabbinic literature is to be believed at face value as inerrant.” (Page ix)
“Third, he is the first scholar to imagine that all sources produced by Jews anywhere, any time, by any sort of person or group, equally tell us about one and the same Judaism.” (Page 107)
“I could not explain even in theory how to deal with sayings lacking attributions” (Page 31)