• Loanwords in the Fiery Furnace

    Author(s):
    Amit Gvaryahu (see profile)
    Date:
    2023
    Group(s):
    Late Antiquity, New Testament, Textual Scholarship
    Subject(s):
    Rabbinical literature, Stoics, Philology
    Item Type:
    Article
    Permanent URL:
    https://doi.org/10.17613/chdx-sh13
    Abstract:
    This article is a discussion of two Greek loanwords found in the Rabbinic text Song of Songs Rabbah. It shows that these words are best identified and explained through a comparison with a Stoic theory of fire, described and refuted by Philo of Alexandria. That these words, both hapax legomena in Rabbinic literature, are used in the Midrash show that at least some rabbis were conversant in Greek scientific terminology—and perhaps specifically with a version of this Stoic dispute. The uses to which these terms were put show that the rabbis deployed their vast, specialized knowledge where it was most important to them: interpreting the scriptures.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. Date:
    2023
    Journal:
    Journal for the Study of Judaism
    Volume:
    55
    Status:
    Scheduled
    Last Updated:
    1 week ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved

    This item will be available for download beginning 09/14/2025


    Back to Deposits