Evidence suggests that conversion originated during the Babylonian Exile. Around the same time, biological genealogy was gaining popularity, especially among priests whose legitimacy was becoming increasingly defined by 'pure' pedigree. When the biological, or ethnic, criterion is extended...

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Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Śaśon, Yitsḥaḳ ben Suliman David (Author)
Format:	Electronic eBook
Language:	English
Published:	Cambridge Cambridge University Press 2018
Subjects:	Bible > Old Testament > Criticism, interpretation, etc Conversion > Biblical teaching Conversion > Judaism
Online Access:	BSB01 UBG01 Volltext
Summary:	Evidence suggests that conversion originated during the Babylonian Exile. Around the same time, biological genealogy was gaining popularity, especially among priests whose legitimacy was becoming increasingly defined by 'pure' pedigree. When the biological, or ethnic, criterion is extended to the definition of Jewishness, as it seems to have been by Ezra, the possibility of conversion is all but precluded. The Rabbis did not reject the primacy of genealogy, yet were also heirs to a strong pro-conversion tradition. In this book, Isaac Sassoon confronts the tensions and paradoxes apparent in rabbinic discussions of conversion, and argues that they resulted from irresolution between the two conflicting traditions. He also contends that attitudes to conversion can impact not only one's conception of Judaism but also on one's faith, as seems to be demonstrated by authors cited in the book whose espousal of a narrowly ethnic view of Judaism allows for a nepotistic theology
Item Description:	Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 10 Nov 2017)
Physical Description:	1 online resource (xv, 272 pages)
ISBN:	9781108236249
DOI:	10.1017/9781108236249