The Geonim of Babylonia and the Shaping of Medieval Jewish Culture

Synopsis

Machine Generated Contents Note: Pt. I Historical Setting -- 1. Defining The Geonic Period -- Savora'im And Geonim -- End Of The Geonic Era -- 2. Primary Sources -- Epistle Of Sherira Gaon -- Account Of Rabbi Nathan The Babylonian -- Importance Of The Genizah -- 3. Geonic Academies: Continuity And Change -- Related Institutions -- Operation Of The Academies -- Positions And Power In The Academy -- 4. Multifaceted Role Of The Gaon -- Head Of The Academy -- Judge -- Administrator -- Author Of Responsa -- Legal Innovator -- Additional Roles -- 5. Exilarchate -- Sources Of Authority -- Rights And Responsibilities -- Exilarchs And Geonira -- Decline Of The Exilarchate -- 6. Struggle Against Heresy -- Anan And The Origins Of Karaism -- Issues Of Contention Between Karaites And Rabbanites -- Rabbanite Reactions -- 7. Competition With The Palestinian Center -- Palestinian Center And Its Academy -- Intellectual And Spiritual Life -- Legal Tradition And Literature -- Babylonian Offensive -- Palestinian Riposte -- 8. Ties With The Diaspora -- Sphere Of Babylonian Hegemony -- Palestine And Egypt -- Maghreb -- Europe -- Pt. Ii Classical Geonic Period -- 9. Intellectual World Of The Geonim -- Knowledge Of Languages -- Areas Of Interest -- Supernatural -- Attitudes Towards Authority -- 10. Talmudic Sources -- Oral Versus Written Talmud -- Interpretation And Application Of The Talmud -- Other Sources -- 11. Extra-talmudic Oral Traditions -- Formulaic Traditions -- Other Halakhic Traditions -- Aggadic And Historical Traditions -- 12. Responsa Literature -- Technical And Stylistic Aspects -- Fate Of The Responsa -- Problems Of Identification And Attribution -- 13. She'iltot -- Genre: Form And Structure -- She'iltot Of R. Ahai -- Sources Of The She'iltot -- Influence Of The She'iltot -- 14. Earliest Legal Codes -- Halakhot Pesuqot -- Halakhot Gedolot -- Impact Of The Codes -- Pt. Iii Se'adyah Gaon And After -- 15. Se'adyah Gaon, Revolutionary Champion Of Tradition -- Se'adyah's Career -- Se'adyah As Revolutionary -- Se'adyah As The Champion Of Tradition -- 16. Halakhic Monographs -- General Characteristics Of The Monographs -- Monographic Writings Of Se'adyah Gaon -- Monographs Of Later Geonim -- 17. Talmudic Exegesis And Methodology -- Commentaries On The Mishnah -- Commentaries On The Talmud -- Early Works On Talmudic Methodology -- Sherira, Hayya, And Samuel B. Hofni -- 18. Theology -- Background To Geonic Theology -- Se'adyah Gaon As Theologian -- Samuel B. Hofni And Other Geonim -- 19. Biblical Exegesis -- Scope Of Geonic Exegesis -- Exegetical Principles -- Theological And Polemical Dimensions -- Relationship Between Talmudic And Geonic Exegesis -- 20. Linguistics And Poetry -- Se'adyah Gaon As Linguist -- Se'adyah As Poet -- Hayya Gaon As Linguist And Poet. Robert Brody. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 377-382) And Index.