Table Of ContentBabel’s Tower Translated
Biblical Interpretation Series
EditorsinChief
PaulAnderson
YvonneSherwood
EditorialAdvisoryBoard
AkmaAdam–RolandBoer–MusaDube
JenniferL.Koosed–VernonRobbins
AnnetteSchellenberg–CarolynJ.Sharp
JohannaStiebert–DuaneWatson
RubenZimmermann
VOLUME117
Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/bins
Babel’s Tower Translated
Genesis 11 and Ancient Jewish Interpretation
By
PhillipMichaelSherman
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2013
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Sherman,PhillipMichael.
Babel'sTowertranslated:Genesis11andancientJewishinterpretation/byPhillipMichael
Sherman.
pagescm.–(Biblicalinterpretationseries;volume117)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-90-04-20509-3(hardback:alk.paper)–ISBN978-90-04-24861-8(e-book)1.Babel,
Towerof.2.Bible.O.T.GenesisXI–Criticism,interpretation,etc.3.Rabbinicalliterature–History
andcriticism.I.Title.
BS1238.B2S542013
222'.110609–dc23
2012048655
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ISSN0928-0731
ISBN978-90-04-20509-3(hardback)
ISBN978-90-04-24861-8(e-book)
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םדאשרבדלכשאצומהתאןכ
ומשלעארקנוילעושפנןתונ
Mekhilta,Shirta35
ForSuzanne,Kitely,andEmory
Whohumblemeinbeingcalledbymyname.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements..................................................... ix
Abbreviations........................................................... xi
Introduction:InterpretationasTranslationorExegesisandHistorical
Hermeneutics ...................................................... 1
PARTI
UNEARTHINGTHETOWER
IntroductiontoPartI ................................................... 11
1 ReturntoBabel:ReadingwithouttheCanon....................... 17
2 ReadingBabelBackwards.CanonicalFoundationsforExegetical
Expansion .......................................................... 43
PARTII
REWRITTENBABEL
IntroductiontoPartII .................................................. 87
3 TheHolyLanguageintheBookofJubilees:TheTowerofBabel
andtheEclipseofSacredTradition................................. 97
4 Pseudo-Philo’sBiblicalAntiquities:EchoesoftheTower............ 121
5 JosephusandtheInfluenceofAnxiety:ColonizingtheTowerand
thePoliticsofDispersion........................................... 153
6 TranslatedtoHeaven:TheTowerofBabelandThird(Greek)
Baruch.............................................................. 195
7 TheInnerTower:PhiloandtheTranslationofCultures............ 217
viii contents
PARTIII
THERABBINICBABEL:MIDRASHASTRANSLATION
IntroductiontoPartIII ................................................. 277
8 AJustTranslation:ReadingtheRabbinicBabelinGenesisRabbah 289
Conclusion ............................................................. 333
Bibliography ............................................................ 337
IndexofAncientSources ............................................... 355
IndexofModernAuthors............................................... 361
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The following work is a slightly revised version of my Emory University
dissertation.WritingadissertationisnotdissimilarfrombuildingtheTower
ofBabel.Thevoicesofamultitudeofpersons(bothscholarsandteachers)
mustbebentintosomeformofaunifiedvoiceiftheprojectisevertoreach
completion.Theworkitselfoftenseemsdauntingandoverlyambitiouson
manydays.Whilethefinalpurposeistoproduceanewpieceofscholarship
which(hopefully)sayssomethinginteresting,anequallyimportantgoalis
the production of a ‘name’ for the student. There is also the ever present
possibilitythatsomehigherpower(deityorcommitteemember)willfind
fault with the project and send the bricks crashing down on your head! I
havebeenfortunatethatthelaterdidnotoccur.
Therearetoomanypeopletothankfortheirgeneroussupport.During
graduateschoolIbenefitedfromthecuriosityandwisdomofanumberof
friends. I am especially grateful to Jordan Rosenblum, who taught me an
enormousamountaboutwhyandhowtherabbisdowhattheydo.Beatrice
Wallinshastaughtmemanyimportantthings.Iwillnotforgetasummer
spentdrinkingcoffee,translatingMishnahandTargum,andworryingabout
theadventofparenthood.
IamthankfulforWilliamK.Gilderswhopushedmetotranslatemore
closely, think more clearly, and write more economically—even when I
pushed back. I am also grateful that Walter Wilson and Carol Newsom
agreedtobeonmydissertationcommittee.Theircarefulreadingandfrank
criticismshavemadethisworkstrongerthanitcouldhavebeenotherwise.
Myparentshavebeenaconstantsourceofkindnessinmylife.Theyhave
always been supportive of my career plans, even when I am certain they
didn’tquitebelievesuchacareerwaspossibleoradvisable.Imustalsothank
myfriendsattheSocietyofBiblicalLiteratureforofferinggreatfriendship
andencouragement(nottomentionbabysittingservices)duringmytime
onstaff.
Icompletedthewritingofmydissertationduringmyfirsttwoyearsat
Maryville College. It is no exaggeration to say that Maryville College has
beenessentialinthesuccessfulcompletionofthework.ThanksgotoKaren
BealeandAndrewIrvineforalwaysbeingpresentandkeepingmesane.My
mentorandfriend,PeggyCowan,hasdonetoomanythingstobeadequately
thanked.Sheistheverydefinitionofanרזעןבא.
Description:Ancient Jewish Interpreters read and rewrote the biblical narrative of the Tower of Babel to address various challenges to the identity of 'Israel' in the Second Temple and early rabbinic periods.
