Becoming the People of the Talmud – Oral Torah as Written Tradition in Medieval Jewish Cultures: Jewish Culture and Contexts

"A vital addition to any Jewish studies library in America."-Jewish Book World "Talya Fishman's ambitious new study ... indicates the sweep of the issues that are a significant part of Jewish cultural history from late antiquity through the High Middle Ages.-American Historical Review "An indispensable study, whose exemplary exposition of Jewish attitudes toward oral, written, and legal matters may well spark comparisons with other cultures, for Fishman has brilliantly shown that words can produce meaning through their epistemological categorization as oral or written, a categorization that itself remains undetermined by their actual mediatic support."-Law and History Review "Becoming the People of the Talmud offers a unique and highly original contribution to our understanding of Jewish culture in the Middle Ages. The book indubitably places Talya Fishman in the vanguard of scholarly research."-Israel J. Yuval, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Introduction Chapter 1. The Place of Oral Matters in Geonic Culture Chapter 2. Oral Matters among Jews of Qayrawan and al-Andalus: Framing Sefarad Chapter 3. Framing Ashkenaz: Cultural Landmarks of Medieval Northern European Societies Chapter 4. Textualization of North European Rabbinic Culture: The Changing Role of Talmud Chapter 5. Medieval Responses to the Textualization of Rabbinic Culture Chapter 6. Rhineland Pietism and the Textualization of Rabbinic Culture in Medieval Northern Europe Epilogue Glossary Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments