Stuart S. Miller addresses a number of issues in the history of talmudic Palestine that are at the center of contemporary scholarly debate about the role rabbis played in society. In sharp contrast to recent claims that the rabbis were a relatively small and insular group with little influence, this book demonstrates that their movement was both more expansive and diffuse than a mere counting of named rabbis suggests. It also underscores some of the dynamics that allowed rabbinic circles to spread their teachings and to ultimately consolidate into an effective and productive movement.Many overlooked terms and passages circles are examined in order to broaden our understanding of the following subjects: rabbinic "households," the identity of the âEUR~ammei ha-âEUR~arez and their relationship to the rabbis, village sages and their connection to urban rabbis, and the venue of rabbinic "teachings," "instructions," "expositions," "pronouncements," and stories.