Rabbi Akiva : sage of the Talmud / Barry W. Holtz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Holtz, Barry W., author.

Series:

Jewish lives (New Haven, Conn.)

Jewish lives

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Akiba ben Joseph, approximately 50-approximately 132.

Akiba ben Joseph.

Rabbis--Biography.

Rabbis.

Tannaim--Biography.

Tannaim.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xiv, 223 pages : illustration ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

New Haven, CT : Yale University Press, [2017]

Summary:

"Born in the Land of Israel around the year 50 CE, Rabbi Akiva was the greatest rabbi of his time and one of the most important influences on Judaism as we know it today. Traditional sources tell how he was raised in poverty and unschooled in religious tradition but began to learn the Torah as an adult. In the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE, he helped shape a new direction for Judaism through his brilliance and his character. Mystic, legalist, theologian, and interpreter, he disputed with his colleagues in dramatic fashion yet was admired and beloved by his peers. Executed by Roman authorities for his insistence on teaching Torah in public, he became the exemplar of Jewish martyrdom. Drawing on the latest historical and literary scholarship, this book goes beyond older biographies, untangling a complex assortment of ancient sources to present a clear and nuanced portrait of Talmudic hero Rabbi Akiva."--Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Akiva's world

A self-created sage

A love story

The growth of a scholar

Among the rabbis

In the orchard

The last years

Epilogue : the afterlife of Akiva.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

National Jewish Book Awards - Jewish Book of the Year, Winner, 2014 (for Jewish Lives series)

ISBN:

9780300204872

0300204876

OCLC:

959034063

Publisher Number:

99975622107