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From Citation to Imitation: The Medieval Purim Parodies and Their Role in the Reception History of the Talmud

Tue, December 18, 2:30 to 4:00pm, Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center, Federal 2 Complex

Abstract

This paper examines the medieval 14th century Purim parodies of the Talmud as a representation of a unique stage in the reception history (REZEPTIONSGESCHICHTE) of the Talmud.

The Purim parodies of sacred texts are arguably the most distinctive cultural and literary products of the holiday of Purim. As early as the twelfth century, parody of canonical Jewish texts was a staple part of the Purim celebration. The most important and famous parodies for Purim are three works written in the first decades of the fourteenth century: MASSEKHET PURIM, a parody of the Talmud, written by Kalonymos ben Kalonymos in Rome; and two texts by Gersonides, SEFER HABAKBUK, a parody of the Old Testament and MEGILAT SETHARIM, a parody of the Talmud, both written in Provence.

The parodic literature for Purim has a simple mechanism: it uses the same aesthetic characters of the Jewish sacred texts, their language and terminology, but rather than dealing with “high” religious and legal discussions, the parody deals with “low” and earthly subjects, mainly drinking and feasting at the Purim banquet.

The medieval parodies of the Talmud represent a new perception of the Talmudic text and its functions. The Talmudic text is no longer deemed important solely because of its religious content, but also because of its specific literary style that can, and sometimes should, be imitated. In the parodies the Talmudic-like materials are treated as literature that can be performed in new contexts.

In this paper it will be shown how the Talmudic parodies suggest new aspects in the rise of the Talmudic text in the thirteenth and the fourteenth centuries in Provence. The paper will examine the main textual and performative features of the Talmudic literature that the medieval Purim parodies choose to emphasize and how they reflect a new perception of the Babylonian Talmud.

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