To Die or Not to Die: Martyrdom in Rabbinic Law and Culture

• In Event: Rabbinic Pieties

Abstract

It is common to speak of Judaism's "three cardinal sins"--idolatry, murder, and sexual violations. This triad emerges from discussions in classical rabbinic literature that demand martyrdom rather than violating these core prohibitions. However, a deeper analysis of the historical strata of the Babylonian Talmud reveals that this grouping of three is entirely Palestinian in origin. Sensitivity to the cultural background at work reveals that this is almost certainly a response to a culture of martyrdom that knew few bounds. The session will attempt to uncover a separate Babylonian tradition around martyrdom, anchored in different values and priorities. The session will integrate critical Talmud analysis, studies on martyrdom in antiquity and an investigation of how rabbinic authorities and texts attempted to define their communities through behavioral boundaries.

Author

• Ethan Moses Tucker, Hadar Institute