Biblical Myth and Rabbinic Mythmaking

"This is the first comprehensive account of biblical myth and mythmaking and its Nachleben, or afterlife, in classical rabbinic literature from the Graeco-Roman period (Midrash and Talmud), and in its renaissance in Jewish mystical texts from Spain in the thirteenth century (especially the book of Zohar and its congeners)." "The subject matter is taken up systematically. The book opens with an extensive introduction that takes into account prior work on the subject. In particular, it deals with the contention that myth is foreign to monotheism and Judaism; that its occurrences in biblical and rabbinic literature are either faded fragments, metaphoric conceits, or figurative embellishments, all without any actual ontological validity; and that the occurrences in the mystical literature are the result of foreign influences. A fresh rethinking of the subject opens the way for a reconsideration of the mythic dimensions of monotheism in the Hebrew Bible and Judaism; about continuities and transformations of old themes; and about the role of exegesis in the reception and regeneration and justification of mythic topics."--BOOK JACKET.

Michael Fishbane is Nathan Cummings Professor of Jewish Studies and Chair of the Committee on Jewish Studies at the University of Chicago