Transmitting Mishnah: The Shaping Influence of Oral Tradition

Departing from the conventional view of mishnaic transmission as mindless rote memorization, Transmitting Mishnah reveals how multi-faceted the process of passing on oral tradition was in antiquity. Taking advantage of the recently burgeoning files of orality studies, Alexander develops a model of transmission that is both active and constructive. Proceeding by means of intensive readings of passages from tractate Shevuot and its talmudic commentaries, Alexander alerts us to the fact that transmitters and handlers of mishnaic text crafted both the vagaries of expression and its meanings. She illustrates how the authority of the Mishnah grew as the result of the sustained attention of a devoted community of students. She also identifies the study practices and habits of analysis that were cultivated by oral performance. She shows how they were passed on in tandem with the verbal contents of the Mishnah, thereby influencing how the text was received and understood.