Rabbinic Discourse on Divination in the Babylonian Talmud By
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Rabbinic Discourse on Divination in the Babylonian Talmud by Stephanie L. Bolz A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Near Eastern Studies) in The University of Michigan 2012 Doctoral Committee: Professor Gabriele Boccaccini, Co-Chair Professor Richard Kalmin, Co-Chair, The Jewish Theological Seminary Associate Professor Brian B. Schmidt Assistant Professor Rachel Neis © Stephanie L. Bolz 2012 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In the process of writing this dissertation I have benefitted greatly from my dissertation co-chair, Richard Kalmin of the Jewish Theological Seminary. My sincere thanks go do him for all the criticism and positive feedback he provided along with way. His knowledge, brilliant insights and timely feedback have been invaluable. My thanks go to my other co-chair, Gabriele Boccacini. Since the beginning of my PhD studies he has provided a stimulating intellectual environment both in the seminars he has offered and the undergraduate courses for which I had the opportunity to be his Graduate Student Instructor. My thanks also go to my other committee members, Rachel Neis and Brian Schmidt. I am thankful for the time they gave to reading my work and the feedback they provided. All of the members of my dissertation committee have offered solid contributions and guidance for both this dissertation and my future work and for this I am deeply grateful. Many organizations at the University of Michigan have been a source of financial and administrative assistance. The Department of Near Eastern Studies has provided me with numerous teaching posts and administrative support. I would also like to thank the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, and the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies for their support of my education. I would also like to thank my family and friends for all their encouragement and support. I would like to thank my fellow students in the Department of Near Eastern Studies who have provided intellectual stimulation both inside and outside of the ii classroom—Anne Kreps, Justin Winger, Isaac Oliver, Deborah Forger, Jason von Ehrenkrook, and Jason Zurawski. In particular, I would also like to thank John Moldovan, Ilgi Gerçek and Gina Konstantopoulos who have provided much support and empathy and whose company kept me stimulated and focused during the writing of this dissertation. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………….ii CHAPTER I. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 Prior Scholarship ..................................................................................................... 2 The Bavli’s Discourse on Divination ...................................................................... 5 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 11 Chapter Outline ..................................................................................................... 13 II. Oneiromancy ....................................................................................................... 18 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 18 History of Scholarship .......................................................................................... 19 Biblical Precedents................................................................................................ 22 The Bavli Dreambook ........................................................................................... 23 Section One of the Dreambook ............................................................................. 25 Potential Meaning of Dreams ................................................................... 25 Dependence of a Dream’s Meaning Upon its Interpretation .................... 30 Methods for Obtaining a Good Dream ..................................................... 34 Section Three of the Dreambook .......................................................................... 35 Section Two of the Dreambook ............................................................................ 36 Bar Hedya ................................................................................................. 37 R. Ishmael and the min ............................................................................. 42 Connections Between the R. Ishmael Narrative and omina from the Dreambook ................................................................................................ 50 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 54 III. Bat Kol .................................................................................................................. 59 iv Introduction ........................................................................................................... 59 History of Research ............................................................................................... 62 Revelatory Voices from the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Literature ......... 63 Bat Kol and Halakhah ........................................................................................... 64 Bat Kol in a Divinatory Context ........................................................................... 72 Bat Kol Received by a Rabbi .................................................................... 73 Bat Kol Received by a Non-Rabbi ............................................................ 80 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 85 IV. Bibliomancy and Cledonomancy ....................................................................... 91 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 91 History of Research ............................................................................................... 92 Antecedents from Second Temple Literature ....................................................... 93 Bibliomancy .......................................................................................................... 94 Children and Prophecy in the Talmud ...................................................... 95 Request for a Child’s Last Verse .............................................................. 96 Overhearing a Child’s Verse ................................................................... 120 Random Verse Coming to Mind ............................................................. 122 Cledonomancy .................................................................................................... 123 Last Words of a Dying Man.................................................................... 123 Speech of a Bird ...................................................................................... 127 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 131 V. Necromancy ....................................................................................................... 137 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 137 History of Research ............................................................................................. 140 Biblical Precedents.............................................................................................. 140 Knowledge of the Dead According to the Bavli ................................................. 146 Legislation on Necromancy in the Bavli ............................................................ 150 Noahide Laws ......................................................................................... 151 b. Sanh. 65a-b ......................................................................................... 151 Necromancy /Incubation Performed by a non-Rabbi ......................................... 159 Incubation ............................................................................................... 160 v Necromancy ............................................................................................ 162 Necromancy/Incubation Performed by a Rabbi .................................................. 174 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 185 VI. Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 196 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………...….214 vi CHAPTER I Introduction Introduction Divination is a label given, both in the ancient and modern world, to a group of human-made interpretive techniques through which a client would expect to obtain hidden knowledge about past, present or future events. Divination was common throughout the ancient world and references to it in ancient literature are plentiful; rabbinic literature is no exception. Types of divination which are mentioned in rabbinic literature, either in passing or which are attested in extended narratives, include oneiromancy (dream interpretation), astrology (the interpretation of the celestial and