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Heavenly Voice, Earthly Echo: Unraveling the Function of the Bat Kol in Rabbinic Writings John D Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 3-30-2016 Heavenly Voice, Earthly Echo: Unraveling the Function of the Bat Kol in Rabbinic Writings John D. Grullon Florida International University, [email protected] DOI: 10.25148/etd.FIDC000239 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the Jewish Studies Commons Recommended Citation Grullon, John D., "Heavenly Voice, Earthly Echo: Unraveling the Function of the Bat Kol in Rabbinic Writings" (2016). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2466. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2466 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida HEAVENLY VOICE, EARTHLY ECHO: UNRAVELING THE FUNCTION OF THE BAT KOL IN RABBINIC WRITINGS A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in RELIGIOUS STUDIES by John David Grullon 2016 To: Dean John Stack School of International and Public Affairs This thesis, written by John David Grullon, and entitled Heavenly Voice, Earthly Echo: Unraveling the Function of the Bat Kol in the Rabbinic Writings, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this thesis and recommend that it be approved. _______________________________________ Tudor Parfitt _______________________________________ Oren Stier _______________________________________ Erik Larson, Major Professor Date of Defense: March 30, 2016 The thesis of John David Grullon is approved. _______________________________________ Dean John Stack School of International and Public Affairs _______________________________________ Andrés G. Gil Vice President for Research and Economic Development and Dean of the University Graduate School Florida International University, 2016 ii © Copyright 2016 by John David Grullon All rights reserved. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the Department of Religious Studies at Florida International University for providing the opportunity to complete this program as a teaching assistant. I have benefited much from assisting Professors with their classes. Moreover, I have enjoyed getting to know the faculty, staff, and students in the Department. I am thankful for learning that has occurred both in and outside the classroom. I would like to thank my major Professor Dr. Erik Larson. He has consistently assisted me with precise and thorough feedback on this thesis and has always made himself available whenever I sought to speak with him. I am grateful for his continued involvement and guidance. I would like to thank Dr. Oren Stier who has been diligent in helping me stay on track throughout the writing process. I am thankful for his feedback, edits, and encouraging remarks. I would like to thank Dr. Tudor Parfitt who also provided insightful suggestions in the development and structure of this project. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Roberto Pacheco, who has been another constant voice of guidance and support. I am grateful for his involvement in proofreading each chapter and providing feedback on grammar and content. iv ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS HEAVENLY VOICE, EARTHLY ECHO: UNRAVELING THE FUNCTION OF THE BAT KOL IN RABBINIC WRITINGS by John David Grullon Florida International University, 2016 Miami, Florida Professor Erik Larson There is an ancient rabbinic apothegm which asserts that prophecy ceased after the last Biblical prophets, Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi. After their deaths, a new phase of divine revelation was believed to have emerged through manifestations of a bat kol (lit. “Daughter of a voice”). This thesis examines the bat kol’s function within the contours of the Babylonian Talmud, primarily, employing philological, literary, and historical analyses. Moreover, it includes a review of parallels with Biblical and Second- Temple era, Apocalyptic works, so as to suggest possible origins. In addition, a sample of about ten stories are presented as representative of larger categories I consider best exhibit the bat kol’s purpose. The categories include: announcing an individual’s entry into the world to come, encomium and disdain towards individuals, matters related to Halacha (Jewish Law), and miscellaneous. As a result we discover how the rabbis employed the bat kol to address contemporary concerns. v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 I. Terms and Methodology ..........................................................................................3 II. Chapter Overviews...................................................................................................5 A. Literature Review: .......................................................................................5 B. Origins: ........................................................................................................7 C. Categories: ...................................................................................................9 LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................12 I. Introduction ............................................................................................................12 II. Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature (article by John Nicholson, 1858) ....................13 III. “Ancient Traditions of Supernatural Voices (Bath-Kol)” (article by S. Louis, 1893) ......................................................................................................................14 IV. From Letter to Spirit by Edwin A. Abbott (1903) .................................................15 V. Jewish Encyclopedia (article by Ludwig Blau and Kauffmann Kohler, 1906) .....17 VI. Judaism in the First Centuries of the Christian Era by George F. Moore (1927) ..19 VII. The Significance of Miracles in Talmudic Judaism by Alexander Guttmann (1947) .....................................................................................................................20 VIII. Studies in Jewish Theology by Arthur Marmorstein (1950) .................................21 IX. Hellenism in Jewish Palestine by Saul Lieberman (1950).....................................22 X. The Rabbinic Mind by Max Kadushin (1952) .......................................................24 XI. Prophetic Inspiration after the Prophets by Abraham J. Heschel (1966) ...............24 XII. Theological Dictionary of the N.T., “Φωνή” (article by Otto Betz, 1974) ............25 XIII. Essays in Jewish Thought by Nahum Glatzer (1978) ............................................27 XIV. Revelation and Mystery in Ancient Judaism and Pauline Christianity by Markus Bockmuehl (1990) .................................................................................................28 XV. Prophetic Figures in Late Second Temple Jewish Palestine by Rebecca Gray (1993) .....................................................................................................................29 XVI. The Sinner and the Amnesiac by Alon Goshen Gottstein (2000) ..........................31 XVII. Encyclopedia Judaica “Bat Kol” (article by Aaron Rothkoff, 2007) .....................33 XVIII. Elijah and the Rabbis by Kristen H. Lindbeck (2010) ...........................................33 XVIIII.On the Question of the “Cessation of Prophecy” in Ancient Judaism by L. Stephen Cook (2011) .............................................................................................34 XX. Conclusion .............................................................................................................35 ORIGINS ...........................................................................................................................40 I. Introduction ............................................................................................................40 A. End of Prophecy .........................................................................................43 B. Approach ....................................................................................................47 II. Rabbinic Literary Categories, Biblical and Apocalyptic Literatures .....................48 vi A. Biblical Examples: .....................................................................................51 B. Apocalypticism: .........................................................................................63 C. Greek Writings: ..........................................................................................74 D. Josephus: ....................................................................................................76 III. Conclusion .............................................................................................................79 CATEGORIES ...................................................................................................................81 I. Introduction ............................................................................................................81 A. The Talmud: ...............................................................................................84
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