At the turn of the common era, the Jewish communities of Roman Palestine saw the organization of a small group of literate Jewish men who devoted their lives to the interpretation and teaching of their sacred ancestral texts. In this groundbreaking study, Krista Dalton shows that these early rabbis were not an insular specialist group but embedded in a landscape of Jewish piety. Drawing on the writings of rabbis in Roman Palestine from the second through fifth centuries CE, Dalton illuminates the significance of social relationships in the production of rabbinic expertise. She traces the social interactions鈥攅veryday instances of mutual exchange, from dinner parties to tithes and patronages鈥攖hat fostered the perception of rabbis as experts.
Dalton shows how the knowledge derived from the rabbis鈥� technical skills was validated and recognized by others. Rabbis socialized and noshed with neighbors and offered advice and legal favors to friends. In exchange for their expert judgments, they received invitations, donations, appointments, and recognition. She argues that their status as Torah experts did not arise by virtue of being scholars but from their ability to persuade others that their mobilization of Jewish cultural resources was beneficial. Dalton describes the relational processes that made rabbinic expertise possible as well as the accompanying tensions; social interactions shaped the rabbis鈥� domain of knowledge while also imposing expectations of reciprocity that had to be managed. Dalton鈥檚 authoritative analysis demonstrates that a focus on friendship and exchange provides a fuller understanding of how rabbis claimed and defended their distinct expertise.
Awards and Recognition
- Winner of the Jordan Schnitzer First Book Publication Award, Association for Jewish Studies
Krista N. Dalton is associate professor of religious studies at Kenyon College.
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"Dalton does an excellent job explaining the changes that occurred during this time period and how the ancient rabbis were able to successfully attain the position of expert, even when their rulings were not universally accepted by Jews. Anyone interested in the development of rabbinic Judaism will want to read this work."鈥擱abbi Rachel Esserman, The Reporter Group
"This is a compelling, engaging, and well written volume that illuminates an important question: the way the rabbis came to be regarded as experts, and how that expertise developed in social and relational terms. Dalton’s rich and striking account sheds fresh light on one of the most crucial elements of rabbinic culture.”—Julia Watts Belser, Georgetown University
“In this engaging book, Dalton challenges the notion that rabbinic expertise was grounded primarily in the mastery of Torah and Jewish law. Without denying the depth and breadth of their learning, Dalton demonstrates that the rabbis achieved expert status primarily through everyday activities of mutual exchange within the social networks of their time and place. This book will help us to rethink the role of knowledge in establishing expertise, not only in the rabbinic world, but also in the early church, and in our own time.”—Adele Reinhartz, University of Ottawa
“How Rabbis Became Experts is a revelatory exploration of how rabbis in Roman Palestine gained recognition as experts through everyday social interactions. This thoroughly human account invites readers to rethink the relational dynamics at the heart of ancient Jewish life, and how they were deeply embedded within the larger Roman world. An essential read for anyone interested in Jewish history, religious authority, and the sociology of knowledge."—Simcha Gross, University of Pennsylvania
“The book makes a significant contribution to Jewish studies. The argument is clear, streamlined, convincing, and important. The author’s writing is superb and among the best I have seen in academia for a scholarly monograph. It takes up some topics of research that had been addressed by scholars in the early years of critical scholarship on rabbinics and looks at these topics in fresh light, with new tools.”—Gregg E. Gardner, University of British Columbia
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