Why are texts sacred to Jews?
Judaism in Five Minutes - Sarah Imhoff
Brian Hillman [+]
Towson University
Brian Hillman is an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Towson University in Towson, MD. His research focuses on modern Jewish thought, Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah), and religion and popular culture. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in the Journal of Jewish Identities, Jewish Studies Quarterly, Religious Studies Review, and the Jewish Book Council. He also serves as the managing editor for the Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy.
Description
Jewish people have historically accorded preeminent authority to texts and considered their study to be among the most religious significant actions. The foundational text of the Jewish tradition, the Hebrew Bible, is commonly granted divine authority. Later texts, e.g. the Mishnah and Talmud, are presented as mining, interpreting, and developing the divine revelation found in the Bible. These texts inaugurate a tradition of authoritative post biblical texts, and texts considered part of this tradition are generally held sacred. The ways in which Jewish people engage with these texts as written or printed material objects reinforce their sacredness.