Jethro and the Jews : : Jewish biblical interpretation and the question of identity / / by Beatrice J.W. Lawrence.

• Superior document: The Brill reference library of Judaism, volume 56
• VerfasserIn: Lawrence, Beatrice J. W.,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, Boston : : Brill,, [2017]; ©2017
• Year of Publication: 2017
• Language: English
• Series: Brill reference library of Judaism ; Volume 56.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (188 pages).

In Jethro and the Jews , Beatrice J. W. Lawrence examines rabbinic texts that address the biblical character of Jethro, a Midianite priest, Moses’ advisor and father-in-law, and the creator of the system of Jewish jurisprudence. Lawrence explores biblical interpretations in Midrash, Targum and Talmud, revealing a spectrum of responses to the presence of a man who straddles the line between insider and outsider. Ranging from character assassination to valorization of Jethro as a convert, these interpretive strategies reveal him to be a locus of anxiety for the rabbis concerning conversion, community boundaries, intermarriage, and non-Jews.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence -- Introduction and Preliminaries / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence -- Jethro in the Bible: Texts, Contexts, and Conundrums / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence -- Jethro in Tannaitic Midrashim: Bringing Near with the Right while Repelling with the Left / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence -- Jethro in Later Midrashim: Clarifications and New Problems / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence -- Jethro in the Targums: New Language, New Strategies / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence -- Conclusions / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence -- Bibliography / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence -- Modern Author Index / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence -- Subject Index / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence -- Source Index / Beatrice J. W. Lawrence.