Rabbinic Literature as a Source for the History of Jewish Sectarianism in the Second Temple Period

* This paper was written during my tenure as a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. I would like to thank my colleagues at the Institute and its staff for the opportunity to work in so pleasant and productive an environment. Professor D.R. Schwartz of the Hebrew University kindly read and commented on drafts of this paper while in progress. His suggestions encouraged me to elaborate and clarify parts of the arguments. I problematic nature of Rabbinic evidence for historiography has been long recognized. See, for example, the comments of S. Lieberman, Hellenism in Jewish Palestine (New York: Jewish Theological Seminary, 19622) Xv. See also M.D. Herr, The Conception of History Among the Sages, Proceedings of thc Sixth World Congress ofjewish Studies Uerusalem: World Union of Jewish Studies, 1977) 3.129-42 (Hebrew); D.R. Schwartz, On the Pharisaic Opposition to the Hasmonean Monarchy, Studies in theJewish Background of Christianity (Tubingen: Mohr, 1992) 54-56. Compare the extended discussion of the topic, with strong apologetic overtones, in H. Mantel, Studies in the Hisiory of the Sanhedrin (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1965) 10-12. This subject has received extensive attention in the numerous publications of J. Neusner. In addition, see J. Fraenkel, Hermeneutical Questions in Research on Aggadic Stories, Tarbiz 47 (1977/8) 13972 (Hebrew); See also E.E. Halevi, Some Comments Concerning a New Genre of the Aggadic Narrative, Tarbiz 49 (1979/80) 422-8 (Hebrew) and Fraenkel's Response, ibid. 429 (Hebrew). See also W.S. Green, What's in a Name?-The Problematic of Rabbinic 'Biography,' Approaches to Ancient Judaism. Theory and Practice (ed. W.S. Green; Missoula: Scholars Press, 1978) 7796; P. Schafer, Zur Geschichtsauffassung des rabbinischen Judentums, Studien zur Geschichte und Theologie des rabbinischenJudentums (Leiden: E.J. Brill; 1978) 23-44; D. Goodblatt, Towards the Rehabilitation of Talmudic History, Hisiory of Judaism, Next Ten Years (ed. B. Bokser; Chico: Scholars Press, 1980) 31-44; S. Cohen, Parallel Historical Tradition injosephus and Rabbinic Literature, Proceedings of the Ninth World Congress of Jewish Studies, Division B Vol. I: History of the Jewish People (From the Second Tenple Period Until the Middle Ages) Uerusalem: World Union ofJewish Studies, 1986) 7-14; D. Boyarin, Language Inscribed by History on the Bodies of Human Beings: Midrash and Martyrdom, Representa-