Crafts and Trades in the Economy of Ancient Judea

The following texts bring to light the various crafts with which Jews were engaged in the Second Temple and tannaitic periods (second century BCE through third century CE). As expected, the rabbis discuss how these relate to proper observance of religious law (e.g., the prohibition against work on the Sabbath). That there was no bright line between one’s vocation and religious life is exemplified by the final source (t. Sukkah 4:6), where individuals of the same profession (perhaps akin to a guild) sit together in synagogue. There is a broad sense among ancient writers that earning a living through crafts and trades was less desirable than owning land and also less admirable than working as an agricultural laborer. At times, the rabbis, too, exhibit negative attitudes toward crafts, as expressed in m. Kiddushin 4:14. At other times, however, the rabbis see crafts as a value-neutral fact of life that must be discussed—like all areas of everyday living—with respect to proper observance of religious law.