Guide
Real and Imagined “Others”
By Carol Bakhos
Related Primary Sources
Primary Source
The Noahide Laws
8:4. Concerning the seven commandments that were prescribed to the children of Noah: Setting up courts of justice, [prohibitions against] idolatry, blasphemy, fornication, bloodshed, robbery, and…
Primary Source
Unequal Treatment under the Law
Simeon ben Shetaḥ was working with flax. His students said to him, “Let us ease things for you. We will buy you a donkey, and you will not have to work as hard.” They went and bought him a donkey from…
Primary Source
Rebuilding the Temple
When they heard the blast of the trumpets, the Samaritans, who happened to be enemies of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, came running together, wanting to learn the cause of the uproar. Perceiving…
Primary Source
The Greek Way of Life
From them [the successors of Alexander the Great] came forth a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus; he had been a hostage in Rome. He…
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Athenian Sophists
5. A certain man from Jerusalem went to see a merchant in Athens. He came and was received at a tavern, where he found some people who were sitting around and drinking wine. After he had eaten and…
Primary Source
Babylonian Rabbinic Descriptions of Arab Life
What does it mean [when the Mishnah states that] one may not force-feed [a camel on the Sabbath]? R. Judah said: One may not [feed it until it] creates a manger…