Language:
English
Year of publication:
2023
Titel der Quelle:
Revue des Etudes Juives
Angaben zur Quelle:
182, 1-2 (2023) 217-233
Keywords:
Gaster, Moses,
;
Samaritans History
;
Samaritans Social life and customs
;
Jewish historians Biography
Abstract:
Moses Gaster was not only a polymath who contributed to many fields of research, but he was also active in education, administration, and religious and political matters. In Samaritan studies he was one of the giants in the early days of that specialty. Through the acquisition of Samaritan manuscripts, his correspondence with Samaritans and his numerous writings about Samaritan subjects he contributed substantially to our knowledge of this religious community. And this despite his romantic penchant for anything old – old manuscripts and old traditions and practices that proved in his mind that Samaritanism in many respects is not dependant on Judaism. The paper situates Gaster within the history of Samaritan studies, presents his major works in this field, and highlights two areas in which he produced ground-breaking work – the study of Samaritan marriage contracts and the question of a Hebrew Vorlage for the Samaritan Book of Joshua. Particularly in the case of the latter question he initiated a scholarly discussion which is still ongoing and has not yet found a definitive answer.
DOI:
10.2143/REJ.182.1.3291733
URL:
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