How Rabbis Became Experts - Social Circles and Donor Networks in Jewish Late Antiquity

Just finished reading "How Rabbis Became Experts - Social Circles and Donor Networks in Jewish Late Antiquity" by Krista N. Dalton, published by Princeton University Press.
Rabbis have a long tradition of being experts on not only everything Jewish, but in everyday life as well. Now keep in mind that this is only my opinion, but Rabbis are not omnipresent. Rabbis are human beings who make mistakes despite being trained to be experts in interactional social interactions. [I do have some personal experience when Rabbis eff up rather badly.]
Krista Dalton, who is an associate professor of religious studies at Kenyon College, is also a cultural historian of religion, working primarily with the texts and traditions of ancient Judaism within the Mediterranean context.
Now if you read this history of how Rabbis evolved to be the religious and cultural leaders during the heyday of ancient Rome, it will help if you have more than just passing knowledge. Casual Jews who just have a passing workable knowledge of Judaism are going to be more than a bit flummoxed by the subject matter. [Before hitting the roof over that above sentence, I am a Conservative Jew who has a pretty solid religious studies background in Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Zarathustrianism, and other religions.]
Dalton brings contemporary social theory -- about how expertise involves not just knowledge but communities (of experts and of those who acknowledge their expertise) -- to bear on a historical topic. The community of rabbis as Torah experts did not simply emerge fully formed in the post-temple period; the author uses clues from rabbinic documents as well as a deep knowledge of cultural history to trace the development of this community and its role.
Strongly Recommended, but if you just have a regular Hebrew School background, this is not the book for you.
Five Stars.





https://www.amazon.com/How-Rabbis-Bec...