A Proposed Guide For Citing Rabbinic Texts

Abstract

"The relevance and importance of rabbinic texts for NT exegesis and interpretation has been increasingly appreciated by scholars of many theological perspectives. Yet one who embarks on an investigation of this fascinating literature may soon find himself frustrated due to the imprecision that characterizes the citation of rabbinic texts in research-orientated publications. Str-B, for example, uses an internally consistent system for the notation of original rabbinic texts cited, but one who attempts to find these texts for personal consideration will often find the Str-B notation too imprecise for quick location of the source.' Occasionally it is not possible to find the source at all.' As our appreciation of the significance of rabbinic literature grows, so does the proliferation of rabbinic citation in published NT research. Researchers, especially those who are new to this complex literature, must spend an inordinate amount of time locating a source mentioned in a cryptic notation. Often, especially in the case of indiscriminate midrashic citations,' the researcher is completely frustrated in attempts to locate the original document"