Abstract
This article will consider the evolution of the parable of “one who immerses
with a reptile in his hand,” which appears throughout rabbinic literature.
I chose to study this parable because the oral-performative context in which
it was spoken has been preserved; this context is generally regarded as the
original context for parables as a genre.1 By studying the various versions of
this parable, I seek to demonstrate the versatility of the parable as a genre, the
possibility of transferring parables by adapting them to new contexts, and the
attendant changes in meaning and message.
with a reptile in his hand,” which appears throughout rabbinic literature.
I chose to study this parable because the oral-performative context in which
it was spoken has been preserved; this context is generally regarded as the
original context for parables as a genre.1 By studying the various versions of
this parable, I seek to demonstrate the versatility of the parable as a genre, the
possibility of transferring parables by adapting them to new contexts, and the
attendant changes in meaning and message.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Power of Parables |
| Editors | Eric Ottenheijm, Marcel Poorthuis, Annette Merz |
| Pages | 93-106 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 8 Nov 2023 |
Publication series
| Name | Jewish and Christian Perspectives Series |
|---|---|
| Volume | 39 |
RAMBI publications
- rambi
- Parables in rabbinical literature
- Rabbinical literature -- History and criticism
- Repentance -- Judaism
- Reptiles in literature