The writings of Rabbinic Judaism have too long been accessible to only those with vary specialized linguistic and theological training. By using the Angel of Death as its model, this work is a call to others in this field to open up this material to the general population. / The study opens with an introduction which carefully discusses the difficulties in both dating and accessing the rabbinic writings. The methodological discussion is critical because of the very nature of this material. Scholarly aids, general indices and anthologies are catalogued in an attempt to aid the reader in the understanding of this period and the literature it has produced. / The Angel of Death ('Malach ha-Mawet') is the specific model for investigation and is traced from its "supposed" beginnings in the Hebrew Bible. The first section of this study shows, after a detailed survey of the biblical record, that this figure is post-biblical in nature. / After isolating this figure from within the rabbinic writings of the first millennium, the indexing tools used by those in the field of folk literature are applied. The motif-indexing created by Antti Aarne and Stith Thompson, later developed by Dov Noy, are the basis of this study. By indexing the Angel of Death in this manner, this figure, and others from the rabbinic writings, may be more easily investigated and compared to its cross-cultural counterparts by greater number of reseachers. / This study closes with four (4) appendices which offer different ways in which to index and cross-index rabbinic texts, figures and the biblical texts and figures contained within them. The study presents the Angel of Death as a model for examination, calling for the other figures in the rabbinic writings to be indexed in the same manner. This motif-indexing of rabbinic texts and figures will hopefully enable this material to find its rightful place alongside the folk literature of the other cultures of the world. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-11, Section: A, page: 3943. / Major Professor: John F. Priest. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76795 |
| Contributors | Cohen, Peter Alan., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 262 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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