My general research interest has been in the social and religious history of Jews in antiquity. My last book, How the Bible Became Holy (Yale University Press), argues that scripture became authoritative for Jews and Christians far later than is commonly thought. This year I am on sabbatical working on a new book on lived religion in Late Antiquity.
You can learn more about me at www.mlsatlow.com, or follow me on twitter at @mlsatlow. I can be reached at Michael_Satlow@Brown.edu. Phone: (401) 863-3911
Investigates Paul's knowledge of Scripture and argues that it is consistent with that of a Jew wh... more Investigates Paul's knowledge of Scripture and argues that it is consistent with that of a Jew who, like Josephus, was raised in Jerusalem but learned Scripture in Greek. Chapter from book, Strength to Strength: Essays in Honor of Shaye J. D. Cohen.
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Ancient Mediterranean Religions is the first comprehensive single-v... more The Routledge Encyclopedia of Ancient Mediterranean Religions is the first comprehensive single-volume reference work offering authoritative coverage of ancient religions in the Mediterranean world. Chronologically, the volume’s scope extends from pre-historical antiquity in the third millennium B.C.E. through the rise of Islam in the seventh century C.E. An interdisciplinary approach draws out the common issues and elements between and among religious traditions in the Mediterranean basin. Key features of the volume include: Detailed maps of the Mediterranean World, ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, and the Hellenistic World A comprehensive timeline of major events, innovations, and individuals, divided by region to provide both a diachronic and pan-Mediterranean, synchronic view A broad geographical range including western Asia, northern Africa, and southern Europe.
This encyclopedia will serve as a key point of reference for all students and scholars interested in ancient Mediterranean culture and society.
Hisotoria Religonum: An International Journal, 2018
This article re-examines both the ancient rabbinic constructions of the "ḥasidim ha-rishonim,' so... more This article re-examines both the ancient rabbinic constructions of the "ḥasidim ha-rishonim,' sometimes translated “the pious ones of old,” and their modern interpretations. Modern scholars have often portrayed the ḥasidim ha-rishonim as uniformly positive exemplars of piety whereas the rabbinic evidence upon which these arguments are based is at best ambivalent.
This paper argues that both the rabbis and modern scholars used the concept of the ḥasidim ha-rishonim to do cultural work that illustrated the shared ritual dynamics in which each group functioned. The rabbis used the ḥasidim ha-rishonim mostly to counter visible expressions of supererogatory piety against the backdrops of Christian holy men and Jewish “people of the land,” or amē ha-aretz. Modern scholars, particularly those working after the Holocaust, interpreted the ḥasidim ha-rishonim at least partially through the nostalgic lens of contemporary Hasidim.
An ad hoc committee report, never acted on , on how academic units might better evaluate their te... more An ad hoc committee report, never acted on , on how academic units might better evaluate their teaching effectiveness.
Investigates Paul's knowledge of Scripture and argues that it is consistent with that of a Jew wh... more Investigates Paul's knowledge of Scripture and argues that it is consistent with that of a Jew who, like Josephus, was raised in Jerusalem but learned Scripture in Greek. Chapter from book, Strength to Strength: Essays in Honor of Shaye J. D. Cohen.
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Ancient Mediterranean Religions is the first comprehensive single-v... more The Routledge Encyclopedia of Ancient Mediterranean Religions is the first comprehensive single-volume reference work offering authoritative coverage of ancient religions in the Mediterranean world. Chronologically, the volume’s scope extends from pre-historical antiquity in the third millennium B.C.E. through the rise of Islam in the seventh century C.E. An interdisciplinary approach draws out the common issues and elements between and among religious traditions in the Mediterranean basin. Key features of the volume include: Detailed maps of the Mediterranean World, ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, and the Hellenistic World A comprehensive timeline of major events, innovations, and individuals, divided by region to provide both a diachronic and pan-Mediterranean, synchronic view A broad geographical range including western Asia, northern Africa, and southern Europe.
This encyclopedia will serve as a key point of reference for all students and scholars interested in ancient Mediterranean culture and society.
Hisotoria Religonum: An International Journal, 2018
This article re-examines both the ancient rabbinic constructions of the "ḥasidim ha-rishonim,' so... more This article re-examines both the ancient rabbinic constructions of the "ḥasidim ha-rishonim,' sometimes translated “the pious ones of old,” and their modern interpretations. Modern scholars have often portrayed the ḥasidim ha-rishonim as uniformly positive exemplars of piety whereas the rabbinic evidence upon which these arguments are based is at best ambivalent.
This paper argues that both the rabbis and modern scholars used the concept of the ḥasidim ha-rishonim to do cultural work that illustrated the shared ritual dynamics in which each group functioned. The rabbis used the ḥasidim ha-rishonim mostly to counter visible expressions of supererogatory piety against the backdrops of Christian holy men and Jewish “people of the land,” or amē ha-aretz. Modern scholars, particularly those working after the Holocaust, interpreted the ḥasidim ha-rishonim at least partially through the nostalgic lens of contemporary Hasidim.
An ad hoc committee report, never acted on , on how academic units might better evaluate their te... more An ad hoc committee report, never acted on , on how academic units might better evaluate their teaching effectiveness.
Ajs Review-the Journal of The Association for Jewish Studies, 1998
Tasting the Dish is intended as a preliminary step toward a rabbinic history of sexuality (p. 315... more Tasting the Dish is intended as a preliminary step toward a rabbinic history of sexuality (p. 315). Focusing on the arguments (" rhetorics") 1 by which the rabbis bolster their rulings and opinions on sexuality, Michael Satlow analyzes rabbinic texts concerning incest, sex ...
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Books by Michael Satlow
Detailed maps of the Mediterranean World, ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, and the Hellenistic World
A comprehensive timeline of major events, innovations, and individuals, divided by region to provide both a diachronic and pan-Mediterranean, synchronic view
A broad geographical range including western Asia, northern Africa, and southern Europe.
This encyclopedia will serve as a key point of reference for all students and scholars interested in ancient Mediterranean culture and society.
Papers by Michael Satlow
This paper argues that both the rabbis and modern scholars used the concept of the ḥasidim ha-rishonim to do cultural work that illustrated the shared ritual dynamics in which each group functioned. The rabbis used the ḥasidim ha-rishonim mostly to counter visible expressions
of supererogatory piety against the backdrops of Christian holy men and Jewish “people of the land,” or amē ha-aretz. Modern scholars, particularly those working after the Holocaust, interpreted the ḥasidim ha-rishonim at least partially through the nostalgic lens of contemporary
Hasidim.
Detailed maps of the Mediterranean World, ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, and the Hellenistic World
A comprehensive timeline of major events, innovations, and individuals, divided by region to provide both a diachronic and pan-Mediterranean, synchronic view
A broad geographical range including western Asia, northern Africa, and southern Europe.
This encyclopedia will serve as a key point of reference for all students and scholars interested in ancient Mediterranean culture and society.
This paper argues that both the rabbis and modern scholars used the concept of the ḥasidim ha-rishonim to do cultural work that illustrated the shared ritual dynamics in which each group functioned. The rabbis used the ḥasidim ha-rishonim mostly to counter visible expressions
of supererogatory piety against the backdrops of Christian holy men and Jewish “people of the land,” or amē ha-aretz. Modern scholars, particularly those working after the Holocaust, interpreted the ḥasidim ha-rishonim at least partially through the nostalgic lens of contemporary
Hasidim.