Abraham Ofir Shemesh
Biographic Data
| ID | 1042641 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Abraham Ofir Shemesh |
| GIVEN NAMES | Abraham Ofir |
| FAMILY NAME | Shemesh |
| SIGNATURE | SHEMESH A O |
| AFFILIATIONS | Ariel University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5330-1857 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 32 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 32 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
“So That Vermin Will Not Suckle from It When It Is Asleep”
From ancient times until the nineteenth century, a commonly held belief in various cultures was that some reptiles, small mammals, and even birds, adhere to sheep and cattle and suck milk from the females. In Jewish sources, this view is first mentioned in medieval commentaries on the Bible and Talmudic literature, where the practice is attributed to several animals: leeches, hedgehogs, snakes, bats, and vermin in general. Records of the milk-suc…
Tensions, struggles and forbidden sexual relations in Noah's Ark
The biblical text does not mention any events that occurred in the ark during the flood. The impression formed by the verses is that life in the ark involved no problems and everything seems to have proceeded smoothly (7:15-8:19). The creatures in the ark, apparently, existed harmoniously side by side with no territorial boundaries, tensions, or rivalries. The current study discusses three midrashim that refute the impression formed by the text. …
Sword and the Red Hat
The Jewish sources that describe the non-medical dress and accessories of physicians are few. The current article focuses on the attire of Jewish physicians in the Ottoman Empire in the 16th-19th centuries. Two major issues regarding clothing items worn by Ottoman Jewish physicians are conspicuous in the halakhic historical literature: the hat worn by physicians and the practice of carrying a sword. Written testimonies and illustrations indicate …
The household snake’
Literary sources of the classical era (first-fifth centuries), both Greco-Roman and Jewish, indicate that snakes were used for different purposes, such as for medicine, as raw materials for manufacturing objects, and as pets. This article discusses the use of snakes to deal with pests in the ancient homes as reflected in the Talmudic sources as well as in classical literature. The Jerusalem Talmud (Yerushalmi) brings a story of how a house snake …
Retaining Information and Knowledge in Human Memory in Mishnahic and Talmudic Periods
The current study explores Mishnahic and Talmudic literature as its basis for a discussion of the meaning of memory, its significance, and ways of maintaining it among individuals. Until the redaction of the Mishna and revoking the religious prohibition against writing down oral traditions, knowledge relied mainly on human memory and it was preserved among select scholars or by elders with good memory. In Mishnahic and Talmudic periods the need t…
Lion is Hungry, and the Chameleon does not Eat
The Midrashic literature relates to several lacunae in the story of Noah’s ark in the biblical text and presents the reader with a wider narrative that includes educational and theological messages. The current study focuses on how the Midrashim combine various species of animals in the narrative of the flood. While the text does not note any of the animals by name, aside from the raven and the dove that have a role in the events, the Midrashic l…
‘He said that the manna is that called taranjebin’
The biblical story on the miracle of the manna in the Sinai Desert aroused many discussions and interpretations over the generations. The current study focuses on Ibn Ezra’s controversy with Hiwi al-Balkhi on the question of whether the manna was a natural or miraculous phenomenon. The article explores the claims of the two sides in light of the historical evidence and the literature describing the phenomenon of ‘falling manna’ in various areas o…
The sources of knowledge of two medieval Jewish commentators in nature issues
Musk, which is produced from the glands of several species of deer, was a well-known perfume throughout the Mediterranean Basin in the Middle Ages. The current article examines the meaning of the gathering operation of myrrh mentioned in Song of Songs 5:1, according to R. Joseph Ibn Aknin and Naḥmanides. The two commentators argue that the phrase ariiti mori can be interpreted as the unique manner of gathering the perfume of the musk deer in its …
Producing fire and hybrids as seen by the Midrash Aggadah
The current study analyzes several Midrashic sources that deal with the invention and discovery of fire and of the mule. It examines the narrative of the Midrashim, while comparing it with portrayal of the invention or source of these two elements in Greco-Roman mythology and culture. The rabbis did not openly voice their negative attitude to the mythological narrative concerning the discovery of fire or their reservations about crossbreeding in …
Rabbis Versus Harmful Mice
This study discusses two stories in Jerusalem Talmud on R. Pinḥhas ben Yair who controls mice and forces them to gather in one place and to do his wishes. The two stories have in common their demonstration of the learned sage’s power to utilize miracles to deal with a harmful animal, thereby saving the people. The "decree" issued by R. Pinḥas ben Yair is permissible kind of ḥover ḥaver as it operates within the framework of Jewish rules and does …
“The Son of a Bird”
Messages and signs received from animals were used to predict the future since ancient times. The ancestors believed that animal behavior, especially the voices or flight of fowls, indicates what is going to occur, whether success or failure. The current study deals with two post-biblical interpretations of the utilization of birds for divination (ornithomancy) in the biblical story of the Midianite war against the Israelites (Num. 25:17–18). The…
Food, memory and cultural-religious identity in the story of the ‘desirers’ (Nm 11
This article examines the nutritional and cultural meaning underlying the list of foods mentioned in the claims of the Israelites in Numbers 11:4–6. The foods eaten by the Israelites in Egypt express stability and a familiar routine, whilst the foods of Eretz Israel, although depicted as choicer, express uncertainty. The list of foods has a literary role on several spheres: (1) The foods are elements distinguishing the agricultural practices in E…
‘The fruits are very good and inexpensive’
The book Shaarei Yerushalayim , written by R. Moshe Reicher, contains contemporary information on 19th-century Eretz Israel. Reicher perceived his compilation as a religious cultural moderator between the Holy Land and the Jews in the Diaspora, in which he reported to the Jews of Galicia on various aspects related to the land. This article discusses his descriptions of local food crops and the messages he attempted to convey to his readers throug…
‘How shall we kill him? By sword, fire or lions?’
The Midrashic literature and biblical translations focus majorly on the verses that describe the gathering in Haman’s house and the preparing of the gallows for Mordechai the Jew (Es 5:14). The goal of this study is to discuss the narrative shaped by the Targum and Midrashic sources and to examine both the realistic domain concerning methods of punishment that were suggested and the theological–educational meaning of the punishment and the type o…
‘He passed away because of cutting down a fig tree’
Comparing people to trees is a customary and common practice in Jewish tradition. The current article examines the roots and the development of the image of people as trees in Jewish sources, from biblical times to recent generations (Bible, classical rabbinical literature, medieval to modern rabbinic literature and popular culture), as related to the prohibition against destroying fruit trees. The similarity between humans and trees in the Jewis…
Ostrich Eggs as a Conceptual-Symbolic Accessory in Jewish Synagogues
The current article discusses the origins and formation of the Jewish custom of hanging ostrich eggs in the synagogue. This habit has been more common in specific countries such as Yemen, and in cities in the land of Israel, such as Safed, Meron, and Jerusalem. The initial reason given for hanging the eggs was that they might arouse one to concentrate on prayers, as like eggs, prayers are fruitful when accompanied by concentration and true intent…
The Scent of the Righteous vs. the Scent of the Wicked
Perceiving the odor emitted by one’s body or clothes as a manifestation of moral identity is a cross-cultural sociological and literary phenomenon. Odors were perceived as a mark that set social boundaries and they made it possible to distinguish between groups of people by their status or identity. In the Christian, Muslim, and Bahai traditions holy people, such as prophets, martyrs, and shahids, were perceived or described as smelling good. In …
Medieval Shiloh-Continuity and Renewal
The present paper deals with the development of cult in Shiloh during the Middle Ages. After the Byzantine period, when Shiloh was an important Christian cult place, it disappeared from the written sources and started to be identified with Nebi Samwil. In the 12th century Shiloh reappeared in the travelogues of Muslims, and shortly thereafter, in ones by Jews. Although most of the traditions had to do with the Tabernacle, some traditions started …
Two Medieval Necromantic Practices
Medieval literature documents two main commentaries on the biblical terms ob and yedoni . Maimonides claims that these are separate necromantic practices. This is based on rabbinic descriptions, but he adds the use of incense and holding a myrtle branch. This was carried out to contact the deceased or for ecstatic goals, namely, to heighten the fervidness of the magician. Nachmanides and Joseph Albo introduce independent traditions that originate…
In the Kuna and in the Synagogue
In the Kuna and in the Synagogue: Punishments for Adultery and Homosexuality in the Nineteenth-Century Ashkenazi Community of Jerusalem Abraham Ofir Shemesh Abraham Ofir Shemesh ARIEL UNIVERSITY Email: [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Modern Judaism - A Journal of Jewish Ideas and Experience, Volume 39, Issue 3, October 2019, Pages 271–295, https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/kjz015 Published: 12 Sep…
Religious Literature, The realistic, and the Fantastic
The current study discusses several ancient Jewish traditions that speak of mythological-fantastic creatures in Noah's ark. The biblical text does not list the types of organisms that entered the ark, rather makes do with noting the groups of animals in general. The Midrashic literature on the story of the ark lists various species of fantastic humans and animals - Og king of Bashan, the giant re'em or the eternally living phoenix. It may be assu…
The Cult in Shiloh during the Roman-Byzantine Period
This article reviews the historical sources and archeological finds concerning the cult in Shiloh in the Roman-Byzantine period. The study examines the transition to the Byzantine period and attempts to follow the conversion to Christianity in the region, with regard to both the holy site and the populace. Furthermore, the study explores the reasons for Shiloh's sacred status as perceived by the Christians, who brought about the establishment of …
“I bear the burden of treating the gentiles”
The paper focuses on the religious, social, and historical aspects of the ancient Jewish prohibition against treating non-Jews. It discusses the attitude of rabbinic authorities towards providing medical service to Muslims in medieval and pre-modern times. It points out that circumstances did not enable the public to fulfill these instructions to the letter, and therefore many halakhic authorities in the post-Talmudic period dispensed with the pr…
“Some Animals Die from Eating this Herb
In 1552, a virulent halakhic polemic opposed R. Joseph Caro and R. Moses Terani. The case happened in a slaughterhouse in Safed where shehita of cattle had taken place. It was found that the animals’ stomachs were in a bad condition. It was argued that the cause was a plant the animals had ingested— Kelekh . The two rabbis published different halakhic decisions concerning the kashrut of these animals. Caro declared that the meat was not permitted…
Medieval Muslim Cuisine as A Real-Life Foundation for the Meat and Milk Prohibition in Ibn Ezra’s Biblical Commentary
In his biblical commentary, R. Abraham Ibn Ezra (c. 1090–1164) occasionally voices the contention that the language, culture, and life-style of the Muslim world are capable of contributing to our understanding of contemporary aspects of biblical stories and laws. The current paper deals with the influence of Islamic culinary art in medieval times on Ibn Ezra’s Biblical commentary on the meat and milk ban. Ibn Ezra claims that the reality of the A…
Medieval Shiloh-Continuity and Renewal
The present paper deals with the development of cult in Shiloh during the Middle Ages. After the Byzantine period, when Shiloh was an important Christian cult place, it disappeared from the written sources and started to be identified with Nebi Samwil. In the 12th century Shiloh reappeared in the travelogues of Muslims, and shortly thereafter, in ones by Jews. Although most of the traditions had to do with the Tabernacle, some traditions started …
Religious Literature, The realistic, and the Fantastic
The current study discusses several ancient Jewish traditions that speak of mythological-fantastic creatures in Noah's ark. The biblical text does not list the types of organisms that entered the ark, rather makes do with noting the groups of animals in general. The Midrashic literature on the story of the ark lists various species of fantastic humans and animals - Og king of Bashan, the giant re'em or the eternally living phoenix. It may be assu…
The Cult in Shiloh during the Roman-Byzantine Period
This article reviews the historical sources and archeological finds concerning the cult in Shiloh in the Roman-Byzantine period. The study examines the transition to the Byzantine period and attempts to follow the conversion to Christianity in the region, with regard to both the holy site and the populace. Furthermore, the study explores the reasons for Shiloh's sacred status as perceived by the Christians, who brought about the establishment of …
“And this Reason has a Justification”
This article discusses a botanical-agricultural reason for the prohibition against eating legumes on Passover, one presented by Rabbeinu Manoah (Provence, thirteenth century). According to Rabbeinu Manoah, the basis of the prohibition is an ancient agricultural concept whereby through changes in climate and annual rainfall, wheat kernels become legumes. It seems that technical changes in agriculture in the Middle Ages affected the ban. The practi…
Planting Eucalyptus Trees in the New Settlements in Nineteenth- to Twentieth-Century Palestine as Reflected in Rabbinic Documents
In the new Jewish moshavot in Palestine (nineteenth to twentieth centuries), eucalyptus trees were used for the wood industry, to drain swamps, to give shade and block the wind, and to delineate fields in order to prevent trespassing. Rabbis dealt with two issues concerning eucalyptus trees: (A) whether they could be planted during a shmita (sabbatical year when planting is forbidden) in order to drain swamps and eradicate malaria, or to delineat…
For the Public’s Improvement and for the Benefit of the Town
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hacohen Kook (the Ra'aya) was one of the most prominent and creative Torah and spiritual leaders in recent generations.1 His philosophy and knowledge extended to many literary genres: bible, midrash (homiletic interpretation), kabbalah, theology, and more. R. Kook was known for his command of all Torah fields, love of mankind, the Jewish people, and the Land of Israel, and had unique eloquent skills. His philosophical and theo…
What is the Benefit of Adorning him with Flowers and Greenery?” The Attitude of Rabbis in Germany and the Land of Israel in Modern Times to Laying Wreaths at Burial and Memorial Ceremonies
Rabbinic literature in modern times includes a list of halachic debates on the integration of mourning and memorial customs, originating in general society, into the Jewish-traditional burial ceremony. Examples include: transporting the deceased to the cemetery in horse-drawn carriages; wearing black clothes or a black ribbon on the mourner’s clothing; three-volley salutes at military funerals; and standing while the siren is sounded on Holocaust…
He Who Enters the Bath-House Utters Two Blessings
One of the improvements introduced by the Romans was the public bath-house. This article discusses the formation of Jewish prayers, which were composed during the early rabbinic period, following the dangers of the public baths. Sages from late antiquity published two prayers: Before entering to the bathhouse, the bather has to pray for his safety, and after leaving the bath-house he has to thank Gd for not having suffered harm. The dangers of th…
“I bear the burden of treating the gentiles”
The paper focuses on the religious, social, and historical aspects of the ancient Jewish prohibition against treating non-Jews. It discusses the attitude of rabbinic authorities towards providing medical service to Muslims in medieval and pre-modern times. It points out that circumstances did not enable the public to fulfill these instructions to the letter, and therefore many halakhic authorities in the post-Talmudic period dispensed with the pr…
“Some Animals Die from Eating this Herb
In 1552, a virulent halakhic polemic opposed R. Joseph Caro and R. Moses Terani. The case happened in a slaughterhouse in Safed where shehita of cattle had taken place. It was found that the animals’ stomachs were in a bad condition. It was argued that the cause was a plant the animals had ingested— Kelekh . The two rabbis published different halakhic decisions concerning the kashrut of these animals. Caro declared that the meat was not permitted…
Medieval Muslim Cuisine as A Real-Life Foundation for the Meat and Milk Prohibition in Ibn Ezra’s Biblical Commentary
In his biblical commentary, R. Abraham Ibn Ezra (c. 1090–1164) occasionally voices the contention that the language, culture, and life-style of the Muslim world are capable of contributing to our understanding of contemporary aspects of biblical stories and laws. The current paper deals with the influence of Islamic culinary art in medieval times on Ibn Ezra’s Biblical commentary on the meat and milk ban. Ibn Ezra claims that the reality of the A…
Who Tells the Raven or the Crane What Will Happen?’
Using birds for omens (ornithomancy) was common practice in ancient and medieval times. According to the ancient conception, birds indicate that which will happen through their cries and how they spread their wings. Biblical translators of the Septuagint and the Syriac Peshitta, for example, ascribed the biblical prohibition against divination specifically to the observation of birds, probably because of the prevalence of this magical practice in…
Holiness, War, and Peace
The Second Temple period is considered both a pinnacle and a low point in the history of Jerusalem. One manifestation of the sharp fluctuations in Jerusalem's status is its flora and ecology. The current study aims to address the historical events and the Talmudic traditions concerning the flora and landscape of Jerusalem. In the city's zenith, the Jewish sages introduced special ecological regulations pertaining to its overall urban landscape. O…
Two Medieval Necromantic Practices
Medieval literature documents two main commentaries on the biblical terms ob and yedoni . Maimonides claims that these are separate necromantic practices. This is based on rabbinic descriptions, but he adds the use of incense and holding a myrtle branch. This was carried out to contact the deceased or for ecstatic goals, namely, to heighten the fervidness of the magician. Nachmanides and Joseph Albo introduce independent traditions that originate…
In the Kuna and in the Synagogue
In the Kuna and in the Synagogue: Punishments for Adultery and Homosexuality in the Nineteenth-Century Ashkenazi Community of Jerusalem Abraham Ofir Shemesh Abraham Ofir Shemesh ARIEL UNIVERSITY Email: [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Modern Judaism - A Journal of Jewish Ideas and Experience, Volume 39, Issue 3, October 2019, Pages 271–295, https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/kjz015 Published: 12 Sep…
Religious Literature, The realistic, and the Fantastic
The current study discusses several ancient Jewish traditions that speak of mythological-fantastic creatures in Noah's ark. The biblical text does not list the types of organisms that entered the ark, rather makes do with noting the groups of animals in general. The Midrashic literature on the story of the ark lists various species of fantastic humans and animals - Og king of Bashan, the giant re'em or the eternally living phoenix. It may be assu…
The Cult in Shiloh during the Roman-Byzantine Period
This article reviews the historical sources and archeological finds concerning the cult in Shiloh in the Roman-Byzantine period. The study examines the transition to the Byzantine period and attempts to follow the conversion to Christianity in the region, with regard to both the holy site and the populace. Furthermore, the study explores the reasons for Shiloh's sacred status as perceived by the Christians, who brought about the establishment of …
Rabbis Versus Harmful Mice
This study discusses two stories in Jerusalem Talmud on R. Pinḥhas ben Yair who controls mice and forces them to gather in one place and to do his wishes. The two stories have in common their demonstration of the learned sage’s power to utilize miracles to deal with a harmful animal, thereby saving the people. The "decree" issued by R. Pinḥas ben Yair is permissible kind of ḥover ḥaver as it operates within the framework of Jewish rules and does …
“The Son of a Bird”
Messages and signs received from animals were used to predict the future since ancient times. The ancestors believed that animal behavior, especially the voices or flight of fowls, indicates what is going to occur, whether success or failure. The current study deals with two post-biblical interpretations of the utilization of birds for divination (ornithomancy) in the biblical story of the Midianite war against the Israelites (Num. 25:17–18). The…
Food, memory and cultural-religious identity in the story of the ‘desirers’ (Nm 11
This article examines the nutritional and cultural meaning underlying the list of foods mentioned in the claims of the Israelites in Numbers 11:4–6. The foods eaten by the Israelites in Egypt express stability and a familiar routine, whilst the foods of Eretz Israel, although depicted as choicer, express uncertainty. The list of foods has a literary role on several spheres: (1) The foods are elements distinguishing the agricultural practices in E…
‘The fruits are very good and inexpensive’
The book Shaarei Yerushalayim , written by R. Moshe Reicher, contains contemporary information on 19th-century Eretz Israel. Reicher perceived his compilation as a religious cultural moderator between the Holy Land and the Jews in the Diaspora, in which he reported to the Jews of Galicia on various aspects related to the land. This article discusses his descriptions of local food crops and the messages he attempted to convey to his readers throug…
‘How shall we kill him? By sword, fire or lions?’
The Midrashic literature and biblical translations focus majorly on the verses that describe the gathering in Haman’s house and the preparing of the gallows for Mordechai the Jew (Es 5:14). The goal of this study is to discuss the narrative shaped by the Targum and Midrashic sources and to examine both the realistic domain concerning methods of punishment that were suggested and the theological–educational meaning of the punishment and the type o…
‘He passed away because of cutting down a fig tree’
Comparing people to trees is a customary and common practice in Jewish tradition. The current article examines the roots and the development of the image of people as trees in Jewish sources, from biblical times to recent generations (Bible, classical rabbinical literature, medieval to modern rabbinic literature and popular culture), as related to the prohibition against destroying fruit trees. The similarity between humans and trees in the Jewis…
Ostrich Eggs as a Conceptual-Symbolic Accessory in Jewish Synagogues
The current article discusses the origins and formation of the Jewish custom of hanging ostrich eggs in the synagogue. This habit has been more common in specific countries such as Yemen, and in cities in the land of Israel, such as Safed, Meron, and Jerusalem. The initial reason given for hanging the eggs was that they might arouse one to concentrate on prayers, as like eggs, prayers are fruitful when accompanied by concentration and true intent…
The Scent of the Righteous vs. the Scent of the Wicked
Perceiving the odor emitted by one’s body or clothes as a manifestation of moral identity is a cross-cultural sociological and literary phenomenon. Odors were perceived as a mark that set social boundaries and they made it possible to distinguish between groups of people by their status or identity. In the Christian, Muslim, and Bahai traditions holy people, such as prophets, martyrs, and shahids, were perceived or described as smelling good. In …
Medieval Shiloh-Continuity and Renewal
The present paper deals with the development of cult in Shiloh during the Middle Ages. After the Byzantine period, when Shiloh was an important Christian cult place, it disappeared from the written sources and started to be identified with Nebi Samwil. In the 12th century Shiloh reappeared in the travelogues of Muslims, and shortly thereafter, in ones by Jews. Although most of the traditions had to do with the Tabernacle, some traditions started …
Retaining Information and Knowledge in Human Memory in Mishnahic and Talmudic Periods
The current study explores Mishnahic and Talmudic literature as its basis for a discussion of the meaning of memory, its significance, and ways of maintaining it among individuals. Until the redaction of the Mishna and revoking the religious prohibition against writing down oral traditions, knowledge relied mainly on human memory and it was preserved among select scholars or by elders with good memory. In Mishnahic and Talmudic periods the need t…
Lion is Hungry, and the Chameleon does not Eat
The Midrashic literature relates to several lacunae in the story of Noah’s ark in the biblical text and presents the reader with a wider narrative that includes educational and theological messages. The current study focuses on how the Midrashim combine various species of animals in the narrative of the flood. While the text does not note any of the animals by name, aside from the raven and the dove that have a role in the events, the Midrashic l…
History (24 works) · Philosophy (23 works) · Judaism (21 works) · Archaeology (20 works) · Art (20 works) · Archaeology and Historical Studies (18 works) · Ancient history (13 works) · Theology (13 works) · Literature (12 works) · Aesthetics (11 works)