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Analysis Of The Book ' Rabban Jobanan B ' The Talmudic Tradition Concerning The Episode Of Rabban Jol

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The Sources of the Story of Rabban Jobanan b. Zakkai The Talmudic tradition concerning the episode of Rabban Jol;anan b. Zakkai and Vespasian is found (in its entirety) in five books, namely: (1) Avot de-R. Nathan, Version I, iv (Schechter, pp. 22-24); (i) Avot de-R. Nathan, Version II (Schechter, vi, p. 19); (3) Midrash Lamentations (pericope i, 31); (4) Babylonian Talmud (Giffin 56a-b); ~J) Midrash Proverbs, xv (Buber 79-80). But it appears that the Haggada in Midrash Proverbs was taken verbatim from Avot de-R. Nathan, Version JI.60 Hence, when we consider the differences between the divergent traditions regarding this episode, we have to speak of only four sources. Although the primary theme of these sources is the episode of Rabban Jol)anan b. Zakkai, yet they sometimes include certain elements that were not, it seems, originally mentioned in the Academy in relation to this incident. For example, the conquest of Jerusalem is combined in the Midrash with this story as a single narrative, but from the silence on the subject of the parallel accounts it must apparently be inferred that this subject formed a separate narrative. Similarly the burning of the stores in Avot de-R. Nathan constitutes a chapter on its own, without any connection with the tradition regarding Rabban Jol;anan, which in the other accounts is completely integrated with his departure from Jerusalem.61 Nevertheless, it is desirable to collate all these references, for we learn from the views of the Sages

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