Ze'ev Safrai

Ze'ev Safrai (Hebrew: זאב ספראי‎‎; born 1948, Jerusalem, Israel) is an Israeli Professor in the Department for Israel Studies in Bar Ilan University, as well as an author, lecturer and researcher of Israel in the Second Temple era . His main project is his authorship of the socio-historical commentary to the Mishnah called Mishnat Eretz Yisrael (literally Mishnah of Israel), which he began together with his late father Professor Shmuel Safrai and his late sister Professor Chana Safrai.

Since the Mishnah is a code of law, its textual style is very concise and lacking in socio-historical background. While some scholarly attempts have been made to understand the meaning of the Mishnah and some attempts have been made to sketch the biographies of the authorities the Mishnah mentions (by referring to talmudic and midrashic sources, for example) Mishnat Eretz Yisrael is the only complete commentary to the Mishnah that uses socio-historical evidence of the time to provide context for the Mishnah's laws.

Of the expected 45 volumes, 22 have been completed.[1]

Biography

Born in Jerusalem in 1948, he studied in Yeshivat Netiv Meir, volunteered for the Bnei Akiva religious (Jewish) youth movement, served in the Israel Defense Forces, and then became a founding member of Kibbutz Ma'ale Gilboa. He received his doctorate from the Hebrew University on the subject of "Historical Geography of the land of Samaria" under the guidance of Professor Menachem Stern and Professor Zakariah Klai.[1]

He married Dina from Kibbutz Yavneh in 1974 and settled there. She manages sales of the Mishnat Eretz Yisrael commentary.[2]

Positions

At Bar Ilan University, he has been head of the Department for Israel Studies and Deputy Rector of the University. He was on the secretariats of the Trustees of Torah and Avodah (a religious movement), the Mafdal and on the permits committee of the Israel Archaeology Council. He served as head of the committee for the training of Tour Guides in the Israel Tourism Office. Currently he is a member of Israel Place Naming Committee, a member on the managerial committee of Ashkelon College, the Achvah Academic College, Givat Washington College and Yaakov Herzog Centre.[1]

Research

Safrai describes himself as a 'servant' of the Mishnaic and Talmudic period. He works on all perspectives of the period, especially those areas where a combination of source types and methodological approaches are required, for instance the combination of the Sages' source and archaeological finds, or the Sages' sources and a socio-historical approach.[1]

Awards

Books

Full list of books and publications on CV.[2]

English books written

Hebrew books

English books edited

Hebrew books edited

In addition he has published many articles in various journals in Hebrew, English, German and French.[1]

Safrai's letters

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Curriculum Vitae on Bar Ilan University Website (Hebrew and English)" (PDF). Lisa.biu.ac.il. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
  2. 1 2 "משנת ארץ ישראל ספראי - קבוצת יבנה- קהילנט". Yavnet.org.il. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
  3. ↑ "Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought - Books of Interest". Traditiononline.org. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
  4. ↑ "ynet "הערת שוליים" - הסיפור האמיתי - יהדות". Ynet.co.il. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
  5. ↑ "Google Translate". Translate.google.co.il. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
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