Who Was Babatha? Jewish Biography as History Dr. Henry Abramson

Rolling her precious documents and carefully wrapping them in a leather pouch tied with twine, Babatha buried her entire legal history in the floor of the cave she shared with Bar Kochba's rebels. They would remain entombed in that desolate refuge for 1800 years until their discovery by archaeologist Yigael Yadin, and then the life of an otherwise forgotten 2nd-century woman suddenly came to light: her marriages, custody battles for her son, property disputes, and much more. The Babatha archive constitutes an amazing source of information for the history of Jewish women in ancient Israel. Part of the Jewish Biography as History series by Dr. Henry Abramson.

[@soniamartinez9416]

I also stumbled upon your lectures and I absolute love them. I watch them over and over, I get something new each time!! I particularly love your opening joke. I share your lectures with nephews, one was very skeptical when we were talking of the whole Palestinian situation, and how I found your lecture on it so informative, his quote "he's a Rabbi, he's obviously biased, your not getting the true picture" I had him view the lecture and he was impressed.

[@silviatenenbaum6876]

As always, a harmonious coexistence of solid scholarly work and religious flexibility. I both enjoy and admire your lectures. And your goofiness is a plus!!! Thanks for all your work, Dr. A.

[@BigDave641]

Wonderful material. I myself learned about Babatha's life and her archive because I did tagging and translation of the Greek materials. Great popular discussion of key issues! תודה רבה

[@paulfoster1366]

I have enjoyed your series on Jewish History...I am a gentile Christian seeking to understand the Jewish History. Again, I thank you, and pray you well in the future.

[@mijaelvaldez7996]

I have been listening to your lectures for about a month and I must say I have learned so much from these. May HaShem bless you with more wisdom.

[@mikedeleo91]

unbelievable. I stumbled on this channel and I'm so glad I did. Already shared it with my instructors and I'm excited to see more!

[@jboyd3737]

I enjoy all your videos. I'm so thankful that you post these. I'm learning so much about your people. You certainly have a gift!

[@arischwartz5974]

Another great lecture!! As always a pleasure to listen. Thank you

[@Moshe_Dayan44]

A fascinating overview of an 'ordinary' Jewish woman in the decades immediately after the destruction of the 2nd temple. My wife and I enjoyed it very much. Thank you, Henry!

[@arieljacobsegal]

Thanks for the lecture! I sent a link to it to our Dirshu chevra-we are in the middle of Ketubot and this really brings ancient Ketubot to life! Best Ariel Segal

[@EricSunshine87]

Great lecture. Its fascinating to see a personal sketch of a women from this period and even more interesting to think how she got in this cave.

[@pablosandler4350]

Fantastic work, shares a real life view on how family issues could have been in second century Judea, maybe even closer to today from what we thought.

[@chaim51]

Thank you very much for your videos I'm a frequent listener and love every single lecture I just wish you would be able to organize all your videos maybe in chronological order I have a very hard time searching

[@markjacobi3537]

YasherKoach Koach thank you Dr Henry , I listened to the whole fascinating lecture from here in Melbourne tAustralia, Keep up the great work

[@CartersCoolPlants]

As always, really enjoyed this video in your lecture series "Jewish Biography as History". It is fun to learn new things, especially when taught by someone who so enjoys learning new things themselves. The joy of the Lord is our strength !

[@lulah3463]

Thank you, in addition to being informative lectures;the biography format make them entertaining and accessable. It's history you can listen to at the end of a long day.

[@ronaholzer]

Fascinating and enlightening!

[@veaudor]

Really interesting lesson. I won't even call it a lecture because since it is so well presented it's impossible to get bored.

[@ammowalk2862]

Hiya, I understand this is an older video and I do stay current with your work. I just thought I'd let you know, you are part of my library and oftentimes I will listen to you throughout the night. Thank you kindly Shalom...

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Yikes! I hope you can get enough sleep.

[@ammowalk2862]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD not to worry, your voice is soothing, and it makes me have good dreams.

[@LipaRoitmanMusic]

Enjoyed your presentation! Learned a lot.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AbelieverofourLord]

I so love and enjoy these lectures! I can watch them over and over. I hope there's much more to come. Love your jokes too, very funny!

[@warriortokarev]

Thank you so much for these teachings. Shalom

[@reneefavors8254]

Thank you, Dr. Abramson. I really enjoy the jokes and the lectures. I even tell your jokes to my colleagues, they love them too. Thank you for posting your lectures on KZbin. I live in a country that does not favor Jews so it is a comfort to be able to listen to your classes.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you find the videos useful!

[@mcgiverist]

Thanks for these lectures. Having a great time while cooking listening to you. This lecture on Babatha was particularly informative for me-well done, and all the best...

[@schrecksekunde2118]

Keep up the good work and especially those jokes!

[@ArnaGSmith]

I always enjoy your videos. Please provide more books.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you! The books generally take a little more time to prepare. Here's the link: www.amazon.com/Henry-Abramson/e/B001K8BMYY%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

[@janmanchee1726]

thank you for these informative lectures

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

You are welcome!

[@BettyChatterjee]

Thank you very much Rabbi for an interesting lecture. With reference to Dr. Freud you said: ''It just goes to show you that..'' As you did not finish the sentence, I should like to do. It just goes to show you, that it pays to think out of the box.''

[@richardforster5394]

What a fascinating discovery! I loved your enthusiasm for discussing these documents and what they can tell us about Jewish life in the 2nd century CE :)

[@dndstumpy08]

Thank you for putting in the hard work to makes these videos. I have been watching them to help me brush up for my tour guide licensing exam here in Israel. I was very excited to see someone talking about this neat find it a different way.

[@davidhochhauser6661]

It’s also time to have a separate sponsor for the joke Tonight’s joke has been sponsored by…. Long time fan, love the content and presentation as always

[@paulootion]

I've only discovered these now and have gone through about 20 lectures already. Very informative. I know most of these were years ago and I'm not sure if you make them any more but I am interested in the history of the Reform movement ,I know this isn't your denomination but as you have covered other people you don't necessarily agree with I'd love to hear more about the movement I was raised with . Shabbat Shalom and Thank you Paula Tabakin

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I have a few lectures on the subject! And am still making them.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Try this playlist to start: Hasidim, Mitnagdim and Maskilim kzbin.info/aero/PLdiAQwLyKa8KDIorGixyxZaZN-oDwpE2-

[@dbarker7794]

Wonderful lecture about an interesting character. Thanks!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

You're very welcome!

[@atenayaquiles]

Following along to what Dr. Abramson mentioned in the lecture: plus ça change plus ça c'est la même chose. The Hasidic movement at their time of origin, was born in a way to challenge the status quo. Today, it is fair to say, Hasidic lifestyle resembles more and stays closer to what they wanted to separate from at the beginning. What this seemingly irrelevant facts can teach us as individuals, remain a part of the quest that we are all here to discover. For as portable as rabbinic Judaism can be, Babatha's story of not full compliance with Halacha of her time seems to be in parallel with today's not full compliance of orthodox forms of Judaism in people own's households. Thanks for the lecture and the time to put this information together, it's great to witness the reactivation of the story of a real human being, with mundane concerns being discovered and shared to the World thousands of years after her passing. I think Babatha would also thank you:-)

[@satis8507]

Thank you so much for sharing this story,very interesting

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@efrainvelazquez8469]

Thanks for an excellent lecture!

[@aminaz1778]

I love Dr H.Abramson

[@aminaz1778]

Henry Abramson . Apologies. What is meant is ; I love the jokes and the topics, it's clever.

[@aminaz1778]

Henry Abramson thank you Dr Abramson. The lectures are educational and concise and useful for those who don't have time to read big volumes and books. God bless

[@otnana3164]

Again, thank you Henry. You are a generous scholar

[@devdonedidit]

Here to write something nice. Dr Abramson, I am hands down your biggest fan on the southern tip of Africa. I've been watching your videos for years, but i find something new every time i re-watch one. This was a new one for me though. Thank you for the work you do, thank you for the awesome presentations, and I hope to one day meet you, if only to take a picture for posterity. A few questions should you read this: a) is it possible Babatha went to the civic courts for fear of being mistreated by her compatriots? what recourse was there for a beit din that wasn't necessarily fair? b) of the 35 documents, were there any documents that alluded to other aspects of daily life? the more mundane side of things c) i really enjoy Freund's rationalistic approach here, is it possible though that there are other rational explanations for why her documents wound up where they did? Thank you again, and a long happy life

[@arikcarlo]

Thank you so much for your erudite, articulate presentations. Your sweet nature and your sense of humour also contribute, adding to the interest of the talks. My research shows that when Nabatean trading economy went into decline, they turned to more settler forms of econømic activity , establishing villages around their trading route stops, including in Judea, where at least 4 or 5 Nabatean villages were established. So, to my mind, Babatha would have been born in one of those villages.

[@tonygaytan9848]

Our new world, thank you for your time.

[@m.c.fromnyc2187]

Fascinating story.

[@jayzitter7662]

Fascinating. I'm trying to find out one important detail--where is the Babatha cache today? And can I get a picture of her or her stepdaughter's (is that what we can call the daughter of the second wife?) ketubah? Thanks again.

[@akinassociates1162]

Very interesting, thanks.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@billphillips8348]

😉👍 good stuff .

[@ackerrj]

Very interesting!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you think so!

[@armymobilityofficer9099]

Interesting teaching. I have watched several of your videos and you seem to treat Christians with extreme fairness. The loaves and fishes comment is an exception.

[@davidsavage6324]

I love the knowledge you've shared. the seed planting of daat may become applied as wisdom at any point, painting a picture of understanding amongst all who perceive that glorious expression. thank you for being a part of my rededication to studying Judaism, Hebrew and Jewish history since my 30th birthday recently. thank you so much, I'm so grateful for your time, what a great whetstone you are for the hungry Jews and philosemites. do you dig Rumi? you seem to be somewhat pluralistic. I'm reading cannabis chassidi right now, have you read it? I found a free PDF. it was so ironic I've been yearning to buy it for awhile before it occurred to me to google for a PDF. isn't it funny how sometimes we desire things we think are transcendent or at least beyond us and they are actually quite immanent. like the demon Asmodeus being taken to Pharaoh Solomon laughing at the sorcerer praying on a mound and later says he laughed cause he was standing on a mound of treasure none the wiser but reaching upwards. shalom!

[@sinshamsh11]

Laughing so much while I listen. Thank you.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I'm so glad that you are enjoying the class! Thank you for being a Public Subscriber!

[@MashiahSonya]

Very interesting indeed , thank you for your great lecture and by the way i love your jokes :) can't imagine your videos without them. Toda raba .

[@Anglitimmike]

Liked the lecture very much listening to it Erev Pessach here in Israel it is interesting to note that the letters were discovered not to far from Messada , and it was on Pessach I believe that Messada fell to the Romans . wishing you a Happy Pessach

[@tallmikbcroft6937]

I love your jokes... It's nice to smile and laugh before I study

[@julianamonteiro80]

Fascinating. Thank you, Rabbi!

[@jimycaberos6349]

Great lecture about BABATHA

[@davecrystal9790]

Correct me if I am wrong, but if I am not mistaken, Babatha had two other sisters named Baba Kama and Baba Metziah

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Ouch

[@paulootion]

Thanks

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you for supporting the research!

[@randiwaxman8412]

Interesting

[@here_we_go_again2571]

I enjoyed your lecture. Thank you. :) Babatha may have been a Roman citizen. Nabataeans, who financed the building of Petra had strong ties with ancient Persia, Greece and later Rome. The tribe was originally from an area where the southern Arabic language was spoken. They eventually moved northward to the location of Petra (They may have been "true Arabs" i.e. "Southern Arabs"); not Ishmaelites. They used their ancient language and pictograms to mark their secret water sources for their caravans. *You may already know the following, If so, I apologize:* Greek engineers built Petra and its water system[1][2]. The area around Petra experienced earthquakes in 551 CE that damaged and in 712 CE that destroyed the water system. One archeologist believes that the Mecca mentioned in the Qur'an was really Petra/Raqmu, in Jordan.[3] That may seem far-fetched at first glance; but it is possible since Muhammad claimed descent from Ishmael and Petra (i.e. the springs north of it) was believed to be a place where Hagar and Ishmael had found water in the desert (Arab lore) Also, when the Muslims wanted to find a member of Muhammad to rule (after the Fitna). That person was found near Petra. In addition the Hashemites are (lateral?) descendants of Muhammad. ____________________________________ 1.) *"Ancient Nabatean Underground Water Systems at Petra Uncovered"* kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5nVm6eqppyDo80 2.) *"Ancient Engineering That Kept One of the Driest Cities Wet"* kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJS4YXtrbcp6aKM 3.) *"The Sacred City: Discovering the Real Birthplace of Islam"* kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIC6d4OKr7BqepY

[@KataSzekeres]

Hello! Could anyone please advise me where to look to find out more about the relationship of the church (I suppose Christian church referred to in this lecture) and the Romans before the Edict of Milan please? Ie. 2nd century or even 3rd. Thank you! 🙃

[@mishpachatshor8470]

A few questions in reaction to this really interesting lecture (a totally new character for me, too!): 1. Isn't it likely that most women at that time were illiterate, regardless of socioeconomic status? After all, Beis Yaacov had not yet been established...wealthy Sefardic women were often illiterate, because they weren't educated outside the home. 2. Would it be plausible for a somewhat Hellenized Jewess to be part of the Bar Kochba camp, hiding out with the rebels? Would the rebels be likely to allow a Hellenized Jew enter their camp, with graven images, no less? 3. Just a comment regarding polygamy: it is still allowed in Judaism, except for Cherem d'Rabbenu Gershom, which some authorities hold was not meant to last for as long as it has...

[@yoyoyoyoyoyoy9]

I would like to ask about what you said, the way the Jews used to bury and a year later put the bons in a box. 1) Where is written that it was this way of burial? 2)How come according to Halachah, we need to bury in send and not in a coffin? When did this concept started

[@chasmbakeriii]

I love cultural evolution; for it really is a tree. Blessings shall truly fall as gentile rain. Shalom

[@AimedResearch]

What does her name mean, Babatha?

[@NechomieZ]

in the Lubavitch library case, the thief did not want to come to a Jewish court, and therefore it was forced to be in a secular court

[@mendyross6121]

***** See www.torahcafe.com/mr-nathan-lewin/the-rebbe-and-the-attorney-personal-conversations-video_8c7287bd0.html where Nathan Lewin the attorney on the case explains that the reason Lubavitch went to court was to stop the sale of books. The plan was to go to Beis Din, however thinking they would lose in Beis Din, the other side asked the court to rule on ownership of the library.

[@NechomieZ]

I think the reason all of the disputes were not brought before a Jewish court, and the legal transactions were not according to Jewish law, is because that period was a time of great roman persecution of the Jews, especially Torah study and dissemination, which led to the Bar Kochva revolt. This explains the ignorance of the particulars of Jewish legal laws and why there were no Jewish courts available at the time

[@doooovid]

I use to hear all the time that until after WWII almost all Jews were Orthodox, and did all the Halacha,... but that clearly seems untrue. From Moses till today, from every level of the Bible to Rabbinic writings, it seems clear that there was always only a minority of the community that were scholars and followed the 'Law'. After studying 'Hinduism', it might appear the Pharisee and Rabbis in general were like 'Brahman' and made their living off knowing and teaching the law, and purposely kept the 'Law' and Halacha hidden, as that is how they made their living, so if an uneducated 'Jew' wanted to follow 'Jewish' law, they had to pay a Rabbi. I note that I studied with Chabadsters and other Kiruv workers who can cynically or when pressed for money look at teaching Torah as a money making opportunity. 'You want to say kaddish, have a Bar Mitzvah for your kid, you have to pay - I'm a Rabbi, that is how I make my money', and note that if every 'Jew' knew this stuff, Rabbis would be out of work.

[@davecrystal9790]

First I would like to thank you for a very informative shiur. Second, I noticed you used a apitrumpi as a plural for apitrupus. I thought apitrupus was Aramaic or perhaps Hebrew in origin, so wouldn't it be more correct to say apitrupusim or apitrupusin?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Word is Greek in origin, but sure, if we made it an Aramaic plural you would be correct.

[@tagalder70]

Lost a lot of respect for Bar Kochba when I thought about those children dying of thirst and hunger because he was a fanatic.

[@rachaelbarat8460]

I have been watching your inspiring videos for some time now and never thought to "Like' or comment. I am going to use one on Jesus the Jew for my Cambodian Buddhist students to enlighten them as to the importance of knowledge of Judaism. I also steal your jokes.

[@williamguttin5195]

So when did polygamy end for the Jews as I've seen it practiced in modern day Israel amongst the Yemenite Jews and others. Will

[@clairebennett7831]

+Henry Abramson This was perhaps 30 years ago, but I attended a lecture by then Shaliach from the Israeli embassy David Shimony. Someone asked this question about the immigrating Yemenite Jews. He said that polygamous families were accepted as such legally, but the next generation didn't continue this practice. He said it also wasn't so common, as a man would usually only take another wife if his first wife was infertile or if he was relatively wealthy by comparison, and most of the people were poor.

[@jad1714]

Something nice

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

TY

[@adamodeo9320]

need to get to the point quicker

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Yeah.

[@adamodeo9320]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD please don't take it the wrong way - yet the fact that the Torah gave women property rights hundreds of years before any society - and Babatha's legal documents should be the exciting opening - be well and Blessed

[@tonygaytan9848]

Our new world, thank you for your time.