The Reception of the Bible in Geonic Literature

Abstract

Abstract This article surveys the reception of the Bible in rabbinic literature during the period from the close of the Talmud until the rise of Rashi and the medieval commentators who followed him – from approximately 650 to 1050 CE. It considers works of midrash and mysticism, as well as works of individual Geonim. The article charts the eclipse of biblical authority in the period, and its reemergence in Europe at the end of the Geonic era.