Abstract

This essay raises a number of broad questions about the role of Prooftexts in shaping the literary study of biblical and rabbinic texts. These questions are considered in the context of an overall suggestion that Prooftexts be seen as an anthology of articles in the field of Jewish literary studies, that is, a body of writing drawn from the larger body of articles submitted to the journal for consideration. Do the anthologizers (that is, the editors) have an articulated set of goals and methods, and can these be identified through careful scrutiny of their work? Do the articles actually published in the journal reflect the range of proportion of topics among manuscripts submitted? Would it be useful for the editors of various journals in the field of Jewish Studies to articulate their respective conceptions of the proper range of topics for each? How do the editors of Prooftexts distinguish the literary study of Jewish texts from other (e.g., historical) approaches?

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