How Rabbis Became Experts: Social Circles and Donor Networks in Jewish Late Antiquity

"This is a compelling, engaging, and well written volume that illuminates an important question: the way the rabbis came to be regarded as experts, and how that expertise developed in social and relational terms. Dalton’s rich and striking account sheds fresh light on one of the most crucial elements of rabbinic culture.”—Julia Watts Belser, Georgetown University

“In this engaging book, Dalton challenges the notion that rabbinic expertise was grounded primarily in the mastery of Torah and Jewish law. Without denying the depth and breadth of their learning, Dalton demonstrates that the rabbis achieved expert status primarily through everyday activities of mutual exchange within the social networks of their time and place. This book will help us to rethink the role of knowledge in establishing expertise, not only in the rabbinic world, but also in the early church, and in our own time.”—Adele Reinhartz, University of Ottawa

“How Rabbis Became Experts is a revelatory exploration of how rabbis in Roman Palestine gained recognition as experts through everyday social interactions. This thoroughly human account invites readers to rethink the relational dynamics at the heart of ancient Jewish life, and how they were deeply embedded within the larger Roman world. An essential read for anyone interested in Jewish history, religious authority, and the sociology of knowledge."—Simcha Gross, University of Pennsylvania

“The book makes a significant contribution to Jewish studies. The argument is clear, streamlined, convincing, and important. The author’s writing is superb and among the best I have seen in academia for a scholarly monograph. It takes up some topics of research that had been addressed by scholars in the early years of critical scholarship on rabbinics and looks at these topics in fresh light, with new tools.”—Gregg E. Gardner, University of British Columbia