VI and to grasp such a vast concept, philology alone is not enough ; comparative religion and ideas from the social sciences are used to explain the texts . One may call some of the subjects discussed here folklore, and this might be true only if he realizes that folklore is nothing but Folk Lore, and people in Antiquity, and even today, cannot differentiate between Folk Lore and Oral Tradition . People did not know why they did what they did because they rarely asked themselves such a question . They did what their parents did, or, at least, this is what they thought and continued a long tradition of beliefs and texts . I was privileged to study with great scholars and mentors such as S . Lieberman, my uncle ; E . E . Urbach ; I . M . Ta - Shema, and to be appreciated by Prof . J . Neusner ; all of blessed memory . Moreover, in my academic career, I have found many more learned and insightful scholars to whom I owe a great deal . Scholars and books shaped my life, and I thank God for ...
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