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Sunday, 18 October 2015

The Reading Cycle

Torah and Canon: 2nd Edition,
James A. Sanders, Cascade Books, 2005, page 30

Sanders identifies the Reading Cycle as being one of the important memory and identity formation tools in Judaism:

Key here is understanding the Torah-Pentateuch as an annual recitation cycle in Early Judaism. The current practice of reading the entirety of the Pentateuch within a calendar year (or within three calendar years in the old triennial cycle) goes back at least to the first century CE. No matter where Jews may be, the full recitation cycle functions as the vehicle for the corporate memory of each Jew - of who they are and what they stand for.

The church could learn a trick or two here: not just a lectionary of readings, but full readings, all the text, year in and year out, in all synagogues, world round.

Posted By Jonathan, 8:00am Comment Comments: