`Am ha-aretz
Encyclopedia
The term "the people of the Land" ( am ha'aretz) is a term found in the Hebrew Bible
which, when singular "the people," and where "the land" refers to the land of Israel, refers to Jews. When plural "the peoples (plural) of the land (singular)" (Hebrew plural ammei ha'aretz) would refer to non-Jews, and when both words are plural (Hebrew plural ammei ha'aretzot, lit. "peoples of the lands") to peoples of gentile lands.
In Rabbinic Judaism
the Talmud
applies "the people of Land" to uneducated Jews, who were deemed likely to be negligent in their observance of the commandments due to their ignorance, and the term combines the meanings of "rustic" with those of "boorish, uncivilized, ignorant" (compare the meaning of Latinate "pagan").
. Among the activities of the Biblical am ha'aretz was the revolt against Athaliah
. By contrast, the plural ammei ha'aretz or ammei ha'aretzot refers to foreigners, either the nations of the world (gentiles) or the native Canaanite
population living within Eretz Israel.
In the Second Temple
era, the "people of the land" (am ha'aretz) are contrasted with those returning from exile;
It is unclear whether the term refers to the people of Judah who remained behind and adopted syncretistic views, or to non-Hebrews. Rubenstein (2003) considers that in Ezra and Nehemiah it designates the rural Jews who had remained in the land while the aristocratic and priestly classes were deported to exile in Babylonia. In the view of Kartveit (2009) the terms used in Ezra and Nehemiah may not be precise in their distinctions; there may be implication is that the "people of the land" (Ezra 4:4) had intermarried with the "peoples of the lands" (Ezra 9:1 ammei ha'aretzoth), and there may be an equation or relation with the origin of the Samaritan
s.
, its usage there has very little connection to the usage from the Hasmonaean period and hence in the Mishnah
. The am ha'aretz were of two types, the am ha'aretz le-mitzvot, Jews disparaged for not scrupulously observing the commandments, and am ha'aretz la-Torah, those stigmatized as ignoramuses for not having studied the Torah at all.
In antiquity (Hasmonean to Roman era, 140 BCE–70 CE), the am ha'aretz were the uneducated rustic population of Iudaea, as opposed to the learned factions of the Pharisees
or Sadducees
.
It was in this milieu that Messianic
sectarianism thrived, which among other things resulted in the emergence of Christianity
.
The am ha'aretz are denounced in BT Pesachim 49, where they are contrasted with the hakham
im or "wise" and talmide hakhamim or "students of the wise", i.e. scholars of the Talmud. The text contains the rabbinical teaching that no man should marry a daughter of an am ha'aretz because if he should die or be exiled, his sons will then also be ammei ha'aretz (see Jewish matrilineality). A man should rather sell all his possessions in order to afford marriage to a daughter of a hakham talmid. Marriage of a talmid hakhim to a daughter of an am ha'aretz is compared to the crossbreeding of grapevine with wild wine, which is "unseemly and disagreeable".
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
which, when singular "the people," and where "the land" refers to the land of Israel, refers to Jews. When plural "the peoples (plural) of the land (singular)" (Hebrew plural ammei ha'aretz) would refer to non-Jews, and when both words are plural (Hebrew plural ammei ha'aretzot, lit. "peoples of the lands") to peoples of gentile lands.
In Rabbinic Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism or Rabbinism has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Talmud...
the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
applies "the people of Land" to uneducated Jews, who were deemed likely to be negligent in their observance of the commandments due to their ignorance, and the term combines the meanings of "rustic" with those of "boorish, uncivilized, ignorant" (compare the meaning of Latinate "pagan").
Hebrew Bible
In Biblical Hebrew, the term "the people of the land" (Hebrew am ha'aretz) refers to a special social group or caste within the kingdom of JudahKingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
. Among the activities of the Biblical am ha'aretz was the revolt against Athaliah
Athaliah
Athaliah was the queen of Judah during the reign of King Jehoram, and later became sole ruler of Judah for six years. William F. Albright has dated her reign to 842–837 BC, while Edwin R. Thiele's dates, as taken from the third edition of his magnum opus, were 842/841 to 836/835 BC...
. By contrast, the plural ammei ha'aretz or ammei ha'aretzot refers to foreigners, either the nations of the world (gentiles) or the native Canaanite
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
population living within Eretz Israel.
In the Second Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
era, the "people of the land" (am ha'aretz) are contrasted with those returning from exile;
It is unclear whether the term refers to the people of Judah who remained behind and adopted syncretistic views, or to non-Hebrews. Rubenstein (2003) considers that in Ezra and Nehemiah it designates the rural Jews who had remained in the land while the aristocratic and priestly classes were deported to exile in Babylonia. In the view of Kartveit (2009) the terms used in Ezra and Nehemiah may not be precise in their distinctions; there may be implication is that the "people of the land" (Ezra 4:4) had intermarried with the "peoples of the lands" (Ezra 9:1 ammei ha'aretzoth), and there may be an equation or relation with the origin of the Samaritan
Samaritan
The Samaritans are an ethnoreligious group of the Levant. Religiously, they are the adherents to Samaritanism, an Abrahamic religion closely related to Judaism...
s.
Rabbinic Judaism
While the term am ha'aretz does occur in the Hebrew BibleHebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, its usage there has very little connection to the usage from the Hasmonaean period and hence in the Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
. The am ha'aretz were of two types, the am ha'aretz le-mitzvot, Jews disparaged for not scrupulously observing the commandments, and am ha'aretz la-Torah, those stigmatized as ignoramuses for not having studied the Torah at all.
In antiquity (Hasmonean to Roman era, 140 BCE–70 CE), the am ha'aretz were the uneducated rustic population of Iudaea, as opposed to the learned factions of the Pharisees
Pharisees
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period beginning under the Hasmonean dynasty in the wake of...
or Sadducees
Sadducees
The Sadducees were a sect or group of Jews that were active in Ancient Israel during the Second Temple period, starting from the second century BC through the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. The sect was identified by Josephus with the upper social and economic echelon of Judean society...
.
It was in this milieu that Messianic
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
sectarianism thrived, which among other things resulted in the emergence of Christianity
Jewish Christians
Jewish Christians is a term which appears in historical texts contrasting Christians of Jewish origin with Gentile Christians, both in discussion of the New Testament church and the second and following centuries....
.
The am ha'aretz are denounced in BT Pesachim 49, where they are contrasted with the hakham
Hakham
Hakham is a term from Judaism, meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. The word is generally used to designate a cultured and learned person: "He who says a wise thing is called a wise man ["hakham"], even if he be not a Jew"...
im or "wise" and talmide hakhamim or "students of the wise", i.e. scholars of the Talmud. The text contains the rabbinical teaching that no man should marry a daughter of an am ha'aretz because if he should die or be exiled, his sons will then also be ammei ha'aretz (see Jewish matrilineality). A man should rather sell all his possessions in order to afford marriage to a daughter of a hakham talmid. Marriage of a talmid hakhim to a daughter of an am ha'aretz is compared to the crossbreeding of grapevine with wild wine, which is "unseemly and disagreeable".
See also
- Who is a Jew?Who is a Jew?"Who is a Jew?" is a basic question about Jewish identity and considerations of Jewish self-identification. The question is based in ideas about Jewish personhood which themselves have cultural, religious, genealogical, and personal dimensions...
- Minuth, "heretic" in Hebrew
- Hellenistic JudaismHellenistic JudaismHellenistic Judaism was a movement which existed in the Jewish diaspora that sought to establish a Hebraic-Jewish religious tradition within the culture and language of Hellenism...
- GoyGoyis a Hebrew biblical term for "nation". By Roman times it had also acquired the meaning of "non-Jew". The latter is also its meaning in Yiddish.-In Biblical Hebrew:...
, "gentile" in Hebrew - GentileGentileThe term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
- Ger toshavGer toshavGer toshav , is a term used in Judaism to refer to a gentile who is a "resident alien", that is, one who lives in a Jewish state and has certain protections under Jewish law, and is considered a righteous gentile .-Definition:...
, "resident alien" in Hebrew - Pagan
- Noahides
- God-fearerGod-fearerA God-fearer or Godfearer was a class of non-Jewish sympathizer to Second Temple Judaism mentioned in the Christian New Testament and other contemporary sources such as synagogue inscriptions in Diaspora Hellenistic Judaism...
- ProselyteProselyteThe biblical term "Proselyte", derives from the Koine Greek προσήλυτος/proselytos, as used in the Septuagint for "stranger", i.e. a "newcomer to Israel"; a "sojourner in the land", and in the New Testament for a convert to Judaism from Paganism...
External links
- Am ha’aretz, by Rabbi Julian Sinclair, October 28, 2008.