Dan Shapira, “‘Parthian Cavalry’: SWS PRSY / sūs pārsī / A Parthian Horse” / اسواران پارتی دراصول تلمودى, Professor Jaleh Amouzegar Festschrift, ed. by Parvaneh Pourshariati, Iran-Nameh, vol. 29, no. 2 (2014): 64-78 (original) (raw)

Abstract

Ardaban [V, attended to Rav [Abba Arikha, the founder of the Talmudic center at Sura in Babylonia ca. 220 3 ] … when Artaban died, Rav exclaimed: "The bond is snapped!" ‫חבילה‬ ‫נתפרדה‬ ‫רב‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫אדר*בן‬ ‫שכיב‬ ‫כי‬ ... ‫לרב‬ ‫שמשיה‬ ‫אדר*בן‬ Indeed, earlier on, the relationship between Rabbi ( Judah the Prince, d. ca. 217 CE), the leader of the Palestinian Jewry in the Roman-occupied Palestina, and the last Arsacid king, triumphant over Caracalla's armies at Nisibīn in 217, was such that it enabled Rabbi to play the role of a protector of Artaban V's realm by means of magic: 4 Artaban sent to our holy Rabbi a fine, priceless pearl. He said to him, "Send me something as good as this." He sent him a single mezuzah [amuletum]. He [Ardaban] said to him [Rabbi], "I sent you something priceless and you sent me something worth one follarion." He [Rabbi] sent to him, saying "Your possessions and my possessions together do not equal the value of this. Moreover, you sent me something that I must guard; but I sent you something that will watch over you when you sleep, as it is written 'When you walk it will lead you, when you lie down it will watch over you' [Proverbs 6:22]."

Key takeaways

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AI

  1. The relationship between Rabbi Judah and Artaban V highlights cultural exchanges between Jewish and Parthian societies.
  2. Jewish traditions viewed Parthian cavalry as potential apocalyptic redeemers, reflecting messianic aspirations.
  3. Artaban V's death symbolizes a significant rupture in Jewish-Parthian relations, as noted by Rav's exclamation.
  4. Palestinian Talmud preserves older traditions that contrast with Babylonian perspectives on Iranians and politics.
  5. The text reveals a nuanced understanding of Jewish exegesis regarding hope and political dynamics in different regions.

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References (2)

  1. Cf., e.g., W. Hanaway, "Alexander and the Question of Iranian Identity, " Iranica Varia: Pa- pers in Honor of Professor Ehsan Yarshater (Leiden: EJ Brill, 1990), 93-103.
  2. Geoffrey Herman, (A Prince without a King