Smith FN 1982

This is a classic essay on the "polythetic classification" of Judaism . It forms both the theoretical and the methodological starting point for our study.

In "Fences and Neighbors," Smith dicusses the importance of and the varied stances taken towards circumcision in early Judaism. The evidence considered includes texts from Judaism of the second century B.C.E. through the first century C.E., including the Maccabean literature?, Philo?, and Josephus. Smith also treats Paul and, very briefly, Rabbinic Literature (including a reference to the Tosefta) along with a variety of other sources.

The essay also examines Jewish funerary inscriptions, and considers the distribution of iconography and names in such inscriptions, as found in several archaeological sites.