Abstract
The Babylonian Talmud provides a series of stories about a certain Ḥanina ben Dosa, the last of the so-called men of deed according to the Mishna. This Ḥanina ben Dosa appears only sparsely in the earlier Palestinian rabbinic works. It seems therefore that the later, more elaborate, and more numerous stories about this character in the Babylonian Talmud represent a case of fan fiction. Using the distinction between canon and fanon, as is common in fan fiction communities, I reconstruct the conventions applied by the canon (Mishna and Tosefta) to the character Ḥanina ben Dosa, as well as the expanded conventions accepted by the fannish community (or interpretive community) represented by the Babylonian Talmud. The fanon used in a story cycle will be tested against an isolated Ḥanina ben Dosa story in a different Talmudic tractate as well as against an extra-Talmudic story. The applied conventions with regard to Ḥanina ben Dosa as adopted in an historiola of an incantation on an Aramaic amulet bowl from Mesopotamia will eventually appear to be the same as those of the Talmud.
Highlights
[0.1] Abstract—The Babylonian Talmud provides a series of stories about a certain Ḥanina ben Dosa, the last of the so-called men of deed according to the Mishna
Using the distinction between canon and fanon, as is common in fan fiction communities, I reconstruct the conventions applied by the canon (Mishna and Tosefta) to the character Ḥanina ben Dosa, as well as the expanded conventions accepted by the fannish community represented by the Babylonian Talmud
The fanon used in a story cycle will be tested against an isolated Ḥanina ben Dosa story in a different Talmudic tractate as well as against an extra-Talmudic story
Summary
Oral cultures [2.1] Fiction written by fans depends in one way or another on a story owned by someone, but fan fiction is itself ownerless and open access. [8.9] pairing these characters in a story answers the question triggered by the baraita, it is apparently not fit to solve the problem for good: Ḥanina ben Dosa's character is too soft, and he leaves enough leeway for the demons to harm people on Wednesday and Friday nights There is another character who seems more fit to take care of the demoness for good: Abaye, a Babylonian teacher and a prominent figure in the Talmud:. The copyist of the Munich 95 manuscript seems to have self-identified so much with Abaye that he wrote "me" instead of "him." Yet there is one obvious aspect that differs greatly from a genuine Mary Sue/Marty Stu fan fiction plot: the canonical hero, Ḥanina ben Dosa, has been eliminated from the storyline He was not saved by a new hero but replaced. The character "Ḥanina ben Dosa" is used in both versions for the same purpose: to start a good deed, which someone from Babylonia had to finish
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
