Publication Date

Winter 2005

Journal

Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities

Abstract

The article reinterprets Honi the Circle Drawer's actions as a legal performative, arguing that his act of drawing a circle constitutes the creation of a legal space rather than a magical ritual. By establishing a jurisdictional boundary, Honi compels a divine response, illustrating a sophisticated legal framework within rabbinic culture. This analysis challenges the view of early rabbinic practices as primarily magical, instead emphasizing their legal underpinnings and the use of rituals to establish jurisdiction.

Volume

17

Issue

1

First Page

97

Last Page

124

Publisher

Yale Law school

Disciplines

Jurisprudence | Law

Comments

Symposium: Rethinking Robert Cover's Nomos and Narrative

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Jurisprudence Commons

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