Jewish culture outside the study hall

Jewish literature after the destruction of the Second Temple until the Byzantine period (70-640 ce), was predominate by the Rabbinic elite. The article will try to prove that in addition to the culture created in the study hall there was vigorous Jewish cultural activity outside the study hall as well. In this context we will survey 20 cultural activities. These activities were in a dialogue with the Rabbinic literature, sometimes in conflict with the Sages and sometimes accepted by them. At times, such works ultimately found their way into the study hall or at least to its margins. The article tries to develop the methodology to distinguish between “unusual” behavior of an “ordinary” rabbi or the unique opinion of a rabbi within the study hall, on the one hand, and the behavior or creative work of someone close to the Rabbis who was not identified as one of them, on the other hand. He may have chosen not to identify as a Rabbi, but the Rabbis or Jewish society as a whole could have made that distinction.