Tag Archives: Gregg Gardner

The Development of Charity in Early Jewish Thought
History of Jewish philanthropy / New Works in the Field

The Development of Charity in Early Jewish Thought

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Editors’ Note: Gregg Gardner introduces his new book, Wealth, Poverty, and Charity in Jewish Antiquity (University of California Press, 2022), The ancient rabbis of the first centuries tell a story about a king, named “Munbaz.” Munbaz is loosely based on a historical figure – Monobazus II, the scion of a royal dynasty from Mesopotamia that … Continue reading →

Beyond Maimonides’ Ladder: Anonymous Charity in Early Jewish Tradition
History of Anonymous Giving / History of Jewish philanthropy

Beyond Maimonides’ Ladder: Anonymous Charity in Early Jewish Tradition

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Editors’ Note: Gregg Gardner adds more deep historical background to HistPhil’s forum on anonymous giving. It is commonly held that Judaism holds anonymous giving as the highest form of charity – a characteristically Jewish form of philanthropy championed by the preeminent philosopher Moses Maimonides (1135–1204 CE). Yet the truth is more complicated: anonymous giving was directed … Continue reading →