Wayward Jews: minim in early rabbinic literature

Abstract

The content of the early rabbinic discourse of minim and minut has rarely been treated systematically in scholarly literature. This article assesses the tannaitic material pertaining to minim and minut , and suggests that the early rabbinic discourse of minut revolves around three issues: doctrine, religious practice and social enmity. Its characterization as an attempt at establishing ‘orthodoxy’ (correct belief) should therefore be qualified.