Author: Burton L. Visotzky

Burton L. Visotzky is a rabbi and scholar of Midrash, Jewish history, and interreligious relations. He holds the Nathan and Janet Appleman Professorship Emeritus at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where his research has concentrated on early rabbinic literature and scriptural interpretation. Aphrodite and the Rabbis argues that Judaism in late antiquity developed through sustained contact with the culture and institutions of the Roman Empire. St. Martin's Press issued the study with the subtitle How the Jews Adapted Roman Culture to Create Judaism as We Know It. Visotzky has also written and edited books on Talmudic stories, Jewish family life, and the history and literature of Judaism. His public scholarship has included collaboration with Bill Moyers on the PBS series Genesis: A Living Conversation.