ABSTRACT
This chapter critically evaluates the most prominent paradigms concerning Babylonian Jewish communities. Despite the obvious importance of the organization and nature of Babylonian Jewish communities for an understanding of the place of rabbis and the shape of the rabbinic movement, their study has largely ossified around several key assumptions and models in desperate need of reassessment. By reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of the state of the field, the goal of this chapter is to serve as a basis for future avenues of research.
