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the Talmudic period in Babylonia -- the period which began as the SASSANIAN DYNASTY as-
sumed the local throne from their predecessors, the Arsacids in 224 C.E."

Continues Shanks: "In the face of the centralizing tendencies of the new monarchy, which
probably threatened (or was feared to threaten) the autonomous framework of Jewish life, the ex-
ilarchate represented the Jewish community before the authorities. At the same time it regulated
much of the economic and social life of the Jews of Babylonia. Their success was probably a ma-
jor factor in the continued THRIVING OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY on the banks of the Eu-
phrates and Tigris rivers."

"But the exilarchate did not rule the Babylonian Jewish communities single-handedly.
Alongside the exilarch a new framework of leadership -- THE RABBIS OF BABYLON --
emerged."

Notes Hershal Shanks: "If the rabbis of Babylonia were PRUDENT in their relations with
the exilarch, they were EVEN MORE CAUTIOUS in defining and publicly stating their attitude to-
ward the GOVERNMENT. As we have already noted, it is in Babylonia [not Palestine] that we
encounter the well-formulated principle that 'THE LAW OF THE GOVERNMENT IS LAW.' Even
when the REVITALIZED ZOROASTRIAN RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT took extreme steps
to ensure that the major tenets of its religion not be debased, these steps were not construed by the
local Jewish community as persecutions [how could this be unless the Jews caved in to the coun-
try's religious establishment?]" (ibid., pp. 263-264).

Shanks brings out the fact that there were very marked differences in the ATTITUDE TO-
WARD GOVERNMENT and the preservation of Jewish religion and life between the Palestinian
and Babylonian Jews. The Palestinian Jews jealously guarded their religion and way of life while
the Babylonian Jews were clearly willing to accomodate the government of their area and COM-
PROMISE certain principles they held. Hershal Shanks plainly highlights this in another part of his
book --

One enlightening example relates to the attitude of the two Talmudim to Gentile govern-
ments under whose rule the local Jewish communities found themselves. The underlying
perception of many PALESTINIAN SAGES, already evident in the Mishnah and even
more so in the Palestinian Talmud, is that Roman rule of Palestine is not only EVIL but in
fact ILLEGITIMATE, at least within the boundaries of Eretz Israel -- thus ENCOURAG-
ING, for instance, anyone who might wish to REFRAIN FROM PAYING TAXES to do
so BY ANY MEANS at their disposal. The accepted attitude in the BABYLONIAN
TALMUD, on the other hand, is that "THE LAW OF THE KINGDOM IS LAW" (dina
de-malkhuta dina), with all the concomitant requirements to remain a LAW-ABIDING
CITIZEN (Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism, pp. 254-255).

Divorcing the Sabbath

The fact that the Babylonian Jews prospered greatly by following the maxim of "the law of
the kingdom is law" indicates that compromises were made along the way -- including

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