373 GAL 3,28 AND ITS ALLEGED RELATIONSHIP TO RABBINIC WRITINGS There are several points of similarities and differences between the three blessings of gratitude found in the Tosefta, in the Palestinian Talmud and in the Babylonian Talmud. In these different versions in which the three blessings of gratitude are cited, we find that the ideas expressed in the Tosefta are similar to those found in both the Palestinian and the Babylonian Talmud. All three rabbinic texts share structural and verbal similarities. They all emphasise that the blessings or sayings are obligatory. Each rabbinic text lists one member of a pair of opposite, and the other member is implied from the text. In addition, the terms ywg, hça, and rwb are repeated in all three texts. The major difference, however, is in the order in which the expressions appear. While in the Tosefta and in the Babylonian Talmud, we have the order ywg, hça, and rwb, in the Palestinian Talmud, by contrast, the last two blessings are presented in reversed order, ywg, rwb and hça. The differences in the word order as found in the Tosefta and in the Talmuds need not be strongly emphasised. As scholars argue, synoptic comparison of rabbinic writings can only help to distinguish the different traditions behind specific rabbinic texts under study, their different schools, their periods of redaction, variations owing to editorial activities, the particular linguistic context of the rabbis as well as their redactional techniques 7. It is S. ASAF, Sefer Dinaburg (eds. Y. BAER – Y. GUTTMANN – M. SCHWABE) (Jerusalem 1949) 121, who noted a similar reading in another genizah text, manuscript Antonin, no. 993. N. WIEDER, “About the Blessings ‘Goy – Slave – Woman’, ‘Brute’, and ‘Poor’”, Sinai 85 (1979) 97-115, 106-109, also notes simialr sayings in two other manuscripts, Montefiore, no. 214 and Parma, no. 67. The slight variations in the manuscripts are included in brackets. On issues concerning the content and dating of the fragments found in Cairo Genizah, see B.M. BOKSER, “An Annotated Bibliographical Guide to the Study of the Palestinian Talmud”, The Study of Ancient Judaism (ed. J. NEUSNER) (Berlin 1981) 1-119, 21-25; J. TABORY, “The Benedictions of Self-Identity and the Changing Status of Women and of Orthodoxy”, Kenishta. Studies of the Synagogue World (ed. J. TABORY) (Jerusalem 2001) I, 107-138, 109-115, points out the many variants of this Jewish prayer of thanksgiving. In addition, he noted that there is also an Iranian version. We shall limit our study to an analysis of the Jewish versions. I. GAFNI, “The Modern Study of Rabbinics and Historical Questions: 7 The Tale of the Text”, The New Testament and Rabbinic Literature (eds.