Jewish tradition understands a straight continuity between Ezra and the rabbis of the Talmud. More recent scholars have spoken about the emergence of a new religious movement. Are rabbis a new institution in the late antique period? What are the origins of the rabbinic class? What groups might it line up with in the Jewish past? Your answer should be as specific as possible, referring to texts and events you have studied and read about in class and in your text.