Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- 1 Political, social, and economic life in the Land of Israel, 66–c. 235
- 2 The Diaspora from 66 to c. 235 ce
- 3 The uprisings in the Jewish Diaspora, 116–117
- 4 The Bar Kochba Revolt, 132–135
- 5 The legal status of the Jews in the Roman Empire
- 6 Jewish art and architecture in the Land of Israel, 70–C. 235
- 7 The destruction of the Jerusalem Temple: its meaning and its consequences
- 8 The origins and development of the rabbinic movement in the Land of Israel
- 9 The canonical process
- 10 The beginnings of Christian anti-Judaism, 70–C. 235
- 11 The rabbinic response to Christianity
- 12 The Mishnah
- 13 The Tosefta
- 14 Midrash Halachah
- 15 Mishnaic Hebrew: an introductory survey
- 16 The political and social history of the Jewish community in the Land of Israel, C. 235–638
- 17 The material realities of Jewish life in the Land of Israel, C. 235–638
- 18 Aramaic in late antiquity
- 19 The Diaspora, C. 235–638
- 20 Jewish archaeology in late antiquity: art, architecture, and inscriptions
- 21 Jewish festivals in late antiquity
- 22 Rabbinic prayer in late antiquity
- 23 Rabbinic views on marriage, sexuality, and the family
- 24 Women in Jewish life and law
- 25 Gentiles in rabbinic thought
- 26 The formation and character of the Jerusalem Talmud
- 27 The late midrashic, paytanic, and targumic literature
- 28 Jewish magic in late antiquity
- 29 Jewish folk literature in late antiquity
- 30 Early forms of Jewish mysticism
- 31 The Political, Social, and Economic History of Babylonian Jewry, 224–638 CE
- 32 The history of the Babylonian academies
- 33 The formation and character of the Babylonian Talmud
- 34 Talmudic law: a jurisprudential perspective
- 35 Torah in rabbinic thought: the theology of learning
- 36 Man, sin, and redemption in Rabbinic Judaism
- 37 The rabbinic theology of the physical: blessings, body and soul, resurrection, and covenant and election
- 38 Christian anti-Judaism: polemics and policies
- 39 Jews in Byzantium
- 40 Messianism and apocalypticism in rabbinic texts
- Appendix Justinian and the revision of Jewish legal status
- Index
- Map A The Roman world in the time of Marcus Aurelius
- References
15 - Mishnaic Hebrew: an introductory survey
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008
Edited by
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- 1 Political, social, and economic life in the Land of Israel, 66–c. 235
- 2 The Diaspora from 66 to c. 235 ce
- 3 The uprisings in the Jewish Diaspora, 116–117
- 4 The Bar Kochba Revolt, 132–135
- 5 The legal status of the Jews in the Roman Empire
- 6 Jewish art and architecture in the Land of Israel, 70–C. 235
- 7 The destruction of the Jerusalem Temple: its meaning and its consequences
- 8 The origins and development of the rabbinic movement in the Land of Israel
- 9 The canonical process
- 10 The beginnings of Christian anti-Judaism, 70–C. 235
- 11 The rabbinic response to Christianity
- 12 The Mishnah
- 13 The Tosefta
- 14 Midrash Halachah
- 15 Mishnaic Hebrew: an introductory survey
- 16 The political and social history of the Jewish community in the Land of Israel, C. 235–638
- 17 The material realities of Jewish life in the Land of Israel, C. 235–638
- 18 Aramaic in late antiquity
- 19 The Diaspora, C. 235–638
- 20 Jewish archaeology in late antiquity: art, architecture, and inscriptions
- 21 Jewish festivals in late antiquity
- 22 Rabbinic prayer in late antiquity
- 23 Rabbinic views on marriage, sexuality, and the family
- 24 Women in Jewish life and law
- 25 Gentiles in rabbinic thought
- 26 The formation and character of the Jerusalem Talmud
- 27 The late midrashic, paytanic, and targumic literature
- 28 Jewish magic in late antiquity
- 29 Jewish folk literature in late antiquity
- 30 Early forms of Jewish mysticism
- 31 The Political, Social, and Economic History of Babylonian Jewry, 224–638 CE
- 32 The history of the Babylonian academies
- 33 The formation and character of the Babylonian Talmud
- 34 Talmudic law: a jurisprudential perspective
- 35 Torah in rabbinic thought: the theology of learning
- 36 Man, sin, and redemption in Rabbinic Judaism
- 37 The rabbinic theology of the physical: blessings, body and soul, resurrection, and covenant and election
- 38 Christian anti-Judaism: polemics and policies
- 39 Jews in Byzantium
- 40 Messianism and apocalypticism in rabbinic texts
- Appendix Justinian and the revision of Jewish legal status
- Index
- Map A The Roman world in the time of Marcus Aurelius
- References
Summary
MISHNAIC HEBREW AND RABBINIC LITERATURE
Mishnaic Hebrew (MH) is the language of the Tannaim and Amoraim in Palestine and Babylonia. The Hebrew name for the language of these writings is Lešon hakhamim, meaning “the language of the Sages.” Literature in MH covers a period of about 450 years, roughly between 70 ce and 500 ce. The literature of the Tannaim – which includes the Mishnah, the Tosefta, the halachic midrashim, and Seder ‘olam Rabba – was redacted between 70 ce and 250 ce approximately. The literature of the Amoraim was formed over a period from the end of the third century down to about 500 ce. In Palestine, the work of the Amoraim includes the Jerusalem Talmud and the ancient aggadic Midrashim, such as the Genesis Rabbah, Leviticus Rabbah, and Pesikta de-Rav Kahana; in Babylonia, the work of the Amoraim is represented by the Babylonian Talmud.
Most tannaitic texts were redacted in roughly the period 200–50 ce, when Rabbi Judah the Patriarch completed his compilation of the Mishnah. However, research has shown that the Mishnah contains a great deal of material contemporary with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 ce. Most of this material consists of texts describing ceremonies performed while the Temple still stood. Thus the offering of first fruits (M. Bik 3) is described almost wholly in the present tense, by one who had been present at this ceremony.
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- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge History of Judaism , pp. 369 - 403Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006
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