The Mishnah (Hardcover)

~ Herbert Danby (Author) "From what time in the evening may the Shema be recited?..." (more)
Key Phrases: aught soever, cubic handbreadth, derived uncleanness, School of Hillel, Second Tithe, High Priest (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Translated from the Hebrew with introduction and brief explanatory notes.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 876 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 31, 1933)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019815402X
• ISBN-13: 978-0198154020
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #953,507 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still the best one-volume translation in English!, January 12, 1998

By A Customer

Dr. Danby's translation is an excellent edition of the Mishnah done over into English. The difficulty of understanding a translation of this specialized legal material is made much easier by Dr. Danby's inclusion of several foonotes throughout the text. Dr. Danby has also included several useful appendices which deal with everything from weights and measures to the teachers quoted in the Mishnah. An especially useful appendix is "The Rules of Uncleanness" by the the GRA (Elijah, the Gaon of Vilna) help to explain this difficult subject. Dr. Danby uses brackets to mark off text which, though not in the original, helps one to more easily understand the meaning of the text. Even though the book was originally printed in 1933 it is still a timely and valued addition to the library of those who want to understand this timeless text.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Edition., August 25, 2006

By	Exegetical Nonsense (Indiana) - See all my reviews

Danby is much more accurate than Neusner, however, the Blackman seven volume Hebrew-English edition (Mishnayoth) is superior to Danby inasmuch as it allows one to reference the Hebrew as well as the English in a convenient diglot format. Furthermore Blackman has a superior index for topical searches.

5 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mishnah Proves That The Observance Of The Crescent New Moon Begins the Count To The Holy Days, November 3, 2006

By	S. Olevnik "In Search of Truth" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Mishnah was the first recording of the oral law written by the Scribes and Pharisees between 70-200 CE, that is about 37 to 167 years after the Messiah's death. The Mishnah explains that the New Moon Day was determined by the observance of the Crescent New Moon. It was the general understanding that New Moon meant Crescent New Moon Day. The Crescent New Moon Day begins the count to all the Holy Days and the Messiah kept the New Moon Feasts and the Annual Feasts as Holy Days, thereby proving that they are the "True Appointed Times of God," based on the observance of the Crescent New Moon. The Mishnah also explains how the Beth Din (Sanhedrin Court) would examine the witnesses who observed the Crescent New Moon, to see if the witnesses testimonies were true. It clearly shows that the witnesses were observing the sky to see the first appearance of the Crescent New Moon that appears after the conjunction:

MISHNAH - ROSH HASHANA 2:6 (Page 190) says:

"How were the witnesses examined? The first pair were examined first. The elder was introduced first, and they said to him: Tell us in what form thou sawest the moon; was it before or behind the sun? Was it to the north or the south (of the sun)? What was its elevation on the horizon? Towards which side was its inclination? What was the width of its disk? If he answered before the sun, his evidence was worthless. After this they introduced the younger (witness) and he was examined; if their testimony was found to agree, it was accepted as valid; the remaining pairs (of witnesses) were asked leading questions, not because their testimony was necessary, but only to prevent them departing, disappointed, and to induce them to come again often."

Rabban Gamaliel had on a tablet, and on a wall of his upper room, illustrations of the various phases of the moon, which he used to show to the common people, saying: "Did you see the moon like this figure or like this?"
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