Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash (Paperback)

~ Hermann L. Strack (Author), Gunter Stemberger (Author), Jacob Neusner (Translator)
Key Phrases: geniza fragments, literary unit, Pérez Fernández, New York, Tel Aviv, Midrash Rabbah (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Gunter Stemberger's revision of H. L. Strack's classic introduction to rabbinic literature, which appeared in its first English edition in 1991, was widely acclaimed. Gunter Stemberger and Markus Bockmuehl have now produced this updated edition, which is a significant revision (completed in 1996) of the 1991 volume. Following Strack's original outline, Stemberger discusses first the historical framework, the basic principles of rabbinic literature and hermeneutics and the most important Rabbis. The main part of the book is devoted to the Talmudic and Midrashic literature in the light of contemporary rabbinic research. The appendix includes a new section on electronic resources for the study of the Talmud and Midrash. The result is a comprehensive work of reference that no student of rabbinics can afford to be without.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers (June 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800625242
• ISBN-13: 978-0800625245
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #482,389 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best work available on the subject, June 8, 1999

By A Customer

This is simply the best work available on the subject. Each section is based on a common plan: The text is briefly discussed; variant textual versions of texts are discussed; English translations are noted; and a detailed review is then given of the past hundred years of critical study on the document in question.

It has sections on Rabbinical Hermeneutics and the Oral and Written Tradition. It covers the Mishna, Tosefta, Palestinian Talmud, Babylonian Talmud and the extracanonical tractates. Best of all, it covers all the classical midrashim compilations (midrash). This includes all the halakhic, exegetical and homiletic midrashim.

However, note that this is not a book for beginners. For those who want an introduction to rabbinical literature, you should obtain "Back to the Sources: Reading the Classic Jewish Texts", edited by Barry W. Holtz.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent work to introduce one to Rabbinical Literature, December 5, 2005

By	S. Bosman "S. Bosman" (Jerusalem) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book is compact, yet very informing. It is called an "introduction", yet it is perhaps a little bit more than an introduction. At the same time, I would recommend this work for beginner as well as those more familiar with the topic.

The book is very readable for the amount of compressed information and scholarship it includes. The many reprints make it up-to-date.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb reference work, December 24, 2006

By	Ruth Adar (San Leandro, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are many books that claim to be an "introduction" to the Talmud. Most of them make that introduction without much context. Strack's volume will not teach you how to study Talmud and Midrash, but it will give you a good understanding of what they are and how they fit into the larger frame of Jewish tradition and literature.

For the intermediate and more advanced reader alike, the book is a well-indexed reference work for Talmud and Midrash study, including quick and simple definitions of terms, identifications of obscure titles, and superior (if occasionally outdated) bibliographies for each chapter. This is a work that should be in the library of every serious student of rabbinics.