Talmud, The: A Biography (Lives of Great Religious Books, 57)

Wimpfheimer, Barry Scott

ISBN 10: 0691209227 / ISBN 13: 9780691209227

Published by Princeton University Press, 2020

About this Item

The Babylonian Talmud, a postbiblical Jewish text that is part scripture and part commentary, is an unlikely bestseller. Written in a hybrid of Hebrew and Aramaic, it is often ambiguous to the point of incomprehension, and its subject matter reflects a narrow scholasticism that should hardly have broad appeal. Yet the Talmud has remained in print for centuries and is more popular today than ever. Barry Scott Wimpfheimer tells the remarkable story of this ancient Jewish book, explaining why the Talmud is at once a received source of traditional teachings, a touchstone of cultural authority, and a powerful symbol of Jewishness for supporters and critics alike.

Seller Inventory # 9780691209227

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Talmud, The: A Biography (Lives of Great Religious Books, 57)
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0691209227
• ISBN 13: 9780691209227
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

The life and times of an enduring work of Jewish spirituality

The Babylonian Talmud, a postbiblical Jewish text that is part scripture and part commentary, is an unlikely bestseller. Written in a hybrid of Hebrew and Aramaic, it is often ambiguous to the point of incomprehension, and its subject matter reflects a narrow scholasticism that should hardly have broad appeal. Yet the Talmud has remained in print for centuries and is more popular today than ever. Barry Scott Wimpfheimer tells the remarkable story of this ancient Jewish book, explaining why the Talmud is at once a received source of traditional teachings, a touchstone of cultural authority, and a powerful symbol of Jewishness for supporters and critics alike.

About the Author

Barry Scott Wimpfheimer is associate professor of religious studies and law at Northwestern University and the author of Narrating the Law: A Poetics of Talmudic Legal Stories.