Summary:

This is a fairly up-to-date and highly readable introduction to the Talmud, the age-old storehouse of Jewish wisdom. Bokser covers the long history of the Talmud, from its origin in the Babylonian exile, its growth through the five centuries after the Roman destruction of the Temple, and the later persecution of the Talmud. Chapters include: The Talmud as Literature; The Forerunners of the Talmud; The Talmud In Its Historical Setting; The Theological Elements in the Talmud; Social Ethics in the Talmud; Personal Morality in the Talmud; The Jurisprudence of the Talmud; and, Human Wisdom in the Talmud.