This book responds to a question that came to the author from Professor Maren Niehoff of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem: 'Have you written a simple introduction to your documentary theory and method, which can serve as a starting point for my students?' In this book are gathered eight of the more fundamental items of documentary theory and practice_three in theory, five in practice_for Professor Neihoff's students and anyone else who takes an interest in the formative history of Judaism. The documentary thesis of Rabbinic literature holds that the document_the Mishnah, Sifra, Lamentations, Rabbah, the Bavli, for example_forms the basic building block of the Rabbinic tradition. Excluded by that definition are sayings attributed to, and stories told about, named sages. These cannot serve in the reconstruction of the Rabbinic tradition, its literature, history, religion, and theology.

About the Author
Jacob Neusner is Research Professor of Theology at Bard College and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard as well. He is a Member of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ and Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, in England. He has published more than 900 books and unnumbered articles, both scholarly and academic and popular and journalistic, and is the most published humanities scholar in the world.

Reviews
This book clearly sets out in user-friendly fashion the principles underlying the vast research programme which has occupied Neusner for so many years. Students will certainly welcome, and benefit from, this compliation, which presents the reader with a carefully judged combination of theoretical discussion and worked examples of texts. Spring 2009



Book Information
ISBN 9780761838685
Author Jacob Neusner
Format Paperback
Page Count 308
Imprint University Press of America
Publisher University Press of America
Weight(grams) 458g
Dimensions(mm) 230mm * 152mm * 24mm