Torah in the Mouth: Writing and Oral Tradition in Palestinian Judaism 200 BCE-400 CE

by Martin S. Jaffee

The classical Rabbinic tradition (legal, discursive, and exegetical) claims to be Oral Torah, transmitted by word of mouth in an unbroken chain deriving its authority ultimately from diving revelation to Moses at Sinai. Since the third century C.E., however, this tradition has been embodied in written texts. Through judicious deployment and analysis of the evidence, Martin Jaffee is able to show that the Rabbinic tradition, as we have it, developed through a mutual interpretation of oral and written modes.

Genres: Judaica, Judaism

356 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Rob Vanhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for those seeking to understand the emergence of "torah shebeal pe" and its function for the rabbinic movement within the larger context of the history of Judaic text-interpretive traditions.