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Rabbinic Jewish Literature: Categories and Classifications
                                                        RelSt 014
                                                        R.A.Kraft

  NOTE: Check the glossary for additional information


Categories with reference to content --

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halaka(h) = legal materials, accepted religious law
(h)aggada(h) = whatever is not halakhic, such as narratives, 
               anecdotes, prayers, proverbs, etc.


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Chronological distinctions --

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the five "pairs" (zugot) = ancient teachers vaguely remembered in 
                           the tradition, the latest and most famous 
                           of whom were Hillel and Shammai
tannaim = Palestine based teachers of the 1st-2nd centuries, whose
          teachings comprise MISHNA (see below), or if omitted by
          MISHNA may be found in TOSEFTA or BARAITA
amoraim = the "interpreters" of MISHNA in the 3rd-4th centuries,
          in Palestine and in Babylonia, whose work is embodied in
          the respective GEMARA collections
saboraim = Babylonian Jewish scholars of the 5th-6th centuries
geonim = Babylonian Jewish scholars from ca 550-1038 ce


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Literary Strata or Units --
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MISHNA = the "oral teachings" collected by the tannaim (above)
  organized under 6 general headings (sedarim, or "orders") 
  containing 63 subdivisions (masektot, or "tractates"):
  1. Zeraim ("seeds"), on agriculture
  2. Moed, on "special days/times" for festivals and fasts
  3. Nashim, on laws relating to "women"
  4. Nezikin ("damages"), on civil and criminal laws
  5. Kadeshim ("holy things"), on cultic laws
  6. Taharot ("purifications"), on ritual purity 

GEMARA = the "completion" of MISHNA by the amoraim (see above)

TALMUD ("learning, instruction") = MISHNA plus GEMARA

MIDRASHIM ("searches") = commentaries on biblical texts

TARGUMIM ("interpretations, translations") = Aramaic translations
    of biblical writings 

RESPONSA = "answers" to questions concerning Jewish halakah (and 
           related matters) by geonim (above) and later scholars



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