Rabbinic Jewish Literature: Categories and Classifications
                                                        RelSt 135
                                                        R.A.Kraft

  NOTE: Check the RelSt 002 glossary for additional information


Categories with reference to content --

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


Chronological distinctions --

-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


Literary Strata or Units --

-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

For a wealth of further information, see
<title>Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash</> 
by Gu%nter Stemberger (older editions by or with H.L.Strack)
Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1996 (2nd edition).

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