Jewish Literature in New Testament Times

Rabbinical Writings Chart

Chart of the Rabbinic Writings

Rabbinical Writings Chart

Midrash

Divisions � Halakah and Haggadah

Dates � 100 B.C. � 300 A.D.

Writers � Tannaim

Content � The Halakah was the legal commentary on the Torah and the Haggadah were the homiletics (preaching and sermons) about the entire Old Testament text.

Notes � The Halakah was the legal portion of the Gemara, derived from the Old Testament. The Haggadah was interested with non-legal issues (history, folklore, parables, scientific knowledge like medicine and astronomy) that was not necessarily apparent in the Mishnah.

Tosefta

Dates � 100 A.D. � 300 A.D.

Writers � Tannaim ("repeaters" or teachers of the Oral Law before the completion of the Mishnah. They date back as far as Ezra and to Hillel, Akiba and Meir to Judah Hansi.

Content � The teaching that is not found in the Mishnah. (Tosefta means "supplement").

Palestinian Talmud

Divisions � Gemara (literally the "completion" of the Talmud)

Dates � 200 A.D.

Writers � Amoraim (sages who worked hard in Judaism once Mishnah was complete.

Content � Commentary on the Mishnah.

Babylonian Talmud

Divisions � Mishnah and the Gemara

Dates � 200 A.D. - 500 A.D.

Writers � Tannaim and Amoraim

Content � Mishnah - Legal commentary on the Mishnah. Gemara � Commentary on the Mishnah.

Notes � The Mishnah was divided into six sections.

See The Tractates of the Mishnah