Talmud

Talmud, which signifies "study," is devoted to the ORAL Torah first transmitted to Moses at Mount Sinai. It was maintained as an oral tradition for centuries until the First Century C.E. The core of the ORAL Torah is the Mishnah, or codification of the Halachah, compiled by the Tannaim (scholars/teachers) beginning with Rabbi Akiva and ending with Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi (who died in 217 C.E.). It was written in Hebrew. Somewhat later the Amoraim (interpreters/speakers/expounders) compiled The Talmudic commentaries. (In fact there are actually two Talmuds, the more authoritative Babylonian Talmud, and the less esteemed Palestinian Talmud, both written in dialects of Aramaic, the language of the people. Rabbi Ravina completed the compilation of the Babylonian Talmud in 499 C.E.)

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