Surviving book of Jewish Law


  • Intro

    This is an exceptionally rare item: a treasured Medieval Jewish text, known as the Talmud, that somehow escaped the public burnings suffered by most of the other Jewish law books at the time. Fortunately, it has survived unharmed. During the Middle Ages, Jewish communities were frequently subject to anti-Semitic attacks, in which property was destroyed and people murdered. The Talmud was constantly condemned and censored by the Christian Church, who claimed the book was offensive and blasphemous. This led to regular public book burnings, the first in Paris in 1242.


    The Talmud, meaning ‘teaching’ is an ancient text containing Jewish sayings, ideas and stories. It includes the Mishnah (oral law) and the Gemara ('Completion'). The Mishnah is a large collection of sayings, arguments and counter-arguments that touch on virtually all areas of life. The Gemara is known as a 'sea' of learning, a collection of stories about biblical characters, sober legal arguments and fanciful imaginings of the world of old and the world to come.


    Shelfmark: Add. MS 25717, ff. 72v-73

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