Containing nearly two million words in 37 volumes, the
Talmud
covers topics as diverse as law, faith, medicine, magic, ethics, sex, humour and prayer. It is a highly complex, profoundly logical and frequently impenetrable work with a history like no other.
In its 1500 year history the Talmud has been
banned, censored and burned
, dissected by scholars and rabbis, probed by philosophers, poets, republicans and kings.In
The Talmud: A Biography
, Harry Freedman tells the engrossing story of an
ancient classic
, the legal and mystical pillar of Judaism and recounts the story of a book which, in many ways, parallels the history of the Jewish people.
From its origins as a record of discussions amongst scholars in towns and villages close to modern-day Baghdad, Freedman traces the spiralling paths of the Jewish diaspora and explores the story of the Talmud's early origins in Babylon, its role during the Enlightenment and its influence over traditional Judaism.
A compelling fusion of law, storytelling and spirituality, the Talmud's story is a fascinating insight into the history of Judaism and Harry Freedman's
is
a remarkable account of one of the most important cultural, historical and religious works of our time.