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THE TALMUD A BIOGRAPHY: BANNED, CENSORED AND BURNED. THE BOOK THEY COULDN'T SUPPRESS
by Harry Freedman (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (90)
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 The Talmud: A Biography is a remarkable account of one of the most important cultural, historical and religious works of our time.
Print length 257 pages
Print length 257 pages
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Review
While the Talmud itself may be impenetrable for many, in The Talmud - A Biography: Banned, censored and burned. The book they couldn't suppress, author Harry Freedman has written an engaging account of the book itself. For those who may be fascinated by the Talmud and at the same time intimidated by it, the book is a great resource that profiles what the Talmud is. (Ben Rothke The Times of Israel)
About the Author
Dr Harry Freedman is a writer and academic with a PhD in Aramaic. His publications include The Gospels' Veiled Agenda (O-Books). He contributed to the Encyclopedia of Modern Jewish Culture (Oxford University Press) and has written for the Jewish Chronicle, Jewish Quarterly, Judaism Today and the Huffington Post. He has two adult children, who both work in TV, and lives in London with his wife Karen, a textile designer.
Product details
ASIN : B07MBBTY8D
Publisher : Keren Publications
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : 1 January 2019
Edition : 2nd
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Harry Freedman
Harry Freedman is Britain’s leading author of popular works of Jewish culture and history. His forthcoming Book is Bob Dylan: Jewish Roots, American Soul. Previous publications include Shylock's Venice, Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius, Britain's Jews and The Talmud- A Biography. His books are published in the USA and UK by Bloomsbury and have been praised in major newspapers, on radio and TV.
He lives in London and writes regular articles on Jewish history at Substack.
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From other countries
abkert
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating
Reviewed in the United States on 1 March 2015
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A more appropriate title would be "The History of the Jews over the Past 2,000 Years from the Perspective of the Talmud." At times spellbinding and addictive, the book gives a taste of the contents of the Talmud and a sense of the history of its development and of Jewish and inter-religious events.
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Bennett Bullock
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction to a Difficult Book(s)
Reviewed in the United States on 7 May 2018
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I've tried to read parts of the Talmud independently and found it confusing, convoluted, meandering. The middle management meeting from hell. By telling the story of this book, and the story of the people who protected it and nurtured it, Freedman's work adds some perspective and humanity, giving a sense of why the Talmud is important, how its own history reflects the history of the Jewish people, and how its very existence is a testament to its own survival and the survival of the people who kept it.
I like the parallels he draws between the Talmud and the methods behind Islamic law. It's always been a truism that many ideas from Jewish law were copied into Islamic law, but what I found interesting was that the work points out similarities in handling oral precedent and disputes without falling back on some central authority. Which, some scholars suggest, inspired English Common Law.
I liked how Freedman discussed the oft-forgotten tradition of gentile Hebraists (of whom I count myself), and how they reluctantly waded their feet in the Talmud when the Torah wasn't clear enough.
And finally, I liked how Freedman showed that the Talmud was, in a way, ahead of its time. The Talmud is a hypertext, encouraging readers to find meaning between arguments. The Mishna is a commentary on the Torah. The Gemara is a commentary on the Mishna. Rambam and Rashi comment on that, and then there's the Tosafot, and all the books written to summarize what is said in the Talmud ... He even talks about the teku, the unresolvable paradox, the assumption that something is in two states at once. Shroedinger's cat, Akiva's mouse. Did the Talmud catch up with the world, or did the world catch up with the Talmud?
Unlike the Torah, which has an electric, forceful, dramatic quality, the Talmud is quiet, domestic, and indirect, and it requires much more patience to grapple with. Freedman's book is an excellent starting point, and I'm sure Rabbi Eliezar and Rabbi Akiva would agree. Or would they?
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chappedhands
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading about a complex topic.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Easy to read and understand for a non-Jewish person.
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Happy customer
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful book, there's nothing like it to enable non-experts ...
Reviewed in the United States on 4 January 2015
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
This is a wonderful book, there's nothing like it to enable non-experts to appreciate the importance of the Talmud, except maybe the chapters on the Talmud in Surpassing Wonders.
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Stuart
4.0 out of 5 stars It's a good overview of how the Talmud come to be and ...
Reviewed in the United States on 21 October 2014
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This book contains no original material and is not written for the serious scholar but it combines a lot of material in one volume and to my knowledge, this has not been done before. It's a good overview of how the Talmud come to be and how it influenced the world from it's inception to the present day. There are many books about the Talmud but none that give you this wide an historical overview. It's very readable for the layman and I recommend it for anyone who wants to know what the Talmud is all about.
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Zebedee
4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 March 2014
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
This is a great introduction to the fascinating history surrounding the Talmud - how and when it came to be written and subsequently regarded by both religious communities and the secular world. It is packed with interesting insights; and Dr Freedman's style makes it an easy read. A real treat.
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Edward Black
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and readable introduction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 December 2014
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
An extremely well-written interesting and readable introduction to a highly complex subject
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Rosalind D. Guttman
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally engrossing history lesson!
Reviewed in the United States on 20 November 2014
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What a fantastic history lesson. I was totally engulfed with this tale. The Talmud really has a life
of its own and deserves a biography.
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H
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 June 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Really good informative book
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PAR
3.0 out of 5 stars More breadth than depth
Reviewed in the United States on 31 July 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Although it contains many facts I did not know, it has more breadth than depth. Lots of names with one-sentence descriptions become a distraction.
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none
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent.
Reviewed in the United States on 20 August 2019
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
a major read.
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EdMor
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommendable reading!
Reviewed in the United States on 3 January 2015
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
A clearly written, enjoyable, fascinating history of the fundamental basis of Western civilization.
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gary littwin
2.0 out of 5 stars One finishes the book knowing practically nothing about the Talmud ...
Reviewed in the United States on 7 January 2015
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One finishes the book knowing practically nothing about the Talmud. There is no balance - far too much emphasis on historical incidents and anecdotes and far too little about the content of the Talmud.
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James V. Zeitz
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 13 September 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
great history of Rabbinic interpretation, as well as the whole history of the Mideast in the Middle Ages!
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Andrea Gjerde
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 7 May 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Very readable with a lot of interesting information.
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Katylady
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 17 September 2015
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Great to have and study
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Awphyl in L.A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book
Reviewed in the United States on 3 December 2015
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Informative and interesting read.
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Margaret Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 2 November 2014
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A wonderful read with a non-pedantic style.
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Rhiddler
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 24 October 2015
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Superb overview and timeline.
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Jaybirdlegs1
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 21 June 2015
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Awesome book and interesting reading.
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Marvin Heller
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 26 May 2015
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
very satisfied
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Mary Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 14 August 2015
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
fascinating
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