Bible Maps
Maps are essential for any serious Bible study. Our collection of maps are simple and they are free.
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.