Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- Toward a Legal-Instructional Model of midrash -- The Scribe (sofer) in the Second Temple Period -- Doresh ha-torah and midrash torah: Teaching and Interpretation in the Dead Sea Scrolls -- The Pharisees: Exegetes of the Laws -- The Rabbinic Sage (ḥakham) and the bet midrash -- Darash and midrash: The Occupation of the ḥakham -- From an Age of Instruction to an Age of Interpretation -- List of Editions of Rabbinic Texts and Method of Citation -- Bibliography -- Index of Modern Authors -- Index of Words and Phrases -- Index of Passages Cited -- Index of Subjects.

Available to subscribing member institutions only.

In The Origins of Midrash : From Teaching to Text , Paul Mandel presents a comprehensive study of the words darash and midrash from the Bible until the early rabbinic periods (3rd century CE). In contrast to current understandings in which the words are identified with modes of analysis of the biblical text, Mandel claims that they refer to instruction in law and not to an interpretation of text. Mandel traces the use of these words as they are associated with the scribe ( sofer ), the doresh ha-torah in the Dead Sea scrolls, the “exegetes of the laws” in the writings of Josephus and the rabbinic “sage” ( ḥakham ), showing the development of the uses of midrash as a form of instruction throughout these periods.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.