5. The Talmud after the Talmud

The Evolution of Torah: Establishing Rabbinic Culture

How did the Babylonian Talmud become a fixed, closed book, the most influential one in the Jewish world? In this episode, we discuss the final layers of interpretation and editing that made it into the Talmud. We’ll also see how the influence of the Geonim, the heads of the Babylonian academies, together with immigration, spread the authority of the Babylonian Talmud to even far-flung Jewish communities. Lastly, we reflect on how the process of interpreting the Talmud continues through the medieval period and into our own day.
Credits:
Produced by Rabbi Tim Bernard
Cover art: Rabbi Tim Bernard
Theme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5