The Talmud by Joseph Barclay [1878]

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Contents Start Reading Page Index

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...The decisions for the Sabbath, peace-offerings, and trespasses, are as mountains hanging on a hair; because the verse is small but the decisions are many. Jurisprudence, and the Temple service, cleanness and uncleanness, and illegal connections, have their own foundations; they, they are the body of the law.--Feast Offerings, I, 8 (p. 170).

This is one of the first substantial abridged translations of the Talmud, published in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Barclay, a sympathetic Christian, states in the Preface that he studied the Talmud with learned Rabbis during a ten-year's residence in the Holy land.

The task of translating the Talmud, which takes up more shelf space than the Britannica, would be daunting, and is probably beyond what one person is capable of in a lifetime. So early solo translators such as Barclay had to prioritize. While Rodkinson translated the entirety of the Festivals and Jurisprudence sections of the Talmud, including the commentary, Barclay took a more representative approach. He translated the Mishna (primary text) of seventeen tracts across the entire span of the Talmud, as well as a commentary on the Tabernacle. This includes a number of tracts not in the Rodkinson translation, specifically, Blessings, Sabbatical Year, Daily Sacrifice, Measurements, Leprosy, and Hands. Others, particularly Fathers and Sanhedrin are also available in multiple translations at . The final feature of this book is a detailed plan of the Temple complex with extensive architectural notes.

Barclay does a straightforward translation of each text, and keeps his personal opinions to a few footnotes. This is a meaningful and significant modern Talmud translation, and has been cited many times in other works, although seldom seen.

PRODUCTION NOTES: I obtained a used ex-libris copy of this long out-of-print book, but the paper had become so brittle that it literally was falling apart as I scanned it. I only debind books as a last resort, but there was no other way in this case. I had to carefully remove each page from the binding, using a ruler and a box cutter, and place it onto the scanner by hand. This added a substantial amount of time to the project. --, April 8, 2008.

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Title Page
Preface
Contents
List of Illustrations
List of the Chief Authorities Used in Preparing This Volume

Introduction

Chapter I.
Chapter II.
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI.
Chapter VII

Treatise I. On Blessings

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX

Treatise II. On the Sabbatical Year

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X

Treatise III. On the Sabbath

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter IV
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII

Treatise IV. On the Passover

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X

Treatise V. On the Day of Atonement

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII

Treatise VI. On Tabernacles

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V

Treatise VII. The New Year

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV

Treatise VIII. Fasting

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV

Treatise IX. The Feast Offering

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III

Treatise X. The Sanhedrin

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI

Treatise XI. Idolatry

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V

Treatise XII. The Fathers

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI

Treatise XIII. The Daily Sacrifice

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII

Treatise XIV. Measurements

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V

Treatise XV. Leprosy

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV

Treatise XVI. The Heifer

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII

Treatise XVII. Hands

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV

Treatise XVIII. The Tabernacle

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV

Appendix

Note on Modern Judaism
Calendar of the Months and Chief Jewish Feasts and Fasts in Each Year
Note on the Sanhedrin
Plan of the Temple
Notes on the Tabernacle
List of Texts
Index