As an ancient document, the Bible reflects its time of origin and the early history of Israel. However, the social and political situation had dramatically changed by the time of the Rabbis in the first centuries. Midrash afforded an opportunity for the Rabbis to reread the biblical text, rendering it meaningful to their contemporaries.
A vast genre of rabbinic literature, Midrash fills in the gaps of the terse biblical narrative by providing the thoughts and feelings of the characters and the motivations behind their actions. Classic Midrash is a distillation of this extensive collection of works into an accessible, single-volume narrative with numerous citations offering the interested reader the opportunity to delve into specific stories in more detail.
About the Author
Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School and a radiologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, DR. RONALD L. EISENBERG has published more than twenty books in his field of medicine. A non-practicing lawyer, he also has a doctoral degree in Jewish Studies. This is his thirteenth book relating to the history and traditions of the Jewish people.