The basic scripture of Judaism is the Hebrew Bible, the most significant portion of which is the first five books. Because these books contain the laws of Moses, they are usually referred to collectively as the Torah, or Law. Ancient Israel, however, had many other laws, customs, and traditions not found in the Torah. In the course of several hundred years, Israel accumulated a large stor of oral law and tradition. This vast body of oral tradition was committed to writing and the result of this effort, which took several centuries to complete, is the Talmud. |