One of the first attempts to capture the oral tradition of Jewish
law in writing. As the basis for the
Talmud the structure of this writing is one of it's most fascinating elements.
Rabbi Akiba ben Joseph developed the
exegetical method of the Mishnah which is comparable to a threaded
discussion group - or maybe even
Everything2. Each traditional practice is linked to it's basis in the
biblical text and also to the "discussion" that follows. What results is an incredibly intertwined and evolving account of how the
Jewish tradition has changed over time.
The Mishnah was the result of an interesting time in history which lead a group of rabbis to begin the Gleanings.