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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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It was illustration, commentary, anecdote, clever<br />

or learned saying, &c. At first <strong>the</strong> HcdaJchah<br />

remained unwritten, probably owing to <strong>the</strong><br />

disputes between Pharisees <strong>and</strong> Sadducees. But<br />

<strong>the</strong> necessity <strong>of</strong> fixedness <strong>and</strong> order led in course<br />

<strong>of</strong> time to more or less complete collections <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Halakhoth} <strong>The</strong> oldest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se is ascribed to B.<br />

Akiba, in <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Emperor Hadrian.* * But<br />

<strong>the</strong> authoritative collection in <strong>the</strong> so-called<br />

Mishnah is <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> Jehudah <strong>the</strong> Holy, who<br />

died about <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> second century <strong>of</strong> our era.<br />

Altoge<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong> Mishnah comprises six ^ Orders'<br />

(Sedcurim), each devoted to a special class <strong>of</strong><br />

subjects.' <strong>The</strong>se ' Orders' are divided into tractates<br />

(Massikhtothy Massekhtiyoth, * textures, webs'), <strong>of</strong><br />

which <strong>the</strong>re are sixty-three (or else sixty-two) in<br />

all. <strong>The</strong>se tractates are again subdivided into<br />

chapters (Peraqim) —^in all 525, which severally<br />

consist <strong>of</strong> a certain number <strong>of</strong> verses, or Mishnahs<br />

(Mishnayoth, in all 4,187). Considering <strong>the</strong> variety<br />

<strong>and</strong> complexity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> subjects treated, <strong>the</strong> Mishnah<br />

is arranged with remarkable logical perspicuity.

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