Die Mischna

The Mishnah, whose development began during the time of the Second Temple, was formally recorded around 200 CE by Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi as a summary of rabbinic scholarship. It serves, along with the Pentateuch, as the central source of Jewish religious laws, documenting the traditionally transmitted material (especially the commentaries on the Torah) that had been passed down orally until that time. Thus, the Mishnah became the foundation of the Talmud and all subsequent religious legal works of rabbinic Judaism. In addition to regulations, the Mishnah also contains historical material from the time of the Second Temple and the New Testament, as well as wisdom literature and edifying texts. Therefore, the Mishnah represents the first major compilation of rabbinic thought and outlines what Judaism entails in its initial developmental stage, influencing all later developments up to the present day.