contribution · C0012

Redaction of the Mishnah חתימת המשנה

The consolidation of the Oral Torah into a single organized, canonical text — the Mishnah (Mishnah) — under Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi. It fixed the curriculum of Jewish law, became the base layer of both Talmuds, and is still the entry point of rabbinic study today.

I. Who

Hebrew
חתימת המשנה
Era
tannaim

II. When

Traditional
c. 3960 AM
Academic
c. 200 CE
Precision
approximate

IV. What

Enacted by
Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi
Still practiced
Yes

V. How do we know

ClaimEvidenceConfidenceSources
Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi arranged the Mishnah from the teachings of the earlier tannaim, especially the school of Rabbi Akiva as transmitted by Rabbi Meir. rabbinic tradition ★★★★☆
The redaction responded to the crisis of persecution and dislocation after the Bar Kokhba revolt, when continued purely-oral transmission seemed endangered. tradition reconstruction ★★★☆☆

Referenced by: Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi