The Midrash
Midrash (pl. Midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of reading details into, or out of, a Biblical text. The term midrash also can refer to a compilation of Midrashic teachings, in the form of legal, exegetical, homiletical, or narrative writing, often configured as a commentary on the Bible or Mishnah. There are a large number of "classical" Midrashic works spanning a period from Mishnaic to Geonic times, often showing evidence of having been worked and reworked from earlier materials, and frequently coming to us in multiple variants. A compact list of these works is given below; a more thorough annotated list can be found under Midrash. The timeline below must be approximate because many of these works were composed over a long span of time, borrowing and collating material from earlier versions; their histories are therefore somewhat uncertain and the subject of scholarly debate. In the table, "n.e." designates that the work in question is not extant except in secondary references.
Estimated date | Exegetical | Homiletical | Narrative |
---|---|---|---|
Tannaitic period |
Mekhilta |
Alphabet of Akiba ben Joseph (?) |
Seder Olam Rabbah |
400–650 CE |
Genesis Rabbah |
Leviticus Rabbah |
Seder Olam Zutta |
650–900 CE |
Midrash Proverbs |
Deuteronomy Rabbah |
Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer |
900–1000 CE |
Midrash Psalms |
||
1000–1200 |
Midrash Aggadah of Moses ha-Darshan |
Sefer ha-Yashar |
|
Later |
Yalkut Shimoni |
Read more about this topic: Rabbinic Literature