"...an indespensable book for all those who are curious to know how the rabbis of the Talmud handled philosophical and theological issues. It has few peers."
--David Weiss Halivni
Based on an exhaustive study of the sources by means of philological-historical methods, the work presents a vivid picture of the religious and social thoughts of the Tanna'im and Amora'im, their absorption and rejection of extraneous concepts, their spiritual struggles and the goals they sought to achieve. The intellectual ferment marking this era crystallized principles that fashioned the Jewish national and religious image for generations.
The wisdom of the great Jewish teachers of antiquity is on display here like in no other book. Two indexes (one by topic, one by texts mentioned and both are hyperlinked to their relevant pages for ease of use) help the reader make use of the many obscurer texts that Urbach quotes, some of them virtually impossible to find in translation anywhere.
The sheer wealth of material collected in this volume is amazing. The book is well organized by 'doctrine' or belief, and Urbach does an excellent job of quoting the texts that he uses to come to his conclusions about what the Sages (Rabbis) believed, when and where they believed it, and how the belief changed over time.
The Sages is richly rewarding contribution to religious history and rabbinic thought and belief.
