Page "Judaism" Paragraph 164

Rabbinic tradition holds that the details and interpretation of the law, which are called the Oral Torah or oral law, were originally an unwritten tradition based upon what God told Moses on Mount Sinai.

However, as the persecutions of the Jews increased and the details were in danger of being forgotten, these oral laws were recorded by Rabbi Judah haNasi ( Judah the Prince ) in the Mishnah, redacted circa 200 CE.

The Talmud was a compilation of both the Mishnah and the Gemara, rabbinic commentaries redacted over the next three centuries.

The Gemara originated in two major centers of Jewish scholarship, Palestine and Babylonia.

Correspondingly, two bodies of analysis developed, and two works of Talmud were created.

The older compilation is called the Jerusalem Talmud.

It was compiled sometime during the 4th century in Israel.

The Babylonian Talmud was compiled from discussions in the houses of study by the scholars Ravina I, Ravina II, and Rav Ashi by 500 CE, although it continued to be edited later.