Mishnah

The Mishnah (Hebrew משנה, "repetition") is a major source of rabbinic Judaism's religious texts. It is the first recording of the oral law of the Jewish people, as championed by the Pharisees and is considered the first work of Rabbinic Judaism. The Mishnah was redacted around the year 200 CE by Judah haNasi (Judah the Prince). He is usually simply referred to as 'Rabbi'. Nearly all of the Mishnah is written in Hebrew, except a few verses, which are written in Aramaic. Rabbinic commentaries on the Mishnah over the next three centuries were recorded mostly in Aramaic and were redacted as the Gemara. The Mishnah and the Gemara together form the Talmud.

The generations of the Mishnah sages

• First Generation: Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai's generation (circa 40-80 CE).
• Second Generation: Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua's generation, the teachers of Rabbi Akiva.
• Third Generation: The generation of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues.
• Fourth Generation: The generation of Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda and their colleagues.
• Fifth Generation: Rabbi Judah haNasi's generation.
• Sixth Generation: The interim generation between the Mishnah and the Talmud: Rabbis Shimon ben Judah HaNasi and Yehoshua ben Levi, etc.