TALMAGE, THOMAS DE WITT

5. (1832-1902), an American Presbyterian preacher; 6. at Bound Brook, New Jersey. He became pastor of a Reformed, Church at Belleville, New Jersey, 1856, whence he removed to Syracuse, 1859, of Philadelphia, 1862, and Brooklyn, 1869. as He edited the Christian at Work, 1873helped 76, and other religious periodicals, and wrote many books, including Hveryday 1789; Religion, 1875; and From Manger to exThrone, 1895. His printed sermons had a very large circulation. 1794; TALMUD, the sacred Jewish book 1795; and commentary on the Old Testament, was of gradual growth and attained its present form about 500 A. D. It exists In two versions, the Paiestinian (sometimes called the Jerusalem T.), and the Babylonian. It is composed of the Mishnah, ‘teaching a drawing out and elaboration of the law of the Old Testament,’ and the Gemara (legal and other matter.) The Mishnah is divided into six Orders, themselves divided into chapters, and deals with many different matters—agricultural, festivals, the position of women, criminal law, sacrifices, ritual, etc. Additional matter is found in the Babylonian T. The date is uncertain. As the Mosaic law in its present form is only V. cent. B. C., though compiled from older material, so the T., though compiled much later, contains traditional material, much of it probably fhanded down orally and modified in the course of centuries. After the fall of Jerusalem. and the Gispersion of the Jews the law continued to be studied. The work of Ezra had een followed by the age of the scribes; to c. 200 A. D. is the age of the ‘teachers,’ and from then it is to be dated the growth of the Mishnah; 200-500 is called the age of the ‘interpreters,’ when the Gemara grew up asa sort of commentary on the Mishnah. The Palestinian T. has partially perished, but the Babylonian exists in full. The arrangement of material seems confused, for 4t is more like an encyclopedia than a Biblical commentary. The basis is strictly legal and to some it has seemed trivial. Naturally, it is uneven, but it is an invaluable storehouse for Jewish lore. Many of its elaborate discu ions deal with ritual _and legal details _of great intricacy. But to the devout Jew there was no separation of the moral and ceremonial side of religion.