Jewish Law History, Sources, Principles

Library Journal

In 1973 Elon, deputy president of Israel's Supreme Court and one of the world's experts on Jewish and Israeli law, published the first edition of this comprehensive overview of Jewish law in Hebrew, and it won immediate acclaim. This felicitous, sumptuously produced translation of the revised third edition, which includes new material, makes Elon's entire work available for the first time to English readers. Assuming no prior knowledge, Elon surveys the history and basic principles of Jewish law, the legal sources and processes that enabled it to adapt, and the literary sources-ancient to contemporary-that students of Jewish law rely upon. Volume 4 focuses on the State of Israel. Elon devotes little attention to Jewish law in America, though he does treat women's issues extensively. Copious quotations from primary sources, extensive cross references, scholarly footnotes, a detailed table of contents, and a helpful glossary contribute to making this the definitive work in its field. For all libraries.-Jonathan D. Sarna, Brandeis Univ., Waltham, Mass.