Editing Midrash (section)

=== Midrash Rabbah ===
* '''[[Midrash Rabba]]''' — widely studied are the ''Rabboth'' (great commentaries), a collection of ten midrashim on different books of the Bible (namely, the five books of the [[Torah]] and the [[Five Megillot]]). Although referred to collectively as the Midrash Rabbah, they are not a cohesive work, being written by different authors in different locales in different historical eras. The ones on Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are chiefly made up of homilies on the Scripture sections for the Sabbath or festival, while the others are rather exegetical.
** [[Genesis Rabba]], This text dates from the sixth century.  A midrash on Genesis, it offers explanations of words and sentences and [[Haggada|haggadic]] interpretations and expositions, many of which are only loosely tied to the text.  It is often interlaced with maxims and parables. Its redactor drew upon earlier rabbinic sources, including the Mishnah, Tosefta, the halakhic midrashim the Targums. It apparently drew upon a version of Talmud Yerushalmi that resembles, yet was not identical to, the text that survived to present times. It was redacted sometime in the early fifth century.
** [[Exodus Rabbah]] (tenth or eleventh and twelfth century)
** [[Leviticus Rabbah]] (middle seventh century)
** [[Numbers Rabbah]] (twelfth century)
** [[Deuteronomy Rabbah]] (tenth century)
** [[Shir HaShirim Rabbah]] ([[Song of Songs]]) (probably before the middle of ninth century)
** [[Ruth Rabbah]], (probably before the middle of ninth century)
** [[Lamentations Rabbah]], (seventh century). ''Lamentations Rabbah'' has been transmitted in two versions. One edition is represented by the first printed edition (at Pesaro in 1519); the other is the [[Salomon Buber]] edition, based on manuscript J.I.4 from the Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome. This latter version (Buber's) is quoted by the [[Shulkhan Arukh]], as well as medieval Jewish authorities. It was probably redacted sometime in the fifth century.
** ''[[Ecclesiastes Rabbah]]''
** ''[[Esther Rabbah]]''