This book attempts to uncover the basic form and structure of the Babylonian Talmud, a centrally important text in Jewish studies. The novel contribution made by Dr. Jacobs to the study of the Talmud consists in his concentration on the literary principles employed in its composition, and he presents a clear study indicating the manner in which earlier material was reworked in order to make each component, or sugya, into a carefully structured and self-consistent unit.