This book, originally published by the Jewish Publication Society of America in 1928, now contains a new introduction by Jacob Neusner. The book gives the reader some insight into the cultural life of the Jew, by making him acquainted with the bearers of this culture. It was in the Talmud Academies that the spiritual life of the people pulsated, and hence a closer acquaintance with the ideas and ideals of the talmudic scholar will lead to a better knowledge of that life.