Following the first volume in this series in which Neusner (Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY) interpreted folklorist elements in the Mishnah, the noted Jewish studies scholar analyses the problematic nature of narratives in the Rabbinic writings using a documentary hypothesis. Unlike other canonical writings, such narratives as the two Sifrés provide only cursory clues as to which document they belong. Categorizing them matters for interpreting formative Rabbinic Judaism because this could help determine whether their distinct form also carries a distinctive message. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)