A classic and still standard resource, Marcus Jastrow's monumental dictionary remains unique in that it covers both the Hebrew and Aramaic languages in the literature of the rabbinic period. This indispensable dictionary of targumic and rabbinic literature includes thousands of entries in fully vocalized Hebrew and Aramaic, with references to the original texts, clear English definitions, and the full range of meanings and usages in the sources. It is organized alphabetically by actual form but includes also reference to a word's root, with abundant cross-references. Complete in one volume, in original largeprint format, sturdy binding, and with an index of Scriptural quotations, it is the most comprehensive single-volume dictionary available for reading early Jewish texts.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Venerable but showing its age:
Marcus Jastrow made an inestimable contribution to the study of Jewish Aramaic. However, current reprints of this dictionary (including this Hendrickson one, which I own) suffer from the blurriness of letters that inevitably comes from copies photographed from earlier copies or from editions printed with very worn old plates. While I know of no recent published dictionary that covers the Targumim, there is a very recent dictionary that covers Talmudic and Geonic literature, and incidentally contains... more info
Good and Comprehensive:
The Jastrow is a good reference piece. It describes the language of Aramaic very well, albeit dated (c. 1900s). There are much more recent additions, (cf. Hebrew University's Initiative). However, it is comparatively cheaper than its Hebrew University Counterpart. The Jastrow is a comprehensive treatment of Jewish-Aramaic. It does however, list according to Root, which makes finding forms difficult (especially for the beginner). It does however list a few examples, and references. Jastrow however is one of... more info
This dictionary is an absolute must!:
The Talmud is becoming the template for public law in the United States, it is clearly the civic right and the civic duty of every American to become intimately acquainted with the Talmud. This dictionary is an absolute must for anyone learning Gemara or any other Aramaic works. Not only is every possible definition given, Jastrow brings down numerous examples of the usage of each word, ensuring a firm grasp of each word's nuances. The Talmud is the product of Israel, the land of the... more info
DON'T BUY THIS CD:
Of course all students of Talmud need a Jastrow dictionary, but this CD rom is a scam! It has no search capacity--you have to scroll through 1700+ pages to find what you're looking for. Some con artist must have scanned the book into PDF format and then put it out on the market for nearly 20 dollars a pop. Shameful, shameful, shameful! It is completely unusable.
