Wednesday, July 26, 2006

World Wide Talmud

It has often been noted that the Talmud page, with all its cross-references and indexes and rubrics, is an early form of hypertext.

While learning Tr. Kelim (21:1), I came across the phrase, "nefesh hamasechet", the "soul of the web", or set of woof threads on a loom. So the word "masechet", which we use for tractate, or book of the Talmud, also means Web.

So the Talmud is Hypertext as expressed on the Web.

No comments: