Mekhilta De-Rabbi Simeon Bar Yoḥai

Tannaitic Midrash on Exodus, ascribed to the school of R. Akiva. Until the 17th century, it was known in its entirety and was frequently cited by medieval authorities. However, it was then apparently lost and was known only from quotations in the works of medieval authors, principally in Midrash Ha-Gadol. On the basis of these quotations, a partial reconstruction of the text was published. Subsequently, on the basis of a number of Cairo Genizah fragments, a more complete version was made possible.Its name may derive from the fact that many of its anonymous statements tally with those cited in the Talmud in the name of R. Simeon Bar Yoḥai, a pupil of R. Akiva. Moreover, most of the sages quoted are known to have belonged to the school of R. Akiva. Some scholars have suggested that its name derives from its opening statement which quotes R. Simeon.

The midrashic exposition begins with Exodus 3:1 and proceeds to expound the book verse by verse. Its hermeneutical method is characteristic of that of R. Akiva and his school. Most of its aggadic passages have parallels in Mekhilta De-Rabbi Ishmael. Its language is Hebrew with a strong admixture of Greek and Latin, a sign of its Palestinian origin. It contains a number of comparatively late features, particularly in its language. Since the book in its present form is unknown to the Talmud, it is conjectured that it was redacted late in the fifth century.

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