Judaism is a religion of the book which has produced vast quantities of important religious literature. No amount of secondary description of Judaism can take the place of direct contact with the authoritative sources of Jewish thought and teaching. All the texts are newly translated from the best available editions, or (where the printed editions are inadequate) direct from the manuscripts. The texts have been selected not only because they come from authoritative sources, or deal with central issues, but also because their character makes them suitable for intensive analysis and discussion.