The single-volume reference work covers the religious life of historical and contemporary Jewry. Entries range from brief definitions of terms to essays on major topics. The dictionary addresses all aspects of Jewish practice and Jewish law deriving from the traditional 613 biblical commandments as laid down in the Pentateuch and elaborated in rabbinic literature. Thorough treatment is given to both the Jewish theology of the Bible and Talmud and that of the philosophers of late antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. Due consideration is also given to customs that have developed in different lands, including such communities as the Ethiopian and Indian Jews.