Temporal Logic in the Talmud

by Michael Abraham, Israel Belfer, Dov M. Gabbay

This book studies Talmudic temporal logic and compares it with the logic of time in contemporary law. Following a general introduction about the logical handling of time, the book examines several key Talmudic debates involving time. The book finds that we need multi-dimensional temporal models with backward causation and parallel histories. It seems that two major issues are 1 Actions conditional about future actions (Tenayim), connecting with backward causality 2 Actions involving entities defined using future events (Breira), connecting with ideas from quantum Mechanics The book concludes with a general comparative discussion of the handling of time in general law and in the Talmud.

668 pages, Hardcover

First published April 18, 2011