Physical Description:

Only edition, octavo, 73 ff. 190:120 mm., wide margins, light age staining. A good copy bound in recent boards, rubbed.

Detailed Description:   

Only edition of this work on the pertinent halakhot relating to governance of the country prior to the destruction of the Second Beit Ha-Mikdash by R. Wilhelm Nowack. Halikhot ha-Medinah has a sub-title, shel ha-ʻIvrim be-yeme ḳedem, that is, laws of the state in early times. The text is in three parts, as described in the table of contents. The first part, with three chapters, deals with the period before the time of the monarchy, begins by describing the authority of the father as the head of the household, then the second chapter discusses the time of the monarcy and the third chapter deals with the period after the Babylonian exile. Part two on Torah and Mishpatim is comprised of chapters four through thirteen and discusses such subjects as the source of mishpatim, shoftim and batei dinim, laws of penalties, inheritance acquisition and possession. He last section, with five chapters, is entitled berit ve-milhama, that is, covenant and war. And deals with related subjects. Halikhot ha-Medinah is an important work for anyone interested in early Jewish history and the functioning of the Jewish state in biblical and post-biblical times.

Source: Lehrbuch der hebraeischen Archaeologie, 1-2, Freiburg i B.u. Leipzig 1894

Hebrew Description:

‫עד ימי חרבן בית שני מאת ד"ר ווילהילם נובק. תרגום ב-ק [חיים נחמן ביאליק] ואיז"ק [א. זליצ’נקו]...

"הספר הזה... אינו אלא תרגום החלק השלישי מארבעת חלקי הספר השלם ’מדרש קדמוניות העברים’".

References:

Bibliography of the Hebrew Book 1470-1960 #000151862; BE heh 699