This pioneering work of biblical scholarship illuminates the Jewish background of the New Testament writings and thus established a new foundation for understanding the New Testament between the World Wars. The aim is to collect, review, and make accessible in reliable translation all material from ancient Jewish literature that is relevant to the explanation of the New Testament. The material is presented in the order of the New Testament; synoptic parallels are commented on at their first occurrence in the Gospel of Matthew, which is therefore given the largest extent. The multi-volume work was created in the 1920s and focuses on comparative passages from the Talmud and Midrash. Despite this limitation, the collection of sources is still regarded internationally as a unique treasure trove that is unlikely to be replaced by any comparable reference work in the coming decades. I: The Gospel According to Matthew (1922, 10th ed. 1978) II: The Gospel According to Mark, Luke, and John, and the Acts of the Apostles (1924, 10th ed. 2009) III: The Letters of the New Testament and the Revelation of John (1926, 9th ed. 1979) IV: Excursions on Individual Passages of the New Testament (2 volumes, 1928, 9th ed. 1979) V/VI: Rabbinical Index. Directory of Scholars. Geographical Register. Edited by Joachim Jeremias in collaboration with Kurt Adolph (1955, 6th ed. 1979).