In the late 19th century, the Widow and Brothers Romm published the edition of the Talmud which has become the standard used today around the world. In this class we will look at the origins of the Talmud, earlier printings, and the political events that made the Romm edition the gold standard. We will also look at the blood libel of Tiszaeszlár — which in 1882-3 was reported on around the world — and show that the Romm family made a minor edit to the Talmud as a result. Echoes of that blood libel are still heard today in Hungary and elsewhere, and the case had an impact on forensic science and policework.
