Inner-Midrashic Introductions and Their Influence on Introductions to Medieval Rabbinic Bible Commentaries

The opening sections of some Midrashim deal with the same type of material that is found in the introductions to medieval rabbinic Bible commentaries. These are designated as Inner-Midrashic Introductions (IMIs). Further analysis of Bible commentary introductions reveals a high degree of continuity between them and the IMIs, including the newly discovered Inner-Commentary Introduction (ICI). The existence of IMIs and ICIs challenge the current view of the origin and development of Bible introduction in Judaism. They also elucidate some of the links between midrash and commentary.