Zohar abstract concepts that are never completely expressed. The earlier part of the Zohar, also known as "Zohar 'Al haTorah" (Zohar on the Torah, זוהר על התורה) or "Midrash Rashbi", contains several smaller "books", as described below. This book was published in three volumes: Volume 1 on "Bereishit" (Genesis), Volume 2 on "Shemot" (Exodus) and Volume 3 on "Vayikra, Bamidbar and Devarim" (Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). At the start of the first volume is printed a "Preface to the Book of the Zohar" (pages 1a to 14b). After this introduction is the Zohar's commentary on most of the parashahs of the
Society for Old Testament Study Old Testament at the time of publication, namely The People and the Book (ed. A.S. Peake; Oxford, 1925), Record and Revelation (ed. H.W. Robinson; Oxford, 1938), The Old Testament and Modern Study (ed. H.H. Rowley; Oxford, 1951), Tradition and Interpretation (ed. G.W. Anderson; Oxford, 1979), and Text in Context (ed. A.D.H. Mayes; Oxford, 2000). The Society has also commissioned from time to time other multi-essay volumes devoted to specific topics, namely Documents from Old Testament Times (ed. D.W. Thomas; London, 1958), Archaeology and Old Testament Study (ed. D.W. Thomas; Oxford, 1967), Peoples of Old Testament Times (ed. D.J. Wiseman; Oxford,