[From the flap] "Rabbi Akiba, the learned, pious hero of this classic biography, ranks in depth of intellect, breadth of sympathy, and clarity of vision with the foremost personalities in Jewish tradition.l According to Dr. Finkelstein, Akiba "dominated the whole scene of Jewish history for eighteen centuries...and possessed that colorful personality which made him the most revered, as well as the most beloved, of talmudic sages." In an awesome masterwork of scholarship, Dr. Finkelstein, one of the most eminent scholars and religious leaders of our time, has sifted through scores of scattered talmudic reference to paint a richly detailed and intimately felt portrait of this rabbinic hero. Comprehensive footnotes help guide the interested reader to specific sources."