Megillat Taanit מגילת תענית
The earliest rabbinic book: a list of days on which one may not fast, because on them something good happened.
Written in Aramaic, briefly, almost as a calendar: on such a day of such a month this happened—one does not fast. It lists the victories of the Hasmoneans, the annulling of evil decrees, the days of the Temple's purification. It is the only document of its kind to survive from the Second Temple period.
After the destruction of the Temple the question arose whether it still held: the Talmud discusses this and concludes that "Megillat Taanit is annulled"—except for Hanukkah and Purim. Later a Hebrew commentary ("the scholion"), medieval in date, was added to the Aramaic list, and the two are often printed together.
On the timeline
Related
Sources
Chazal: Mishnah, Talmud, midrash, Zohar
- Shabbat 13b — how and why it came to be written
- Rosh Hashanah 18b — «Megillat Taanit is annulled» — except Hanukkah and Purim
- Megillat Taanit, Kislev — the days of Hanukkah in the ancient list
Basis: documents and evidence.