sentences:  The interpretations follow immediately upon the words of the text, without the introductory formulas found in the other midrashim, "as Scripture says," or "Rabbi N. N. began" (the latter formula, however, occurs at the beginning of the midrash).The editor of the midrash drew upon the Mishnah, Tosefta, Mekhilta, Sifre, Pesikta de-Rav Kahana, Avot de-Rabbi Natan, Bereshit Rabbah, Vayikra Rabbah, Ecclesiastes Rabbah, Canticles Rabbah, and the Babylonian Talmud.But he does not seem to have known anything about the Jerusalem Talmud, since he does not quote from it.