The SLAC Polarized Electron Source and Beam for E-158

SLAC E-158 is making the first measurement of parity violation in Moeller scattering. E-158 measures the right-left cross-section asymmetry, A{sub LR}, in the scattering of a 45-GeV polarized electron beam off unpolarized electrons in a liquid hydrogen target. E-158 plans to measure the expected Standard Model asymmetry of {approx} 10{sup -7} to an accuracy of better than 10{sup -8}. This paper discusses the performance of the SLAC polarized electron source and beam during E-158's first physics run in April/May 2002.