The Legends of the Jews, 2-Volume Set Contributor(s): Stern, David M. (Foreword by), Ginzberg, Louis (Author) |
|
![]() |
ISBN: 0827607091 ISBN-13: 9780827607095 Publisher: Jewish Publication Society OUR PRICE: $157.50 Product Type: Hardcover Published: June 2003 Annotation: To this day Legends of the Jews originally published in 1901-1938, remains a most remarkable and comprehensive compilation of stories connected to the Hebrew Bible. It is an indispensable reference on that body of literature known as Midrash, the imaginative retelling and elaboration on Bible stories in which mythological tales about demons and magic co-exist with moralistic stories about the piety of the patriarchs. Legends is the first book to which one turns to learn about the postbiblical understanding of a biblical episode, or to discover the source for biblical legends that cannot be traced directly to the Bible. Ginzberg scoured Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and Oriental sources to rediscover the fine threads of Jewish legend. The result was a masterpiece: a single, coherent collection of legends that follows the biblical narrative, accompanied by detailed notes that reveal a complex subtext of often intersecting and multi-layered levels of influence, borrowed notions, and interpretive commentaries. Four new indexes and a new introduction by David Stern, director of the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania, complete the reissue of one of the greatest classics of modern Jewish literature. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Religion | Judaism - Sacred Writings |
Dewey: 296.19 |
LCCN: 2003047540 |
Series: JPS Classic Reissues |
Physical Information: 4" H x 6.62" W x 11.26" (6.79 lbs) 1650 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) - Ethnic Orientation - Jewish - Religious Orientation - Jewish |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: The JPS classic reissue of a Jewish masterpiece, reset in two volumes with all new indexes To this day Legends of the Jews remains a most remarkable and comprehensive compilation of stories connected to the Hebrew Bible. It is an indispensable reference on that body of literature known as Midrash, the imaginative retelling and elaboration on Bible stories in which mythological tales about demons and magic co-exist with moralistic stories about the piety of the patriarchs. Legends is the first book to which one turns to learn about the postbiblical understanding of a biblical episode, or to discover the source for biblical legends that cannot be traced directly to the Bible. It is also the first place to find the answers to such questions as: on what day was Abraham born; what was Moses' physical appearance, or what was the name of Potiphar's wife.
|