Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg)

2,650 texts · Page 238 of 295

Selections from Louis Ginzberg's monumental Legends of the Jews, a seven-volume compilation that weaves together aggadic material from the Talmud, Midrash, and other rabbinic literature into a continuous narrative.

Abner's Transgression

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:37

But there's more to him than just family ties and political power. According to legend, Abner's mother was none other than the witch of En-dor! And get this – he wasn't just any or...

CreaturesKing David

Righteousness of Abner

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:38

Take Abner, for example. The Talmud calls him a tzadik, a righteous man, a "lion in the law," a brilliant military leader and scholar. Yet, his story is riddled with choices that u...

King DavidTorah

Samuel and David

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:39

Doeg, a contemporary of King Saul, presents a particularly fascinating case. Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, paints him as a man of immense intellect but ultimately undone by his...

King DavidMiraclesHoly Land

Abimelech and the Fires of Gehenna

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:40

He's one of those figures in Jewish tradition that just makes your skin crawl. Doeg's most terrible act, as recounted in Legends of the Jews, was his betrayal of the priests of Nob...

Hell/GehennaKing DavidTorahRepentance

Death of Doeg

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:42

Not exactly a feel-good name, is it? According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, his death was pretty gruesome. It wasn't just death, it was a dreadful death. But eve...

HeavenAngelsKing DavidSoul

Jesse: David in the Days of Moses

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 4:3

When we look at David, the "elect of God," as he's often called, it seems to be a fascinating combination of all three. David wasn't just some random shepherd boy plucked from obsc...

MosesKing DavidTempleRepentance

Birth of David

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 4:5

Jesse, David's father, was a righteous man, no doubt. But even the most devout aren't immune to temptation, are they? The Legends of the Jews tells us of a moment when Jesse found ...

AngelsAdam & EveKing David

Kingdom of David and Blessings

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 4:7

That’s kind of the story of David, the future king of Israel. But let's be honest, David didn’t exactly have a royal upbringing. He wasn’t raised in a palace, groomed for leadershi...

Adam & EveJosephKing DavidHoly Land

David and Goliath and the Wilderness

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 4:8

Before he was battling Goliath or leading armies, David spent a lot of time alone in the desert. The midbar, the wilderness, can be a pretty intense place, but it’s also where hero...

King DavidTemple