Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg)

2,650 texts · Page 279 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.

Kingdom of Araunah

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 11:33

And not just any skull, but the skull of Araunah (also known as Araniah or Aravnah), the very man from whom King David purchased the land upon which the Temple stood! Now, you migh...

King DavidTempleHoly Land

Ezra and the Fires of Gehenna

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 11:34

He was trying to rally the Jewish people to return to Palestine, to rebuild their lives and their Temple. It sounds like a monumental, spiritually charged moment. A chance to rebui...

Hell/GehennaTempleSoul

Living by Torah and Ezra

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 11:35

It wasn’t just about bricks and mortar; it was about the very soul of the Jewish people. Ezra held two burning desires in his heart. First, to safeguard the purity – both literal a...

Torah

Giving of the Torah and Ezra

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 11:36

According to the Legends of the Jews, his zeal and effectiveness in spreading the teachings of the Torah were legendary. It was said that if Moses hadn't come first, Ezra would hav...

MosesTorahSabbathShabbat

Written and Oral Law of Ezra

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 11:37

A lot of that goes back further than you might imagine, all the way to Ezra the Scribe. Ezra, who lived during the Second Temple period, wasn’t just a scribe; he was a builder, a r...

TorahPrayerSabbathShabbat

Ezra in Exile and Uriel

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 11:38

The legends certainly suggest it. Take Ezra, for example. He wasn't just a scribe, not just a leader bringing the Torah back to life after the Babylonian exile. He was, according t...

AngelsMosesTorahProphecy

Words of the Wise and Ezra

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 11:39

The Temple is rebuilt, but something's missing. The sacred texts, the very heart of their identity, are scattered and incomplete. Enter Ezra, a priest and scribe deeply learned in ...

Wisdom

Death of King Artachshashta

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 11:42

We know he was instrumental in re-establishing the Torah and Jewish practice. But how did his story end? According to the Legends of the Jews, compiled by Louis Ginzberg, Ezra didn...

MiraclesHoly Land

Ezra's Legacy

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 11:45

Around the time of Ezra, a pivotal figure in Jewish history, Babylon, that mighty, ancient city, suffered a devastating blow. The Persians swept through, leaving only a small, impe...

PatriarchsProphecyRepentanceWisdom