Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg)

2,650 texts · Page 84 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.

Judah in Battle of Jacob

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:250

(Genesis 34, for those playing along at home). The Torah glosses over the actual battle that followed, but trust me, the legends fill in the gaps with some seriously epic details. ...

Patriarchs

Hazor in Battle

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:251

We read the stories, but sometimes the sheer grit and raw courage get lost in translation. Let's zoom in on one moment, a pivotal clash at the walls of Hazor. Imagine Judah, the fi...

PatriarchsJoseph

Sartan in Battle

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:252

The day after a previous, unspecified battle – because life in the ancient world was pretty much one battle after another. – our heroes arrived at Sartan. Now, Sartan wasn't just a...

Jacob and the Patriarchs of Amorites

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:253

The Torah often gives us glimpses, but sometimes it's the extra-biblical stories, the legends whispered through generations, that fill in the details. Let's look at one such tale f...

Patriarchs

Jacob and the Fires of Gehenna of Beth

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:255

The sages tell us that Jacob made a vow at Beth-el (the House of God) long ago. But he didn't fulfill it promptly. And according to the legends, this had dire repercussions. The ra...

Hell/GehennaPatriarchsMatriarchs

Angels Attend to Jacob and Isaac

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:257

One story tells us that among the idols Jacob destroyed, there was one shaped like a dove. And wouldn’t you know it, the Samaritans later dug it up and started worshiping it again!...

AngelsPatriarchsTempleSoul

Deborah and the Patriarchs

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:260

Today, let’s pull back the curtain on one of them: Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse. You might think, "A nurse? What's so special about that?" But in the ancient world, nurses were more th...

PatriarchsMatriarchsHoly Land

Death of Deborah and Jacob

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:262

We often focus on the heroes and villains, the miracles and the wars. But what about the everyday lives of these people, the grief and the small joys that shaped them? Let's turn o...

AngelsPatriarchsMatriarchsProphecy

Jacob's Vision and Rachel

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:264

The story of Jacob at Beth-el is one of those moments. After receiving a profound revelation from God, what did Jacob do? He didn't just stand there awestruck. He acted. He set up ...

PatriarchsMatriarchsTempleProphecy