Tree of Souls (Schwartz)

645 texts · Page 19 of 72

Texts from Howard Schwartz's Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism, a landmark anthology gathering myths and legends spanning the full arc of Jewish tradition, from the creation of the world to the coming of the Messiah.

Adam Brings Down Fire From Heaven

Tree of Souls

Some traditions suggest that Adam, the first human, wasn't just made on Earth, but actually brought something vital to Earth – fire and light themselves! Imagine this: Before Adam ...

CreationAngelsHeavenTorah

Adam The Hermaphrodite

Tree of Souls

We often picture him as a solitary figure, but some fascinating stories paint a much different picture – a being both male and female. It's a wild idea. But it comes from some surp...

CreationAdam & EveNoah & FloodTemple

Samael And Lilith

Tree of Souls

Today, we're diving into a fascinating, and frankly unsettling, corner of Jewish mystical tradition: the story of Samael and Lilith. It's a story of intertwined destinies, jealousy...

CreationDemonsHeavenAdam & Eve

God And The Spirits Of The Unborn

Tree of Souls

There's a story about that. It's a bittersweet tale, really, about beginnings and forgetting, and it goes something like this... Imagine a circle. Not just any circle, but a celest...

CreationAngelsHeavenMysticism

Adam And The Spirits

Tree of Souls

It paints a picture of a moment teeming with… competition. Imagine this: Adam's body is there, perfectly formed. The first human. But he’s… inert. Lifeless. And according to the Zo...

DemonsAdam & EveMysticismSoul

The First Eve

Tree of Souls

Turns out, even God had that problem. We all know the story: God creates Adam, the first man, and realizes he's a little lonely. So, naturally, God decides to create him a partner,...

CreationAdam & Eve

What Happened To The First Eve?

Tree of Souls

According to one fascinating oral tradition, Adam's first wife wasn't quite the helpmate he expected. She was, shall we say, a little too clever, a little too strong for him. Can y...

CreationAngelsDemonsHell/Gehenna

The Creation Of Woman

Tree of Souls

The Book of Genesis tells us, "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him.'" (Gen. 2:18). A "fitting helper." That's a loaded phra...

CreationDemonsAdam & Eve

The First Wedding

Tree of Souls

Before rings, before awkward toasts, before even human parents... what did that look like? Well, buckle up, because the story of Adam and Eve's wedding is more lavish and awe-inspi...

CreationAngelsAdam & EveProphecy