3,492 related texts · Page 5 of 73
“Zion spread her hands, there was no comforter for her; the Lord has commanded for Jacob that her adversaries surround her. Jerusalem has become like a pariah among them” (Lamentat...
We all know the story of the flood, the animals two-by-two, and the rainbow's promise. But what about the aftermath? What did the world look like when the waters finally receded? T...
When Noah finally stepped onto dry land, one of the first things he did was offer a sacrifice. But what was so special about it? The Book of Jubilees, a text that expands on the st...
Specifically, we're looking at chapter 6. This book, considered scripture by some Jewish groups in antiquity (like the Essenes who lived at Qumran), offers a fascinating perspectiv...
The Book of Jubilees, a text revered by some but not included in the standard biblical canon, offers a fascinating answer, connecting the earthly and the divine in a truly profound...
The Book of Jubilees, a text considered canonical by some but relegated to the Apocrypha by others, offers a fascinating, detailed account. It's like a divine property survey, layi...
to one of them, shall we? We find a fascinating account in the Book of Jubilees, a text considered canonical by some, like the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, but considered apocryphal ...
We all know the story of Noah, the ark, and the animals. But what about the aftermath? What kind of world did Noah and his family rebuild? The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text ...
Today, we're diving into the Book of Jubilees, a text not found in the canonical Tanakh, but considered sacred in some Jewish traditions. It retells much of Genesis and Exodus, but...
We're talking about a time when the Seleucid Empire, under King Antiochus IV Epiphanes, was in full swing, trying to Hellenize, or make Greek, everyone under its rule. It wasn't ju...
We all know the basic story: the flood, the animals, the rainbow... But some ancient texts offer us a glimpse into the nitty-gritty, the behind-the-scenes drama. Book of Jasher, a ...
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, the raven's journey on the ark wasn't exactly smooth sailing. When Noah needed a scout to check on the receding floodwater...
We often hear about angels as these purely good, ethereal beings. But what happens when angels, shall we say, misbehave? The story of Azazel and Shemhazai is one of those tales. It...
We pick up with Shemhazai and Azazel. Now, these weren’t just any angels. They were part of a group who, according to some traditions, were sent to Earth to observe humanity. But, ...
And while the Torah gives us hints, it's in the later Jewish traditions, the stories whispered from generation to generation, that we really start to get a sense of just how wild t...
But not just any book. According to Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, this was a sapphire book, encased in gold! Think of the bling! More im...
Let’s talk about the Flood. We all know the basic story: Noah, the Ark, the animals two-by-two. But what about the people who didn't make it? What about the sinners left behind? Ac...
We often picture him building, gathering animals, maybe arguing with his neighbors. But what about his personal life? It turns out, there's a story there, too, a very human story o...
We all know the story: the animals, the flood, the rainbow. But what about the after the flood? What was Noah thinking, feeling? Did he get everything. Well, according to some fasc...
Noah, his family, and all the animals are finally stepping off the ark, blinking in the sunlight, the world utterly transformed. The very first thing Noah does? He builds an altar....
Take Noah, the righteous man who saved humanity from the flood. You’d think he’d be on a pretty straight path after that whole ordeal. But nope. The story takes a turn, and it invo...
Legends of the Jews tells us that the south fell to the lot of Ham. Think scorching deserts, sweltering jungles... that kind of heat. The north? That became the inheritance of Japh...
They're about to embark on a mission to rebuild the world, and the first order of business? Dividing the land. But not just any land – we're talking about the entire planet! Accord...
And according to tradition, the land wasn't exactly empty when Jacob's sons were destined to inherit it. No, no. It was provisionally granted to a whole host of Canaanite nations: ...
Take Shib'ah, for instance. It's the name given to the spot where Isaac made a covenant with the Philistines. But why Shib'ah? Well, according to tradition, it's a double entendre,...
After all the materials were gathered, ready for this incredible, portable sanctuary to be built, Bezalel didn't just get to work; he dove in, soul first. And that's what the Torah...
And the answer, as often happens in Jewish tradition, is layered and complex, and more than a little surprising. According to the Legends of the Jews, compiled by Rabbi Louis Ginzb...
Think about Noah's dove. After the flood, Noah sends her out to see if the waters have receded. The verse tells us, "...and she no longer returned to him, at all" (Gen. 8:12). A si...
When Moses stood before Israel at Sinai and "took the book of the covenant and read it in the ears of the people" (Exodus 24:7), a question immediately arises: what exactly did he ...
It's more than just a colorful arc in the sky. It's a promise, a symbol, and, according to some, a glimpse of something truly extraordinary. The most familiar story, of course, con...
We all know the tale of Noah, the ark, and the animals. But what if the water wasn't just… water? A fascinating idea emerges from the depths of Jewish tradition: the generation of ...
The ancient sages did. And in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, they grapple with this very question, particularly in relation to th...
Our ancestors grappled with this too. And Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers some fascinating perspectives on why, and what we...
The Pesikta DeRav Kahana, a collection of Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic teachings, offers a fascinating insight into this very question. It all starts with a verse f...
It must have been overwhelming, the weight of a destroyed world, the responsibility of rebuilding it all. Well, according to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collection of sto...
It's more than just chance, according to the ancient rabbis. It's about divine engagement. The verse that sparks this thought is from (Numbers 3:1): "And these are the generations ...
And in a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient rabbinic commentary on Genesis, we find the figure of Noah held up as a source of just that: double relief. But it st...
Take the story of the Flood, the mabul, a cataclysmic event meant to cleanse the world of its wickedness. We often focus on Noah, the ark, and the animals. But what about the Earth...
We all know the story: the flood, the animals two-by-two, a rainbow of hope at the end. But what about the blueprints? How did Noah actually build this thing? The Torah, in (Genesi...
But what about the nitty-gritty? How did Noah see in there? Where did everyone go to the bathroom? Our Sages, wrestling with the very same questions, dove deep into the Torah's des...
That’s the feeling at the heart of a beautiful passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs. It starts with the line, "I am a rose of Sharon, a l...
(Genesis 7:11) isn’t messing around. Why that precise moment for the deluge to begin? It’s a question that’s kept commentators busy for centuries. Specifically, the Midrash of Phil...
And they weren't afraid to ask the tough questions. Take this one, for example, posed in The Midrash of Philo: Why does the Torah specifically mention that God remembered Noah, the...
Take Noah's Ark, for example. We all know the story: the flood, the animals, the dove with the olive branch. But then you get to (Genesis 8:4), and it hits you with, "The ark settl...
It's not just a coincidence, you know. Sometimes, it's like the universe is trying to tell us something! Take the story of the Flood, the mabul. According to the Midrash of Philo, ...
We all know the big picture: flood, animals two-by-two, dove with an olive branch. But what about the timing? Specifically, why did Noah wait a full forty days after the mountainto...
It’s more than just pretty colors arching across the sky. : God makes a covenant, a sacred agreement, with humanity after the great flood. And what's the sign of this unbreakable p...
It's like when you're telling a story, and you suddenly realize one particular character is way more important to the plot than you initially thought. Take Noah, for example. We kn...
