2,344 related texts · Page 21 of 49
Years ago, you thought you'd lost your beloved son, Joseph, to a tragic death. The grief must have been unbearable. Now, after all this time, his brothers are returning from Egypt ...
It's considered apocryphal by some, pseudepigraphal by others (meaning, falsely attributed to a biblical figure), but no matter what you call it, it's a fascinating window into a w...
The Letter of Aristeas gives us a fascinating glimpse into this world. Our story picks up with Demetrius, the chief librarian of Alexandria. Imagine him, a man surrounded by scroll...
That’s where our story begins, with the Prayer of Manasseh. It's a short, powerful text, not found in the Tanakh, but preserved among the Jewish writings of the Second Temple perio...
That feeling of being utterly unworthy... it's a human experience that echoes through centuries, and finds a powerful voice in a short, potent prayer attributed to a very unlikely ...
"Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness, there was none of her children that went in or out." It's a stark, desolate image. The mikdash, the sanctuary, is "trodden down." The joy of Ja...
Our scene opens with a figure named, well, he’s not named in the text. But he's in a tight spot. He's just heard some pretty bad news. He’s "confounded and discouraged," as the tex...
The kind of idea that fuels revolutions and inspires hope. That very concept is at the heart of a fascinating passage in the First Book of Maccabees. We're talking about a time of ...
We're turning to the Book of Maccabees I, a historical account that's part of the Apocrypha, those fascinating books nestled in some versions of the Bible but not in others. It’s a...
Beyond just having it, I mean. What does it take to establish a claim that lasts for generations? Chapter 24 of the Book of Jasher, an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (...
We read about their exploits in the Torah, but sometimes the details feel…sparse. That's where books like the Book of Jasher come in. It's considered a type of Midrash (rabbinic in...
That’s the emotional whirlwind that engulfs the sons of Jacob after selling their brother Joseph into slavery, as recounted in Chapter 43 of the Book of Jasher. The chapter opens w...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), offers a fascinating account. .. The scene opens with Isaac, Abraham's...
Picking up where we left off, Jacob’s sons, finally convinced to bring their youngest brother Benjamin, journey back to Egypt. Can you imagine the tension? They're carrying gifts, ...
Remember Joseph, the favored son sold into slavery in Egypt? He's now a powerful figure, and his brothers, unknowingly standing before him, are begging for the release of their you...
But this tale comes from a different, less-known source: The Book of Jasher. Specifically, we’re diving into Chapter 60. Now, the Book of Jasher isn't part of the standard biblical...
And then, out of nowhere, we get a completely separate war story! Buckle up, because we're diving in. First, let's set the stage. Levi, one of Jacob's sons, passes away at the ripe...
We read about the conquest of Canaan in the Book of Joshua, but the story doesn't quite end there. The Book of Jasher, a non-canonical Jewish text that fills in some of the gaps in...
While the Israelites traveled through the wilderness, seven clouds of glory surrounded them on every side. One cloud went in front, one behind, two flanked them on each side, and o...
After the ten plagues, after the final convulsions of the dying age, God revealed to Abraham the moment everything would change. "Then I will sound the trumpet out of the air and w...
There's a story about a rabbi, Rabbi Hayim ben Attar, known as the Or ha-Hayim (אור החיים), "the light of life," after his famous biblical commentary. He lived in Jerusalem and had...
The story of Jacob's sons, Simon and Levi, and their actions in Shechem is a prime example. As we know, they took drastic revenge for the rape of their sister Dinah. But as Legends...
According to Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg, after the incident at Shechem, where Simon and Levi took drastic action, fear rippled through the surrounding lands. The neighboring p...
We often hear about the big names – Abraham, Moses, David. But what about the seemingly quieter figures, the ones whose stories whisper rather than shout? Today, let’s delve into t...
Today, we're diving into the final testament of Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob, as recounted in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews. Benjamin, at the ripe old age of one hundred an...
There was a transition, a gradual dimming of the light. It’s almost like the Egyptians were waiting for something… or someone. Ginzberg tells us that as long as the sons of Jacob w...
The stories we have… they’re just incredible. Take the fifth day, for example. According to tradition, that's when God brought forth the creatures of the sea. And how did He do it?...
The Jewish tradition has some pretty wild answers, especially when it comes to LEVIATHAN. Now, Leviathan. We're not talking about a simple sea creature here. This is a primordial b...
Genesis tells us that on the fifth day, God populated the waters with fish and the skies with birds. But did you know that Jewish tradition sees a deeper connection between these c...
We all know about Leviathan, the mighty sea serpent, Ziz, the colossal bird, and Behemot, the giant land beast, but they aren’t alone in the bestiary of Jewish legend. There are ot...
We know the Bible tells us of their lives, their creation, their sins. But what about their final resting places? It's a question that leads us into the rich tapestry of Jewish leg...
It wasn’t a small, quiet affair. Oh no. This was a grand event, a spectacle of mourning and respect. According to Legends of the Jews, everyone who was anyone showed up. Shem and h...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), that rich tapestry of Jewish storytelling, fills in the gaps, painting a vibrant picture of the events leading up to that fateful ni...
The ancient rabbis certainly knew the type. "It profits not if a villain is cast into a sawmill," they said. Neither force nor gentle words can sway a true rascal. And according to...
But the why behind it all is so much more intricate, and dare I say, a little bit scandalous. So, picture this: Jacob arrives in Haran, falls head-over-heels for Rachel, and strike...
In the Torah, names aren't just labels; they're prophecies, echoes of the past, and whispers of the future. Take Leah, for instance, one of Jacob’s wives. Her story, as told in Leg...
Let’s talk about Leah and Rachel, sisters, wives of Jacob, and figures central to the story of the Jewish people. Leah, already blessed with six sons, was pregnant once more. But t...
Jacob certainly did. Fresh from his somewhat…complicated…dealings with Laban, his father-in-law (and uncle!), he was on the run, trying to get back home. But Laban wasn't about to ...
He's got his family, his flocks, and a whole lot of baggage—emotional and otherwise. He's facing the very real possibility of a showdown with his estranged brother, Esau, and the c...
We're talking about Jacob and Esau, those iconic twins whose rivalry echoes through the ages. So, picture this: Jacob has received his father Isaac's blessing, a blessing that seem...
The story of Simon and Levi's vengeance upon the city of Shechem, after the rape of their sister Dinah, is one such tale. We’ve talked before about how their actions were, shall we...
We all know the story of Jacob, later named Israel, and his brother Esau. Their relationship? Let’s call it “fraught.” But according to the Legends of the Jews, peace didn't last. ...
They have stories too, tales of redemption, bravery, and unexpected turns of fate. Take Judah, for example. We all know he sold his brother Joseph into slavery. But did you know th...
We often hear about Dinah, daughter of Jacob, and the terrible events surrounding Shechem. But did you know that Simon, one of her brothers, had a son named Saul with a woman named...
Sometimes, their stories are tucked away in unexpected places, waiting to be discovered. Take Asher, for instance, one of Jacob's sons. We know he founded one of the twelve tribes,...
According to Legends of the Jews, when Joseph's brothers arrived in Egypt seeking to buy grain, they were asked their names, and the names of their father and grandfather. Can you ...
They weren't just passive observers; they were actively pleading with God, begging for the redemption of their husbands and fathers from the cruel grip of the Egyptian king. It’s a...
That's the emotional powder keg about to explode in this story. We're diving into the heart of the Joseph narrative, as told in Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg, a collection that d...
