3,053 texts · Page 4 of 64
We all know the story of his dramatic rescue as a baby, floating down the Nile in a basket. But what happened next, after he was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter? The Book of Jasher, ...
We all know the story of the Exodus, the burning bush, the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the years leading up to that moment? The Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text of...
Kikianus, the king of Cush, a formidable ruler, marches out with his massive army, described as "numerous as the sand," to bring Aram and the easterners back in line. He's successf...
It's considered by many to be part of the Apocrypha, a collection of writings of uncertain origin, that elaborates on stories from the Bible and fills in gaps. Think of it as histo...
Today, we're diving into a fascinating, if somewhat tragic, tale from the Book of Jasher, a non-canonical Jewish text that fills in gaps left by the Torah. Our story unfolds in Egy...
Chapter 76 opens with Moses reigning as king in Cush, apparently thriving and ruling with justice for forty years! According to Jasher, "all the children of Cush loved Moses… and a...
There are entire books dedicated to filling in those gaps, offering tantalizing glimpses into the lives of our ancestors. One such book is the Book of Jasher, a work referenced in ...
The chapter opens with a change of leadership in Edom. Baal Channan, son of Achbor, dies and the Edomites reach out to find a new king. They settle on a man named Hadad. He reigns ...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), fills in some of those gaps. It's like a behind-the-scenes look at the...
We all know the highlights – the Nile turning to blood, the frogs, the darkness. But some sources really dial up the intensity, giving us a truly nightmarish vision of divine retri...
We know the big story: the plagues, the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the nitty-gritty details of those first few days of freedom? The Book of Jasher, a text m...
We know about Mount Sinai, the thunder, the lightning, the booming voice... but what about the days that followed?Book of Jasher and see what unfolded. The story picks up right aft...
We all know about the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, and even receiving the Ten Commandments. But what about the nitty-gritty details of setting up their new life, their new r...
The ancient Israelites certainly did! And this chapter of the Book of Jasher throws us right into the middle of their long, winding journey. Remember Korah's rebellion? The Book of...
That feeling of frustration, of being turned back just as you're reaching your goal... well, the Israelites knew it well. Chapter 85 of the Book of Jasher plunges us right into a m...
The Sefer haYashar, or Book of Jasher, a collection of Jewish legends and lore, gives us a glimpse. Chapter 87 opens with a divine instruction. "At that time the Lord said to Moses...
The story continues, of course! And today, we're diving into Chapter 88 of the Book of Jasher to see what happened as the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land under the lea...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13, (2 Samuel 1:1)8), offers some fascinating glimpses.. The chapter opens by setting the stage: It's ...
The Torah portion of Shmot – Exodus – introduces us to Moses, arguably the greatest prophet in Judaism. But even before the burning bush, before the plagues, before the parting of ...
While we often imagine it as a single, unified place, Jewish tradition offers a far more intricate and fascinating vision. According to some accounts, Paradise—or Gan Eden, the Gar...
Not according to some powerful Jewish legends! They paint a picture of a world created specifically for us, for the people of Israel. It’s a pretty bold claim, isn't it?According t...
At its heart, according to ancient tradition, stand two magnificent trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. Now, these aren’t just any ordinary trees. The Tree of Knowle...
Just three days after Adam poured out his heart in prayer, sitting by the river flowing from Gan Eden, the Garden of Eden itself, the angel Raziel appeared to him. Can you imagine ...
Jewish tradition, particularly the wealth of stories that amplify the terse narratives of the Torah, offers some pretty compelling answers. to the consequences of that fateful bite...
When Lamech's wives heard that Adam decided they should continue to live with their husband, they weren't exactly thrilled. They threw some serious shade his way, basically saying,...
Think about Noah for a second. The flood survivor, the righteous man who saved humanity and all the animals. In many ways, he was considered pious, a paragon of virtue. But accordi...
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: the Canaanites themselves, t...
So, picture this: Abraham saddles up his mule, ready to head to the local inn. This wasn't just any inn, mind you. It was the place where merchants from Fandana in Syria stayed whe...
It wasn't just about building altars, though he certainly did that. According to the legends, each altar he raised was the center of his missionary work. Imagine this: Abraham arri...
We know that CANAAN, son of HAM, and his descendants settled in the land. But the story goes that they didn’t exactly have permission. According to Legends of the Jews, Canaan disr...
It wasn't a coincidence. See, the famine that struck during Abraham's time? It wasn’t just a random act of nature. According to Legends of the Jews, specifically volume one, this f...
It’s a story filled with hidden beauty, shrewd bargaining, and a touch of divine protection. Our tale begins as Abraham and Sarah journey from Canaan to Egypt. According to Legends...
Sarah, wife of Abraham, certainly did when they journeyed to Egypt. to a fascinating episode from Legends of the Jews that shows just how powerfully things can turn around. Picture...
You know the story. Abraham, fearing for his life in a foreign land, tells everyone that his wife, the stunning Sarah, is actually his sister. A classic "mistaken identity" situati...
(Yes, that's the title of the whole collection.) It's a wild ride through the aggadah – the stories, the embellishments, the "filling in the blanks" that surrounds the more straigh...
When Abraham and his entourage finally arrived back in Canaan, they made a point of seeking out the same lodgings they'd used before. Why? Not just to settle their bills, but to se...
Our story centers around a character named Rakyon. The name itself is a bit of a dig – it translates to "Have-naught." And initially, that name seemed pretty fitting. But Rakyon? H...
It sounds so ancient, so powerful, so… well, Egyptian! But the story behind it, according to some fascinating threads in Jewish tradition, is more surprising than you might think. ...
Even Abraham, our patriarch, wasn't immune. Imagine the scene: Abraham, fresh from his sojourn in Egypt, returns home. Life should be good. But trouble is brewing. It starts, as it...
It’s closer than you might think. Imagine the scene: Sodom, ripe for the taking, its riches and food plundered by victorious armies. But amidst the spoils, they seize Lot, Abraham’...
The Torah touches on this in the Brit Bein Habetarim (ברית בין הבתרים), the Covenant Between the Pieces, in Genesis 15. But the story doesn't end there. The Legends of the Jews fil...
Abraham knew that feeling well. Before he was Avraham Avinu, our father Abraham, before the brit bein ha-betarim—the covenant of the pieces—he was just a man with a promise and a p...
You’re not wrong. to a classic tale of jealousy, longing, and a bit of divine intervention, straight from the heart of the Sarah and Abraham story. Imagine this: Sarah, Abraham's w...
The story of Lot is a fascinating example. We know him best, perhaps, for his narrow escape from the fiery destruction of Sodom. But did you know that his salvation wasn't just a s...
Ever find yourself in a sticky situation, and think, "Didn't I just do this?" Well, let's talk about Abraham. He's about to have a serious case of déjà vu. After leaving Egypt, Abr...
This particular story plunges us into the land of the Philistines. Imagine the scene: A night filled with inexplicable terror. A "great crying" echoes across the land as people wit...
Let’s delve into a fascinating encounter in the lives of Abraham and Abimelech and see what we can uncover. Remember the story? Abraham, fearing for his life in Gerar, tells everyo...
The angels in heaven apparently felt that way on behalf of Sarah. We all know Abraham. The patriarch, the man of faith. Well, there's a fascinating little aside in Legends of the J...
