The Legends of the Jews

The Legends of the Jews

Legends of the Jews is a most remarkable and comprehensive compilation of stories connected to the Hebrew Bible. It is an indispensable reference on that body of literature known as Midrash, the imaginative retelling and elaboration on Bible stories in which mythological tales about demons and magic co-exist with moralistic stories about the piety of the patriarchs.

Louis Ginzberg

Vol. IV: From Joshua to Esther

7 vol. ; vol. 4

v. 4. Joshua -- The servant of Moses -- Entering the Promised Land -- Conquest of the land -- The sun obeys Joshua -- War with the Armenians -- Allotment of the land -- The Judges -- The first judge -- Campaigns of Kenaz -- Othniel -- Boaz and Ruth -- Deborah -- Gideon -- Jephthah -- Samson -- The crime of the Benjamites -- Samuel and Saul -- Elkanah and Hannah -- The youth of Samuel -- Eli and his sons -- The activities of Samuel -- The reign of Saul -- The Court of Saul -- David -- David's birth and descent -- Anointed King -- Encounter with Goliath -- Pursued by Saul -- Wars -- Ahithophel -- Joab -- David's piety and his sin -- Absalom's rebellion -- David's atonement -- Visitations -- The death of David -- David in Paradise -- The family of David -- His tomb -- Solomon -- Solomon punishes Joab -- The marriage of Solomon -- His wisdom -- The Queen of Sheba -- Solomon master of the demons -- The building of the temple -- The throne of Solomon -- The Hippodrome -- Lessons in humility -- Asmodeus -- Solomon as beggar -- The Court of Solomon -- Judah and Israel -- The division of the kingdom -- Jeroboam -- The two Abijahs -- Asa -- Jehoshaphat and Ahab -- Jezebel -- Joram of Israel -- Elijah -- Elijah before his translation -- After his translation -- Censor and avenger -- Intercourse with the sages -- God's justice vindicated -- Elijah and the Angel of Death -- Teacher of the Kabbalah -- Forerunner of the Messiah -- Elisha and Jonah -- Elisha the Disciple of Elijah -- The Shunammite -- Gehazi -- The flight of Jonah -- Jonah in the whale -- The repentance of Nineveh -- The later kings of Judah -- Joash -- Three great prophets -- The two kingdoms chastised -- Hezekiah -- Miracles wrought for Hezekiah -- Manasseh -- Josiah and his successors -- The exile -- Zedekiah -- Jeremiah -- Nebuchadnezzar -- The capture of Jerusalem -- The great lament -- Jeremiah's journey to Babylon -- Transportation of the captives -- The sons of Moses -- Ebed-melech -- The temple vessels -- Baruch -- The tombs of Baruch and Ezekiel -- Daniel -- The three men in the furnace -- Ezekiel revives the dead -- Nebuchadnezzar a beast -- Hiram -- The false prophets -- Daniel's piety -- The return of the captivity -- Belshazzar's feast -- Daniel under the Persian kings -- The grave of Daniel -- Zerubbabel -- Ezra -- The men of the Great Assembly -- Esther -- The feast for the Grandees -- The festivities in Shushan -- Vashti's bouquet -- The fate of Vashti -- The follies of Ahasuerus -- Mordecai -- Esther's beauty and piety -- The conspiracy -- Haman the Jew-baiter -- Mordecai's pride -- Casting the lots -- The denunciation of the Jews -- The decree of annihilation -- Satan indicts the Jews -- The dream of Mordecai fulfilled -- The prayer of Esther -- Esther intercedes -- The disturbed night -- The fall of Haman -- The edict of the king.

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