Bible Legends explores the rich crop of legends that occur in the Old Testament, many of which are the key to the richest literary and artistic traditions of the western world. Real people emerge from these familiar (and not so familiar) stories: Adam's ascent into Heaven in a chariot; Abraham's trial by fire; Jonah's adventure in the whale; Solomon as a beggar; the wooing of Rebekah; the life of Moses; David and Goliath; Cain and Abel. In this fascinating book, Louis Ginzberg presents the Bible's spiritual values in new colours and dimensions. This is storytelling with a grain of salt and a lot of wit. These tales sprang from the ancient oral tradition and changed the daily thoughts and deeds of a hundred generations; here, their power and truth is examined

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The first appearance of Jews in Poland and their adventures during their early years of settlement in the country are concealed in undocumented shadows of history. What survived are legends of origin that early chronicles, historians, writers, and folklore scholars transcribed, thus contributing to their preservation. According to the legendary chronicles Jews resided in Poland for a millennium and developed a vibrant community. Haya Bar-Itzhak examines the legends of origin of the Jews of Poland and discloses how the community creates its own chronicle, how it structures and consolidates its identity through stories about its founding, and how this identity varies from age to age. Bar-Itzhak also examines what happened to these legends after the extermination of Polish Jewry during the Holocaust, when the human space they describe no longer exists except in memory. For the Polish Jews after the Holocaust, the legends of origin undergo a fascinating transformation into legends of destruction. Jewish Poland -- Legends of Origin brings to light the more obscure legends of origin as well as those already well known. This book will be of interest to scholars in folklore studies as well as to scholars of Judaic history and culture.