Louis Ginzberg's "The Legends of the Jews — Vol. 4" is a thorough and influential study. Some stories are brutal and weird, while others creep up on you and draw you in slowly. Because the title character is so indulgent, readers are forced to keep reading to find out what happens next. This historical book is a wonderful compilation of concepts that have been condensed into a single draft for readers of all ages to read. This multi-volume series contains a plethora of Jewish folklore, myths, and stories spanning the centuries from the beginning of recorded history to the conclusion of the biblical era. Vol. 4, "Bible Times and Characters from Creation to Jacob," goes into the oldest stories in the Hebrew Bible. This edition of "The Legends of the Jews — Vol. 4" is both current and legible, with an eye-catching new cover and professionally typeset copy. Ginzberg meticulously weaves together a diverse range of materials, including Talmudic and Midrashic literature, to recreate and build on Old Testament episodes. His literature provides readers with a strong understanding of the cultural and religious roots of Jewish traditions, as well as insights into the moral, ethical, and theological components of these stories.

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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.

Scholars of Jewish folklore as well as of Talmudic-Midrashic literature will find this volume to be invaluable reading.