Anyone have any comments on "Legends of the Jews" (http://www.logos.com/product/3000/legends-of-the-jews)?
It is a fun resource that I've had in dead tree form for years. Its basically a collection of story type midrash (aggadah) from the Misnah. Its an older translation but is quite readable. If you have the Misnah it is less important but it is still an easy way of finding the stories by major character.
Orthodox Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."
GeoPappas:comments on "Legends of the Jews"
I find this a useful resource. It is particularly useful for locating some of the extra information that has become attached to the Old Testament narratives.
God Bless
Graham
Pastor - NTCOG Basingstoke
MJ. Smith: It is a fun resource that I've had in dead tree form for years. Its basically a collection of story type midrash (aggadah) from the Misnah. Its an older translation but is quite readable. If you have the Misnah it is less important but it is still an easy way of finding the stories by major character.
It isn't precisely "an older translation" since Ginzberg not only translated the material but created it as well by selecting material from various sources. I suspect that a bit of "artistic license" comes into play as well. It's quite an interesting collection.
georgegfsomsel
יְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
If you have a Kindle or the Kindle for PC software, this appears to be a free download from Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Legends-Jews-1-ebook/dp/B004TPP00C/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1311948939&sr=1-1
Also available on Project Gutenberg in .txt, .mobi and .epub formats
As far as I know, it's the most wide-ranging collection of aggadic materials we have available on Logos.
However, Ginzberg is a sliver of the basics we should have:
And that is only the oldies but goodies. But Logos has rather slim pickings of several criticism methods - folklore/mythology being only one of them.
This is mostly for illustrative use for whatever underlying Old Testament reference. My thought is you could just retell something in it in an updated form more relevant to your church if that suits your purpose. Some stories don't age well in their original format.
The mind of man is the mill of God, not to grind chaff, but wheat. Thomas Manton | Study hard, for the well is deep, and our brains are shallow. Richard Baxter
MJ. Smith: However, Ginzberg is a sliver of the basics we should have: Zev Vilnay's The Sacred Land trilogy (Legends of Jerusalem; Legends of Judea and Samaria; Legends of Galilee, Jordon and Sinai) I've only been asking for this basic resource for a decade or more. Howard Schwartz' Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism Robert Grave's Hebrew Myths: The Book of Genesis And that is only the oldies but goodies. But Logos has rather slim pickings of several criticism methods - folklore/mythology being only one of them.
So true. One of several areas that could benefit from attention.
mab:This is mostly for illustrative use for whatever underlying Old Testament reference.
I use them more like other "ancient near eastern" materials - as another piece of information helping me understand better the culture from which Scripture comes, the background information the hearers of the word would have in their minds, the reception history as embedded in the changes of the accompanying oral/written literature.I think of them as an oral history developing alongside the written history, a supplement not a retelling.