Tales from the Talmud
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| Tales from the Talmud |
The great majority of these stories come straight from the Talmud and may be found in English translations of that work, particularly in Mr Rodkinson's translation in the Oriental Room of the British Museum.
A very few have been added from the Targums, the Pirke Rabbi Eliezer, and a few other works which were more or less contemporaneous with the Talmud, and evidently drew their tales from the same source. Some of the interpretations which have been put upon the legendary part of the Talmud are briefly referred to in Part I., but no pretence is made in this book either of giving a critical analysis of the Talmud or of dealing with any religious or historical question.
The volume is mainly confined to a collection of tales which, sometimes quaint, sometimes marvellous, often of great intrinsic beauty, and always illustrative of the inner lives and feelings of the Jewish people two thousand years ago, constitute in some respects one of the most interesting parts of the Talmud, and may perhaps be thought to be not unworthy of being made known for their own sakes.
Contents
I. Introductory:
History, scope, and specimens of the Talmud ...... 1
Ii. Early biblical legends:
Operation to exodus . . . . 73
Iii. Later biblical legends:
Exodus to the Babylonian captivity. 125
Iv. Demonology:
Tales of demons, angels, miracles, magic, and adventure . . . 159
V. Other tales: Esther, greek influences, post-biblical
Legends, stories of some famous Rabbis . . . . . .211
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