THE LEGENDS OF THE JEWS BY LOUIS GINZBERG 1946-1947 IN SEVEN VOLUMES

[GINZBERG, LOUIS]. The Legends of the Jews. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publications Society of America, 1946-1947.

Mixed impressions. Complete in seven volumes. Vol. I [9th impression]: Bible Times and Characters From the Creation to Jacob. Vol. II [6th impression]: Bible Times and Characters From Joseph to the Exodus. Vol. III [3rd impression]: Bible Times and Characters From the Exodus to the Death of Moses. Vol. IV [5th impression]: Bible Times and Characters From Joshua to Esther. Vol. V [6th impression]: Notes to Volumes I and II. From the Creation to the Exodus. Vol. VI [3rd impression]: Notes to Volumes III and IV. From Moses in the Wilderness to Esther. Volume VII [unstated]: Index, by Boaz Cohen. Cloth-bound; hardcovers; octavos (22cm x 14cm); pp. xviii, [2], 424; viii, [2], 375; x, 481; vii, [2], 448; xi, [3], 446; [8], 490; ix, [1], 612. English text with some Hebrew, translated from the German Manuscript by Henrietta Szold. Bound in publisher's original blue cloth gilt; initial and terminal blanks plus half-titles present. Condition: GOOD. A largely tight and clean set, some minor marks to covers, gilt a little rubbed, some spines lightly faded. Interiors clean and without previous ownership markings. Lacking dust jackets.

Notes: A comprehensive collection of Aggadot dealing with Biblical personages and events. This collection also considers Pseudepigrapha of confirmed Jewish origin as well as Jewish legends found within Patristic Christian texts. The legendary material is presented in a smooth and mostly uninterrupted narrative manner. When conflicting versions of a legend exist, Ginzburg tries to relay the common tale while leaving the detailed discussion of the different versions to the scholarly annotations. In addition to the legends contained within, Volume III, focusing specifically on the life and deeds of Moses, also offers symbolic explanations of certain Jewish laws. Providing the detailed scholarly backdrop for the narrative style of the first four volumes, the Notes gathered in Volumes V and VI discuss the collected legends in terms of sources, authorship, traditions, language and content and more. In Volume VII, Boaz Cohen combines alphabetical, chronological and systematic principles to offer a comprehensive index of all the relevant themes, concepts, place names and personal names appearing in Ginzberg's narrative work. In addition, Cohen provides an index of Hebrew and Aramaic phrases as well as an index of scriptoral passages.