The Legends of the Jews — Volume 1

Legends of the Jews is a chronological compilation of aggadah from hundreds of biblical legends in Mishnah, Talmud and Midrash. The compilation consists of seven volumes (four volumes of narrative texts and two volumes of footnotes with a volume of index) synthesized by Louis Ginzberg in manuscript of German language. In 1913, it was translated by Henrietta Szold.

Volume I: From the Creation to Jacob

Chapter I: The Creation of the World

The First Things Created - The Alphabet - The First Day - The Second Day - The Third Day - The Fourth Day - The Fifth Day - The Sixth Day - All Things Praise the Lord

Sometimes weird, sometimes enlightening, always fun. Perhaps the best part is getting a better feel of how some Jews interact with their sacred text. And "interact" is a great word--they don't just read, they fiddle with, argue against, embrace, and treat the Old Testament as a living, breathing text with which they can have an open conversation. An invaluable collection of myths, stories, and passages from the Midrash.