The Legends of the Jews: Bible Times and Characters from Joshua to Esther

Absalom was of such gigantic proportions that a man who was himself of extraordinary size, standing in the eye-socket of his skull, sank in down to his nose. As for his marvellous hair, the account of it in the Bible does not convey a notion of its abundance. Absalom had taken the vow of a Nazarite. As his vow was for life, and because the growth of his hair was particularly heavy, the law permitted him to clip it slightly every week. It was of this small quantity that the weight amounted to two hundred shekels. -from "Absalom's Rebellion" The masterpiece of one of the preeminent Talmudic scholars of the 20th century, the multivolume Legends of the Jews gathers together stories from the Talmud, the Midrash, the Bible, and oral traditions-also known as the Haggada-and offers them in chronological order. Volume IV, first published in 1913, features tales of Joshua, Boaz and Ruth, Samuel and Saul, David, Solomon, Judah and Israel, Elijah, Esther, and more. A work of brilliant erudition and deep devotion, this is an invaluable collection of religious lore. American rabbi LOUIS GINZBERG (1873-1953) founded the American Academy of Jewish Research and was a prolific contributor to the Jewish Encyclopedia.