The Legends of the Jews, vol 1 | Page 6

a serious omission in a subject with which widespread acquaintance may be presupposed as a matter of course.
As a third consequence of the amplitude of the material, it was thought advisable to divide it into several volumes. The references, the explanations of the sources used, and the interpretations given, and, especially, numerous emendations of the text of the Midrashim and the pseudepigrapha, which determined my conception of the passages so emended, will be found in the last volume, the fourth, which will contain also an Introduction to the History of Jewish Legends, a number of Excursuses, and the Index.
As the first three volumes are in the hands of the printer almost in their entirety, I venture to express the hope that the whole work will appear within measurable time, the parts following each other at short intervals.
LOUIS GINZBERG.
NEW YORK, March 24, 1909

CONTENTS
PREFACE 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.
II. ADAM Man and the World--The Angels and the Creation of Man--The Creation of Adam--The Soul of Man--The Ideal Man--The Fall of Satan--Woman--Adam and Eve in Paradise--The Fall of Man--The Punishment--Sabbath in Heaven--Adam's Repentance--The Book of Raziel--The Sickness of Adam--Eve's Story of the Fall--The Death of Adam--The Death of Eve.
III. THE TEN GENERATIONS The Birth of Cain--Fratricide--The Punishment of Cain--The Inhabitants of the Seven Earths--The Descendants of Cain--The Descendants of Adam and Lilith--Seth and His Descendants--Enosh--The Fall of the Angels--Enoch, Ruler and Teacher--The Ascension of Enoch--The Translation of Enoch--Methuselah.
IV. NOAH The Birth of Noah--The Punishment of the Fallen Angels--The Generation of the Deluge--The Holy Book--The Inmates of the Ark--The Flood--Noah Leaves the Ark--The Curse of Drunkenness--Noah's Descendants Spread Abroad--The Depravity of Mankind--Nimrod--The Tower of Babel.
V. ABRAHAM The Wicked Generations--The Birth of Abraham--The Babe Proclaims God--Abraham's First Appearance in Public--The Preacher of the True Faith--In the Fiery Furnace--Abraham Emigrates to Haran--The Star in the East--The True Believer--The Iconoclast--Abraham in Canaan--His Sojourn in Egypt--The First Pharaoh--The War of the Kings--The Covenant of the Pieces--The Birth of Ishmael--The Visit of the Angels--The Cities of Sin--Abraham Pleads for the Sinners--The Destruction of the Sinful Cities--Among the Philistines--The Birth of Isaac--Ishmael Cast Off--The Two Wives of Ishmael--The Covenant with Abimelech--Satan Accuses Abraham--The Journey to Moriah--The Akedah--The Death and Burial of Sarah--Eliezer's Mission--The Wooing of Rebekah--The Last Years of Abraham--A Herald of Death--Abraham Views Earth and Heaven--The Patron of Hebron.
VI. JACOB The Birth of Esau and Jacob--The Favorite of Abraham--The Sale of the Birthright--Isaac with the Philistines--Isaac Blesses Jacob--Esau's True Character Revealed--Jacob Leaves His Father's House--Jacob Pursued by Eliphaz and Esau--The Day of Miracles--Jacob with Laban--The Marriage of Jacob--The Birth of Jacob's Children--Jacob Flees before Laban--The Covenant with Laban--Jacob and Esau Prepare to Meet--Jacob Wrestles with the Angel--The Meeting between Esau and Jacob--The Outrage at Shechem--A War Frustrated--The War with the Ninevites--The War with the Amorites--Isaac Blesses Levi and Judah--Joy and Sorrow in the House of Jacob--Esau's Campaign against Jacob--The Descendants of Esau.

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

I
THE CREATION OF THE WORLD
THE FIRST THINGS CREATED
In the beginning, two thousand years before the heaven and the earth, seven things were created: the Torah written with black fire on white fire, and lying in the lap of God; the Divine Throne, erected in the heaven which later was over the heads of the Hayyot; Paradise on the right side of God, Hell on the left side; the Celestial Sanctuary directly in front of God, having a jewel on its altar graven with the Name of the Messiah, and a Voice that cries aloud, "Return, ye children of men."[1]
When God resolved upon the creation of the world, He took counsel with the Torah.[2] Her advice was this: "O Lord, a king without an army and without courtiers and attendants hardly deserves the name of king, for none is nigh to express the homage due to him." The answer pleased God exceedingly. Thus did He teach all earthly kings, by His Divine example, to undertake naught without first consulting advisers.[3]
The advice of the Torah was given with some reservations. She was skeptical about the value of an earthly world, on account of the sinfulness of men, who would be sure to disregard her precepts. But God dispelled her doubts. He told her, that repentance had been created long before, and sinners would have the opportunity of mending their ways. Besides, the Temple service would be invested with atoning power, and Paradise and hell were intended to do duty as reward and punishment. Finally, the Messiah was appointed to bring salvation, which would put an end to all sinfulness.[4]
Nor is this world inhabited by man