Tree of Souls The Mythology of Judaism

by Schwartz, Howard; Loebel-Fried, Caren; Ginsburg, Elliot K.

• ISBN13: 9780195086799
• ISBN10: 0195086791
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-11-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Only one of the world's mythologies has remained essentially unrecognized--the mythology of Judaism. As Howard Schwartz reveals in Tree of Souls , the first anthology of Jewish mythology in English, this mythical tradition is as rich and as fascinating as any in the world. Drawing from the Bible, the Pseudepigrapha, the Talmud and Midrash, the kabbalistic literature, medieval folklore, Hasidic texts, and oral lore collected in the modern era, Schwartz has gathered together nearly 700 of the key Jewish myths. The myths themselves are marvelous. We read of Adam's diamond and the Land of Eretz (where it is always dark), the fall of Lucifer and the quarrel of the sun and the moon, the Treasury of Souls and the Divine Chariot. We discover new tales about the great figures of the Hebrew Bible, from Adam to Moses; stories about God's Bride, the Shekhinah , and the evil temptress, Lilith; plus many tales about angels and demons, spirits and vampires, giant beasts and the Golem. Equally important, Schwartz provides a wealth of additional information. For each myth, he includes extensive commentary, revealing the source of the myth and explaining how it relates to other Jewish myths as well as to world literature (for instance, comparing Eve's release of evil into the world with Pandora's). For ease of use, Schwartz divides the volume into ten books: Myths of God, Myths of Creation, Myths of Heaven, Myths of Hell, Myths of the Holy Word, Myths of the Holy Time, Myths of the Holy People, Myths of the Holy Land, Myths of Exile, and Myths of the Messiah. Schwartz, a renowned collector and teller of traditional Jewish tales, now illuminates the previously unexplored territory of Jewish mythology. This pioneering anthology is essential for anyone interested in the Hebrew Bible, Jewish faith and culture, and world mythology.

Author Biography

Howard Schwartz is Professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is the editor of Elijah's Violin & Other Jewish Fairy Tales, Miriam's Tambourine: Jewish Folktales from Around the World, Lilith's Cave: Jewish Tales of the Supernatural, and Gabriel's Palace: Jewish Mystical Tales. Caren Loebel-Fried is an award-winning illustrator and author of many works on mythology. Her Hawaiian Legends of the Guardian Spirits received the 2003 Ka Palapala Po`okela Award for Excellence in Illustration.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations	xxvii
Transliteration Key	xxxi
Preface	xxxiii
Foreword	xxxv
Elliot K. Ginsburg
Introduction	xliii
The Mythical Strata of Judaism	xliii
The Categories of Jewish Mythology	xlv
Mythic Parallels	lxiii
Myth and Ritual in Judaism	lxviii
The Light of the First Day	lxxi
The Continuing Evolution of Jewish Mythology	lxxiv
BOOK ONE MYTHS OF GOD	1	(68)
God's Throne of Glory
Isaiah's Vision	3	(1)
Daniel's Night Vision	3	(1)
God's Throne of Glory	4	(1)
The Descent of God's Throne	5	(1)
The Crown of God	5	(1)
God's Crown of Prayers	6	(1)
Sefirotic Myths
The Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom	6	(1)
The Ten Sefirot	7	(1)
The Twenty-two Letters	8	(1)
The Infinite Being	9	(1)
The Seven Forms of God	9	(1)
The Ten Crowns of God	9	(1)
God's Existence
The First Being	10	(1)
The Cause of All Causes	10	(1)
God's Omnipresence	11	(1)
God Alone	11	(1)
God's Existence	11	(1)
God's Gaze	12	(1)
God's Day	12	(1)
God's Mystery
The Hidden God	13	(1)
The Contraction of God	13	(2)
Adam Kadmon	15	(1)
God's Disguises	16	(1)
Where God Dwells	17	(1)
The Holy Spirit	18	(2)
God's Attributes
The Breath of God	20	(1)
The Mind of God	20	(1)
The Eyes of God	21	(1)
The Face of God	21	(1)
The Size of God	22	(1)
The Three Keys	22	(1)
The Arms of God	23	(1)
God's Hands	23	(1)
The Body of God	24	(1)
God's Back	25	(1)
The Names of God
The God of the Fathers	25	(2)
The Tetragrammaton	27	(1)
The Lord of Hosts	27	(2)
God's Robe of Glory	29	(1)
The Warrior God
The Warrior God	29	(1)
God's Sword	30	(1)
God's Voice and Word
A Still, Small Voice	30	(1)
God's Voice	31	(2)
God's Image	33	(1)
The Elders of Israel Behold God	33	(1)
God Studies the Torah
God Studies the Torah	34	(1)
God Puts on Tallit and Tefillin	34	(1)
God's Tabernacle	35	(1)
God's Prayer	35	(1)
God Expounds the Torah	36	(1)
The Suffering God
The Suffering God	36	(1)
God's Tears	37	(1)
God Weeps over the Destruction of the Temple	38	(1)
God's Lament at the Western Wall	39	(1)
God's Oath	39	(1)
God Considers Ending All Existence	40	(1)
God Walks in the World
God Walks in the Garden	40	(1)
God's Lantern	41	(1)
God Descends to Mount Sinai	41	(1)
The Tent of Meeting	42	(1)
The Cottage of Candles	43	(2)
Early Incarnations of the Shekhinah
The Creation of Wisdom	45	(1)
Mother Zion	46	(1)
Myths of the Bride of God
The Creation of the Shekhinah	47	(1)
God's Names for the Shekhinah	48	(1)
The Two Shekhinahs	49	(1)
The Earthly Dwelling of the Shekhinah	50	(2)
The Roaming of the Shekhinah	52	(2)
The Garments of the Shekhinah	54	(1)
The Sacred Bedchamber	54	(1)
The Casting Down of the Shekhinah	55	(1)
The Wandering of the Shekhinah	55	(1)
The Lament of the Shekhinah	56	(1)
The Wailing of the Shekhinah	56	(1)
The Exile of the Shekhinah	57	(1)
Mourning over the Shekhinah	58	(1)
The Suffering of the Shekhinah	58	(1)
Lilith Becomes God's Bride	59	(1)
Israel and the Shekhinah in Exile	60	(1)
God's Exile with Israel	61	(1)
The Face of the Shekhinah	61	(2)
The Shekhinah Within	63	(1)
Visions of the Bride of God
The Shekhinah at the Wall	63	(1)
A Vision at the Wailing Wall	63	(3)
God Defers to the Earthly Court
God Makes Matches	66	(1)
The Rabbis Overrule God	67	(1)
God Defers to the Earthly Court	68	(1)
BOOK TWO MYTHS OF CREATION	69	(84)
Before the World Was Created
The First to Exist	71	(1)
Before the World Was Created	71	(1)
Prior Worlds	71	(2)
The Primordial Elements	73	(1)
God Created Everything with Its Knowledge	73	(1)
The Beginning of Time	74	(1)
Seven Things Created before the Creation of the World	74	(1)
The Creation of the World
The Seven Days of Creation	75	(2)
Ten Things Created on the Eve of the First Sabbath	77	(1)
Five Heavenly Things Sleeping in the Universe	77	(1)
God the Creator	78	(1)
The Rainbow	78	(1)
The Time of Creation	79	(1)
Everything Was Created at Once	80	(1)
How God Begot Being	80	(1)
What Does the Earth Stand On?	80	(1)
Creation Ex Nihilo	81	(1)
The Order of Creation	81	(1)
The Primordial Light
God's Garment of Light	82	(1)
The Light of the First Day	83	(2)
The First Cloak	85	(1)
The Tzohar	85	(3)
How Light and Darkness Were Created	88	(1)
Creation by Light	89	(1)
The Light of Prophecy	89	(1)
The Work of Creation
God's Shout	90	(1)
The Work of Creation	90	(1)
How the Heavens Were Created	91	(1)
The Earth's Foundations	91	(1)
Creation by God's Name	91	(1)
Creation by God's Beauty	92	(1)
The Palace of Heaven	92	(1)
Creation According to Philo	93	(1)
The Cosmic Seed
The Cosmic Seed	93	(1)
A Universe of Water	94	(1)
The Three Craftsmen	95	(1)
The Pillars of the World	96	(1)
The Foundation Stone	96	(2)
Creation by Thought	98	(1)
A Single Utterance	99	(1)
The Divided World	99	(1)
Myths of Origin
The Origin of Chaos	100	(1)
The First Sunset	101	(1)
The Origin of Fire	101	(1)
What Causes Earthquakes?	102	(1)
The Roots of Everything	102	(1)
Myths of the Sacred Waters
The Great Sea	103	(1)
The Fiery Waves	104	(1)
The Upper Waters and the Lower Waters	104	(1)
The Spirit of the Firmament	105	(1)
Rebellions against God
The Rebellion of the Waters	105	(1)
The Rebellion of Rahab	106	(1)
The Prince of Darkness	107	(1)
The Fall of Lucifer	108	(1)
Satan Cast from Heaven	109	(1)
Satan's Bargain with God	110	(2)
Myths of the Sun and Moon
The Quarrel of the Sun and the Moon	112	(1)
The Sun Stood Still	113	(1)
A Garment for the Moon	114	(1)
Creation by Angels
The Creation of Angels	115	(1)
Creation by Angels	116	(1)
Anafiel, the Creator of the Beginning	117	(1)
The Creator of the World	118	(1)
The First Created Being	118	(1)
The Angel Who Created the World	119	(2)
The Wheel of Creation
The Wheel of Creation	121	(1)
The Cosmic Tree	121	(1)
The Shattering of the Vessels and the Gathering of the Sparks	122	(2)
Creation by Broken Vessels	124	(1)
The Creation of Man
The Heavenly Man	124	(2)
Adam the Angel	126	(1)
Adam the Golem	127	(1)
Adam the Giant	128	(1)
Adam the Last and First	129	(1)
Adam's Body of Light	130	(1)
The Enthronement of Adam	131	(1)
Adam's Body Formed by an Angel	131	(1)
God Consults the Angels about the Creation of Adam	132	(1)
The Creation of Man	133	(1)
Creation from a Mold	134	(1)
Wisdom Created Man	134	(1)
Adam's Choice	135	(1)
Adam's Breath	135	(1)
The First Twelve Hours of Adam's Life	136	(1)
Adam Brings Down Fire from Heaven	137	(1)
Adam the Hermaphrodite	138	(1)
Samael and Lilith	139	(1)
God and the Spirits of the Unborn	140	(1)
Adam and Eve
Adam and the Spirits	140	(1)
The First Eve	140	(1)
What Happened to the First Eve?	141	(1)
The Creation of Woman	142	(1)
The First Wedding	143	(1)
Mythological Creatures
Adne Sadeh	144	(1)
The Sea Monster Leviathan	145	(1)
Behemoth	146	(1)
The Ziz	147	(1)
The Re'em	148	(1)
The Phoenix	148	(1)
The Lion of the Forest Ilai	149	(1)
The Ram Sacrificed at Mount Moriah	150	(1)
The Unfinished Creation
God the Potter	150	(1)
The Unfinished Creation	151	(2)
BOOK THREE MYTHS OF HEAVEN	153	(58)
The Translation of Enoch
Enoch Walked with God	155	(1)
Enoch's Vision of God	155	(1)
The Metamorphosis and Enthronement of Enoch	156	(2)
The Treasury of Souls
The River of Fire	158	(1)
The Living Creatures	159	(1)
The Council of Souls	160	(2)
Adam's Soul	162	(1)
The Creation of Souls	163	(1)
Tree of Souls	164	(2)
The Treasury of Souls	166	(2)
The Path of the Soul in the Garden of Eden	168	(1)
The Field of Souls	168	(1)
The Transmigration of Souls	169	(1)
How to Grasp a Soul	170	(1)
Heavenly Journeys
Adam Is Taken into Paradise	170	(1)
Isaac's Ascent	171	(1)
The Ascent of Elijah	172	(1)
The Four Who Entered Paradise	173	(1)
A Vision of Metatron	174	(2)
Rabbi Ishmael's Ascent	176	(2)
The Entrance of the Sixth Heavenly Palace	178	(1)
Before the Law	179	(2)
A Journey to the Stars	181	(1)
A Jewish Icarus	181	(1)
The Divine Chariot
Ezekiel's Vision	182	(1)
Mysteries of the Chariot	183	(1)
The Seven Heavens
The Seven Heavens	184	(1)
The Eighth Heaven	185	(1)
The Pargod	186	(1)
The Map of Time and Space	186	(1)
The Place of the Stars	187	(1)
The Rainbow of the Shekhinah	187	(1)
The Music of the Spheres	188	(1)
The Treasury of Merits	189	(1)
The Wings of Heaven	189	(1)
The Palaces of Heaven
The Palaces of Heaven	190	(1)
Women in Paradise	190	(1)
The Landmarks of Heaven
The Tent of the Sun	191	(1)
The Tent of Heaven	192	(1)
The Crystal Palace	192	(1)
The Celestial Academy	193	(1)
Where Heaven and Earth Meet	194	(1)
The Ministering Angels
The Primordial Metatron	195	(1)
The Angel Metatron	195	(2)
The Angel Sandalphon	197	(1)
Michael, the Patron Angel	197	(1)
Elijah the Angel	197	(1)
The Keeper of the Book of Records	198	(1)
The Angel Gallizur	199	(1)
The Angel of Conception	199	(2)
The Angel of the Covenant	201	(1)
How Rabbi Ishmael Was Conceived	201	(1)
The Angel of Friendship	201	(1)
Guardian Angels	202	(1)
The Might of the Angels	203	(1)
The Angel of Losses	203	(1)
The Angel Tzadkiel	204	(1)
The Angel of Rain	205	(1)
God Changes the Roles of the Angels	205	(1)
The Angel of Death
The Creation of the Angel of Death	206	(1)
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi and the Angel of Death	206	(1)
Rabbi Loew and the Angel of Death	207	(1)
The Gates of Heaven
The Heavenly Court	208	(1)
The Windows of Heaven	209	(1)
The Ba'al Shem Tov Ascends on High	209	(2)
BOOK FOUR MYTHS OF HELL	211	(34)
The Unfinished Corner of Creation
The Unfinished Corner of Creation	213	(1)
The Darkness that Existed before Creation	213	(1)
The Banishment of Dumah	214	(1)
God's Prison	214	(1)
Adam and the Demons	215	(1)
Lilith Rises from the Deep
Adam and Lilith	216	(1)
Lilith Rises from the Deep	217	(1)
A Spell to Banish Lilith	218	(1)
The Woman in the Forest	219	(1)
The Cellar	220	(1)
Lilith, the Queen of Zemargad	221	(1)
The Two Liliths	222	(1)
Lilith's Children	222	(1)
The Night Demoness	223	(1)
Lilith the Witch	224	(1)
Lilith and Elijah	224	(1)
Lilith Flees from the Apparition of Eve	225	(2)
Vampires, Spirits, Dybbuks, and Demons
The Spirits of the Sixth Day	227	(1)
The Vampire Demon	227	(1)
An Evil Demoness	228	(1)
The Widow of Safed	228	(2)
Demonic Doubles	230	(1)
The Underworld	231	(1)
When a Man Dies	231	(1)
The History of Gehenna
The Creation of Gehenna	232	(1)
The Prince of Gehenna	232	(1)
The History of Gehenna	232	(1)
The Openings of Gehenna	233	(1)
The Landscape of Gehenna	233	(1)
The Scorpions of Gehenna	234	(1)
The Bridge over Gehenna	234	(1)
The Darkness of Gehenna	234	(1)
The Light of Gehenna	235	(1)
The Punishment of Korah	235	(1)
The Inhabitants of Gehenna	236	(1)
The Fate of the Soul	236	(1)
The Punishments of Gehenna	236	(1)
The Fate of Slanderers	237	(1)
Sabbath in Gehenna	238	(1)
Gehenna Seething	238	(1)
The Size of Gehenna	239	(1)
The Gates of Gehenna	239	(1)
The Door to Gehenna	240	(1)
The Gatekeeper of Gehenna	240	(1)
The Messiah in Hell	241	(1)
The Sabbath Resurrection	242	(1)
The Ashes of Sinners	242	(1)
Purified Souls	242	(1)
How the Dead See the Dead	243	(2)
BOOK FIVE MYTHS OF THE HOLY WORD	245	(42)
The Letters of the Alphabet
Creation by Word	247	(1)
Two Worlds	247	(1)
The Primordial Language	248	(1)
The Creation of the Torah	248	(1)
Creation by the Torah	249	(1)
The Letters of the Alphabet	250	(1)
Creation by Letters	251	(1)
The Shining Letters	252	(1)
The Primordial Torah
The Torah Written on the Arm of God	252	(1)
God's Original Plan	252	(1)
The Book of Raziel	253	(2)
Creating New Heavens and a New Earth	255	(1)
God's Warning	255	(1)
The Light of the Torah	256	(1)
The Betrothal of the Torah	256	(1)
The Vestment of the Shekhinah	257	(1)
The Letters and the Burning Bush	257	(1)
God Offers the Torah to Israel
The Angels and the Giving of the Torah	258	(1)
The Quarrel of the Mountains	258	(1)
The Necklace of Letters	259	(1)
Death and Rebirth at Mount Sinai	259	(1)
The Seven Voices of the Torah	260	(1)
The Ascent of Moses	261	(2)
Mount Sinai Is Lifted to Heaven	263	(1)
How God Revealed Himself at Mount Sinai	263	(1)
God Offers the Torah to Israel	264	(1)
God Tears Apart Seven Firmaments	265	(1)
The Primordial Torah	265	(1)
The First Tablets	266	(2)
The Second Tablets	268	(1)
The First Torah	268	(1)
How the Ten Commandments Were Given	269	(1)
The Order of the Torah	269	(1)
The Giving of the Torah
God Abrogates the First Decree	270	(1)
The Giving of the Torah	270	(1)
Moses Before the Throne of Glory	270	(1)
God Teaches Torah in the World to Come	271	(1)
Moses Questions God	272	(1)
The Ark of the Covenant	272	(1)
The Changing Torah
The Changing Torah	272	(1)
The Flying Letters	273	(1)
God's Signature	274	(1)
The Crowns of Israel	274	(1)
Studying the Torah
The Prince of the Torah	275	(1)
Studying the Torah	276	(1)
The Boy Who Read the Book of Ezekiel	276	(1)
The Two Torahs	277	(1)
The Giving of the Song of Songs	277	(1)
Myths of Prayers
The Origin of the Shema	278	(1)
The Holy Breath	279	(1)
The Golem
Rava Creates a Man	279	(1)
Jeremiah Creates a Golem	279	(1)
The Golem of Ibn Gabirol	280	(1)
The Golem of Rabbi Elijah	281	(1)
The Golem of Prague	282	(1)
The End of the Golem	283	(1)
The Golem in the Attic	283	(1)
The Homunculus of Maimonides	284	(3)
BOOK SIX MYTHS OF THE HOLY TIME	287	(38)
Myths of the Days of Awe
God Passes Judgment	289	(1)
The Book of Life and the Book of Death	289	(2)
The Origin of Rosh ha-Shanah	291	(1)
The String of God	292	(1)
The Month of Tishrei	292	(1)
Re-creating the World	292	(1)
Renewing Existence	293	(1)
The Day of Judgment	293	(1)
The High Priest Enters the Holy of Holies	293	(1)
The Days of Awe	294	(1)
Light Is Sown for the Righteous	294	(1)
Gathering Souls	295	(1)
A Scapegoat for Azazel	295	(1)
Sounding the Shofar	296	(1)
The Closing of the Gates	297	(1)
The Final Blast	298	(1)
Myths of Sukkot
The Water Libation	298	(1)
The Seven Shepherds	299	(1)
Dwelling in Exile	300	(1)
The Feast of Sukkot in the World to Come	300	(1)
Myths of Simhat Torah
The Body of Moses	301	(1)
The Flying Shoe	302	(1)
Myths of Passover
God Revels in the Reading of the Haggadah	303	(1)
Myths of Lag ba-Omer
The Dancing of the Ari	303	(1)
Myths of Shavuot
The Wedding of God and the Shekhinah	304	(1)
The Wedding of God and Israel	305	(1)
The Parting of the Heavens at Midnight	306	(1)
Myths of the Sabbath
The Creation of the Sabbath	306	(1)
The Cosmic Sabbath	307	(1)
The Blessings of the Sabbath	308	(1)
The Adornment of the Sabbath	308	(1)
The Princess of the Sabbath	308	(1)
The Sabbath Bride	309	(1)
Greeting the Sabbath Queen	310	(1)
The Second Soul	310	(1)
The Souls of the Dead on the Sabbath	311	(1)
The Soul in the Garden of Eden	312	(1)
God's Daughter	312	(1)
God Guides Moses in Prayer	313	(1)
The First Sabbath	314	(1)
God Keeps the Sabbath	314	(1)
Keeping the Sabbath	314	(1)
The Sabbath Angels	315	(1)
The Sabbath Feast in the Celestial Eden	316	(1)
The Spice of the Sabbath	316	(1)
The Song of the Sabbath	317	(1)
Adam's Song of Praise for the Sabbath	318	(1)
Why Women Light Two Candles on the Sabbath	318	(1)
The First Havdalah	319	(1)
The Sabbath in the World to Come	319	(1)
The Great Sabbath	320	(1)
Myths of the Ninth of Av
A Day of Fasting and Mourning	321	(1)
The Mourning Dove	321	(1)
The Wailing Wall	322	(1)
The Weeping Well	322	(1)
The Ninth of Av in the Future	323	(1)
Myths of Rosh Hodesh
Repenting for God	323	(2)
BOOK SEVEN MYTHS OF THE HOLY PEOPLE	325	(74)
Myths of Israel
For the Sake of Israel	327	(1)
The Souls of Israel	327	(1)
The Body of Israel	328	(1)
Myths of Abraham
The Lesson of the Stars	328	(1)
God Calls upon Abram	329	(1)
God's Covenant with Abram	329	(1)
God Appears to Abraham	330	(1)
Abraham's Vision of God	331	(1)
Abraham's Glowing Stone	332	(1)
Abraham in Egypt	332	(1)
Abraham's Name	333	(1)
Iscah the Seer	334	(1)
Abraham Bargains with God	334	(1)
Myths of Isaac
The Souls of Converts	335	(1)
God Begat Isaac	336	(1)
The Binding of Isaac	337	(1)
How Abraham Recognized Mount Moriah	338	(1)
The Sacrifice	339	(1)
Satan at Mount Moriah	340	(1)
Isaac Sees the Shekhinah	341	(1)
God Binds the Princes of the Heathens	341	(1)
The Angel Who Saved Isaac	341	(1)
Isaac's Vision at Mount Moriah	342	(1)
Sarah's Tent	342	(1)
The Death of Sarah	343	(1)
The Cave of Machpelah	343	(1)
Abraham's Daughter	344	(1)
The Descent of the Light-Man	345	(1)
Abraham and the Angel of Death	346	(1)
Abraham's Dying Vision	347	(1)
Abraham Never Died	348	(1)
The Births of Jacob and Esau	349	(1)
Isaac Returns to Mount Moriah	349	(1)
Myths of Jacob
The Bartered Birthright	350	(1)
Red Lentils	350	(1)
Isaac's Eyes Grow Dim	351	(1)
The Stolen Blessing	351	(2)
Jacob the Blessed	353	(1)
Rachel and the Stolen Idols	354	(1)
Jacob's Dream	355	(1)
Meeting the Place	356	(1)
Jacob's Vision	357	(1)
Jacob's Heavenly Vision	357	(1)
The Gateway to Heaven	358	(1)
Jacob Wrestles with the Angel	359	(1)
Jacob and Esau's Guardian Angel	360	(1)
The Magic Flock	360	(1)
Jacob's Ascent on High	361	(1)
Jacob's Pillow	362	(1)
Jacob's Books	363	(1)
Jacob the Angel	364	(2)
Jacob the Divine	366	(2)
The Image of Jacob Cast Down from Heaven	368	(1)
The Death of Jacob	369	(1)
Jacob Never Died	370	(1)
Summoning the Patriarchs	371	(1)
Myths of Moses
The Birth of Moses	372	(1)
An Ark in the Bulrushes	373	(1)
Pharaoh and the Child Moses	374	(1)
Pharaoh's Daughter	374	(1)
The Burning Bush	375	(1)
Moses Swallowed by a Serpent	376	(1)
Serah bat Asher	377	(1)
The Secret of the Redeemer	378	(1)
The Coffin of Joseph	379	(1)
A Vision at the Red Sea	380	(1)
The Walls of the Red Sea	381	(1)
The Death of Serah bat Asher	381	(1)
God's Footstool	382	(1)
The Parting of the Red Sea	382	(1)
The Waters of the Red Sea Refuse to Part	383	(1)
Crossing the Red Sea	384	(1)
Mount Moriah and the Red Sea	384	(1)
God's Presence at the Red Sea	385	(1)
Pharaoh's Army Lured to Its Death	385	(1)
The Quarrel of the Sea and the Earth	386	(1)
Miriam's Well	387	(1)
How Moses Survived	388	(1)
The Enthronement of Moses	388	(1)
Moses Transformed into Fire	389	(1)
The Divine Radiance	389	(1)
The Light that Shone from Moses' Face	390	(1)
The Souls of the Patriarchs	391	(1)
The Pillar of Cloud	391	(1)
The Seven Clouds of Glory	392	(1)
Moses' Last Request	393	(1)
Joshua as Oedipus	393	(1)
Moses Never Died	394	(1)
Myths of King David
King David Is Crowned in Heaven	395	(1)
King David's Harp	396	(1)
The Angel of the Lord	396	(1)
The Mountain of Fire	397	(1)
Myths of the Tzaddikim
The Thirty-Six Just Men	397	(2)
BOOK EIGHT MYTHS OF THE HOLY LAND	399	(32)
The Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden	401	(1)
The Creation of the Garden of Eden	401	(1)
The Hidden Garden	402	(1)
The Fruit of the Tree of Life	402	(1)
The Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life	403	(1)
The Ever-turning Sword of Flame	404	(1)
Abraham's Tree	404	(1)
The Cave of the Four Winds	405	(1)
The Gates of Eden	406	(1)
The Promised Land
The Land of Israel	406	(2)
The Seventy Nations and the Land of Israel	408	(1)
How the Holy Land Became Holy	409	(1)
The Cave of Shimon bar Yohai	410	(1)
The Heavenly Jerusalem
Light from the Temple	411	(1)
God Builds the Heavenly Temple	412	(2)
The Heavenly Jerusalem and the Earthly Jerusalem	414	(1)
How Mount Moriah Was Created	414	(1)
The Altar of Abraham	415	(1)
God Prays for the Building of the Temple	416	(1)
The Celestial Temple	416	(1)
The True Temple of God	417	(1)
The Descent of the Heavenly Jerusalem	418	(1)
The Elevation of Jerusalem	419	(1)
The Center of the World	419	(1)
The Patriarchs Seek to Comfort Jerusalem	420	(1)
The Earthly Jerusalem
The Creation of the Temple	420	(1)
The Temple Built Itself	421	(1)
The Building of the Temple	422	(1)
The Wedding of King Solomon and Pharaoh's Daughter	422	(1)
Leopards in the Temple	423	(1)
The Mystery of the Cherubim	423	(1)
God's Judgment Above and Below	424	(1)
God's Cleansing of the Holy Land	424	(1)
The Destruction of the Temple
The Destruction of the Temple	425	(1)
A Stone from Mount Sinai	426	(1)
The Hand of God	426	(1)
God's Mourning	427	(1)
The Patriarchs Weep over the Destruction of the Temple	427	(1)
Abraham in the Temple	428	(1)
Abraham and the Alphabet	428	(1)
Moses and the Sun	429	(1)
The Invisible Temple	429	(2)
BOOK NINE MYTHS OF EXILE	431	(50)
Exile from Eden
The Exile from Eden	433	(1)
Eve Tastes the Forbidden Fruit	434	(1)
God Divorced Adam	435	(1)
Adam's Diamond	436	(1)
The Garments of Adam and Eve	437	(1)
Adam's Descendants	438	(1)
God Descends into the Garden	439	(1)
The Land of Eretz	440	(1)
Adam's Account of the Fall	440	(1)
What the Serpent Said to Eve	441	(1)
Satan and the Serpent	442	(1)
The Quest for the Oil of Life	442	(1)
The Generations of Seth	443	(1)
The Creation of Centaurs	444	(1)
The Death of Adam	444	(1)
Paradise	445	(1)
Cain and Abel
Cain and Abel	446	(1)
How Cain Was Conceived	447	(1)
The Seed of Cain	448	(1)
The Birth of Cain	449	(1)
The Wives of Cain and Abel	449	(1)
Eve's Night Vision	450	(1)
The Death of Cain	451	(2)
The Evil Inclination
The Evil Inclination	453	(1)
How Samael Entered the Heart of Man	454	(1)
The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men
The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men	454	(1)
The Star Maiden	455	(2)
The Watchers	457	(1)
The Giants of Old	458	(1)
A Lecherous Spirit	459	(1)
The Lair of Azazel	459	(2)
The Flood
The Giant Og	461	(1)
Noah and the Raven	462	(1)
The Fiery Deluge	463	(1)
The Tower of Babel
The Tower of Babel	463	(1)
Building the Tower	464	(1)
Sodom and Gomorrah
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah	465	(1)
The Banished Angels	466	(1)
The Pillar of Salt	467	(1)
Myths of the Exodus
The Golden Calf	467	(2)
Strange Fire	469	(1)
The Spirit of Idolatry	470	(1)
The Fiery Serpents	471	(1)
The Desert Shur	471	(1)
The Dead of the Desert	471	(1)
The Ten Lost Tribes
The Exile of Israel	472	(1)
The Secret of the Egyptian Exile	473	(1)
The Ten Lost Tribes	473	(2)
The River Sambatyon	475	(1)
The City of Luz	476	(2)
An Appointment with Death	478	(1)
The World of Tevel	479	(1)
The Manna	479	(2)
BOOK TEN MYTHS OF THE MESSIAH	481	(44)
The Creation of the Messiah
The Creation of the Messiah	483	(1)
The Birth of the Messiah	484	(1)
The Scales of the Messiah	484	(1)
The Requirements of the Messiah	485	(1)
The Soul of the Messiah	485	(1)
The Descent of the Messiah's Soul	486	(1)
The Heavenly Messiah
The Enthronement of the Messiah	487	(1)
The Messiah Will Descend from the Side of Evil	487	(1)
A War in Heaven and on Earth	488	(1)
The Palace of the Messiah	488	(1)
A Thousand Palaces of Longing	489	(1)
The Suffering Messiah	489	(1)
The Ladder of Prayers	490	(1)
The Messiah and the Ba'al Shem Tov	491	(1)
The Earthly Messiah
The Messiah at the Gates of Rome	492	(1)
The Chains of the Messiah	492	(3)
The Messiah Comes Forth from Prison	495	(1)
Until the Redemption	495	(1)
The Concealment of Elijah	496	(1)
Forcing the End	496	(2)
The Captive Messiah
The Captive Messiah	498	(1)
The Sleeping Messiah	498	(1)
The End of Days
The Pangs of the Messiah	499	(1)
The Rainbow of the Messiah	500	(1)
Calculating the End of Days	500	(1)
The End of Days	501	(1)
The End of the World	501	(1)
How the End of the World Will Come	502	(1)
The Resurrection of the Dead
The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones	502	(1)
How the Dead Will Come to Life	503	(1)
The Dew of Resurrection	504	(1)
The Resurrection of the Dead	504	(2)
How the Resurrection Will Take Place	506	(1)
The World to Come
The World to Come	506	(1)
The Great Age	507	(1)
Life in the World to Come	507	(1)
The Chorus of the Righteous	507	(1)
Fat Geese for the World to Come	508	(1)
The Messianic Banquet	508	(1)
The Messianic Torah	509	(1)
A Tabernacle for the Righteous	510	(1)
Messianic Jerusalem
The New Jerusalem	510	(1)
Messianic Jerusalem	511	(1)
The Golden Gate of the Messiah	511	(1)
The Descent of the Heavenly Temple	512	(1)
The Creation of the Third Temple	512	(1)
Rebuilding the Temple	513	(1)
The Messianic Spring	514	(1)
A Magical Tree in Jerusalem	514	(1)
The Pleading of the Fathers
The Pleading of the Fathers	515	(1)
Waking the Fathers	516	(1)
The Fathers Address the Messiah	516	(1)
The Two Messiahs	517	(1)
The Messiah Petitions God	517	(1)
The Coming of the Messiah	518	(1)
The Messiah's Yeshivah	518	(1)
The Dual Messiah	519	(1)
The Ingathering of the Exiles
The Ingathering of the Exiles	519	(1)
The Birth of Armilus	520	(1)
Satan and the Messiah	521	(1)
The Wars of Gog and Magog
The Arrival of the Messiah	521	(1)
God Reprimands the Universe	522	(1)
A New Torah	522	(3)
Appendix A: A Note on the Sources	525	(2)
Appendix B: The Primary Biblical Myths	527	(2)
Appendix C: Diagram of the Ten Sefirot	529	(2)
Glossary	531	(6)
Bibliography of Original Sources	537	(12)
Selected English Bibliography	549	(42)
Index of Biblical Verses	591	(4)
General Index	595