Legends and myths of the Jewish people

The collection includes various ancient Jewish legends, legends and philosophical parables recorded in the Talmud and also survived to our days in the so-called Midrashas, the sections of the Torah that contain its interpretation. The book, beautifully illustrated by the works of the famous artist of the XIX century James Tissot, allows you to understand the worldview of the Jewish people in ancient times; the legends included in it are vivid examples of the moral life of patriarchs and teachers of the law, love for people regardless of their nationality and religion.
Every nation cherishes the "legends of olden days". Folk legends, tales, myths reflect everyday life, features of national character, the attitude of ancient man to nature, to God. Thus, the Russian people are proud of their bylinas and fairy tales, without the myths of ancient Greece it is impossible to imagine modern European culture, the Germans are still inspired by the songs and sagas of the ancient Germans. Jewish people also have ancient legends, they are carefully preserved in the texts of the Talmud and Midrash - sections of the Oral Torah, which represent the interpretation and elaboration of the main provisions of Jewish teachings contained in the Written Torah. This collection of legends, parables, historical legends and religious and ethical teachings is called the Haggadah. For ancient Jews, the Haggadah was a kind of stage where amazing mysteries were played out, tragic prophecies and tender lullabies, cheerful travel stories and philosophical reflections on the immortality of the soul, reward and punishment, on the fact that heaven and earth are one, that the Divine power permeates every living being, that history is not only a story about the past, but also threads woven into the fabric of today's human existence. Legends and parables of the Haggadah, collected in this book, are only a small part of the Talmud, nevertheless they give an idea of the worldview and ancient history of the Jews, and also contain vivid examples of the moral life of the teachers of the law, their selfless devotion to God, great love for people, without distinction of nationalities and religions. This book will be of interest to a wide range of readers, including those who are not familiar with ancient Jewish literature. Illustrations to the legends, parables, tales presented in this edition are the works of the remarkable artist James Tissot (1836-1902). He was born in France, studied painting at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, and was a pupil of the famous Engr. Suspected of sympathizing with the Paris Commune, the artist was forced to leave France. Tissot crossed the English Channel - in England, which for a long time became for him a second homeland, born Jacques-Joseph began to be called James. Perhaps Tissot, until the end of his days would have remained a fine salon painter, if not for his trip to Palestine. This pilgrimage literally turned the artist's work upside down. He was passionate about illustrating the Bible - so there were hundreds of drawings, mostly on the Old Testament subjects. In these works J. Tissot remained faithful to the main artistic principle for himself - close attention to detail. With the accuracy of ethnographer he reproduced the ornaments of ancient Jewish clothing, with the accuracy of an archaeologist depicted their life, homes, environment. This "authenticity" in his drawings is what bribes the viewer and reader of "the legends of ancient times".