CONTENTS

Preface xv

1. The World of Ancient Biblical Interpreters 1

2. The Creation of the World 51

Wisdom Came First | The "Beginning" Did It | A Special Light | The Angels Were Also Created | God and Someone Else | Completed on Friday

3. Adam and Eve 65

Death in a Day | The Punishment Was Mortality | Sinfulness is Hereditary | The Serpent Was Satan | Blame It on the Woman | An Extra Proviso | The Earthly Paradise | The Garden in Heaven

4. Cain and Abel 83

Son of the Devil | Cain's Sisters | Professions Decided | Defective Sacrifices | The Problem Was the Sacrificer | The Good and the Bad | Killed with a Stone | God Knew Where Abel Was | Cain's Sevenfold Punishment | Cain's Repentance

5. Noah and the Flood 97

Cain Was the Worst | The Immortal Enoch | The Heavenly Scribe | Enoch the Sage | Enoch the Penitent | A Bad Match | The Wicked Giants | One Hundred and Twenty until Punishment | Noah Warned of the Flood | Noah the Righteous | Only in His Generation | The Animals Also Sinned | The Purifying Flood

6. The Tower of Babel 121

They Tried to Storm Heaven | A War against God | Nimrod Built It | The Builders Were Giants | The Tower Lies in Ruins

7. Abraham Journeys from Chaldea 131

Abraham the Monotheist | Terah, Priest of Idolatry | Abraham the Astronomer | Tipped Off by the Stars | Abraham Rescued from Chaldea | Abraham Saved from Fire | Abraham Was Upset | Abraham's Dream

8. Melchizedek 149

A Generous Host | Righteous King and Priest | Divinely Appointed High Priest | The Heavenly Melchizedek | The Christian "Order of Melchizedek" | An Uncircumcised Priest? | Melchizedek in Samaria | Melchizedek Was Shem | Services No Longer Needed

9. The Trials of Abraham 163

Abraham the Tested | Abraham Saw a Dire Future | Challenged by Angels | God Made It Known | Isaac Was a Willing Victim | Together in Mind | Offering Foreshadowed Crucifixion

10. Lot and Lot's Wife 179

Lot the Righteous | Lot the Wicked | Sodomites' Sexual Sins | The Proud and the Stingy | Abraham's Hospitality | Lot Learned from Abraham | Lot's Wife Sinned | A Visible Reminder | Lot's Daughters Meant Well

11. Jacob and Esau 197

Jacob Was Not Just "Simple" | Jacob the Scholar | Esau the Wicked | Good and Evil in Utero | Esau the Warrior | Esau Means Rome | Esau the Deceiver | Esau Didn't Care | Jacob Told the Truth | God Wanted Jacob to be Blessed | The Ladder Was a Message | Angels Wanted to See Him

12. Jacob and the Angel 215

Jacob Knew Right Away | Deluded in the Dark | Additional Trickery Required | Weak, Bleary Eyes | "Nice Eyes, But..." | God Multiplied Jacob's Flocks | Rachel Was Not a Crook | Jacob Struggled with an Angel | Mighty with God's Help | Israel Means Seeing God

13. Dinah 231

Uncontrolled Anger | Shechem Deserved Death | Foreigners Are Different | Intermarriage Is Forbidden | A Wise Answer | The Whole City Was Guilty | City with a Criminal Past | God Said No | God Ordered Their Destruction | Dinah Married Job

14. Joseph's Ups and Downs 245

It's a Wise Child | Eating from the Flocks | Resembled Jacob in All Things | Deeds of Youthful Foolishness | For the Price of Shoes | Joseph's Great Virtue | A Very Handsome Man | Girls Climbing the Walls | Cast Down Their Jewelry | Joseph Was Not Tempted | Remembered Jacob's Teachings | Saw Jacob's Face | A Collective Accusation | Pharaoh's Servants Applauded | Joseph Had Been Disdained

15. Jacob's Sons in Egypt 263

A Good Reason for Concealing | Joseph Tested His Brothers | Joseph Disdained Revenge | Reuben Lost His Inheritance | Bilhah Bathing | Bilhah Was Asleep | Jacob Foretold the Future | Kingship Will Not Depart Forever | Another King Will Come | Until a New King Comes | A Ruler of the World | Why Did Joseph Put It Off?

16. Growing Up in Pharaoh's Court 285

A Plan to Finish Them Off | Why Only the Boys? | A Future Savior | Jannes and Jambres | Balaam, Job, and Jethro | Death by Water | Schooled in Every Wisdom | Moses' Speech Defect | Jealous of Moses | Zipporah the Ethopian | Miraculously Burning Bush | The Medium Was the Message | "I Am the One Who Is..." | "I Am the Eternal..." | An Angel in the Hotel | Circumcision Delayed Is Circumcision Denied | A Prenuptial Agreement

17. The Exodus from Egypt 309

A Godlike Man | No Mere Magician's Trick | Pharaoh Didn't Realize | Divine Punishment of the Egyptians | Deservedly Punished by Water | A Dark Dungeon for Egypt | Metaphorical Darkness | Justifiable Death for the Firstborn | Egyptians Gave Willingly | Fair Wages at Last | The Symbolic Passover Laws | The (Paschal) Lamb of Christianity

18. The Red Sea 331

Pillar of Luminous Cloud | Protective Covering | An Angel in the Cloud | Final Payment | Get Back Our Goods! | Rebellion at the Sea | More than One Miracle | A Grassy Plain | Miraculous Timing | If Looks Could Kill | Light and Dark Together | Ups and Downs of the Egyptians | Red Sea as Baptism | How Did They Know the Words? | Seeing God at the Sea | Infants Sang Too | Miriam's Separate Song | A New Song

19. Into the Wilderness 353

Water, Water... | A Symbolic Tree | The Water Was Divine Wisdom | The Food of the Angels | Heavenly Grain | Adapted to Any Taste | Spiritual Sustenance | The Traveling Rock | Miriam's Well | Amalek Destroyed at the End-Time | The Symbolic Hands of Moses | The Christian Battle with Amalek | Jethro the Polytheist | Jethro the Good

20. At Mt. Sinai 371

Heaven on Earth | Celestial Sinai | Heavenly Moses | God Spoke All Ten | God Spoke Only Two | The Ten Were All | The Decalogue Epitomizes | Five and Five | Which Ten Commandments? | No Talk of Weekday Matters | Guard the Sabbath Borders | Do Not Go Out Too Far | Do Not Take Vain Oaths | No False Oaths | Honor Your Heavenly and Earthly Fathers | A Mishap to the Baby | A Mishap to the Mother | Money for an Eye | Traditions of the Elders | Moses Was Given More than the Torah | Oral Teachings from Moses | A Hidden Torah | Moses' Secret Book | A Book before Moses | Children of the Chosen | Singled Out from the Start | Other Nations Knew Anyway | Other Nations at Fault | Remember This Blood

21. The Golden Calf 415

A Celestial Sanctuary | Copied from Heaven | A Likeness of the Universe | Aaron Tried to Stop Them | Aaron Feared for His Life | Hur Murdered by the Rabble | The Letters Flew Off | Tables Became Too Heavy | Divine Traits of Character | Steadfast Love for Thousands of Generations | No Pardon for the Wicked | Thousands of Sins Forgiven | Moses' Face Beamed Light | Moses Grew Horns

22. Worship in the Wilderness 439

An Error in Priestly Procedure | A Holy Death | Coats Not Burned | Control of Appetites | Ruminating with One's Mind | Gentle Birds for Gentle People | Day of Repentance | The Day of Partial Atonement | Hatred Means Hypocrisy | Reproach Prevents Hatred | Reproach Gently to Prevent Sin | Reproach before Charging | Love As You Would Be Loved | Love Only Your Neighbor | The Whole Torah

23. Trouble along the Way 461

Quails Weren't for Grousing | A Wife Related to Prophecy | Trusted Servant Par Excellence | Whose Bad Idea? | Solemnly Warned | Tassels Set Off Revolt | Moses Accused of Favoritism | Moses Was Polite | Korah's Symbolic Death | A Truly Dangerous Figure | Aaron's Symbolic Staff

24. The Bronze Serpent, Balaam, and Phinehas 477

Looking Didn't Cure | Serpent Was Like Moses' Hands | Balaam the Wicked | God Knew Who They Were | A Prophet for Hire | Balaam Foresaw the Messiah | A Ruler of the World | The Star Is the Messiah | The Star Will Precede the Scepter | Balaam Counseled Seduction | A Leader among Priests | Phinehas the Immortal | Phinehas Is Elijah

25. The Life of Torah 501

The Great Teaching | These Words Twice a Day | A Particular Prophet | Do Not Displace Old Practices | Necessary Paperwork | No Divorce--Except for Indecency | Any Old Reason Is Valid | Don't Muzzle Me | Small Commandments as Important as Big | Torah Refines (Like Fire) | The Gift of the Torah | Not in Heaven Anymore | A Choice for Each Person | A Choice of Two Paths | Nice Road at First | The Path to the Afterlife | Consider Heaven and Earth | Heaven and Earth Were Already Witnesses | Moses Did Not Want to Die | Moses Disputed with an Angel | Moses' Last Vision | Buried by God (or the Angels) | Buried under a Cloud | Not Buried at All | The Supreme Philosopher

26. Afterword 549

Abbreviations 563

Terms and Sources 567

Bibliography 617

Illustration Credits 649

Index

Copyright © 1997 by James L. Kugel. All rights reserved.