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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 296
EAN num: 9780195327137
ISBN number: 0195327136
Label: Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 704
Printing Date: August 24, 2007
Publishing house: Oxford University Press, USA
Sale Popularity Level: 298268
Studio: Oxford University Press, USA
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Product Description:
The very first anthology of Jewish mythology in English, Tree of Souls reveals a mythical tradition 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 Adams 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 Eves release of evil into the world with Pandoras). 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.
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Rated by buyers -
Just voting - can't add anything to the wonderful reviews above. This book is a treasure. So glad I found it - thanks to the amazon reviews!
Rated by buyers 
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I purchased 3 copies (2 for Chanakah presents) and received all three with oil-like smudge marks on the bottom and top of the pages (while the book is closed). I had a similar event happen on my previous order for the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan and another book. In that case, all three books had similar smudge marks and two of the books had damage to the front covers. I returned these only to get new copies that were less than fully clean with one of them having damage to the front cover also. I did not bother to return them again and should have learned my lesson. This time, I did not have the time to return them and also, I was just disgusted. But the people who got them as gifts appreciated them anyway.
Regarding the content, there are positives and negatives. The positives are that many sources are used and most folks could learn new information regarding midrashim, etc. It is also well organized into categorical sections. Among the negatives are a simplistic explanation for the texts that adds very little to the text. The format is mostly cite the text, and then make a comment. Often times the comment is almost antagonistic of the text, poking fun at the text as though it be a silly "myth" and often times attempting to desribe these Jewish legends using "idolistic" explanations. The author shows himself to be nearly an apostate jew, or at best, a man who finds little meaningful signficance in these legends
beyond what the sociologist would find from mythology. For those who view Judaism as a mere philosophy, the current book would be appropriate. For those who find the legends of Judaism sacred, I highly recommend Ginzberg's "Legends of the Jews".
Rated by buyers -
I loved this book. It gave me a great deal to research and ponder. I now understand where a lot of our thought processes concerning the Old Testament came from.
Rated by buyers -
Tree of Souls is a long-awaited and much-needed tome on the mythology of Judaism. The 670 stories present everything anyone would want to know about Jewish stories; they run the gamut from myths of God to myths of the Messiah to myths of the Holy Land to myths of exile. The copious introduction and notes about each story testify to the scholarship of the author, Schwartz, an acclaimed folklorist and author. Tree of Souls should be on the shelf of every home and library, both as a reference work for scholars and as informative and pleasant reading for the layman.
Rated by buyers -
"The Tree of Souls" is a rare book one wants to treasure in one's library, yet it will not suffice just to have it sitting on a shelf. It should be placed on a desk close by, in order to be able to reach out and read once, twice, indeed many times the fascinating stories that engulf us as soon as we open the gates to the contents of the book. Once the reader finds himself inside this wondrous world, it becomes wide open, yet it is not difficult to decide which path to choose since the author has designed ten stepping stones, each of which will lead to a particular destination. In reality though, it does not matter which of the ten books Howard Schwartz has created within "The Tree of Souls" - each an impressive book in its own right - we choose to start with. We may read for sheer enjoyment, yet Howard Schwartz, the scholar, has made it easy also for those searching for a particular theme or topic within this vast domain to find what they are looking for and are interested in.
Initially, when I saw the title of the book, a number of images flashed in front of my eyes since many civilizations in antiquity, and even into the present, treat trees with great reverence with the belief that some are associated with supernatural powers. In the Caribbean basin island of Curacao, a giant tree spreads its immense canopy over a large area, just as its enormous roots extend from the trunk, far and wide in all directions. This particular tree serves as a symbol of homeland and a quest for peace to local Indian tribes who transplanted it from a rain forest into the arid soil of this island hundreds of years ago. It thrives there miraculously despite the harsh conditions it is subjected to. This could be the tree that many in that area of the world believe enables the souls of the righteous departed to ascend to heaven. This marvelous tree could serve as a companion to other mythical trees, such as those found in ancient Greek tales, where they aided certain divine entities that restrained, punished or rewarded human beings, depending on the situation.
The "Tree of Souls" is most marvelous since it facilitates repaired souls to descend, and thus they are not only a source of renewed life and knowledge but also the symbol of the never-ending cycle of re-creation. Whether it is the mysterious tree of Abraham described in this book, or maybe the sacred glistening tree under which the Buddha sat and meditated, or a different mythical tree of perfection from another tradition, suffice it to say that these trees, in different ways, are subject to many interpretations and explanations. It is hard not to succumb to the magic of storytelling, particularly of this storyteller who retells these magnificent tales in his own incomparable way. Thus this tree of narratives will always flourish and remain a source of enjoyment and knowledge to those sitting under its branches ...
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