A Vision of the Days: Studies in Early Jewish History and Historiography


Book Description

This collection of essays treats many aspects of ancient Jewish history and modern historiography in this area, with an emphasis on the history and literature of the Second Temple period and especially on the writings of Josephus. It is dedicated to Daniel R. Schwarz, and reflects his central academic interests. Additional essays deal with historical and ideological aspects of classical rabbinic literature, with archeological finds and with perceptions of the Jews and Judaism on the part of non-Jews in the Second Temple period and later.




Holidays, History, and Halakhah


Book Description




Rabbinic Fantasies


Book Description

This anthology of 16 narratives from ancient and medieval Hebrew texts presents the world of rabbinic storytelling, revealing facets of the Jewish experience and tradition and examining the deep connection between the values of classical Judaism and the art of imaginative narrative writing.




Shakespeare and Animals


Book Description

This encyclopaedic account of animals in Shakespeare's plays and poems, provides readers with a much-needed resource by which to navigate the recent outpouring of critical and historical work on the topic. This dictionary extends its coverage to include insects, fish and mythic creatures, as well as the places, practices and lore pertaining to all animal-oriented experiences of early modern life. It emphasizes the role of animality in defining character, and is attentive to the instabilities of the human-animal boundary as they were theatrically represented, exploited and interrogated, but it is also concerned with the material presence of animals on stage and in everyday life in Shakespeare's world. The volume is a new tool for instructors, but is also a resource for critics and scholars in the many disciplines engaged with animal studies, posthumanist theory, ecostudies and cultural studies.




The Books of Contemplation


Book Description

The earliest medieval Jewish mystical writings, or kabbalah, date from the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. This is the first book to focus on the most prodigious group active at that time—the 'Circle of Contemplation'. The 'Circle of Contemplation' generated a mystical theology that differs radically from mainstream kabbalistic theosophy. Two of this group's penetrating speculations on God and the origins of the universe are The Book of Contemplation and The Fountain of Wisdom. A meticulous and systematic study of these writings forms the core of this book. Verman discovered that the 'Circle of Contemplation' produced a series of distinct treatises, each entitled The Book of Contemplation and attributed to the same fictitious author. These treatises, embodying one of the most intriguing puzzles of medieval literature, are included here. The author concludes that these writings were a product of thirteenth-century Spain, not France, as claimed by Gershom Scholem. His conclusion engendered a critical evaluation of the premises of Scholem's historiography of early medieval Jewish mysticism.




The Greatest Classics of French Literature


Book Description

DigiCat presents to you this meticulously edited collection of the greatest classics of French literature: A History of French Literature François Rabelais: Gargantua and Pantagruel Molière: Tartuffe or the Hypocrite The Misanthrope The Miser The Imaginary Invalid The Impostures of Scapin... Jean Racine: Phaedra Pierre Corneille: The Cid Voltaire: Candide Zadig Micromegas The Huron A Philosophical Dictionary... Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Confessions Emile The Social Contract De Laclos: Dangerous Liaisons Stendhal‎: The Red and the Black The Charterhouse of Parma... Honoré de Balzac: Father Goriot Eugénie Grandet Lost Illusions The Lily of the Valley A Woman of Thirty Colonel Chabert The Magic Skin The Unknown Masterpiece... Victor Hugo: Les Misérables The Man Who Laughs The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Toilers of the Sea... George Sand: The Devil's Pool Mauprat Alexandre Dumas pere: The Three Musketeers Twenty Years After The Vicomte de Bragelonne Ten Years After Louise de la Valliere The Man in the Iron Mask The Count of Monte Cristo... Alexandre Dumas fils: The Lady with the Camellias Gustave Flaubert: Madame Bovary Salammbô Bouvard and Pécuchet Sentimental Education... Émile Zola: Thérèse Raquin The Fortune of the Rougons The Kill The Dram Shop A Love Episode Nana Piping Hot Germinal His Masterpiece The Earth The Dream The Human Beast Money The Downfall Doctor Pascal... Jules Verne: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Around the World in Eighty Days The Mysterious Island Journey to the Centre of the Earth From the Earth to the Moon Around the Moon In Search of the Castaways Guy de Maupassant: A Life Bel-Ami (The History of a Scoundrel) Mont Oriol Notre Coeur Pierre and Jean Strong as Death The Necklace The Horla Boul de Suif Two Friends Madame Tellier's Establishment... Charles Baudelaire: The Flowers of Evil Anatole France: The Revolt of the Angels The Gods are Athirst (The Gods Will Have Blood) Penguin Island Thaïs Gaston Leroux: The Phantom of the Opera The Mystery of the Yellow Room The Secret of the Night The Man with the Black Feather Marcel Proust: Swann's Way




French Literature Classics - Ultimate Collection: 90+ Novels, Stories, Poems, Plays & Philosophy


Book Description

French Literature Classics - Ultimate Collection: 90+ Novels, Stories, Poems, Plays & Philosophy is a monumental anthology that showcases the rich tapestry of French literature, ranging from the keen psychological insights of Stendhal to the intricate societal critiques of Émile Zola. This collection spans diverse literary styles, including the romanticism of Victor Hugo, the naturalism of Zola, and the existential questions posed by the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore the breadth of French literary achievements, highlighting significant movements and themes such as the quest for personal identity, the complexities of human nature, and the critique of social conventions. Notable works include the biting satire of Molière, the haunting narratives of Gaston Leroux, and the poetic innovations of Charles Baudelaire, making this collection an essential compendium for any literary scholar. The contributing authors and editors of this anthology represent the crème de la crème of French literary history, their lives intertwined with the very fabric of French culture and the literary movements they helped shape. From the early modern period with Rabelais and Corneille through to the philosophical enlightenment of Voltaire and Rousseau, and into the richly complex worlds of Proust and Dumas, this collection encapsulates a lineage of thought and creativity that has significantly influenced not only French but global literature. It is a testament to the enduring power and diversity of French literary voice, capturing pivotal moments in literary development and the individual and collective quest for understanding human experience. This anthology invites readers to embark on a profound journey through the landscapes of French thought and expression. It offers a unique opportunity to engage with the multitude of voices, styles, and themes that have shaped both the literary canon and the broader discourse on society, politics, and the human condition. Encouraging a deeper understanding of the interplay between individual creativity and cultural movements, French Literature Classics - Ultimate Collection is an invaluable resource for students, educators, and anyone with a passion for exploring the depths of human expression through literature. The collection promises not only academic enrichment but also the sheer joy of discovering the interconnectedness of stories, ideas, and the universal quest for meaning that ties humanity together.




Animals and the Law in Antiquity


Book Description

Animal law has become a topic of growing importance internationally, with animal welfare and animal rights often assuming center stage in contemporary debates about the legal status of animals. While nonspecialists routinely decontextualize ancient texts to support or deny rights to animals, experts in fields such as classics, biblical studies, Assyriology, Egyptology, rabbinics, and late antique Christianity have only just begun to engage the topic of animals and the law in their respective areas. This volume consists of original studies by scholars from a range of Mediterranean and West Asian fields on a variety of topics at the intersection of animals and the law in antiquity. Contributors include Rozenn Bailleul-LeSuer, Beth Berkowitz, Andrew McGowan, F. S. Naiden, Saul M. Olyan, Seth Richardson, Jordan D. Rosenblum, Andreas Schüle, Miira Tuominen, and Daniel Ullucci. The volume is essential reading for scholars and students of both the ancient world and contemporary law.




Animal Languages in the Middle Ages


Book Description

The essays in this interdisciplinary volume explore language, broadly construed, as part of the continued interrogation of the boundaries of human and nonhuman animals in the Middle Ages. Uniting a diverse set of emerging and established scholars, Animal Languages questions the assumed medieval distinction between humans and other animals. The chapters point to the wealth of non-human communicative and discursive forms through which animals function both as vehicles for human meaning and as agents of their own, demonstrating the significance of human and non-human interaction in medieval texts, particularly for engaging with the Other. The book ultimately considers the ramifications of deconstructing the medieval anthropocentric view of language for the broader question of human singularity.