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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian sacred works & liturgy > Sacred texts > General
Discover the Talmud and its universal values for all people.
While the Hebrew Bible is the cornerstone of Judaism, it is the
Talmud that provides many central values for living. The Talmud
sets out specific guidelines and lyrical admonitions regarding many
of life's ordinary events, and offers profound words of advice for
life s most intractable dilemmas. This accessible introduction to
the Talmud explores the essence of Judaism through reflections on
the words of the rabbinic sages, from one of American Judaism s
foremost teachers and writers, Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins. Dr. Elkins
provides fresh insight into ancient aphorisms and shows you how
they can be applied to your life today. Topics include: Kindness
through Giving, Welcoming and Sharing; Human Relationships;
Personal Values; Family Values; Teaching and Learning; and Life s
Puzzles. Enlightening and inspiring, the values of the Talmud can
be appreciated not just by Jews, but by anyone seeking a greater
understanding of life and its mysteries."
The fifth and most popular book of the Ramayana of Valmiki,
Sundara recounts the adventures of the monkey hero Hanuman leaping
across the ocean to the island citadel of Lanka. Once there, he
scours the city for the abducted Princess Sita. The poet vividly
describes the opulence of the court of the demon king, Ravana, the
beauty of his harem, and the hideous deformity of Sita's
wardresses. After witnessing Sita's stern rejection of Ravana's
blandishments, Hanuman reveals himself to the princess, shows her
Rama's signet ring as proof of identity, and offers to carry her
back to Rama.
Co-published by New York University Press and the JJC
Foundation
For more on this title and other titles in the Clay Sanskrit
series, please visit http: //www.claysanskritlibrary.org
Since their discovery in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have become an
icon in popular culture that transcends their status as ancient
Jewish manuscripts. Everyone has heard of the Scrolls, but amidst
the conspiracies, the politics, and the sensational claims, it can
be difficult to separate the myths from the reality. In this Very
Short introductions, Timothy Lim discusses the cultural
significance of the finds, and the religious, political and legal
controversies during the seventy years of study since the
discovery. He also looks at the contribution the Scrolls have made
to our understanding of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible, and the
origins of early Christianity. Exploring the most recent scholarly
discussions on the archaeology of Khirbet Qumran, and the study of
the biblical texts, the canon, and the history of the Second Temple
Period, he considers what the scrolls reveal about sectarianism in
early Judaism. Was the archaeological site of Qumran a centre of
monastic life, a fortress, a villa, or a pottery factory? Why were
some of their biblical texts so different from the ones that we
read today? Did they have 'a Bible'? Who were the Essenes and why
did they think that humanity is to be divided between 'the sons of
light' and those in darkness? And, finally, do the Scrolls reflect
the teachings of the earliest followers of Jesus? ABOUT THE SERIES:
The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press
contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These
pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new
subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis,
perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and
challenging topics highly readable.
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