The Samaritan Chronicle & The Talmud: Selections
About this book
The Samaritan Chronicle Translated by Oliver Turnbull Crane This ancient sect has close historical ties to the Jewish faith. However, they have an entirely separate set of traditions and customs which diverged from Judaism long ago, before it was codified and homogenized. For instance, they believe that only the Pentateuch is divinely inspired. Their language is still written using an archaic version of the Hebrew alphabet. The Samaritans, who were persecuted and shunned outsiders, are ironically best known because of a short parable in the New Testament in which a Samaritan does a good deed for a victim of a mugging (Luke 10:25). Today, about 300 Samaritans live in the West Bank in the vicinity of Nablus on Mount Gerizim, preserving their customs and language.The Talmud: Selectionsby H. PolanoIf you have browsed the Rodkinson 10 volume abridged translation of the Talmud, you probably know that the work is a vast expanse of wisdom literature, with huge stretches of incredibly dry legal debates and minutiae interposed with rich oases of fascinating lore. It is difficult to find these islands without a map. Polano's Talmud: Selections, is just such a guide. This was one of the first English anthologies of Talmudic literature. The early Biblical lore is organized as a continuous narrative, which makes an interesting supplement to a reading of the Bible. Polano includes a selection of the best stories of the Rabbis, some reminiscent of tales of the Zen monks. The humor of the Talmud is also well represented (particularly the tale of the Emperor and the Aged Man, with its archetypal Jewish punchline).