This first installment in the three-volume Jewish Literary Cultures is a collection of essays and studies of diverse texts and topics in ancient Jewish literature, ranging from fables in the Bible and ancient Jewish interpretations of the Song of Songs to the use of erotic narrative in rabbinic literature, the canonization of classical Jewish literature, comparative exegesis, and the early history of Jewish reading practices. David Stern uses contemporary critical approaches and textual analysis to explore larger ideas and themes in rabbinic Judaism—and opens new windows onto questions of cultural exchange and influence, the relationship of textuality and materiality, the history of Jewish literature, and the nature of Jewish literary creativity. The essays, written with literary flair, are intended to be accessible to informed lay readers as well as scholars and specialists in ancient Judaism.

Jewish Literary Cultures: Volume 1, The Ancient Period

Literature & Fiction

Stern, David

History & Criticism

Penn State University Press

In this second of three planned volumes of Jewish Literary Cultures, David Stern explores diverse texts and topics in medieval and early modern Jewish literature and book history. Stern uses contemporary critical approaches to assess larger themes and currents in medieval and early modern Jewish civilization--opening new windows into cultural exchange, the impact of materiality upon reading practice and literary reception, and the nature of the Jewish imagination and literary creativity. The texts and topics examined in this volume include a remarkable story about a Jew who marries a demoness, a blasphemous rabbinic parody, and the material histories of four classic Jewish books: the Hebrew Bible in the manuscript age; the early printed rabbinic Bible, the Talmud, and the invention of its unusual page format; the medieval Jewish prayerbook and its unexpected illustrations; and the Passover Haggadah and its cartographic messianism. Accessibly written and thoughtfully compiled, these essays are perfect for use in the classroom and for reference in personal and professional research. Scholars and specialists in medieval and early modern Judaism in particular will appreciate Stern's work.

Jewish Literary Cultures: Volume 2, The Medieval and Early Modern Periods

In The Jewish Bible: A Material History, David Stern explores the Jewish Bible as a material object―the Bibles that Jews have actually held in their hands―from its beginnings in the Ancient Near Eastern world through to the Middle Ages to the present moment. Drawing on the most recent scholarship on the history of the book, Stern shows how the Bible has been not only a medium for transmitting its text―the word of God―but a physical object with a meaning of its own. That meaning has changed, as the material shape of the Bible has changed, from scroll to codex, and from manuscript to printed book. By tracing the material form of the Torah, Stern demonstrates how the process of these transformations echo the cultural, political, intellectual, religious, and geographic changes of the Jewish community. With tremendous historical range and breadth, this book offers a fresh approach to understanding the Bible's place and significance in Jewish culture.

The Jewish Bible: A Material History (Samuel and Althea Stroum Lectures in Jewish Studies)

History

World

University of Washington Press

In The Jewish Bible: A Material History, David Stern explores the Jewish Bible as a material object―the Bibles that Jews have actually held in their hands―from its beginnings in the Ancient Near Eastern world through to the Middle Ages to the present moment. Drawing on the most recent scholarship on the history of the book, Stern shows how the Bible has been not only a medium for transmitting its text―the word of God―but a physical object with a meaning of its own. That meaning has changed, as the material shape of the Bible has changed, from scroll to codex, and from manuscript to printed book. By tracing the material form of the Torah, Stern demonstrates how the process of these transformations echo the cultural, political, intellectual, religious, and geographic changes of the Jewish community. With tremendous historical range and breadth, this book offers a fresh approach to understanding the Bible's place and significance in Jewish culture.

When two of his friends disappear on the planet Ahng, Zeke Bones follows them, only to discover an alien power struggle to control the world

Nightmare World (Dr. Bones, Book 5)

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Science Fiction

Kevin McKeown knows how easy it is to find out anything about anyone-from credit card, bank account, and Social Security numbers to family histories. A top investigator and security advisor, he has spent the last twenty years doing covert sleuthing for everyone from Fortune 500 companies to government agencies to A-list Hollywood celebrities. Now this professional insider shares the tools of his trade, and offers concrete tips for safeguarding our lives from the threats posed by the everyday conveniences we take for granted, from the cell phone to the family car. You'll learn about: * Shoulder surfing * Behavioral fingerprints * The black box * Traveling eyes * Phone clone * And what you can do to protect yourself Entertaining, informative, and instructive, with thrilling accounts of McKeown's high-profile cases, Your Secrets Are My Business is a must-read for everyone who wants to keep their secrets to themselves.

Your Secrets Are My Business: Security Expert Reveals How Your Trash, License Plate, Credit Cards, Computer, a nd Even Your Mail Make You an Easy Target for Today's Information Thieves

Self-Help

McKeown, Kevin

Abuse

Plume

Transformations: A Captain Sulu Adventure (Star Trek)

Audioworks

David Stern shows how the parable or mashal-the most distinctive type of narrative in midrash-was composed, how its symbolism works, and how it serves to convey the ideological convictions of the rabbis. He describes its relation to similar tales in other literatures, including the parables of Jesus in the New Testament and kabbalistic parables. Through its innovative approach to midrash, this study reaches beyond its particular subject, and will appeal to all readers interested in narrative and religion.

Parables in Midrash: Narrative and Exegesis in Rabbinic Literature

Harvard University Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stern, David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Stern, David

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stern, David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Jewish Literary Cultures: Volume 1, The Ancient Period

Jewish Literary Cultures: Volume 1, The Ancient Period

Jewish Literary Cultures: Volume 2, The Medieval and Early Modern Periods

Jewish Literary Cultures: Volume 2, The Medieval and Early Modern Periods

The Jewish Bible: A Material History (Samuel and Althea Stroum Lectures in Jewish Studies)

The Jewish Bible: A Material History (Samuel and Althea Stroum Lectures in Jewish Studies)

Nightmare World (Dr. Bones, Book 5)

Your Secrets Are My Business: Security Expert Reveals How Your Trash, License Plate, Credit Cards, Computer, a nd Even Your Mail Make You an Easy Target for Today's Information Thieves

Transformations: A Captain Sulu Adventure (Star Trek)

Parables in Midrash: Narrative and Exegesis in Rabbinic Literature