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Subject(s)

• Bible Pentateuch—Paraphrases, English [Browse]

Notes

A translation of the rabbinical Book of Yashar compiled from the Babylonian Talmud and other Jewish sources, and intermixed with Arabic legends and passages of the Bible. Three fourths of the book is devoted to the pre-Mosaic period, one fifth to the Mosaic period and only three pages to later history. The original ed. appeared in Naples, 1552, and later repeatedly, Venice, 1625, Cracow, 1628, etc. A Latin version by Johann G. Abicht appeared in Leipzig, 1732, with title: Dissertatio de Libro recti. In 1750 the London printer Thomas Ilive issued an English translation of the work, asserting that he had published the real "Book of Yashar" mentioned in the Bible. cf. Jewish encycl.

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Contents

• 1. The creation of Adam and Eve, the fall, birth of Cain and Abel, Abel a keeper of sheep, Cain a tiller of the soil, the quarrel between the brothers and the result, Cain the first murderer cursed of God
• 2. Seth is born, people begin to multiply and become idolatrous, third part of the earth destroyed, earth cursed and becomes corrupt through the wickedness of men, Cainan a wise and righteous king foretells the flood, Enoch is born
• 3. Enoch reigns over the earth, Enoch establishes righteousness upon the earth and after reigning two hundred and forty years is translated
• 4. The people of the earth again become corrupt, Noah is born
• 5. Noah and Methuselah preach repentance for one hundred and twenty years, Noah builds the ark, death of Methuselah
• 6. Animals beasts and fowls reserved in the ark, Noah and his sons and their wives are shut in, when the floods come the people want to get in, Noah one year in the ark
• 7. The generations of Noah: the garments of skin made for Adam stolen by Ham and they descend to Nimrod the mighty hunter who becomes the king of the whole earth: the birth of Abram
• 8. The wise men of Nimrod by their divination foretell the evil that Abram will do to Nimrod's kingdom and they seek to kill the child, Abram with his mother and nurse are hid in a cave for ten years
• 9. When ten year old Abram goes to Noah and Shem remains with them for thirty-nine years and is taught in all the ways of the Lord, the wickedness of Nimrod and his people, they propose to build a tower to heaven and D-throne God, the confusion of tongues
• 10. The descendants of Noah scattered over the whole earth build themselves cities
• 11. Nimrod's wicked reign, the idolatry of Terah Abram's father, when fifty years old Abram returns to his father's house and discovers his idols, makes a pretext to destroy them, after making savory meat for the gods Abram takes a hatchet and destroys them leaving the hatchet in the hands of the larger one where it is discovered by his father who is told by Abram that the great God had risen up in anger and destroyed his fellows, Terah in his wrath betrays Abram to the king who brings him up before the throne for judgment, Abram warns his father and the King before all the princes of the evils of idolatry
• 12. Abram placed in prison and is condemned after ten days to be cast into a fiery furnace, his brother Haran being falsely accused is condemned to the same fate, as Haran's heart was not right before the Lord he perished but Abram is delivered and is brought forth alive, is presented with many gifts, the king dreams of Abram and again seeks his life, Abram flees to the house of Noah
• 13. On Abram's account Terah and all his house with Abram leave Ur Casdim to go to the land of Canaan, they tarry in Haran where the Lord appears to Abram and upon condition of faithfulness promises many blessings, Abram commanded of the Lord takes his wife and all belonging to him and goes to the land of Canaan where the Lord again appears to him and promises the land of Canaan as an everlasting inheritance, after fifteen years Abram returns to Haran to visit his father, teaches many to walk in the ways of the Lord, again commanded to go to Canaan where he builds an altar, the Lord renews his covenant with him
• 14. Rikayon's cunning device to make money of the Egyptians
• 15. On account of famine in Canaan Abram goes to Egypt, tells the people that Sarah is his sister on account of her beauty, Pharaoh desires to take her but is prevented by an angel of the Lord, the truth is made known and Sarah is restored to Abram with many presents, Abram returns to his home, trouble between Lot and Abram on account of Lot's cattle, Lot removes to Sodom
• 16. Four kings with eight hundred thousand men war against Sodom and the cities of the plain and destroy and plunder their people, Abram hearing that Lot is taken captive gathers together about three hundred men and pursues the kings retakes the captives and smites the whole army of the confederate kings, on his return Abram meets Adonizedek [Melchizedek] king of Jerusalem the same was Shem, Abram gives tithes of all he had taken to Adonizedek and is blessed of Him, Abram restores to every man his property which he had retaken in the war and returns to Hebron, the Lord again appears to Abram and promises to bless him with a numberless posterity, Sarah being childless gives Hagar to Abram for a wife and becoming jealous of her afflicts her, an angel comforts Hagar, Ishmael is born
• 17. The Lord appears to Abram and establishes the covenant of circumcision and calls his name Abraham and Sarai he calls Sarah
• 18. Abraham entertains three angels who eat with him, Sarah is promised a son, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the cities of the plain become very wicked
• 19. The abominations of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, two angels sent to save Lot, the cities of the plain and all their inhabitants destroyed by fire
• 20. Abraham goes to the land of the Philistines and again tells the people that Sarah is his sister, Abimelech the king desires her for a wife, an angel warns him and commands him to return her to her husband, the whole land afflicted on account of the matter, Sarah restored to Abraham who entreats the Lord to heal the people of Abimelech
• 21. Isaac is born causing much rejoicing among the friends of Abraham, Ishmael attempts to kill Isaac and on that account is sent away with his mother, Ishmael is blessed with riches and posterity
• 22. Ishmael returns to his father with his wives and children, Abraham returns to Canaan and makes his home in Beersheba where he hospitably entertains all strangers and teaches them the way of the Lord: Isaac and Ishmael's conversation, the offering of Isaac foretold, Satan's opinion of the father of the faithful
• 23. Abraham commanded to offer up Isaac in the land Moriah, Abraham's obedience, Sarah's affliction, what happened on the way, Satan attempts to hinder them, Isaac an acceptable offering, father and son alone, the willingness of Isaac, he assists his father in building the altar, while they both weep bitterly they yet rejoice to be counted worthy before the Lord, Isaac bound and placed upon the altar, the angels of God intercede for Isaac who is released at the command of the Lord and a ram is offered in his place, Satan by his deception and evils causes the death of Sarah
• 24. Abraham purchases a burial place, Isaac sent to the house of Shem and Eber to learn the way of the Lord, Eliezer is sent to get a wife for Isaac, goes to the house of Bethuel and brings Rebecca
• 25. Abraham takes Keturah for a wife by whom he has six sons, the generations of the sons of Keturah and of Ishmael
• 26. Isaac and Rebecca pray for children, their prayers answered and Esau and Jacob are born, Abraham after recounting all the wonderful works of the Lord enjoins his son to walk in His way and keep His commandments, in the fifteenth year of Jacob and Esau's lives Abraham dies and is buried by all the kings of the land, all the people and even the children mourn for Abraham for a full year
• 27. Esau slays Nimrod and two of his mighty men, returns home weary from the fight and sells his birthright for value
• 28. On account of famine Isaac goes to Gerar the land of the Philistines, after the famine he returns at the command of the Lord to Hebron, Jacob is sent to the house of Shem where he remains thirty-two years to learn the way of the Lord but Esau would not go, Esau marries a Canaanitish woman
• 29. Jacob by deceit obtains his brother's blessing, Jacob fearing his brother's anger flees to the house of Eber where he remains for fourteen years, Esau again marries a woman of the land, Jacob returns to his father but being still threatened by Esau is advised by his mother to go to her brother Laban in Haran, Jacob goes to Haran being commanded by his father not to marry any of the daughters of Canaan, Jacob is waylaid on the road by the son of Esau and is robbed of all he possessed
• 30. When he arrives at mount Moriah the Lord appears to Jacob and establishes His covenant with him, arriving at his uncle's house he engages to serve seven years for Rachel
• 31. Jacob is deceived and is given Leah in place of Rachel but is given Rachel for seven years' more service, Jacob serves Laban six years longer for wages and becomes very rich when the Lord appears to him and commands him to return to the land of Canaan, Jacob obeys and goes from Laban, Rachel steals her father's gods that he may not know where Jacob has fled, Laban pursues him but establishes a covenant of peace, Laban breaks his covenant by sending his son secretly to Esau that Jacob may fall in his hands, Esau with four hundred men seek to destroy Jacob
• 32. Jacob sends a message of peace to his brother who rejects it with contempt and advances to destroy him, hosts of angels cause the fear of Jacob to come upon Esau and he goes to meet him in peace in answer to Jacob's prayer, Jacob wrestles with an angel of the Lord
• 33. Jacob goes to Shechem, prince Shechem defiles Dinah the daughter of Jacob, Shechem desires her for a wife
• 34. The perfidy of Shechem, Simeon and Levi sons of Jacob avenge the honor of their sister Dinah destroy all the men of the city and spoil it, the people of Canaan conspire to avenge the cause of Shechem, Isaac and Jacob pray for succor
• 35. The fear of God comes upon the Canaanites and they do not fight with Jacob
• 36. Jacob and his house goes to Bethel where the Lord appears to him calls his name Israel and blesses him, the generations of Jacob and Esau
• 37. Jacob returns to Shechem. the kings of Canaan again assemble against Jacob, Jacob's ten sons with one hundred and two of their servants fight against the Canaanites and Amorites and are successful
• 38 & 39 The sons of Jacob destroy many cities of Canaan and all their people
• 40. The remaining twenty-one kings of Canaan fearing the sons of Jacob make a permanent peace with them
• 41. Joseph the son of Jacob dreams of his future exaltation over his brethren, being his father's favorite
• 42. Joseph is sold to a company of Midianites, who take him down to Egypt, An account of his journey thither, and of his affliction on the road
• 43. Reuben's anguish at not finding Joseph in the pit, the brothers contrive to deceive their father by dipping his coat in blood, Jacob's anguish at the loss of his son
• 44. Joseph is sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, Zelicah, the wife of Potiphar, seeks to entice Joseph to do evil, but all her advances are rejected, Is falsely accused by her and is brought to judgment, Is acquitted by his judges, but for the sake of the report against Potiphar's wife, he is cast into prison
• 45. An account of the families of Jacob's sons
• 46. Joseph interprets the dreams of his fellow prisoners
• 47. Isaac blesses his two sons and dies, His property is divided, Esau takes all the personal property and Jacob chooses the inheritance of the land of Canaan, with the cave of Machpelah for a burying place
• 48. Pharaoh's dreams, Not receiving a satisfactory interpretation from the magicians, he orders the wise men to be slain, The king's butler makes Joseph's gifts known to Pharaoh, Joseph is brought before the king, who relates his dreams to him, Joseph, by the gift of God, interprets them, A great famine predicted
• 49. Pharaoh assembles all the great men of the kingdom, and desires to appoint Joseph to govern Egypt, They object because he cannot speak all the seventy languages of the earth, An angel visits Joseph and teaches him all the languages of the earth, When brought before the king, Joseph's wisdom and knowledge please Pharaoh and all the princes of Egypt, and he is appointed the second to the king, and all authority is given him, Joseph is made wealthy and clothed in princely apparel and proclaimed governor of Egypt, Is given the daughter of Potiphar for a wife
• 50. Joseph goes to help the Ishmaelites against their enemies, Great plenty prevails in Egypt as Joseph predicted, Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph stores up food throughout Egypt, That stored by the Egyptians is spoiled, The famine prevails over all the land and Joseph sells corn to all the Egyptians and the surrounding nations, Knowing that his brethren will have to come to Egypt for corn, he arranges to meet them when they come
• 51. Jacob sends his ten oldest sons to Egypt for food, Tells them not to enter in at one gate but to go in separately, On the way they covenant together to seek for Joseph, and if they cannot ransom him they resolve to take him by force, They enter in at ten gates, and spread themselves to seek for Joseph three days, Joseph, in the meantime, has his men seeking them, When found they are brought before Joseph who accuses them of being spies, Joseph sends his brethren home with corn, while Simeon is kept as a hostage till they shall again come to Egypt with their younger brother, They are astonished to find their money in their sacks of corn
• 52. Jacob's sorrow at the absence of Simeon, refuses to let Benjamin go, But when he and his household become pinched with hunger, Judah pleads for Benjamin, tells his father of the great glory and authority of the governor of Egypt, and offers himself as security for his younger brother, Jacob consents and sends his sons again to Egypt with a conciliatory letter and presents to the governor
• 53. Jacob's sons again go to Egypt for bread, Benjamin is presented before Joseph, Joseph's cup, Joseph's conduct towards Benjamin by which he makes himself known to him, Resolves to prove his brethren by taking away Benjamin from them, and puts his cup in Benjamin's sack of corn and sends them home to their father, An officer is sent after them who accuses them of purloining his master's cup, Brings them back to Joseph, Benjamin is taken from them by force, and they are told to go on their way
• 54. Judah breaks through the door to get to Joseph and Benjamin, He recounts the many mighty deeds of his brethren and threatens to destroy all Egypt if Benjamin be not released Joseph wrangles with his brethren and accuses them of selling their brother, They commence to war upon the Egyptians, and frighten the whole land, After satisfying himself of their repentance for selling their brother, Joseph makes himself known to them, and bestows presents upon them, They are presented before Pharaoh, who commands Joseph to bring all his father's household down to Egypt, He sends chariots for this purpose, laden with presents, luxuries and clothing, Jacob's joy on learning that Joseph is still alive
• 55. The Lord commands Jacob to go down to Egypt, where he will make him a great nation, Joseph and all Egypt go to meet Jacob to him honor when he arrives, The land of Goshen is given to him and his children
• 56. After seventeen years' dwelling in Egypt, Jacob dies, after blessing his children and commanding them to go in the way of the Lord, Joseph and his brethren and all the mighty men of Egypt go up to Canaan to bury Jacob, Esau, claiming the land of Canaan as his, will not allow Joseph to bury his father, After Esau and many of his people are slain, Jacob is buried by force, all the kings of Canaan come up to do him honor
• 57. The sons of Esau make war with the sons of Jacob and are smitten, Some are taken captive to Egypt, The children of Esau enlist the people of Seir to accompany them to Egypt to deliver their brethren, Joseph and his brethren and the Egyptians slay six hundred thousand, Nearly all the mighty men of Seir being slain, they make war with the children of Esau to drive them from their land, Esau prevails and utterly annihilates the children of Seir
• 58. Pharaoh dies and the whole government of Egypt devolves upon Joseph, Pharaoh the younger being but a nominal ruler, The children of Esau again come against the Israelites, and are again smitten
• 59. Jacobs posterity in Egypt, After prophesying that the Lord would deliver his brethren from Egypt, Joseph dies and is buried, and the Israelites are ruled over by the Egyptians
• 60. Zepho leads a great army of Chittimites, Edomites, and Ishmaelites against Egypt, three hundred thousand Egyptians put to flight, but one hundred and fifty men of Israel prevail against Zepho
• 61, 62, & 63. Petty wars and contentions of the nations of Africa with Zepho
• 64. Zepho leads a great army of Chittimites, Edomites, and Ishmaelites against Egypt, Three hundred thousand Egyptians put to flight, but one hundred and fifty men of Israel prevail against Zepho
• 65. The elders of Egypt conspire with Pharaoh and cunningly bring Israel into bondage to them, being afraid of their power, they afflict them in order to lessen the number of the children of Israel
• 66. Pharaoh decrees that every male child born in Israel shall be killed, and still they increase
• 67. Aaron is born, On account of Pharaoh's decree, many of the sons of Israel live apart from their wives, The king's counselors devise another plan to lessen the number of Israel by drowning them, The Lord finds a means of preserving the male children
• 68. Moses, a child of promise is born, The Egyptian women acting as spies, Moses is discovered, and placed by his mother in an ark of bulrushes, Is found and adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh, and grows up among the king's children
• 69. Pharaoh proclaims that if any of the Israelites are short in their labor, either in bricks or mortar, his youngest son shall be put in their place
• 70. Moses puts the king's crown upon his own head, Balaam and the wise men make this a pretext against him, When grown up, Moses visits his brethren, and learns of their grievances, Moses obtains a day's rest on the Sabbath for all Israel
• 71. Moses slays an Egyptian and being discovered flees from Egypt, Aaron prophecies
• 72. Moses flees to Cush, At the death of the king, he is chosen in his stead, He reigns forty years in Cush
• 73. The reign of Moses, and his strategic warfare
• 74. War in Africa
• 75. Thirty thousand Ephraimites think it time to get out of Egypt, rise up to go to Canaan, but are slain by the Philistines
• 76. Moses leaves Cush and goes to the land of Midian, Reuel, taking him for a refugee, keeps him in prison for ten years, Is fed by Zopporah, the daughter of Reuel, Pharaoh smitten of the plague, Slays a child of the Israelites every day, He dies of the rot, and his son, Adikam, reigns in his stead
• 77. Adikam Pharaoh afflicts Israel more than ever, Moses is released by Reuel, and marries his daughter Zipporah, Moses obtains possession of the stick Jehovah
• 78. Moses has two sons, Pharaoh withholds straw from the Israelites
• 79. The Lord appears to Moses and commands him to go down to Egypt to deliver Israel, Aaron meets him, Israel on hearing of his mission greatly rejoices, Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh, who calls all the magicians to meet Moses, They perform miracles as well as Moses, and thus deceive the king, Pharaoh, not finding the name of Jehovah on any of the books of records, says he does not know who he is, and will not let his people go, Moses and Aaron teach Pharaoh, but he will not hearken, but causes the labor of the children of Israel to be increased, Moses being discouraged is told by the Lord that with an outstretched hand and heavy Plagues, Israel shall be delivered
• 80. After two years, Moses and Aaron again go to Pharaoh, but Pharaoh will not hearken, The Lord afflicts Egypt with all manner of Plagues and afflictions, The first-born of all the Egyptians is slain, Pharaoh sends the children of Israel away, and all the Egyptians rise up to urge their departure, but they will not go in the night
• 81. The departure of the Israelites from Egypt, with great riches and flocks and herds, After the Egyptians bury their first-born, many of them go after the Israelites to induce them to return, But they refuse to return, and fight the nobles of Egypt and drive them home, Pharaoh resolves with the Egyptians to pursue Israel and compel them to return, The children of Israel are divided: some wanting to go back, Moses prays for deliverance, The Lord tells him not to cry to him, but proceed, The waters of the Red Sea are divided, The Israelites pass through in safety, but the Egyptians are utterly destroyed, the Israelites proceed on their journey, and are fed with manna, The children of Esau fight Israel, but the latter prevail
• 82. The Ten Commandments are given, While Moses is in the mount, Aaron makes a golden calf, and Israel worships it, Civil war, The Lord has a sanctuary build for his worship in the wilderness
• 83. Aaron and his sons are placed in charge of the Lord's service, The sacrifices and offerings, The Passover is celebrated, The people lust for flesh to eat, Their punishment, Moses sends twelve men to explore the land of Canaan, Ten of them bring an evil report, and the people want to return to Egypt, For their lack of faith that generation shall not live to obtain their possessions
• 84. The earth swallows up the rebellious, The children of Israel commanded not to war with the children of Esau, or Moab, The Edomites will not let Israel pass through their land
• 85. Some of the Canaanites rise up to fight Israel, who are frightened and run away, But the sons of Levi compel them to return, They prevail over their enemies, They must not touch Ammon, Og, king of Bashan, Balaam is called upon to curse Israel, but will not, Israel commits whoredom with the Moabites, and they are smitten with pestilence
• 86. All over twenty years of age at the time of leaving Egypt die at the expiration of forty years, Israel is numbered, the Midianites are destroyed and their spoil is divided among the people
• 87. Moses appoints Joshua his successor, the Lord encourages Joshua, Moses teaches the children of Israel to walk in the way of the Lord, he goes up to Mount Abarim and dies there
• 88. The Lord commands Joshua to prepare the people to pass over Jordan to possess the land, Jericho is besieged taken and destroyed, Achan brings evil upon the camp by purloining the cursed thing and brings destruction upon himself, Ai is taken and destroyed, the Gibeonites cunningly save themselves, five kings rise up against Israel and are destroyed, the sun and moon stand still at Joshua's command
• 89. Joshua's song of praise, the wars of Israel
• 90. The Edomite are smitten by Chittim, the land is divided and the people have rest, Joshua being advanced in years exhorts the people to observe all the laws of Moses and then dies
• 91. The elders judge Israel, they drive out all the Canaanites and inherit the promised land.

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Other title(s)

• Book of Jasher.
• Book of Jasher
• Bible. Pentateuch. English.

OCLC

13715800

RCP

H - S

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