The Children of Noah: Jewish Seafaring in Ancient Times

(Paperback)

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The world of Jewish seafaring from Noah's voyage through the Diaspora of late antiquity is recreated in this book. The author beigns with the story of the deluge that is found in Genesis and profiles Noah, the father of all shipbuilders and seafarers. The sea, according to Patai's interpretation, can be seen as an image of the manifestation of God's power, and he reflects on its role in legends and tales of early times. He shows how Jewish seafaring had its own culture and how it influenced the cultures of Mediterranean life as well.

Reviews

"It's not everyone who can spend a lifetime with the kinds of questions Patai asks... But almost everyone will find fascinating the answers Patai provides... Practical rather than theoretical, empirical rather than imperious, durable rather than glamorous ... a vessel with spirit, a freighter of mysteries."--Laurance Wieder, The Weekly Standard "Patai takes the bare bones of what there is in the Bible and, through scholarship and intellect, builds up a lively picture of life at sea... This book will stand as a final and fitting monument to Patai's lifetime of scholarship and research into ancient Jewish history and culture."--David Brauner, Jerusalem Post "An artful weaving together of biblical tales, Talmudic legends, and Midrash literature, The Children of Noah: Jewish Seafaring in Ancient Times chronicles the amphibious adventures of the ancient Israelites."--Publishers Weekly "A useful source book... [I]f you're Jewish and love the sea ... It's not an account you would want to miss."--Hillel Halkin, Forward "A lively and fascinating narrative that makes a full exposition of the subject available to students and advanced readers for the first time."--Library Journal

Author Bio

Raphael Patai was the author of more than thirty books on Jewish history, folklore, biblical studies, and Middle Eastern culture. Among his best-known books are "The Jewish Alchemists "(Princeton)," The Jewish Mind", "The Hebrew Goddess", and "Hebrew Myths" (with Robert Graves).