The Jews : a Treasury of Art and Literature

This super 380-page coffee table book documents the history, art and literature of the Jewish Nation from tracts from the Jewish Bible (Tanach) to articles about Israel in the early 1990's.

Published by Beaux Arts Editions, 2002, hardcover, illustrated, index, 384 pages, 26 cms x 33.7 cms x 3.9 cms, condition: as new.

This volume will appeal to the educated reader interested in Judaism. This handsomely produced coffee-table book surveys the "landmarks" in Jewish history and culture, from the Old Testament to the founding of the state of Israel. Divided into necessarily subjective sections, it contains some interesting, well-chosen passages, as well as long quotations from outstanding sources. Each passage is preceded by a short biography of the author and accompanied by relevant illustrations. Some texts are fascinating, such as the one on the death of Moses, or profound, such as Golda Meir's memoir of life on a kibbutz in 1921. Yet the illustrations offer the most fascinating insights into Judaism across the ages. Some photographs are truly powerful. Although certain important aspects of Judaism are inevitably omitted in a volume of this size and other aspects are passed over too briefly, the author has chosen carefully to provide the basis for further reading and exploration by the reader.