Andreev encyclopædia
An encyclopædia on Daniil Andreev with vast bibliography

          Historical and legendary persons of the biblical era mentioned in the present bibliography:
          Aaron (fl. 14th century BC), the founder of the Judaic priesthood and historically the first priest, who, with his brother Moses led jews out of Egypt. He is metaphorically mentioned in RW: “точно некий Aaron ударил чудотворным жезлом по мертвой скале: поток изумительных образов, один другого глубже, поэтичнее, героичнее, трогательнее, пленительнее” (2: 409).
          Abraham (Hebrew: Avraham; fl. early 2nd millenium BC), according to the Bible, the first from three patriarchs, the ancestor of Jewish people and (through Ishmael) of Arabs, the founder of monoteism. About him [preamble, Chagall, El Moria, Hagar, Sarah, MC IX, 3152, 3159, 3164, 3197, 3217, 3227, 3233, 3243]. He is revered by the three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was in his afterlife “the great human spirit, … the founder of Nikhord” (2: 129). The narration about life and activities of A. is containing in the book of Genesis (11: 26 – 25: 10). He was born in Ur of the Chaldeans, one from most ancient and most important cities of Mesopotamia. His original name was Abram (Hebrew: Avram). According to Midrash, A. broke idols of his father. He married Sarah. Following the call of God Yahveh A. left his own country at 75 years of age and undertook pedestrian transition to Canaan with his wife and his companions. He led a nomad's life there building altars for God. The epithet “Ivrim” given origin to the word “Hebrew” was initially applied in the Bible with respect to A. who, as his son and grandson later, didn't possess his own land in Canaan and depended on Canaanite kinglings, rulers of cities. He supported peaceful terms with environment, but kept isolation in everything related beliefs, cult and even purity of kin. A. was worried about his childlessness, but Yahveh promised that he will have posterity which will become a great nation.
          The promise was fastened by concluding an alliance (covenant) between God and Abraham. This alliance which was fated to act the most important role in Jewish history and in the promotion of global culture, included three basic elements: 1) chosenness of A.'s descendants along the line of his future son Isaac; 2) the promise to give the Canaanite land in ownership to these chosen descendants; 3) the command to follow God's behests: to observe ethic standards, to accomplish circumcision of all males in A.'s kin. At the same time God ordered to Abram to bear the name Abraham ("the father of people crowds"). The place of chosen people in Christianity was occupied by church, and chosenness in Islam hands down along the line of Ishmael. When A. was 100 years of age and Sarah was 90, Isaac was born. To test the strength of A.'s faith God ordered to sacrifice Him Isaac. But when binded Isaac was already lying on the altar and A. lifted his hand with a knife to stab him, an angel stopped A.'s hand, and a ram enmeshed in brushwood was sacrificed instead of Isaac. А. followed the certain complex of moral principles: he had unterceded for inhabitants of Sodom, refused to appropriate the loot of war, categorically declined the suggestion of Hittites to get the cave of Machpelah as a gift – it was paid by him and intended for being a family burying place. It is where he was burried next to Sarah when he died at the age of 175. A. is poeticized by Esenin (interlinear translation is given): “Ancient Maurician shadow / Is kindred to our hills; / In the guise of drizzle on golden cornfields, / Abraham visited us”.
          Amos (8th century BC), Russian description. About him [preamble].
          Daniel, prophet
          David (late 11th century – c. 970 BC), Russian description. About him [preamble, Joseph, Saint, Leah, Samuel, Saul, Solomon (1), (2), Zerubbabel,205.5, 3154, 3171, 5241].
          Esther (5th century BC), a Jewish girl whose name resembles the Babylonian goddess Ishtar and testifies to essential assimilation of Jews amidst heterodox environment. She was born in the Persian empire, subjects of which Jews not desired to return in Canaan became after subjugation of Babylon by Persians. Having won a peculiar beauty contest of that time, she became a wife of the kind Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). The fact, that her marriage was hybrid and she kept her religious belonging from her husband, suggested the idea she will hardly risk her life for the sake of her forefathers' people. But just she using her status rescued Jews of the empire from a thought-out program of annihilation. About her [V.18.6 preamble].
          Ezekiel, prophet
          Ezra , Russian description. About him [3175, 4966].
          Goliath (late 11th century BC), Russian description. About him [David].
          Hagar, Russian description. About her [Sarah].
          Hosea, prophet.
          Isaac, second of the patriarchs of Israel. About him [preamble, Abraham, Sarah].
          Isaiah (Hebrew: Yesha'yahu; fl. 8th century BC), Old Testament prophet who was called to prophecy in about 742 BC. Only some of the first 39 chapters are attributed to him in the biblical Book of Isaiah. A significant contributor to Jewish and Christian traditions. Great Russian poets addressed to his image – see quotations in Russian description. About him [preamble, 4965].
          Ishmael , forefather of Arabs. About him [Abraham (1), (2), Hagar, Sarah].
          Jacob (Hebrew: Ya'aqov; Arabic: Ya'qub), the third from great biblical patriarchs, the son of Isaac and Rebekah. J.'s marriage, about which the biblical book Genesis says: “So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like a few days because he loved her”, is poeticized in an Akhmatova's verse (interlinear translation is given): “And Jacob met Rachel in a valley, / He bowed to her as a homeless wanderer”; “But started the heart in his breast to be sad, / To ache as an open wound, / And he agreed for the virgin to serve / Laban seven years as a sheepherd. / Rachel! Seven years are like seven dazzling days / For that one who is at the mercy of you”, “Jacob, was it you who kissed me / And called your black dove?”. The poetry of Tsvetayeva alludes twice to another biblical episode, where J. wrestles during the night with God, for what he got the name Israel: “In the last argument I'll take you – fall silent! – / From that , with whom Jacob was standing nightly”; “Joseph's controversy! In comparison with you / What is Jacob's single combat!” (opposition of Joseph to an attempt of Egyptian courtier's wife to seduce him is meant). J. dreamt about the ladder from earth to heaven with the assembly of angels. This dream is mentioned in RW where the World Salvaterra is described: “Even what the Biblical story of Jacob's Ladder tried to describe ends there, having passed through all of Shadanakar” (2: 233). About him [preamble, Joseph, Laban, Leah, Rachel].
          Jeremiah (after 650 – c. 570 BC), Jewish prophet, Russian description. About him [preamble, 3186].
          Jesse from Bethlehem (11th century BC), landowner. About him [David].
          Jesus son of Sirach. About him [Solomon].
          Job, a sufferer whose history is stated in the Old Testament book bearing his name. Tsvetayeva metaphorically uses trhis name talking about poets – see quotations in Russian description. About him [Solomon, 4228, 4965]
          Joseph, the most beloved son of the patriarch Jacob and Rachel sold by his brothers in Egyptian slavery. See more details and poetic quotations in Russian description. About him [Jacob, 3166]
          Joshua (also spelled Josue, Hebrew: Yehoshua'). About him [preamble].
          Laban, uncle of Jacob whom he repeatedly deceived when that served him (Gen., 24, 28-31) – see quotation from Akhmatova's verse in Russian description. About him [Jacob, Leah]
          Leah, Laban's elder daughter fraudulently given in marriage to Jacob before her younger sister Rachel. She was “dull-eyed”, i.e. weak-sighted. She was the mother of 6 Jacob's sons and an ancestor of 5 from 12 Israeli tribes. The king David and, through him, Jesus Christ belonged to one from these tribes. See poetic quotations in Russian description. About her [Laban].
          Maccabees (also spelled Machabees; fl. 2nd century BC), the jewish family who organized a successful rebellion against the Greco-Syrian government. About them [preamble, 3155, 3185]. Includes the aged priest Mattathias and 5 his sons. In 167 BC, when a king's soldier demanded Mattathias to sacrifice a pig, he refused, but another Jew executed king's order about sacrifice. Mattathias killed both this Jewish Law breaker and king's messenger, and called crowd to develop guerilla warfare against Syrian troops. He set also an example of remarkable common sence, permited to fight on Saturday not to be slaughtered by enemy. A year later (in 166) he died, and military command passed to his third son Judah (Hebrew: Yehuda; about him [Antiochus IV, 3153]). That one "hammered" Syrian detachments with such power that got the byname Maccabeus ("hammer"), which later was extended to whole family. In 164 his army won back the defiled Temple of Jerusalem. Local Hellenized jews discontented by Maccabees' victory united with Syrian troops which, having come back with new forces, killed Judah (160 BC) and routed jewish rebels. Two years later Jonathan, Judah's brother, came out of his shelter in desert, started a new rebellion and defended a part of jewish autonomy. In a few years Syrians, having come back again, killed him too (143/142 BC). One more brother, Simon (Shimon), took upon himself the leadership of the battle, won the final victory in 142, and became a high priest and a ruler, the founder of Hasmonean dynasty (he was killed in 135/134). The Hasmoneans in power, as it often happens, turned out not so generous as the Maccabees in opposition, and their dynasty degraded in moral and religious plan. Simon's grandson, king Alexander Jannaeus, executed 800 his opponents the Pharisees, having annihilated before that their wifes and children by their eye. During the massacre he feasted in the Greek manner. In 63 BC a civil war between supporters of two brothers, Maccabees' descendants, started. The quarreled invited Romans to judge them and thereby destroyed the affair of their ancestors, returned Jews under foreign and pagan oppression, because all was finished with occupation of Jerusalem.
          Manasseh (fl. 7th century BC), king of Judah who repented his idolatrous worship of gods other than Yahweh (2 Chronicles 33, 11-13). His penitential prayer is the best known apocryphal work in a collection of songs appended to the book of Psalms. About him [3169].
          Moses
          Rachel , Jacob's wife. About her [Jacob, Joseph, Leah].
          Rebekah . About her [preamble, Jacob].
          Zerubbabel (6th century BC), Russian description. About him [3156, 3163].

3150–3188. Russian resources.

3189. the reserve for English resources begins

3197^. Albright, William F. The Biblical Period from Abraham to Ezra. – 1963. # The work takes into account recent archaeological discoveries.

3217^. Parrot, André. Abraham and His Times. – 1968. # The author presents a synthesis of the double archaeological and epigraphical documentation.

3227^. Thompson, Thomas L. The Historicity of the Patriarchal Narratives: The Quest for the Historical Abraham. – 1974. # Critical reappraisals of Abraham as a historical figure.

3233^. Van Seters, John. Abraham in History and Tradition. – 1975; reissued 1987. # # Critical reappraisals of Abraham as a historical figure, which includes a discussion of literary tradition.

3235^. Vaux, Roland de. Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions / 2nd ed. – 1965; reissued 1973. # The work takes into account recent archaeological discoveries.

3243^. Woolley, Leonard. Abraham: Recent Discoveries and Hebrew Origins. – 1936. # The work centred on the city of Your and the discoveries that were made there.