Books & Literary Life |

Chapter and verse quotation-citation correspondence site

Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words

From The November-December 2018 Issue

Jacob Adler asks: “In Nishmat Ḥayyim (“The Breath of Life,” 1651), the Dutch rabbi Menasseh ben Israel writes of strange phenomena that supposedly occur in Asia: people making clothing from stone in China; families in Cochin, India, with right thighs swollen like elephants’; and people in Negapatam and Mylapore who can eat with their eyes, whether cucumbers and watermelons or the innards of enemies. Does anyone know of a source for these ideas?”

Send inquiries and answers to “Chapter and Verse,” Harvard Magazine, 7 Ware Street, Cambridge 02138, or via email to chapterandverse@harvardmag.com.

Published in the November-December 2018 print issue under the headline “Chapter & Verse,” in the Montage section.

Related topics
Books & Literary Life

You might also like

Shakespeare and Stephen King Have a Lot in Common

Shakespeare scholar Caroline Bicks studies horror and fear in literature. 

Radcliffe Institute Announces 2026-2027 Fellows

Scholars will tap Harvard’s intellectual resources during the coming academic year.

For This Poet, AI Is a Writing Partner

Sasha Stiles trained a chatbot on her manuscripts. Now, her poems rewrite themselves.

Most popular

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Ronny Chieng Tells Harvard to ‘Destroy AI’ as Graduates Cheer

The comedian and The Daily Show host gave the keynote address for Class Day 2026.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

House - Email

Explore More From Current Issue

Alene Anello smiling surrounded by four chickens in a natural outdoor setting.

Alumni Profiles

This Harvard-Trained Lawyer Fights for the Rights of Chickens

Alene Anello wants to apply animal cruelty laws to birds raised for meat.

White House and Harvard University buildings split diagonally with contrasting colors.

Harvard in the Crosshairs

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Historical battle scene with soldiers in red and blue uniforms, flags waving, chaotic action.

Harvard Celebrates America’s 250th

The Harvard-Trained Doctor Who Urged a Revolution

Before his heroic death, General Joseph Warren was dubbed “the greatest incendiary in all of America.”