The work of Isaac Babel attracts the close attention of more than one generation of specialists. The laconic phrases of the works, behind which stand hours, and sometimes even days, of the author’s titanic work, their emotionality and drama still disturb the hearts and minds of readers. In his unique work, researcher David Rosenson examines the phenomenon of the personality of Babel and his alter ego Lyutov. Where does Babel's diary of the twenties end and the stories of his character Kirill Lyutov begin? Is the writer's work autobiographical? How is the Jewish theme, its imagery and symbolism manifested in his worldview and works? In addition, for the first time in Russian, material on the following topics is presented and analyzed here: how Babel was perceived by his contemporaries in Palestine; what the Hebrew-language press wrote about him in the 20s and 30s of the 20th century; what influence Isaac Babel had on modern Israeli literature. Together with the readers, the author of the book tries to find the answer to the question: what is the complexity and mystery of the personality of Isaac Emmanuilovich Babel?