The Hebrew Bible
A Critical Companion
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- $45.99
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- $45.99
Publisher Description
A comprehensive and accessible guide to the Hebrew Bible
This book brings together some of the world's most exciting scholars from across a variety of disciplines to provide a concise and accessible guide to the Hebrew Bible. It covers every major genre of book in the Old Testament together with in-depth discussions of major themes such as human nature, covenant, creation, ethics, ritual and purity, sacred space, and monotheism. This authoritative overview sets each book within its historical and cultural context in the ancient Near East, paying special attention to its sociological setting. It provides new insights into the reception of the books and the different ways they have been studied, from historical-critical enquiry to modern advocacy approaches such as feminism and liberation theology. It also includes a guide to biblical translations and textual criticism and helpful suggestions for further reading.
Featuring contributions from experts with backgrounds in the Jewish and Christian faith traditions as well as secular scholars in the humanities and social sciences, The Hebrew Bible is the perfect starting place for anyone seeking a user-friendly introduction to the Old Testament, and an invaluable reference book for students and teachers.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this collection of essays, Barton (Reading the Old Testament), professor emeritus of the interpretation of holy Scripture at the University of Oxford, gathers 23 perspectives on the historical and social context of the Hebrew Bible, including its major religious themes, various approaches to reading it, and the major genres of biblical literature. Contributors cover biblical themes such as creation and the human condition, God's covenants, and religious space and structures, drawing examples from biblical texts to illustrate the ways that such themes develop throughout the Pentateuch. In an essay on Israel in the ancient Near East, Anthony J. Frendo provides an in-depth survey of the ways in which the creation stories, such as the Gilgamesh Epic, profoundly influenced the writing of the biblical stories. R.G. Kratz draws a broad portrait of the development of prophetic literature in the Hebrew Bible, with brief plot summaries of the individual books and an examination of the historical context out which they likely grew. Contributors also survey different approaches to reading the biblical literature, including literary, political, and advocacy approaches. This collection provides a rich introduction to the Hebrew Bible for general readers, and is an invaluable companion for students and scholars.
