The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture
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- $36.99
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- $36.99
Publisher Description
What if the Hebrew Bible wasn't meant to be read as 'revelation'? What if it's not really about miracles or the afterlife – but about how to lead our lives in this world? The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture proposes a new framework for reading the Bible. It shows how biblical authors used narrative and prophetic oratory to advance universal arguments about ethics, political philosophy and metaphysics. It offers bold new studies of biblical narratives and prophetic poetry, transforming forever our understanding of what the stories of Abel, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David and the speeches of Isaiah and Jeremiah, were meant to teach. The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture assumes no belief in God or other religious commitment. It assumes no previous background in Bible. It is free of disciplinary jargon. Open the door to a book you never knew existed. You'll never read the Bible the same way again.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Concerns about how secular education ignores the Hebrew Bible because of misunderstandings about the Bible drive this book. Readers who share that concern may not necessarily share Hazony's assessment of why this has happened. Hazony (The Dawn: Political Teachings of the Book of Esther), provost of the Shalem Center in Jerusalem, has written for a number of popular publications, so his desire to make this book reach beyond its primary academic audience seems realistic. Yet this is heavy going for general readers. The introduction alone has 58 footnotes. His argument is, however, provocative: the Hebrew Bible does not conform to the commonly accepted dichotomy of reason versus revelation (and is therefore dismissible as revelation), but can be appreciated for the sophisticated philosophy that it contains. Having quarreled with that distinction, Hazony nonetheless proceeds to accept it and then spends the bulk of the book arguing for the Hebrew Bible as a work of reason. His book is most accessible when examining particular biblical passages and ideas, such as "The Ethics of a Shepherd" and "Truth and Being in the Hebrew Bible." It's slow going but rewarding for biblical studies or philosophy insiders who are receptive to new ideas.
