ReviewsAn excellent supplementary textbook for survey courses on the Hebrew Bible or on biblical scholarship., "This superb collection written by scholars for non-specialists should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the most important issues in the contemporary study of the Bible." - S. David Sperling, author ofThe Original Torah, "The goal of the present book is to try to introduce lay Jewish audiences to some of the results of modern biblical research." - Journal of Jewish Studies, "The goal of the present book is to try to introduce lay Jewish audiences to some of the results of modern biblical research." -Journal of Jewish Studies, "This collection admirably bridges the gap between biblical scholarship and lay readership, allowing laypeople to engage in the 'conversations' that have been ongoing for decades in academic circles and to 'reach their own conclusions." - Choice, "This collection admirably bridges the gap between biblical scholarship and lay readership, allowing laypeople to engage in the 'conversations' that have been ongoing for decades in academic circles and to 'reach their own conclusions." - Choice ,, "This superb collection written by scholars for non-specialists should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the most important issues in the contemporary study of the Bible." - S. David Sperling, author of The Original Torah, This superb collection written by scholars for non-specialists should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the most important issues in the contemporary study of the Bible., "An excellent supplementary textbook for survey courses on the Hebrew Bible or on biblical scholarship." -John J. Collins,Yale University, "An excellent supplementary textbook for survey courses on the Hebrew Bible or on biblical scholarship." - John J. Collins, Yale University, "This superb collection written by scholars for non-specialists should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the most important issues in the contemporary study of the Bible." -S. David Sperling,author of The Original Torah, The goal of the present book is to try to introduce lay Jewish audiences to some of the results of modern biblical research., This collection admirably bridges the gap between biblical scholarship and lay readership, allowing laypeople to engage in the 'conversations' that have been ongoing for decades in academic circles and to 'reach their own conclusions., "The goal of the present book is to try to introduce lay Jewish audiences to some of the results of modern biblical research." - Journal of Jewish Studies ,, "This collection admirably bridges the gap between biblical scholarship and lay readership, allowing laypeople to engage in the 'conversations' that have been ongoing for decades in academic circles and to 'reach their own conclusions." -Choice
Series Volume Number4
Table Of ContentAbbreviationsPreface Part I The Bible and History1 Israel Without the Bible Gary A. Rendsburg2 Bible, Archaeology, and the Social Sciences: The Next Generation Elizabeth Bloch-SmithPart II New Approaches to the Bible3 Literary Approaches to Biblical Literature: General Observations and a Case Study of Genesis 34 Adele Berlin4 Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible Esther FuchsPart III Ancient Practice5 The Laws of Biblical Israel Raymond Westbrook6 The Study of Ritual in the Hebrew Bible David P. WrightPart IV Judaism and the Bible7 By the Letter?/Word for Word? Scripture in the Jewish Tradition Leonard Greenspoon8 From Judaism to Biblical Religion and Back Again Ziony Zevit9 Jewish Biblical Theology Marvin A. SweeneyEpilogue: Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom: Some Re?ections on Reading and Studying the Hebrew Bible Peter MachinistAbout the Contributors Index Index of Biblical Passages
SynopsisFresh understandings concerning the Bible have not filtered down beyond specialists in university settings. This volume seeks to meet this need, with chapters describing how archeology, theology, ancient studies, literary studies, feminist studies, and other disciplines understand the Bible., In April of 2001, the headline in the Los Angeles Times read, "Doubting the Story of the Exodus." It covered a sermon that had been delivered by the rabbi of a prominent local congregation over the holiday of Passover. In it, he said, "The truth is that virtually every modern archeologist who has investigated the story of the exodus, with very few exceptions, agrees that the way the Bible describes the exodus is not the way it happened, if it happened at all." This seeming challenge to the biblical story captivated the local public. Yet as the rabbi himself acknowledged, his sermon contained nothing new. The theories that he described had been common knowledge among biblical scholars for over thirty years, though few people outside of the profession know their relevance. New understandings concerning the Bible have not filtered down beyond specialists in university settings. There is a need to communicate this research to a wider public of students and educated readers outside of the academy. This volume seeks to meet this need, with accessible and engaging chapters describing how archeology, theology, ancient studies, literary studies, feminist studies, and other disciplines now understand the Bible., An excellent supplementary textbook for survey courses on the Hebrew Bible or on biblical scholarship. -- John J. Collins, Yale UniversityIn April of 2001, the headline in the "Los Angeles Times" read, Doubting the Story of the Exodus. It covered a sermon that had been delivered by the rabbi of a prominent local congregation over the holiday of Passover. In it, he said, The truth is that virtually every modern archeologist who has investigated the story of the exodus, with very few exceptions, agrees that the way the Bible describes the exodus is not the way it happened, if it happened at all. This seeming challenge to the biblical story captivated the local public. Yet as the rabbi himself acknowledged, his sermon contained nothing new. The theories that he described had been common knowledge among biblical scholars for over thirty years, though few people outside of the profession know their relevance.New understandings concerning the Bible have not filtered down beyond specialists in university settings. There is a need to communicate this research to a wider public of students and educated readers outside of the academy. This volume seeks to meet this need, with accessible and engaging chapters describing how archeology, theology, ancient studies, literary studies, feminist studies, and other disciplines now understand the Bible., In April of 2001, the headline in the Los Angeles Timesread, "Doubting the Story of the Exodus." It covered a sermon that had been delivered by the rabbi of a prominent local congregation over the holiday of Passover. In it, he said, "The truth is that virtually every modern archeologist who has investigated the story of the exodus, with very few exceptions, agrees that the way the Bible describes the exodus is not the way it happened, if it happened at all." This seeming challenge to the biblical story captivated the local public. Yet as the rabbi himself acknowledged, his sermon contained nothing new. The theories that he described had been common knowledge among biblical scholars for over thirty years, though few people outside of the profession know their relevance. New understandings concerning the Bible have not filtered down beyond specialists in university settings. There is a need to communicate this research to a wider public of students and educated readers outside of the academy. This volume seeks to meet this need, with accessible and engaging chapters describing how archeology, theology, ancient studies, literary studies, feminist studies, and other disciplines now understand the Bible.