The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Companion

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. [em](July) [/em]