Product Description

In his new book, master Bible scholar and teacher Marc Brettler argues that today's contemporary readers can only understand the ancient Hebrew Scripture by knowing more about the culture that produced it. And so Brettler unpacks the literary conventions, ideological assumptions, and historical conditions that inform the biblical text and demonstrates how modern critical scholarship and archaeological discoveries shed light on this fascinating and complex literature.

Brettler surveys representative biblical texts from different genres to illustrate how modern scholars have taught us to "read" these texts. Using the "historical-critical method" long popular in academia, he guides us in reading the Bible as it was read in the biblical period, independent of later religious norms and interpretive traditions. Understanding the Bible this way lets us appreciate it as an interesting text that speaks in multiple voices on profound issues.

This book is the first "Jewishly sensitive" introduction to the historical-critical method. Unlike other introductory texts, the Bible that this book speaks about is the Jewish one -- with the three-part TaNaKH arrangement, the sequence of books found in modern printed Hebrew editions, and the chapter and verse enumerations used in most modern Jewish versions of the Bible.

In an afterword, the author discusses how the historical-critical method can help contemporary Jews relate to the Bible as a religious text in a more meaningful way.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #483340 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. How does a person read the Bible, which is a product of another time and culture, and have it make sense? Brettler, who chairs the department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis, begins with the complicated web of doctrine, history and myth that is the Hebrew Bible and untangles it until a clear and beautifully drawn picture emerges. His mode of interpretation is the "historical-critical" method—reading the text in its historical setting, employing critical methodology to explicate and, when possible, harmonize "the multiple ancient perceptions of God, preserved in our composite Bible." After explaining his approach, Brettler takes readers through the historical periods of the Bible, placing the stories in their proper context. He explains, for example, the importance of the Jewish exile in Babylon to the people's view of the prophetic calling. He also discusses the poetic books, their formation and content, and the messages of the prophets. The result is an eye-opening journey through a familiar text, a fresh look at an old story. Written for the beginning reader as well as the scholar, this is an outstanding introduction to the Hebrew Bible and the history of Israel, and should be widely read. (Dec.)
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Review
"Brettler is clearly a master, and his book should be the first choice for any non-specialist interested in the field." -- Jbooks.com, January 2006

"One of the most exciting Judaic studies books I've read in years." -- The Reporter, March 3, 2006

From the Publisher
Benjamin D. Sommer, in his Koret Book Review for Sh'ma states: "As a professor of biblical studies, I am frequently sent textbooks...and I often consult academic introductions to the field as well. None of them is as clear, sophisticated, and readable as this book. For Jewish and non-Jewish readers.... The book's accomplishments remain stellar."

Customer Reviews

How to Read the Bible
Professor Brettler brings together his considerable knowledge of archeology, religion, Semitic languages to demonstrate to the reader that the traditional and generally literal way of reading the Bible simply does not comport with what was written or intended by the author(s). He illustrates this point repeatedly by pointing up apparent inconsistencies e.g., the reports of the slaying of Goliath by two different figures, one the well known David and the other, a relatively unknown Israelite, the fact that the Torah as such(the first five books) was not known to
the Prophet Amos, although he refernces traditions that comport with some of the ones in the Torah, but not the book of Deutronomy as evidenced by Amos' approval of certain mourning practices forbidden in that Book. He also emphasizes his opinion that the Canonical version we now have was most assuredly not the original, in part due to absence of an obligation on the part of the redactor(s) or even the oral transmitter(s) to the text, particularly where there were other objectives to be accomplished. A draw-back of the book is Professor Brettler's decision not to have footnotes in proximity to the cited provisions. However, on the whole, the book is filled with data and textual quotations that can be easily verified by the reader with ready access to translations of the Bible.

Literalism and Metaphor
If you have a sense that a literal approach to the Bible might not be a fruitful way toward understanding, then this book clears the way by clarifying some good reasons for that feeling. Mr. Brettler has a knowledgeable and respecful attitude towards both the old and new testament. He demonstrates not only its historic context, but the literary traditions of the various writers who have created the anthology we call the Bible. His scholarly approach calmly explicates the metaphorical and poetic mind set that was never intended to be scientifically, nor even purely historically accurate....but which nevertheless presents us with a kind of overarching wisdom, which yet trancends the measurable. It offers the hope of a more balanced and integrated concept of self knowledge than we have today. It was a satisfying read, and a wonderful conterpoint to all the tulmut which was taking place here in York County, Pennsylvania...in a little rural town some readers might recall.....Dover, Pennsylvania.

Very clearly stated point of view and essential information
Like another reviewer, I was introduced to this book from the National Public Radio program Fresh Air with Terry Gross. The interview with Mark Zvi Brettler was totally enlightening and fascinating.

Now I am taking an excellent Christian course of classes on the Bible, much of it on the Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament). In my classes there is such a wealth of information well taught that sometimes I do not feel that I have either internalized the essence of the topic and useful information on the history of the writing and compilation of the Bible itself. In fact that is not the point of the class. I use Brettler's book to pull myself away and look at the information a slightly different way.

I have been greatly enlightened by reading Professor Brettler's book as it covers much ESSENTIAL information I think a person needs to read the Bible (Old Testament). For example, I did not know that there were several different versions of the "ten commandments" (the Decalogue), and even different Christian denominations used different versions.

Well, this is a wonderful book and whether you end up agreeing with everything Brettler has concluded is irrelevant to whether reading it is a great learning experience. I also think it is helpful for Christians to read a book by a Jewish Bible scholar, although many of his sources come from Christian scholars as well a Jewish ones.