Introduction To Reading The Pentateuch

"When Jean Louis Ska's Introduzione alla lettura del Pentateuco was first published in Italy, it was quickly hailed as the most attractive and usable introduction to the Pentateuch to appear in modern times. Because of its strengths, it was soon translated into French. The English translation published by Eisenbrauns has been completely reviewed and updated (including the bibliography) by Ska. Among the book's many strengths are its close attention to the ways in which modern cultural history has affected Pentateuchal interpretation, attention to providing the kinds of examples that are helpful to students, presentation of a good balance between the history of interpretation and the data of the text, and the clarity of Ska's writing. For both students and scholars, many consider this book the best contemporary introduction to the Pentateuch."--Publisher's website.

This useful textbook explores the theological dimensions of the Pentateuch and provides examples of critically engaged theological interpretation.

Daily life in Ancient Israel - Great prophets including, Hosea, Amos, Isaiah - People and lands of the Old Testament.

This study provides a straightforward introduction to the contents and themes of the first five books of the Bible. The author stresses the meaning of the Pentateuch in its canonical form while remaining sensitive to its literary merit, theological import, and compelling power.

A world-famous biblical scholar presents the only one-volume, comprehensive, and up-to-date analysis of the origin and meaning of the Pentateuch, and the extraordinary scholarship it has inspired.

This second edition of An Introduction to the Old Testament integrates and interacts with recent developments in Old Testament scholarship. Several distinctive set it apart from other introductions to the Old Testament: • It is thoroughly evangelical in its perspective • It emphasizes “special introduction”—the study of individual books • It interacts in an irenic spirit with the historical-critical method • It features points of research history and representative scholars rather than an exhaustive treatment of past scholarship • It deals with the meaning of each book, not in isolation but in a canonical context • It probes the meaning of each book in the setting of its culture Including callouts, charts, and graphs, this text is written with an eye on understanding the nature of Old Testament historiography. This upper-level introduction to the Old Testament offers students a solid understanding of three key issues: historical background, literary analysis, and theological message.

The Pentateuch--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy--are the vital first books in the Bible. understanding the scope, meaning, and events of these five books is integral to understanding the whole of Scripture that follows. Old Testament expert Herbert Wolf provides layreaders and scholars alike with a strong undergirding of understanding and knowledge in this introduction that reveals both the seriousness and excitement of the Pentateuch. Readers will find Adam, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and Joshua in these pages, as well as terrible sin and glorious forgiveness, bloody sacrifices and battles, deadly betrayal and life-giving hope. Wolf first addresses the overarching themes that flow through the Pentateuch, with special attention given to Moses as author of the five books. He then addresses each book specifically, covering topics such as purpose and scope, and literary structure. He tailors additional study to each specific book. This book contributes significantly to a clear, deep understanding of the Bible's first five books.

Steven McKenzie here surveys the historical books of the Old Testament Joshua through Ezra-Nehemiah for their historical context, contents, form, and themes, communicating them clearly and succinctly for an introductory audience. / By providing a better understanding of biblical history writing in its ancient context, McKenzie helps readers come to terms with tensions between the Bible s account and modern historical analyses. Rather than denying the results of historical research or dismissing its practitioners as wrongly motivated, he suggests that the source of the perceived discrepancy may lie not with the Bible but with the way in which it has been read. He also calls into question whether the genre of the Bible s historical books has been properly understood.

A Respected Scholar Introduces Students to the Discipline of Old Testament Studies Richard Hess, a trusted scholar of the Old Testament and the ancient Near East, offers a substantial introduction to the Old Testament that is accessibly written and informed by the latest biblical scholarship. Hess summarizes the contents of the Old Testament, introduces the academic study of the discipline, and helps readers understand the complex world of critical and interpretive issues, addressing major concerns in the critical interpretation of each Old Testament book and key texts. This volume provides a fulsome treatment for students preparing for ministry and assumes no prior knowledge of the Old Testament. Readers will learn how each book of the Old Testament was understood by its first readers, how it advances the larger message of the whole Bible, and what its message contributes to Christian belief and the Christian community. Twenty maps, ninety photos, sidebars, and recommendations for further study add to the book's usefulness for students. Resources for professors are available through Baker Academic's Textbook eSources.

Three esteemed Old Testament professors introduce students to the first eighty percent of the Bible-freshly illuminating the text as a rich source of theology and doctrine packed with practical principles for modern times.

This book explores in a balanced way the historical questions in the Pentateuch.

A Readable, Updated Introduction to Textual Criticism This accessibly written, practical introduction to Old Testament textual criticism helps students understand the discipline and begin thinking through complex issues for themselves. The authors combine proven expertise in the classroom with cutting-edge work in Hebrew textual studies. This successful classic (nearly 25,000 copies sold) has been thoroughly expanded and updated to account for the many changes in the field over the past twenty years. It includes examples, illustrations, an updated bibliography, and a textual commentary on the book of Ruth.

John Barton's revised classic text is intended for students who have already learned some of the techniques of biblical study and who wish to explore the implications and aims of the various critical methods currently in use. Chapters include: form criticism, redaction criticism, canonical criticism, structuralism, reader-response criticism, and postmodern approaches. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Here are indispensable tools for the student of Pentateuchal source analysis: --The complete NRSV text of the Priestly document, the Yahwist narrative, the Elohist texts, and non-source texts of the Pentateuch as identified by Martin Noth --Introductions that review the history of source-oriented research and the current debate over the origin and growth of the Pentateuch --Annotations that help with the understanding of source-critical decisions --Studies of three composite texts that exemplify the nature of the problem and possible approaches to a solution.

"The story of the people of Israel is related in the Pentateuch and the books of Joshua and Judges - if these are not historical accounts of the origin of Israel, what is the history?" "John J. McDermott presents a detailed survey of the archaeological and textual evidence used to decide the question of the origins of Israel and compares how that evidence has been interpreted by several different scholars."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved