The Birth of God: The Bible and the Historian [Hardcover]

Jean Bottero (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0271020601 | ISBN-13: 978-0271020600 | Publication Date: November 1, 2000

For many people today, the Hebrew Bible is the one supreme channel through which the Word of God was transmitted to humanity. In The Birth of God, Jean Bottéro, one of the world s leading figures in Ancient Near Eastern Studies, approaches the Bible from a different perspective. He sees in it an astounding variety of documents that reveal much of their time of origin, historical events, and climates of thought. Therefore, we owe to the Bible at least the same respect we give to Homer, Shakespeare, and other classics of world literature. The Birth of God addresses questions that 'educated people' usually avoid when the topic of the Bible comes up: What is the Bible if we consider it a historical document? Bottéro is fully aware of the special place the Bible has in the circles of many faithful Jews and Christians, but he focuses on the need for an understanding of Israel as a major root of our entire Western tradition. With grace and insight, he brings out the extraordinary originality of Israel s questions and ideas, many of which have shaped our thinking ever since. In Bottéro s hands, Moses, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other familiar figures take on real life and present to us thoughts we might never have associated with the Bible. He also treats such topics as the origins of the world according to the Bible and original sin. In one remarkable chapter, Bottéro offers a new translation of Ecclesiastes, which casts this biblical book in an entirely new light. Bottéro is a scholar of rare abilities. Internationally respected for his work as a philologist, literary critic, and historian, he is also adept at writing for a popular audience. The Birth of God has been widely read in France, where it was first published in 1986. With this expert translation, English-speaking readers can now enjoy the book for the first time. Upon reading it, many a reader is likely to reflect: 'Whenever I have said God, in whatever tone of voice, could I ever have meant anyone else than the God of the Bible?'

Editorial Reviews

Review

Bottéro's book is fascinating for its clarity, its rigor, the character of his language, the splendor of the translations he puts before us, and for the mastery of the learning that underlies everything, but without a trace of ostentation. . . . It is a book for every educated reader, whether believer or unbeliever, who recognizes the Bible as the common good of all human beings. --Gérard Rochais, Science et esprit

From the French Edition:
This book is unpretentious and full of interesting insights. . . . It is the product of a mind that can appreciate Israel's intellectual contributions and theological originality precisely because it has thought deeply about the Mesopotamian creative genius. --Jack M. Sasson, Religious Studies Review

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 214 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr (Txt) (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271020601
• ISBN-13: 978-0271020600
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,979,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievably disappointing, but stll a few good points, June 28, 2001

By 

Timothy Dougal (Joliet, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Birth of God: The Bible and the Historian (Hardcover)

Imagine my excitement upon finding out that the eminent Assyriologist, Jean Bottero, whose excellent "Mesopotamia" I was reading at the time, had written a book about the Bible. What knowledge and insight, what a broad cultural and historical perspective he could bring to such an enterprise! Alas, no such luck!Despite a promising introduction where he speaks of the "fragility of his endeavor", what he serves up is largely a rehash of the Old Testament, not much different from any standard introduction to reading the Bible. In the long, 100-page opening chapter, he summarizes the documentary hypothesis (the J,E,D,P,R theory) which has been around for quite a while, accepts the chronology involving Moses, the Conquest, Judges, the Monarchy and Exile almost uncritically as the Bible presents them, amazingly, as history, and succinctly summarizes the 'plot'. During the writing of this book, the author apparently forgot almost everything he knows about he history and archaeology of the region, and consistently fails to relate the Biblical narrative to verifiable realities. What he does do is gush at regular intervals, about the Bible's greatness, accompanied by well-translated excerpts of text. I could accept that, except I'm looking for more about who, when, where, how and why the Bible came to be the book we know, not just another apologia.Part Two is better, consisting of four shorter essays about the Song of Deborah, the cosmology of the Yahwist and the author of Job, Original Sin, and the problem of evil in Eccleiastes. These show the author in a more insightful light, but I'm not sure they justify the high purchase price of the book. Richard C. Davis, Richard Elliott Friedman and others can give you most of what is here more economically, if not quite as eloquently written.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful and insightful Discussion, May 24, 2009

By 

Der alte mensch (Corrales, NM United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Birth of God: The Bible and the Historian (Hardcover)

This is not the typical list of facts and dates one might expect from a historian and philologist. Rather it is an intellectual discussion of the implications of how and when the Tanach was composed. It is not difficult reading but one should be aware that it is a translation from the original French and on occasion the english construct is a bit "different." When a scholar of this quality takes time to let non-experts follow his thinking on a subject that has formed the basis for much of western values it is a worthwhile experience.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bible as History, March 7, 2002

By 

Ethan (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Birth of God: The Bible and the Historian (Hardcover)

This book does not attempt to use the Bible as a history of the Israelites/Jewish people. Rather it is an intellectual history that traces the evolution of monotheism. It also addresses the questions that were raised by the attributes that were ascribed to the Israelite god. I.e., if god is just how does one deal with evil or collective punishment.
Although repetative at times, the book is generally well written and readable.