From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch [Paperback]

T. D. Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

Modern studies of the Pentateuch have too often focused on their origin rather than their actual content. By concentrating on the unifying elements, Alexander offers an in-depth look at this first section of the Old Testament, revealing the larger picture. With this accessible introduction he also identifies prominent themes and connections between the Pentateuch and the New Testament. (58)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

T. Desmond Alexander is Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Director of Post-Graduate Studies, Union Theological College, Belfast, and formerly lecturer in Semitic studies at The Queen's University in Belfast. He is the coeditor of the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Baker Academic; 2nd edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801025974
• ISBN-13: 978-0801025976
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #253,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr Desmond Alexander is senior lecturer in Biblical Studies at Union Theological College and associate director for Post-graduate Studies in the Institute of Theology at Queen's University, Belfast. He currently chairs the Tyndale Fellowship for Biblical and Theological Research, as well as Southern Theological Seminaries, a UK based charity committed to the establishment of a centre for theological education and vocational training in the south of Argentina.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Reference Work for the OT reader, December 11, 2002

By 

Joseph Valentine Dworak (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch (Paperback)

Alexander brings a usable piece of scholarship to the world of academia with this book. It is a step above entry level texts on the Pentateuch, and is a good read. This book will help you figure out the themes in the beginning of the Old Testament, and point you in the direction of deeper sources for themes that you want to dig deeper into. I view this book as fairly progressive, not overly conservative and certainly not liberal scholarship. So, depending on what school of thought you are from, this book falls somewhere in the middle, which I appreciate.

Joseph Dworak

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Power of the Pentateuch Unleashed, March 7, 2011

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Philip Thompson "Phil" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch (Paperback)

Truly this volume is one of the great contributions to the theology of the Pentateuch. Alexander tediously attacks the crumbling foundations of the Documentary Hypothesis and old school liberalism. He shows the weakness of their arguments and posits that we take the Pentateuch at face value and attempt to look at it as a cohesive whole with a story to tell and underlying messages for the reader.

It is this story and the messages of the Pentateuch that Alexander then displays for his readers. Moving through the Pentateuch both historically and topically, the writer deals masterfully with the genealogies, the blessing and cursing in Eden, the nature and import of the Abrahamic Covenant, the significance of the Passover, the impact of the Covenant of Sinai both for Israel and for believers today, the implications of the tabernacle, the command to be holy, the significance and symbolism of the sacrificial system and dietary laws, the gift of the Promised Land, the reason why the murmuring of the people was so important to God, the Semitic view of the topics of love and loyalty as treated in the Pentateuch, and the question of the election of Israel. In all of these areas, Alexander carefully lays out the theology of the Pentateuch and then follows this up with a connection to the New Testament. It is in these New Testament connections, Alexander shows his true prowess as a biblical scholar.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this work for the student of the Pentateuch who is struggling to find the purpose and application of this most difficult, yet seminal, section of Scripture to his or her life in the 21st century.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Abraham to Moses - Study of the Torah, April 16, 2010

By 

James T. Anderson "Jim Anderson (book crazy)" (Royse City, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch (Paperback)

Very well written & scholarly approach to the Pentateuch (Torah). We are using this book as a study guide at an adult Bible study class in our Presbyterian Church. The first portion is a very detailed explanation (using a lot of Hebrew & Greek words - which I have been studying on the side) of how the Torah was written & put together by the original authors. It describes the methods of criticism used. The rest of the book is a history of Genesis thru Kings, since there is a "carryover" from Deuteronomy thru Kings.
This is well worth the time & effort to really study, since the end of each chapter gives a N.T. connection with the Apostles & points on to Jesus the Christ.