How to Read the Jewish Bible (Paperback)

by Marc Zvi Brettler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"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."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"One of the most exciting Judaic studies books I've read in years.... Brettler's writing is easy and clear enough for non-scholarly readers. I highly recommend his work."--The Reporter

"Brettler is clearly a master, and his book should be the first choice for any non-specialist interested in the field."--Jbooks.com

"Brettler examines the historical context--the conventions and ideology--that prevailed at the time the biblical scriptures were written. His approach underscores the literary workings of the text, and ties biblical stories to specific events. With its emphasis on the historical-critical method, How to Read the Bible provides insight into the history of the Jewish Bible as well as that of Israel itself. The book has been hailed for its relevance to scholars and casual students alike."--Terry Gross, Fresh Air, National Public Radio

"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."--Benjamin D. Sommer, Sh'ma/Koret Book Review

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 can read these texts. 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.
Although the emphasis of How to Read the Jewish Bible is on showing contemporary Jews, as well as Christians, how they can relate to the Bible in a more meaningful way, readers at any level of religious faith can benefit greatly from this comprehensive but remarkably clear guide to interpreting the Jewish Bible.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195325222
• ISBN-13: 978-0195325225
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #105,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #9 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Sacred Writings > Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) > Hebrew
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended!, January 19, 2009

By	shemayah phillips (Falwellistan) - See all my reviews

I have many intros to the Miqra' (Tanak, Bible, Hebrew Bible), and a fair number include the Christian 'Bible'. In fact, there are not enough accessible introductions to our Bible and by Jewish scholars. But here's one, definitely. After seeing it many times at the bookstore, I finally broke down and ordered it (but not at retail!!) from Amazon.

The book is from a modern scholarship point of view considering documentary source theory, etc. (contra, see Umberto Cassuto, Documentary Hypothesis). But it looks at many aspects of each of the books of the Scriptures and I think it gives clear examples to back up his view rather than listing vague notices of instances concerning source theories. Another thing I like is that he refers regularly to the Hebrew text giving both transliteration and pointed Hebrew. (This is important because transliterations are not done well typically and are ambiguous toward the actual Hebrew spelling.)

This would make an excellent introduction to Bible for an individual or college text in a secular or perhaps religious school (yeshiva) class. A note to staff: Don't use books that throw the Christian scripture in with the Bible (Miqra') for intro courses. This is intellectual dishonesty and bias. You would not use a text treating the Hebrew Scriptures and Frank Herbert's Dune books as an intro to Bible; why use one that includes Christian scripture? Judaism and Christianity are not in continuum; they are mutually exclusive. There is nothing in the 'NT' needed to understand Jewish Scripture.

I highly recommend this short introduction to understand Jewish Scripture in its own right. (JPS also has a good intro.)