The Text of the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Biblia Hebraica (Paperback)

~ Ernst Wurthwein (Author), Erroll F. Rhodes (Translator) "Excavations and discoveries of the last hundred years have revealed an unexpected wealth of literacy activity in Palestine and Syria..." (more)
Key Phrases: square script, lower writing, consonantal text, Old Testament, Old Hebrew, Old Latin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This classic introduction to textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible is now entirely updated. The book examines the transmission of the biblical text in its original languge, the history of its translation, the causes of corruption in the textual tradition, and the proper principles and techniques of textual criticism.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; 2nd edition (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802807887
• ISBN-13: 978-0802807885
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #191,617 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to its subject, January 15, 2001

By	Michael Baxter (LONDON United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is ostensibly an introduction to Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, a standard work giving the text of the Hebrew Bible and a list of variants and plausible emendations. It serves that function superbly, but it is also one of the best books ever written on the textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible. It is well worth buying even if you do not have a Biblia Hebraica. Some may prefer Tov's book on the subject, but ideally you should have both.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Aid to Biblia Hebraica, February 15, 2005

By	Virgil Brown (White Oak, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Wurthwein first wrote this book to "meet a practical need," the need that many students of Biblia Hebraica Kittel did not understand the "wealth of material" in the critical apparatus(or apparati, if you prefer). This book incorporates the changes in the criticial apparatus of BH Stuttgartensia (but not later editions such as BH Quinta).

As one might expect, the siglia for the Masora Parva are explained. So are the siglia for the texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls whose textual witness is now being considered by scholars. Wurthwein goes on to consider the primary versions, the LXX, the Targums, the Syriac versions, and the Latin, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Arabic versions.

Wurthwein does not spend most of his book arguing for a particular theory of the origen of the Hebrew Bible such as Cross' theory of local texts. It is his purpose to introduce the tools and resources to the student of BHS. To this end he devotes over 40 pages of his short book to plates of sources (these are terrific) that many of us will never see. Instead Wurthwein presents the sources so that the student of textual theory may find his/her way for him/her-self.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction, August 3, 2002

By	bookology "bookology" (Studio City, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Covers most important issues in textual criticism. If you only get one book on textual criticsm this is the one to get. Emmanuel Tov covers much more ground and is less dated, but it is much more expensive and more difficult to read. If you want both, definitely read Wurthwein first.