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Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures--The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text: Torah Nevi’im Kethuvim
Very good w/scuffed edges only flaw. No markings. Pages are clean and bright.
1622 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1985
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* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 24, 2020
I am not Jewish but I wanted to read this version of the Old Testament to see if it shed additional light on any passages. I read the translation from the Hebrew, this version is found online, Sefaria app. I read purposefully and slowly. The organization of the Tanakh is somewhat different than Christian Old Testament, divisions being: Torah, Prophets, Writings. The flow of the Tanakh often seems better than the Christian OT translations. Some passages or statements added a bit more clarity to the narrative. In all, I truly gained more knowledge from this reading and enjoyed the experience of seeing the Scripture through a different lens.
If you are an avid Bible reader, I suggest you read this Old Testament
If you are interested in Jewish history and literature, I suggest you read this. If you are Jewish, please read this. If you are Christian, read this and gain deeper insight
The Tanakh will encourage you, nourish you, and give you knowledge and insight.
If you are an avid Bible reader, I suggest you read this Old Testament
If you are interested in Jewish history and literature, I suggest you read this. If you are Jewish, please read this. If you are Christian, read this and gain deeper insight
The Tanakh will encourage you, nourish you, and give you knowledge and insight.
July 4, 2017
Hebrew Bible: A translation in the spirit and beliefs of Rabbinic Judaism (Four stars)
The Hebrew Bible was written in three different ancient languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Although a modern version of each of these languages is spoken today, most modern readers would have difficulty with the ancient versions of biblical texts. Ancient Hebrew was spoken by Jews, and the language of Old Testament. Isaiah 19:18 calls it “the language of Canaan,” while other verses label it “Judean” and “language of the Jews” (2 Kings 18:26; Isaiah 36:11, 13; 2 Chronicles 32:18; Nehemiah 13:24). Ancient Aramaic originated in northern Syria was widely used during the Assyrian rule. A few passages in the Old Testament were written in Aramaic (Genesis 31:47; Ezra 4:8-6:18, 7:12-26; Jeremiah 10:11). It was very popular in the ancient Israel and was commonly spoken in Jesus’ time.
In this book, a translation of the Hebrew Bible is rendered truthful to the beliefs and spirit of the ancient Jews expressed in Torah, first five books of the Bible. They are the books of the Law given to Moses. The other major sections are the Prophets (Nevi'im), and the Kethuvim (Writings). A brief history may be relevant in understanding the translations of this book. The traditional name given to the authoritative Hebrew text is the Masoretic Text. The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made for the Greek-speaking Jews of Alexandria around 3rd century B.C. Alexandria had a large Jewish population whose primary language was Greek. A legend contained in the Letter of Aristeas claimed that Ptolemy Philadelphus commissioned a translation to be made into Greek by six men from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, sent by the high priest in Jerusalem. These 72 scholars purportedly came up with identical translations. Scholars generally discount the legend, but the name "Septuagint" -- from the Latin word for seventy (LXX) became the traditional name for this translation.
The Christian Church was speaking mainly in Greek, adopted the Septuagint as its "official" version of the Old Testament. Afterwards it was abandoned by Jews. The Dead Sea Scrolls, 20th century’s greatest archaeological find is the rediscovery of 230 texts of biblical books, which have begun to change details in the Scriptures. For example, In 1 Samuel 17:4, it says Goliath stood “six cubits and a span,” meaning a towering nine feet plus. But Dead Sea scroll read as saying ’”four cubits and a span,” a mere six and a half feet. Consider Psalm 145, an acrostic where each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This chapter was always a head-scratcher because the verse for one letter is missing in the standard Hebrew text.
Eugene Ulrich, professor of Hebrew at the University of Notre Dame and chief editor of the Dead Sea biblical materials suggests that in ancient times, two or more contrasting editions of biblical books existed side by side and were all regarded as Scriptures. Back then the Old Testament was far different and concludes that there were multiple editions for the following books: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Samuel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Psalms and Song of Solomon. In Dead Sea Scrolls, Psalm 33 directly follows Psalm 31, skipping number 32. Did the scribes who wrote those manuscripts believe 32 was not God’s Word? It appears that Psalm 33 naturally follows Psalm 31. In fact the authors of this book consider the Hebrew meaning of Psalm 32 is uncertain and originated from the writings of Maskil, adherents of a Jewish tribe called the Haskalah movement.
The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Tanakh for Rabbinic Judaism. However, to understand the Hebrew Bible’s text the scholars also use Greek and Syrian translations, quotations from rabbinic manuscripts, the Samaritan Pentateuch and others such as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These are older texts and often contradict themselves. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books with their vocalization and accentuation known as the Masorah. Between 200 B.C. and 70 A.D. rabbis began establishing the standard Masoretic Text as the basis for all Old Testaments.
The Talmud holds that the Torah was written by Moses, with the exception of the last eight verses of Deuteronomy, describing his death and burial, being written by Joshua. The Mishnah proclaims the divine origin of the Torah and an essential tenet of Judaism. However modern scholarly consensus is that the Torah has multiple authors and that its composition took place over centuries.
The translations of the verses of Torah given in the book are helpful in understanding Exodus, the story of God's revelation to his people of Israel through Moses, who leads them out of Egypt (Exodus 1–18) to Mount Sinai. Jews accept the covenant with God. Moses receives the Torah from God, and teaches His laws and Covenant (Exodus 19–24) to the people of Israel. It also talks about the first violation of the covenant when the Golden Calf was constructed (Exodus 32–34). Exodus includes the instructions on building the Tabernacle and concludes with its actual construction (Exodus 25–31; 35–40). Numbers play an important role in Judaic ritual practices and are believed to be the means for understanding the divine. The priestly blessing or the Aaronic blessing which includes a rabbinic tradition of raising hands (blessing is given from a raised rostrum), and the Hebrew prayer recited by Kohanim, the Hebrew Priests. According to Torah, they are descendants of Aaron the first High Priest, older brother of Moses and have been divinely chosen by God to work in the Tabernacle and assist the Israelites in blessings, ministering, sacrifices and atoning for their sins to God, for all eternity.
The text of Kethuvim (Writings section of Tanakh) frequently presented the translators with extraordinary difficulties for conveying in with the fullness of Hebrew, because of its ambiguities, overtones, and richness. It is the goal of authors of this book to transmit something of directness, and unique Jewish expressions of piety essential to sublimity of the sacred scriptures. Recommended to readers interested in Judaism, Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament.
The Hebrew Bible was written in three different ancient languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Although a modern version of each of these languages is spoken today, most modern readers would have difficulty with the ancient versions of biblical texts. Ancient Hebrew was spoken by Jews, and the language of Old Testament. Isaiah 19:18 calls it “the language of Canaan,” while other verses label it “Judean” and “language of the Jews” (2 Kings 18:26; Isaiah 36:11, 13; 2 Chronicles 32:18; Nehemiah 13:24). Ancient Aramaic originated in northern Syria was widely used during the Assyrian rule. A few passages in the Old Testament were written in Aramaic (Genesis 31:47; Ezra 4:8-6:18, 7:12-26; Jeremiah 10:11). It was very popular in the ancient Israel and was commonly spoken in Jesus’ time.
In this book, a translation of the Hebrew Bible is rendered truthful to the beliefs and spirit of the ancient Jews expressed in Torah, first five books of the Bible. They are the books of the Law given to Moses. The other major sections are the Prophets (Nevi'im), and the Kethuvim (Writings). A brief history may be relevant in understanding the translations of this book. The traditional name given to the authoritative Hebrew text is the Masoretic Text. The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made for the Greek-speaking Jews of Alexandria around 3rd century B.C. Alexandria had a large Jewish population whose primary language was Greek. A legend contained in the Letter of Aristeas claimed that Ptolemy Philadelphus commissioned a translation to be made into Greek by six men from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, sent by the high priest in Jerusalem. These 72 scholars purportedly came up with identical translations. Scholars generally discount the legend, but the name "Septuagint" -- from the Latin word for seventy (LXX) became the traditional name for this translation.
The Christian Church was speaking mainly in Greek, adopted the Septuagint as its "official" version of the Old Testament. Afterwards it was abandoned by Jews. The Dead Sea Scrolls, 20th century’s greatest archaeological find is the rediscovery of 230 texts of biblical books, which have begun to change details in the Scriptures. For example, In 1 Samuel 17:4, it says Goliath stood “six cubits and a span,” meaning a towering nine feet plus. But Dead Sea scroll read as saying ’”four cubits and a span,” a mere six and a half feet. Consider Psalm 145, an acrostic where each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This chapter was always a head-scratcher because the verse for one letter is missing in the standard Hebrew text.
Eugene Ulrich, professor of Hebrew at the University of Notre Dame and chief editor of the Dead Sea biblical materials suggests that in ancient times, two or more contrasting editions of biblical books existed side by side and were all regarded as Scriptures. Back then the Old Testament was far different and concludes that there were multiple editions for the following books: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Samuel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Psalms and Song of Solomon. In Dead Sea Scrolls, Psalm 33 directly follows Psalm 31, skipping number 32. Did the scribes who wrote those manuscripts believe 32 was not God’s Word? It appears that Psalm 33 naturally follows Psalm 31. In fact the authors of this book consider the Hebrew meaning of Psalm 32 is uncertain and originated from the writings of Maskil, adherents of a Jewish tribe called the Haskalah movement.
The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Tanakh for Rabbinic Judaism. However, to understand the Hebrew Bible’s text the scholars also use Greek and Syrian translations, quotations from rabbinic manuscripts, the Samaritan Pentateuch and others such as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These are older texts and often contradict themselves. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books with their vocalization and accentuation known as the Masorah. Between 200 B.C. and 70 A.D. rabbis began establishing the standard Masoretic Text as the basis for all Old Testaments.
The Talmud holds that the Torah was written by Moses, with the exception of the last eight verses of Deuteronomy, describing his death and burial, being written by Joshua. The Mishnah proclaims the divine origin of the Torah and an essential tenet of Judaism. However modern scholarly consensus is that the Torah has multiple authors and that its composition took place over centuries.
The translations of the verses of Torah given in the book are helpful in understanding Exodus, the story of God's revelation to his people of Israel through Moses, who leads them out of Egypt (Exodus 1–18) to Mount Sinai. Jews accept the covenant with God. Moses receives the Torah from God, and teaches His laws and Covenant (Exodus 19–24) to the people of Israel. It also talks about the first violation of the covenant when the Golden Calf was constructed (Exodus 32–34). Exodus includes the instructions on building the Tabernacle and concludes with its actual construction (Exodus 25–31; 35–40). Numbers play an important role in Judaic ritual practices and are believed to be the means for understanding the divine. The priestly blessing or the Aaronic blessing which includes a rabbinic tradition of raising hands (blessing is given from a raised rostrum), and the Hebrew prayer recited by Kohanim, the Hebrew Priests. According to Torah, they are descendants of Aaron the first High Priest, older brother of Moses and have been divinely chosen by God to work in the Tabernacle and assist the Israelites in blessings, ministering, sacrifices and atoning for their sins to God, for all eternity.
The text of Kethuvim (Writings section of Tanakh) frequently presented the translators with extraordinary difficulties for conveying in with the fullness of Hebrew, because of its ambiguities, overtones, and richness. It is the goal of authors of this book to transmit something of directness, and unique Jewish expressions of piety essential to sublimity of the sacred scriptures. Recommended to readers interested in Judaism, Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament.
December 14, 2022
How awkward to give God’s Holy Scripture merely a 5 star rating. For we humans are in no position to give God any number of stars. The infinite stars in the heavens already belong to Him. He created them.
This translation of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament portion of the Christian Bible) is according to the traditional Hebrew text translated directly into modern English. Thus it attempts to avoid possible mistranslations sometimes found in other Bibles that have been re-translated over and over again for 22 centuries: first from Hebrew to Aramaic, then to Greek, next to Latin, on to Martin Luther’s German and William Tyndale’s English (the precursor to the beautiful King James Bible), and ultimately the American Standard English translation. The scholars who translated this Bible directly from ancient Hebrew to 20th century English composed an accurate, easy-to-read, accessible scripture.
This translation of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament portion of the Christian Bible) is according to the traditional Hebrew text translated directly into modern English. Thus it attempts to avoid possible mistranslations sometimes found in other Bibles that have been re-translated over and over again for 22 centuries: first from Hebrew to Aramaic, then to Greek, next to Latin, on to Martin Luther’s German and William Tyndale’s English (the precursor to the beautiful King James Bible), and ultimately the American Standard English translation. The scholars who translated this Bible directly from ancient Hebrew to 20th century English composed an accurate, easy-to-read, accessible scripture.
March 13, 2022
I don't really know how to review this. But here goes anyway. Some parts of the bible I don't really remember that well, so I might just skip them.
Five Books of the Torah:
1. Genesis (3.5 hours)
The stories in here are great, grand and very epic. The Bible doesn't have anything that beats this level of drama. The creation story, the flood, the death, Abraham, the binding of Isaac, Cain and Abel. More and more.
2. Exodus (3 hours)
My favourite character of the bible ever. Moses. He's just. Heroic.
3. Leviticus p153 (2 hours)
I used to think all the laws were cool, but now I find them quite boring and long. Much of the Tanakh is legalistic priestly authorship.
4. Numbers 203 (3 hours)
The census. I actually forced myself to read through this. But when I started seeing long ass genealogies and numerical censuses later in the Tanakh I would skip them.
5. Deuteronomy 273 (2.5 hours)
More legalistic writing. Not very interesting. Except the ending.
NEVI’IM The Prophets:
6. Joshua 337 (1hr 45mins, 24 Chapters)
Can't really remember this.
7. Judges 377(1hr 45mins, 21 Chapters)
Forgot.
8. I Samuel 417 (2hr 15 mins)
Forgot.
9. II Samuel 469 (1hr 45mins)
Forgot
10. I Kings 515 (2hr, 22 Chapters)
I love the story of Samson and Delilah. As well as King David. I kept having Jeff Buckley sing Leonard Cohen's lyrics to Hallelujah whilst imagining the story of David and Bathsheeba.
11. II Kings 565 (2hr 15mins, 25 Chapters)
This is part of the same book. But Christians originally divided it into two for some reason.
12. Isaiah 615 (3hr 45mins, 66 Chapters)
I like the mystical visions. Very surreal. I would like to read mystical interpretations of this book.
13. Jeremiah 763 (4 hours, 52 Chapters)
Can't really remember
14. Ezekiel 893 (3hr 45mins, 48 Chapters)
This also his visions, but I can't remember that well.
Minor Prophets
15. Hosea 981 (30 mins, 14 Chapters)
Forgot
16. Joel 1005 (12 mins, 4 Chapters)
Forgot
17. Amos 1015 (25 mins, 9 Chapters)
Forgot
18. Obadiah 1033 (4 mins, 1 Chapter)
Forgot
19. Jonah 1037 (8 mins, 4 Chapters)
This is a cool story. Jonah and the Whale.
20. Micah 1041 (20 mins, 7 Chapters)
Forgot.
21. Nahum 1055 (8 mins, 3 Chapters)
Forgot.
22. Habakkuk 1063 (9 mins, 3 Chapters)
Forgot.
23. Zephaniah 1071 (10 mins, 3 Chapters)
Forgot.
24. Haggai 1079 (7 mins, 2 Chapters)
Forgot.
25. Zechariah 1083 (40 mins, 14 Chapters)
Forgot.
26. Malachi 1101 (11 mins, 3 Chapters)
Forgot.
Kethuvim - The Writings
27. Psalms 1109 (5hrs, 150 Chapters )
A lot of poetry. Very repetitive and gets boring. Propably sounds better in Hebrew.
28. Proverbs 1285 (1hr 45mins, 31 Chapters)
Not as wise as Hindu wisdom literature. A lot of common sense. I don't find the idea of "follow God and you are wise" to be very convincing.
29. Job 1339 (1hr 45mins, 42 Chapters)
I love the character of Job. And Satan or "The Accuser" is an intriguing character (not the Christian Lucifer). God's response to Job's questions however is unconvincing, and disappointing. "Who are you to ask why I do certain things?" is the response to his suffering pretty much.
30. Song of Songs 1405 (20 mins, 8 Chapters)
A sensual love poem between a man and a woman. Reminds me of the love poetry about Krishna and Radha in Vaishnava literature.
31. Ruth 1419 (15 mins, 4 Chapters)
Can't remember
32. Lamentations 1425 (20 mins, 5 Chapters)
Something about lamentations I guess.
33. Ecclesiastes 1441 (30 mins, 12 Chapters)
Biblical existentialism. It's cool, but also unconvincing toward the end. Which is "follow God's commandments"
34. Esther 1457 (30 mins, 10 Chapters)
Very dramatic. It brings back the excitement of the the Exodus but in a short story about a Jewish woman who becomes a princess. The festival of Purim celebrates this story.
35. Daniel 1469 (40 mins, 12 Chapters)
Forgot.
36. Ezra 1493 (40 mins, 10 Chapters)
Forgot.
37. Nehemiah 1509 (1 hr, 13 Chapters)
Forgot.
38. I Chronicles 1531 (2 hr, 29 Chapters)
Summaries mainly of the Israelite lineage, the wars, Kings etc. Repetitive.
39. II Chronicles 1573 (2hr 30mins, 36 Chapters)
Same as above.
Overall. I would only recommend Exodus and Genesis. Job is like a Jewish version of Stoicism which is kind of cool. The census parts in Numbers, Chronicles and other parts can be skipped as it doesn't make very riveting reading. The details of the Tabernacle and the Temple are intriguing but aren't particularly useful if you're not an architect, and they get into excessive detail for a lay reader. Much of the message is very repetitive. 1. God creates humanity, 2. humanity screws up, 3. God sends a prophet, 4. Israelites ignore the prophet, 5. people are punished, 6. promise of redemption 7. renewal of covenant, rinse and repeat steps 2 -7.
Kthxbai.
Five Books of the Torah:
1. Genesis (3.5 hours)
The stories in here are great, grand and very epic. The Bible doesn't have anything that beats this level of drama. The creation story, the flood, the death, Abraham, the binding of Isaac, Cain and Abel. More and more.
2. Exodus (3 hours)
My favourite character of the bible ever. Moses. He's just. Heroic.
3. Leviticus p153 (2 hours)
I used to think all the laws were cool, but now I find them quite boring and long. Much of the Tanakh is legalistic priestly authorship.
4. Numbers 203 (3 hours)
The census. I actually forced myself to read through this. But when I started seeing long ass genealogies and numerical censuses later in the Tanakh I would skip them.
5. Deuteronomy 273 (2.5 hours)
More legalistic writing. Not very interesting. Except the ending.
NEVI’IM The Prophets:
6. Joshua 337 (1hr 45mins, 24 Chapters)
Can't really remember this.
7. Judges 377(1hr 45mins, 21 Chapters)
Forgot.
8. I Samuel 417 (2hr 15 mins)
Forgot.
9. II Samuel 469 (1hr 45mins)
Forgot
10. I Kings 515 (2hr, 22 Chapters)
I love the story of Samson and Delilah. As well as King David. I kept having Jeff Buckley sing Leonard Cohen's lyrics to Hallelujah whilst imagining the story of David and Bathsheeba.
11. II Kings 565 (2hr 15mins, 25 Chapters)
This is part of the same book. But Christians originally divided it into two for some reason.
12. Isaiah 615 (3hr 45mins, 66 Chapters)
I like the mystical visions. Very surreal. I would like to read mystical interpretations of this book.
13. Jeremiah 763 (4 hours, 52 Chapters)
Can't really remember
14. Ezekiel 893 (3hr 45mins, 48 Chapters)
This also his visions, but I can't remember that well.
Minor Prophets
15. Hosea 981 (30 mins, 14 Chapters)
Forgot
16. Joel 1005 (12 mins, 4 Chapters)
Forgot
17. Amos 1015 (25 mins, 9 Chapters)
Forgot
18. Obadiah 1033 (4 mins, 1 Chapter)
Forgot
19. Jonah 1037 (8 mins, 4 Chapters)
This is a cool story. Jonah and the Whale.
20. Micah 1041 (20 mins, 7 Chapters)
Forgot.
21. Nahum 1055 (8 mins, 3 Chapters)
Forgot.
22. Habakkuk 1063 (9 mins, 3 Chapters)
Forgot.
23. Zephaniah 1071 (10 mins, 3 Chapters)
Forgot.
24. Haggai 1079 (7 mins, 2 Chapters)
Forgot.
25. Zechariah 1083 (40 mins, 14 Chapters)
Forgot.
26. Malachi 1101 (11 mins, 3 Chapters)
Forgot.
Kethuvim - The Writings
27. Psalms 1109 (5hrs, 150 Chapters )
A lot of poetry. Very repetitive and gets boring. Propably sounds better in Hebrew.
28. Proverbs 1285 (1hr 45mins, 31 Chapters)
Not as wise as Hindu wisdom literature. A lot of common sense. I don't find the idea of "follow God and you are wise" to be very convincing.
29. Job 1339 (1hr 45mins, 42 Chapters)
I love the character of Job. And Satan or "The Accuser" is an intriguing character (not the Christian Lucifer). God's response to Job's questions however is unconvincing, and disappointing. "Who are you to ask why I do certain things?" is the response to his suffering pretty much.
30. Song of Songs 1405 (20 mins, 8 Chapters)
A sensual love poem between a man and a woman. Reminds me of the love poetry about Krishna and Radha in Vaishnava literature.
31. Ruth 1419 (15 mins, 4 Chapters)
Can't remember
32. Lamentations 1425 (20 mins, 5 Chapters)
Something about lamentations I guess.
33. Ecclesiastes 1441 (30 mins, 12 Chapters)
Biblical existentialism. It's cool, but also unconvincing toward the end. Which is "follow God's commandments"
34. Esther 1457 (30 mins, 10 Chapters)
Very dramatic. It brings back the excitement of the the Exodus but in a short story about a Jewish woman who becomes a princess. The festival of Purim celebrates this story.
35. Daniel 1469 (40 mins, 12 Chapters)
Forgot.
36. Ezra 1493 (40 mins, 10 Chapters)
Forgot.
37. Nehemiah 1509 (1 hr, 13 Chapters)
Forgot.
38. I Chronicles 1531 (2 hr, 29 Chapters)
Summaries mainly of the Israelite lineage, the wars, Kings etc. Repetitive.
39. II Chronicles 1573 (2hr 30mins, 36 Chapters)
Same as above.
Overall. I would only recommend Exodus and Genesis. Job is like a Jewish version of Stoicism which is kind of cool. The census parts in Numbers, Chronicles and other parts can be skipped as it doesn't make very riveting reading. The details of the Tabernacle and the Temple are intriguing but aren't particularly useful if you're not an architect, and they get into excessive detail for a lay reader. Much of the message is very repetitive. 1. God creates humanity, 2. humanity screws up, 3. God sends a prophet, 4. Israelites ignore the prophet, 5. people are punished, 6. promise of redemption 7. renewal of covenant, rinse and repeat steps 2 -7.
Kthxbai.
February 5, 2021
great book, sorry atheists
anyone who bashes this book doesn't understand it
anyone who bashes this book doesn't understand it
May 30, 2021
This made me become a religious Jew, love the Tanakh
September 19, 2021
It’s literally the Good Book
May 26, 2022
Always good.
June 23, 2023
To summarize 770 pages:
G-d: Just follow my laws and I will take care of you.
Ancient Israelites: No problem. We will follow your laws.
G-d: What are you doing??
Ancient Israelites: Isn't it okay for us to sacrifice our first-born children to Baal?
G-d: I'm going to send some more prophets to explain. Please don't kill them this time.
G-d: You have disobeyed my laws. I'm going to send Nebuchadnezzar to conquer you.
G-d: For real, Nebuchadnezzar is coming to get you.
Jeremiah: Yeah, you guys are worse than whores.
Ezekiel: Whoa! I'm seeing some very odd things.
Jonah: I don't wanna go to Nineveh.
G-d: You are seriously the worst people ever.
Zechariah: Whoa! Ezekiel, did you see horses in the sky?
G-d: Maybe I over-reacted
Malachi: Just treat each other nicely and everything will be okay.
G-d: Just follow my laws and I will take care of you.
Ancient Israelites: No problem. We will follow your laws.
G-d: What are you doing??
Ancient Israelites: Isn't it okay for us to sacrifice our first-born children to Baal?
G-d: I'm going to send some more prophets to explain. Please don't kill them this time.
G-d: You have disobeyed my laws. I'm going to send Nebuchadnezzar to conquer you.
G-d: For real, Nebuchadnezzar is coming to get you.
Jeremiah: Yeah, you guys are worse than whores.
Ezekiel: Whoa! I'm seeing some very odd things.
Jonah: I don't wanna go to Nineveh.
G-d: You are seriously the worst people ever.
Zechariah: Whoa! Ezekiel, did you see horses in the sky?
G-d: Maybe I over-reacted
Malachi: Just treat each other nicely and everything will be okay.
October 31, 2023
The Tanakh is the revised and updated version of the JPS produced in 1917. Jewish scholars commenced the revision in 1955 "The Torah" published in 1962, "The Prophets (Neviʾim)" in 1978, and "The Writings (Kethuvim)" in 1982. Translators strove for an essentially literal translation, but allowed some use of equivalence, resulting in a very readable version of the Hebrew Scriptures. Notes indicate additional information, explanation for different translations, references to parallel passages, and identification of the presence of unknown/uncertain meaning. There are times when the identification of uncertain meaning seems puzzling, since the translation offers a clear meaning contextually. Unlike most English Bible versions NJPS obscures Messianic texts, eliminates any reference to the "Spirit" of God, and turns salvation language into merely victory or vindication (as, for example, in the Psalms).
December 20, 2023
This was a fresh way of reading the Bible this year. I read the New Testament separately and worked my way through this one throughout the year. It was fascinating to read an original translation direct from the Hebrew and to read it in the order that Jews would have read it in. I enjoyed (though didn't utilize) the reading schedule for various holy days in the front as well. I may utilize that in the future. As Christianity was birthed from Judaism, this gave me a closer look at the tenets of my own faith and provided a new perspective on familiar scriptures and stories. Definitely recommend!
August 18, 2024
My new book will publish my review and findings regarding the origins of religion.
October 20, 2016
This project took me longer than anticipated due to overall length, density, and reading interruptions, but still a meaningful endeavor. I found it worthwhile to see what is part of the extended religious canon. There is an interesting assortment of items that are outdated and those that always persist, of deep meaning in psalm or advice versus dry reading of lineage or census. Having the end of my reading occur around the High Holidays was timely and helped me understand where prayers and passages came from.
I think for those who are curious about religious texts and dedicated enough to the process, reading the Tanakh in its entirety is an interesting and worthy goal. Just break it up a bit. A straight through read has seriously set me back. I'm eager to return to my usual reading.
I think for those who are curious about religious texts and dedicated enough to the process, reading the Tanakh in its entirety is an interesting and worthy goal. Just break it up a bit. A straight through read has seriously set me back. I'm eager to return to my usual reading.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews