Introduction to the Hebrew Bible

by John J. Collins

In this balanced and thorough introduction to the Hebrew Bible, John J. Collins takes his students on a historical-critical journey through biblical texts. With an accessible yet authoritative tone, he identifies the complex ethical issues raised by the text and challenges his students to understand the responsibilities of interpretation. Drawing on his many years of expert teaching, Collins produces a clear and concise tool for undergraduate, graduate, and seminary settings with maps, images, and suggestions for further reading to guide students along the way.

Genres: Religion, Theology, Judaism, Nonfiction, Old Testament, Christianity, History

700 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

John J. Collins is Holmes Professor of Old Testament at Yale Divinity School. A native of Ireland, he has a doctorate from Harvard University, and earlier taught at the University of Chicago, and the University of Notre Dame. He has published widely on the subjects of apocalypticism, wisdom, Hellenistic Judaism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls and served as president of both the Catholic Biblical Association and the Society of Biblical Literature.

Reviews

[Margie Dorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I read of and about the work of John J. Collins, the more my respect grows for the depth of his scholarship. I was first introduced to his work in a textbook used in EfM, a highly truncated version of his original work, and, I'm sorry to say, the editors seem to have edited the life right out of his work (and HOW can you completely leave out Micah when editing a book about the Hebrew Scriptures, anyway?) I later obtained a full, unedited copy of the book, and it makes all the difference. This is the copy I recommend.
Perhaps the paragraph that has impressed me the most in all his writing, the one I tend to remember and recommend, is his final word in the book:
"One of the most persistent themes of the Hebrew Bible is the critique of idolatry. This applies not only to carved or molten statues but also to the human tendency to absolutize things that are merely part of the created order. Perhaps the greatest irony in the history of the Bible is that it itself has so often been treated as an idol, and venerated with a reverential attitude while its message is ignored. Biblical figures from Abraham to Job do not hesitate to argue with the Almighty. The least that might be expected of readers of the Bible is that they bring the same critical spirit to bear on the biblical text."

(Page 393).

[Royce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Not much more to say: Collins does what he sets out to do. This book is not for you if you believe the Bible is entirely literally true; he talks a lot about the Near Eastern origins of the material, the historical background, and the biases of the authors.

[John Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

After purchasing the first edition of this in the fall of 2007 for my Hebrew Bible I course, I have finally finished reading it front to back. This is about what you would need and expect from such a course from a progressive theological school--plenty of hermeneutic of suspicion, lots of critical historicism, but also reverence and respect to the text(s) that it examines.

[slaveofone · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is difficult to imagine a critical, scholastic, introductory textbook to the entire Hebrew Bible (and deuterocanonical texts) that could do a better job than this. The book tops out at just over 600 pages, which is somewhat daunting, but well-worth a studious read. There is only so much that can be done in an introductory textbook without becoming overwhelming. I believe the book found it's way to that boundary between too much and not enough. Inevitably, with a book of this quality, criticisms might tend to become nit-picky. The illustrations gathered together in the center of the textbook are lackluster, few in number, and rather common. Anyone with a real interest in the Hebrew Bible or the ancient Near East will be familiar with most of the objects and places pictured. They could at least have presented color photographs. Even better, they could have included a CD with a large archive of photographs to flip through as you read which brings us to the included CD. I've always felt that including the textbook on an accompanying CD was rather pointless. It's probably done to claim an added value for the product and substantiate an increase in price. Fortunately, you can find the book steeply discounted on places like Amazon.com and then toss the CD without regret (except, perhaps, for the increase in environmental waste). But even if having the book on CD was a welcome option, the publisher chose to discriminate against a large number of its customers by making the work accessible only through a Windows-based operating system. The CD will not load, install, or run on Linux or (I assume) Mac. Being a Linux user, therefore, I found the CD doubly worthless. As a lover of the Tetrateuch, I was thrilled at how much space and time was committed to Genesis and the first half of Exodus. Unfortunately, the rest of the Tetrateuch suffered. The last half of Exodus as well as Numbers receive, perhaps, the poorest treatment in the entire textbook. Leviticus, thankfully, was not treated so unjustly, but it's treatment still suffered. My biggest complaint is the biased judgment calls that Collins weaves subtly or not-so-subtly through the entire work. He repeatedly inserts factual judgments on ideas or arguments which he either has not presented evidence for or had previously discussed only as a possible way of viewing things. I found myself repeatedly writing the word why? in the margin or making some sort of note where Collins proceeded upon an assumption or argument that I found rather thin or unconvincing. It is clear that Collins attempts to bypass his own biases by giving time and attention to various arguments and evidences, but he is not consistent. Perhaps Collins felt the need when dealing with sacred literature to guard against the abuses of Fundamentalism. But since when was he the guardian of the text? Overall, the book comes highly recommended. One cannot fail to receive a great deal of critical, theological, and historical insight, while building a solid foundation in their study of the Hebrew Bible.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really useful companion to the Hebrew Bible. In addition to providing handy overviews of narrative information, Collins provides archaeological and historical analyses of what is likely accurate and inaccurate in the Hebrew Bible.

If you want to understand the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) as documents embedded in a cultural and historical time and place, this is the book for you.

[Joshua Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for content, general quality of introductory material, and quality of reserach/presentation, but three stars for Collins' at times patronizing attitude towards those "gullible" to not view chronicles, esther, etc as "fiction"

[samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction
• Literary quality; scripture; but before we can discuss what it might mean to regard the Bible as Scripture, there is much that we need to know about it of a more mundane nature. This material includes the content of the biblical text, the history of its composition, the literary genres in which it is written, and the problems and ambiguities that attend its interpretation.
• HEBREW BIBLE: a collection of twenty-four books in three divisions: the Law (Torah), the Prophets (Nebi’im), and the Writings (Ketubim), sometimes referred to by the acronym Tanak.
o TORAH: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
o PROPHETS:
 FORMER: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings; 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings are each counted as one book
 LATTER: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve; the Twelve Minor Prophets [Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi] are counted as one book)
o WRITINGS: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs (or Canticles), Ruth, Lamentations, Qoheleth (or Ecclesiastes), Esther, Daniel, Ezra- Nehemiah (as one book), and Chronicles (1 and 2 Chronicles as one book)
• Old Testament: contrast to NT.
o Protestant OT identical to Hebrew Bible, but in different order.
o Roman Catholic OT adds Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (or the Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach = Ben Sira), Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah (= Baruch 6), 1 and 2 Maccabees. Also adds passages to Daniel and Esther.
o Greek Orthodox OT adds 1 Esdras (which reproduces the substance of the book of Ezra and parts of 2 Chronicles and Nehemiah), Psalm 151, the Prayer of Manasseh, and 3 Maccabees, and fourth book of Maccabees, and 2 Esdras
• Why is Canon different here?
o First canon was Torah, associated with work of Ezra in 5c BCE, but may have been compiled century before that at end of Babylonian exile, may have had later additions as well.
o Prophets formed in 2c BCE
o At this time, it’s still called “the Law and the Prophets”  Definitive list of writings emerges in 1c CE
o Council of Jamnia: academy of rabbis debate canonicity of some books, but no evidence that formal list was proclaimed. But at this time (70-100BCE), first references to fixed number appears.
o Legend: Ptolemy II Philadelphus, king of Egypt, has 72 elders translate into Greek: SEPTUAGINT
• Text of the Bible
o Masoretic text, MT, established by the Ben Asher family of Masoretes in Tiberias in Galilee. Found in ALEPPO CODEX, Dates from early 10c CE
o CAIRO Codex: 9-10C CE. Corrected according to a Ben Asher manuscript. The oldest witnesses to vowels of most of the Hebrew text (only fragments from as early as 6,5 CE.
o Dead Sea Scrolls: Found in Qumran, every book save Esther, but many are fragmented.
 Isaiah scroll is complete, dates from 100 BCE
 Most books align with MT, but some reflect longer Samaritan tradition, some match the LXX.
o Untials
 Codes Vaticanus: Greek fragments 2c BCE
 Codex Sinaiticus: Greek complete manuscript 4c CE
 Codex Alexandrinus: Greek 5C CE
• Bible and History
o For most of Jewish and Christian history, there has been an uncritical assumption that the biblical story is historically true.
o But recently has emerged a crisis of credibility ¬
o One implication of this chronological survey is that Israel was a late arrival on the stage of Near Eastern history.
o A second implication of the chronological survey is that on any reckoning there is a gap of several centuries between the date when the biblical books were written and the events that they purport to describe.
o It now seems clear that all the Hebrew Bible received its final shape in the postexilic, or Second Temple, period. The books of Joshua through Kings, which make up the Former Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, are called in modern scholarship “the Deuteronomistic History.”
• Methods in Biblical Study
o Literary Criticism: The literary critic Robert Alter, who is a leading advocate of a literary approach to the Bible, speaks of “composite artistry” in the case of Genesis.
o Source Criticism: separation of sources. Welhausen.
o Form Criticism: focuses on smaller unites that make up the biblical texts, drawing attention to literary form and genre. Sitz im Leben, Gunkel.
o Redaction critism: focuses on ways in which smaller unites were combined by an editor who imposed his own theological agenda on the material (von Rad, Noth)
o Literary Criticism: meaning of text can be found in analysis of text itself, without extensive research into questions of social, historical, and literary context. (this is New Criticism, against which New Historicism emerged to advocate for contextual information)
 Deconstruction: pulling on loose threads in the text to r4ecover suppressed meanings
o Sociological methods (Extension of historical criticism, viewing text as reflections of historical situations)
 Fucko’s Ideological criticism
 Postcolonial Criticism
Chapter 1: The Near Eastern Context
• Sumerians
• Then Sargon of Akkad. Fell, city has been lost.
• Third dynasty of UR unites most of Sumer for about a century around end of 3 millennium.
• 2 millenum saw rise of Babylon under Hammurabi
• Meanwhile Egyptian king Amenhotep IV (renames Akhenaten) moves capital to Amarna, devotes himself only to sun and solar disk (Aten). Amarna letters give glimpse at monotheism and politics towards Canaan
• Hittites in Syria
• In between Egypt and Mesopotamia is Canaan, where Israel would carve out its territory along the southern half of the eastern Mediterranean shore. Canaanites sometimes called Amorites
• From 12c on, people of northern Syria called Arameans. Small not unified kingdoms.
• Philistines, sea people who came to Canaan from Aegean. Origin remains obscure. Defeated by Egypt in 1190 BCE settled in coastal towns, controlling land south of Canaan.
• Modern Rediscovery of ANE
o Much of what we knew was Greek historians
o But Napoleon moves into Egypt with scholars, finding Rosetta stone.
o 19c rediscovery. East India Company employee Rich studies Babylonian ruins. Enuma Elish and Gilgamesh discovered and translated. Great finds in Ugarit. Then again in Mari. Then again at Ebla Tell Mardikh
• Aspects of Near Eastern Religion
o The worship of gods and goddesses was a significant part of life in the ancient Near East. It is important to bear in mind, however, that religion was not standardized and systematized in the ways that are familiar to us from Christianity and Judaism.
o Atrahasis
 most fully preserved in an Old Babylonian version from about 1700 b.c.e.
 Chief god Anu (sky), Enlil (earth), and Enki (deep)
 Enki and Mami/Nintu create
 Then Enlil complains, flood.
 Two prominent features of story stand in contrast with modern conceptions of God
• 1. the gods are anthropomorphic: they are conceived and portrayed in the likeness of human beings.
• 2. here is a whole society of gods, analogous to a human society.
o Enuma Elish
 composed some centuries later than Atrahasis, probably in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar I of Babylon (1125–1104 b.c.e.). It celebrates the rise of Marduk, god of Babylon, to a position of leadership among the gods.
 Begins primordially with Apsu and Tiamat (fresh and salt, respectively?) planning to kill younger gods. Ea puts Apsu asleep, kills him. Bears new gods on the body, Bel and Marduk. Anu (Eas father) gives Marduk winds to play with which incite Tiamat. Qingu made head of her army. Marduk fights for Ea. Marduk shoots an arrow into her heart, cuts up her corpse to make sky and water
o Gilgamesh
 one of the most remarkable dramatizations of the human condition that have come down to us from antiquity.
 Gilgamesh was regarded in antiquity as a historical character. He may have lived in the third millennium, in Uruk (Warka) in southern Mesopotamia.
 Several stories about Gilgamesh were current in Sumerian before 2000 b.c.e.
 Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, is 2/3 divine and 1/3 mortal. Unmatched until gods create Enkidu, raised with beasts, a primitive man. Gilgamesh tries to use harlot, who sleeps with Enkidu for 6 days and then Enkidu can’t return to nature. Enkidu goes to Uruk, where he becomes a well-matched companion for Gilgamesh. He puts on clothes and learns to eat and drink in the human fashion.
 The two adventure. Kill Humababa, giant of the forest. Gilg rebukes Ishtar, who sends a bull of heaven which they kill.
 Gods declare one of them must die, sentence falls on Enkidu, who learns of his fate in a dream.
 After Enkidu’s death, Gilg visits flood hero Utnapishtim in search of eternal life. He gets the plant in the Apsu that affords young-again, but a snake steals it.
o Goddesses
 Mother goddsesses, but their role declines in second millennium.
 Ishtar/Innana baby! Masculine god, but of fertility. Thunderstorms and rain, goddess of battle. But most of all, goddess of sexual attraction.
• Associated with the shepherd king Dumuzi (Babylonian Tammuz) in her stories, including Descent into Netherworld. She has sacred marriage with her. He dies, she mourns. In Descent, though, she is responsible for his demise: she visits her sister Ereshkigal in underworld but there becomes a corpse, and is only revived should she find a substitute. Dumuzi was not grief-stricken in her absence so she chooses him. In the end Dumuzi and his sister spend alternative halves of the year in the netherworld.
• The relationship between Inanna and Dumuzi was ritualized in the cultic celebration of the sacred marriage between the king and a priestess representing Inanna.
o Canaanite Mythology
 Ugaritic tablets are best representatives we have of Canaanite religion in the second half of the first millennium.
 El was king and father (largely ceremonial role, though).
 Baal is dominant god, challenged by Yamm (Sea) and Mot (death)
 Asherah, wife of El; Anat, sister and wife of Baal; Astarte
 Baal cycle
• Yamm demands that Baal be surrendered to him. El agrees but Baal refuses to submit. Baal gets two clubs and beats him.
• Baal is terrified and declares that he is Mot’s servant forever. The story vividly describes how Death swallows Baal. Anat confronts Mot, beats him, and Baal returns to life. Seasons explained.
 Danel (story not about Gods but about human hero!), childless but through prayers he receives son Aqhat.
• Aqhat is gifted a bow that Anat wants. He refuses, she offers immortality, he insults her and says she’s lying, says women don’t need bows. Anat sends servant to kill Aqhat, Danel responds by cursing nature.
o Egyptian Religion
 The Old Kingdom, in the second half of the third millennium b.c.e., had its capital at Memphis. In the Memphite theology, the preeminent god was the creator-god Ptah.The priesthood of Heliopolis, however, exalted the god Atum as creator
 The New Kingdom, in the second half of the second millennium, had its capital at Thebes in Middle Egypt, and here the god Amun came to prominence and was linked with the sun-god Re.
 The Egyptian creation stories place less emphasis on conflict than was the case in Enuma Elish or the Baal myth. The main mythical conflict in Egyptian tradition was the conflict of Horus and Seth. Seth is the symbol of chaos and evil (the Greeks identified him with Typhon). He murders his brother and rival, Osiris. Isis, widow and sister of Osiris, recovers his body and conceives his son Horus. Horus engages in many struggles with Seth and eventually defeats him. Horus was the defender of the pharaoh, and the pharaoh was regarded as the living Horus. After death, the pharaoh was identified with Osiris. Osiris became the king of the dead and symbolized the hope for eternal life.
 AFTER LIFE!
 This was the religious reform of the pharaoh Amenophis IV, also known as Akhenaten (about 1350 b.c.e.). This pharaoh broke with the traditional cult of Amun at Thebes. He moved his capital to Amarna or Akhetaten, further north on the Nile, and concentrated worship on one god alone, Aten, the solar disk. The Armana letters/period!
• His successor Tutankhaten/Tutankhamun un-does these reforms
Chapter 2: The Nature of the Pentateuchal Narrative
• The first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; collectively known as the Pentateuch) tell the story of the prehistory of Israel, from creation to the death of Moses on the threshold of the promised land. Genesis 1–11 deals with primeval history, from creation to the flood, and the tower of Babel. Genesis 12–50 is the patriarchal history, the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the sons of Jacob. The Joseph story, in Genesis 37–50, is a distinct block of material within this corpus. It is a transitional story that explains how Israel came to be in Egypt, and thereby sets the stage for the exodus. Exodus 1–18 tells the story of the liberation from Egypt. Then Exodus 19–40 and the book of Leviticus present the revelation at Mount Sinai. The book of Numbers describes the sojourn in the wilderness. Finally, Deuteronomy is the farewell address of Moses.
• Mosaic authorship
o The Hebrew word torah has a broader sense than “law” and includes a sense of traditional teaching. The attribution to Moses, however, arises from the prominence of laws in these books.
o The problematic nature of the supposed Mosaic authorship was noticed at least as early as the Middle Ages.
o Documentary hypothesis: the view that the Pentateuch is a combination of (at least) four different documents. This is complicated often
• Indications of multiple authorship
o The different divine names cannot be explained as stylistic variation.
o Doublets, or variant forms of the same story. (57!)
 Gen 1:1—2:3 VS Gen 2:4-3
 Abraham selling out Sarah happens twice. Then Isaac does with Rebekah.
 Two covenants with Abraham, two Hagar and Ishmaels
 J Vs P FLOOD
• It is clear that the two versions have not been preserved in full. Noah is never instructed to build the ark in J. But the outline of the two stories is clear enough. In one account Noah takes only one pair of animals into the ark (P). In the other he takes seven pairs (J). In one account the flood lasts 150 days (P); in the other, 40 days and 40 nights (J)
• Profiles of the Sources
o PRIESTLY:
 Dry, formulaic style.
 (Gen 1)
 Strong interest in genealogies, dates, ritual observances.
 Leviticus is quintessential Priestly material
 DATE:
o DEUT:
 Relatively unproblematic.
 Deut predominantly but occurs in some other books.
 YHWH loves Israel, and Israel must love in return.
 Emph on covenant
 Associated with Josiah’s reform
 DATE: much later (accd. to de Wette, who notes that texts that allow or endorse worship at multiple sanctuaries are most probably older than the time of Josiah (bc Deut 12 there was a law against worship in high places/multiple sacrificial sites—the law of centralization)
o JAHWIST:
 “YHWH”
 Colorful.
 God is immanent, anthropomorphized.
 Theme of promise and fulfillment
 Wide horizon; universalistic in outlook.
 DATE: pre-deut, earlier than J. Reign of Solomon? From Judah, likely.
o ELOHIM
 “Elohim”
 Revelation associated with dreams
 Guilt and innocence, fear of God.
 No primeval history; begins with Abraham in Gen 15
 Four figures who have prophetic traits: Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses
 DATE: pre-deut. Northern alternative account of prehistory of Israel after the separation of North from South after Solomon’s death.
o E and J are difficult to discern.
• Criticism of Doc. Hyp.
o Is not J a exilic or post-exilic text? Abraham’s migration’s significance could be attributed to the experiences of exile at time of composition.
o Rendtorff creates elaborate alternative, saying D came first, then P.
o Nonetheless, the recent debates about the Pentateuch show that the reconstruction of earlier forms of the biblical text is a highly speculative enterprise. Perhaps the main lesson to be retained is that these texts are indeed composite and incorporate layers from different eras.
o On any reckoning, the Pentateuch cannot have reached its present form earlier than the postexilic period. While the Priestly strand may have been an independent document, it serves to tie the narrative sources together.
o In the following chapters I do not attempt to extrapolate theologies of J or E to any significant degree. There are evidently different strands in Genesis, and light can be thrown on some passages by noting their affinities with J or E. The distinction is also useful sometimes in Exodus, but much less often. My goal, however, is not to reconstruct J or E, but to appreciate the pentateuchal narratives as they have come down to us. P and D, in contrast, correspond to well-defined blocks of text and present clear and well- developed theologies. These sources will accordingly be treated in separate chapters.
Chapter 3: The Primeval History
• The Primeval History, in Genesis 1–11, is woven from the J and P strands. The contrast between the two is clearly evident in the two accounts of creation with which they begin—the ritualistic Priestly account in Gen 1:1—2:4a, and the colorful, folksy, Yahwistic account in the remainder of chapters 2 and 3. P is responsible for the genealogy in chapter 5, for one strand of the flood story as we have already seen, and for the genealogies of Noah’s sons in Genesis 10 and 11.
• J Source
o Little is said about the creation of heaven and earth, except that they are the work of YHWH, and that the earth was not watered initially. The man (adam is the generic Hebrew word for human being) is made from the dust of the ground and animated by the breath of life.
o In Genesis the first human being is also charged with keeping the garden of God, but the task does not appear very onerous.
o Two trees are singled out in this garden: the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (The precise meaning of “the knowledge of good and evil” is disputed. It may mean “universal knowledge,” or it may mean the power of discernment between good and evil
 Symmetry would lead us to expect that if one tree is the tree of life, the corresponding one should be the tree of death, and sure enough, Adam is told that if he eats of it he shall die. The tree is not introduced to Adam under the negative name of death, however, but in its attractive aspect as the tree of knowledge.
 The idea that gods jealously guard their superiority over humanity is widespread in the ancient world.
o In J, the man is allowed responsible participation in the choice of his mate. In the process, he is allowed to name all the beasts, but none of these is found to be a fit partner for him. Finally, Adam finds a partner in the woman who is take

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introduction to the Hebrew Bible was a required text for a graduate-level Old Testament survey course I recently completed. It is relatively scholarly in tone and depth, but anyone who is motivated to learn about the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, particularly the cultural and historical aspects of its formation, can profit quite a bit from this book. It doesn't hesitate to voice skepticism over miraculous claims in the Bible or impose modern perspectives on the texts, though it also does a good job of explaining the original cultural contexts in which the texts were written. The author also does not shy away from instances in which the archaeological record does not agree with the biblical narrative. If your biblical theology only permits a literal reading of Scripture, this book probably isn't for you, that is, unless you're looking for something to challenge your view. For Catholics, I would simply advise taking with a grain of salt the author's tendency to dismiss the miraculous simply because it's miraculous. Catholic scholars and average lay faithful certainly have nothing to fear regarding discrepancies between the current archaeological and historical records and the biblical narrative. (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 111-119.)

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic introduction on Old Testament and how it came about. Good read on Gilgamesh and Atra-hasis mythology. Atrahasis: place in Mesopotamian religion
myths include the story of Atrahasis, a wise man who was saved from the Flood (aligns with "NOAH") after being warned by one of the gods to build a ship to save himself. The myth of Ishtar's Descent and return from the underworld was evidently connected to the cycle of fertility.

[Kate Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this is a really decent textbook - it doesn't feel like you're reading a textbook the whole time and there are little places where you can see Collins's sense of humor shine through and I really appreciate that, obviously. Will definitely be using again in the future!

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair and balance introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Had some interesting insights from a broad range of sources.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this text for my first year EfM class . It was a fascinating class and helped me to appreciate and look at the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament a little differently. It is written in an ecumenical context and is not meant to proselytize the reader. It is a text book for university study. The content included historical background, by using archeology evidence and other historical sources.

As Mr. Collins states in his preface, "the primary importance of the Old Testament as Scripture lies in it's ethical implications." There is inspiration, with the story of liberation from slavery, the Ten Commandments, and teaching of the prophets, which teach over and over again the importance of social justice. Where people get caught is trying to apply ancient story and text to 21st century life. (page xiii and xiv, Third Edition, Collins)

I really enjoyed this class and reading the Bible and parts of the Apocrypha. I was to read with a different lens.

My favorite passage in this textbook, is the very last paragraph, which deftly points out that one of the repeating themes in the Hebrew Bible is the prohibition of idolatry. Herein lies the irony of worshiping and idolizing the Bible, while ignoring the overall message. (page 632, Collins)

Great textbook, has me pining to return to school and study history, archeology, and theology.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Collins gives a great perspective of the Hebrew Bible while including books that were not included, or were only included in various Christian sects.

He gives light to how nearly every book in the bible was written by multiple authors or edited by later scribes to fit the beliefs and political narratives of their times.

John points out which books are completely fictional, the various areas that it contradicts itself, sometimes within the same book or chapter (Genesis and Exodus especially). He also gives information on the scholarly census of when a book was first written, be it pre-exilic or post-exilic, or even after the turn of the era.

He reminds the reader that the books in the Bible and Old Testament were written between 800 BCE and 150 CE, with ideas changing based on the influence of other cultures. Mentions when the idea of an afterlife, resurrection, and devils becomes a prominent topic in the religion.

But at the same time, John points out that the Bible isn’t authoritative, nor is it univocal, and it doesn’t claim YWHW to be the only god in the world, but the only god for the Jewish people.

It’s definitely worth reading if you want to understand the Old Testament.

[Solomon Selah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long reading trip. Although there are some typographical and proofreading errors, this does not prevent the content of the book from being brilliant. The author's introduction to the historical background of each chapter, as well as his questioning of common biases, greatly enrich the reader's understanding of the Hebrew Bible. In addition, further reading is also useful.

[Sally Rhett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A textbook we use in EFM. USEFUL

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for seminary/grad coursework.

[Janice Pauc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful study guide when reading the Old Testament. A little too academic at times. Required text for EFM.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for class but it was really helpful so I’m giving it five stars even though I don’t usually rate my class readings.

[Nash Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolute exhausting read

[Ahmed Ramadan · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب جميلض ومنظم وسهل .. ممكن الرجوع ليه كمرجع دايما لأنه فيه ذكر لدراسات كتير جدا جدا عن كل سفر وموضوع بعد كل شابتر .. غير أنه بيقدم ملاحظات نقدية ومقارنات

أحسن مقدمة لل hebrew bible لقيتها

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. There were so many parts of the Old Testament that hadn't really made sense before that now actually fit together. So many stories that had seemed mysteriously strange and useless (why do we really need to know about what Lot's daughters did to him?) that now fit within a narrative purpose. Random mythological references that suddenly come into clear focus... This book was a revelation to read, very enjoyable.

[Autumn Uhrig · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read it for school. Did not enjoy it.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great general introduction to the Hebrew Bible--intended for students (undergrads or early M.A. or seminary students), it also serves the interested general reader well, doing a good job of providing historical, textual, and archeological context for the books of the Bible. It's not primarily concerned with literary issues, although it certainly deals with generic and formal questions, especially when a given story has clear affinities with other Near Eastern literary or mythological traditions.

[Janet Daniels]

This is the complete version of the abridged version used by Education for Ministry, year 1, to complement and comment on the Old Testament readings. I like this better than the abridged version because the reading is smoother. I guess that is why the abridged version is called abridged.

This book is very helpful in weeding through all the material contained in the Old Testament. Should be read in conjunction with reading the actual Old Testament, of course.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for a Scriptural Theology class, starting in January. It is very good, and one thing it does well is comparing the Hebrew scriptures - literary style, genre, etc. - with writings of other religions in the ancient Near East. That was helpful in understanding the scriptures apart from the religious trappings that I grew up with; after all, no culture exists in a vacuum. The illustrations and tables were also helpful.

[Sam Denniss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the sort of book I would normally read, course text book. However I found myself enjoying the approach and content - a book designed to make you stop and reconsider what you thought you knew - for in-depth study.

[Lori Shinkō Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Balanced work of biblical scholarship that aids in bringing understanding and facilitation to the world, culture and peoples who went into the book of stories people confuse with historical knowledge.

Reading for a divinity class.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although not the most mind-blowing or inspiring treatement of the Hebrew bible, it is a great introduction to critical methods of reading, and a wealth of good information.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Information is organized, well written, and easy to comprehend. It's also fairly comprehensive without being unapproachable. A great reference text!

[Jean Marie Angelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scholarly and thorough story of the Hebrew Bible.