The Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible

by Harris, Stephen; Platzner, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780072990515
• ISBN10: 0072990511
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780077248260, HIS032000
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-09-11
• Publisher: McGraw Hill
• More Book Details

Summary

Designed for students undertaking their first systematic study of the Hebrew Bible, this text has two goals: to acquaint readers with the content and major themes of the biblical documents, and to introduce them to issues in biblical scholarship. Pedagogically rich and reader-friendly, this text was designed for conventional introductory courses using historical-critical methodology, and will also be useful in courses studying the Bible as literature, or as a reference text in the study of ancient religion.

Table of Contents

The Hebrew Bible: An Overview

The Hebrew Bible: A Composite Portrait of God and the Divine-Human Relationship

The Process of Formation: The Transmission, Canonization, and Translation of the Hebrew Bible

The Biblical World: Culture and Religion

The Ancient Near East: The Environment that Produced the Bible

The Land and Archaeology of Ancient Israel: Historical Origins of the Covenant People

The God of Israel: An Evolving Portrait

The Torah

Who Wrote the "Books of Moses"?

The Five Books of Torah (Divine Instruction)

In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis

Freedom and Responsibility: The Book of Exodus

Regulating the Divine-Human Bond: The Books of Leviticus and Numbers

A Mosaic Legacy: The Book of Deuteronomy

The Prophets (Nevi'im) I

Introduction to the Deuteronomistic History

The Book of Joshua

YHWH's Warriors: The Book of Judges

The Birth of the Monarchy: The Books of 1 and 2 Samuel

Parallel Stories of Israel and Judah: The Books of 1 and 2 Kings

The Prophets (Nevi'im) II

The Nature and Function of Israelite Prophecy: Spokespersons for God

Prophets to the Northern Kingdom: The Books of Amos and Hosea

The Assyrian Crisis: Isaiah of Jerusalem, Micah, Zephaniah, and Nahum

The Babylonian Threat: The Books of Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Obadiah

Prophets in Exile: The Book of Ezekiel and Second Isaiah

After the Exile: Israel's Last Prophets--Haggai, Zechariah, Third Isaiah, Joel, Malachi, and Jonah

The Writings (Kethuvim)

Introduction to the Writings: Reevaluating Israel's Life with God

The Postexilic Readjustment: The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah

Worshiping at the Second Temple: Hebrew Poetry and the Book of Psalms

Israel's Wisdom Writers: The Books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes

Four Books of the Megillot (Festival Scrolls): Ruth, Lamentations, Songs of Songs, and Esther

Reinterpreting Israel's History: The Books of 1 and 2 Chronicles

Keeping Torah in a Hostile World: The Diaspora, the Maccabean Revolt, Apocalyptism, and the Visions of Daniel

Additions to the Hebrew Bible: The Deuterocanonical and Extracanonical Books

The "Second Canon": Books of the Apocrypha

The Pseudepigrapha: Noncanonical Writings of the Late Biblical Period

From the Maccabees to Jesus of Nazareth: Victory, Defeat, and teh Emergence of Postbiblical Judaism and Early Christianity Glossary of Major Old Testament Characters, Terms, and Concepts

Selected Bibliography

Credits

Index

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