The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures - Softcover

Coogan, Michael D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195139119 ISBN 13: 9780195139112

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2005

Synopsis

Lucidly written by a leading biblical scholar, this balanced, engaging, and up-to-date introduction to the Hebrew scriptures distills the best of current scholarship. Employing the narrative chronology of the Bible itself and the history of the ancient Near East as a framework, author Michael D. Coogan covers all the books of the Hebrew Bible, along with the deuterocanonical books included in the Bible used by many Christians. He treats every book of the canon with careful attention to its historical context, its particular genre, and its distinctive features. Dealing in detail with ancient Near Eastern sources and archaeological data, Coogan works from a primarily historical and critical methodology but also introduces readers to literary analysis and other interpretive strategies, especially current ones.
The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures is enhanced by a glossary, timelines, photos, illustrations, maps, and a four-color insert on Jerusalem in biblical times. Strategically placed boxes address issues that often puzzle readers of the Bible, provide models of interpretation of particular texts, and discuss their significance for Judaism and Christianity. Each chapter includes key terms, questions for review and discussion, and suggestions for further reading. Providing a non-denominational and non-doctrinal treatment, The Old Testament is accessible to students of all backgrounds. It offers a unique and captivating introduction to the Hebrew scriptures themselves and to how they have been--and can be--interpreted.

About this title

About the Author

Michael D. Coogan is at Stonehill College.

Review

"Coogan's The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures stands out from the crowd and, in my opinion, is the current best choice for a critical overview of the text coupled with a solid introduction to the Bible's Near Eastern background. Everyone who teaches the Old Testament is now indebted to Michael Coogan."--Ron Tappy, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

"OUP clearly has a winner on its hands with Michael Coogan's The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures. It is excellent. . . . There is a liveliness to the prose that one doesn't often find in textbooks."--Carol A. Newsom, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University

"This is an excellent introduction, which fills a significant need in the field. It is judicious, well conceived and organized, up-to-date, and very clearly written."--Marc Zvi Brettler, Dora Golding Professor of Biblical Studies and Chair of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University

"At last, a well-written, non-technical, up-to-date introduction to the Hebrew Bible that can serve as a textbook for undergraduates and as an entreé into biblical studies for graduate students and adults."--Adele Berlin, Robert H. Smith Professor of the Hebrew Bible, University of Maryland

"This refreshing, systematic study of Old Testament traditions creates its own space among the great introductions to the Hebrew Bible. . . . [A] tremendous achievement in biblical scholarship and a very significant contribution to education in biblical literature and religion."--Samuel Murrell, Associate Professor of Religion, University of North Carolina-Wilmington

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0195139119
• ISBN 13: 9780195139112
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 600