Beginnings: Reflections on the Bible's Intriguing Firsts - Hardcover

Shalev, Meir

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0307717186 ISBN 13: 9780307717184

Publisher: Harmony, 2011

Synopsis

The bestselling and prize-winning Israeli author Meir Shalev describes the many "firsts" of the Bible – the first love and the first death, to the first laugh and the first dream – providing a fresh, secular and surprising look at the stories we think we know.
 
The first kiss in the Bible is not a kiss of love. The first love in the Bible is not the love of a man and a woman. The first hatred in the Bible is the hatred of a man toward his wife. The first laugh in the Bible is also the last. In Beginnings, Meir Shalev reintroduces us to the heroes and heroines of the Old Testament, exploring these and many more of the Bible’s unexpected "firsts." Combining penetrating wit, deep empathy, and impressive knowledge of the Bible, he probes each episode to uncover nuances and implications that a lesser writer would overlook, and his nontraditional, nonreligious interpretations of the famous stories of the Bible take them beyond platitudes and assumptions to the love, fear, tragedy, and inspiration at their heart. Literary, inquisitive, and honest, Shalev makes these stories come alive in all their complicated beauty, and though these stories are ancient, their resonance remains intensely contemporary.

About this title

About the Author

MEIR SHALEV (b. 1948) is one of Israel's most celebrated writers. Author of six novels, most recently A Pigeon and a Boy, and five works of non-fiction, his writing has been translated into over 20 languages. A columnist for the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, Shalev lives in Jerusalem and in the north of Israel with his wife and children. He has received the Brenner Prize, Israel's highest literary honor, the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction, and numerous international honors.

Reviews

In this innovative and skillfully woven analysis of biblical firsts, Shalev (A Pigeon and a Boy), an Israeli columnist, probes the significance and underlying stories associated with 11 of the Bible's "firsts." He investigates the meaning of the first laugh, explains how the first Jewish monarchy arose, and explores the tragic story of the first loving woman, all from a firmly secular perspective. Shalev's vast biblical knowledge is evident, and he does not hesitate to offer his own take on a given subject, a perspective that often differs from traditional rabbinic understanding—a point he proudly makes throughout his work. His scrutiny of all aspects relating to a particular theme, his colorful descriptions of hallowed biblical figures, and his smooth pen enhance this biblical narrative, but some may find his frequent derision of traditional analysis distasteful and his sometimes casual writing distracting. Readers, either familiar or unacquainted with the biblical text, will enjoy this accessible and authentic excursion into the ancient world of Jewish life. (Mar.)
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Shalev, an Israeli writer, sees value in the first things of the Bible: the first law, the first king, the first laugh, etc. Unfortunately, he doesn�t exactly share with his readers what that value is. That puts many of Shalev�s observations into the category of Bible trivia. Still, each �first� receives a full chapter in which the author puts his fine storytelling skills to work. His tone is light and easy, with interpretations of biblical events that are creative at times. The book begins with the �first love,� between Isaac and Rebecca, which Shalev identifies fairly rigidly. In other chapters, he is less a stickler. What was the first dream in the Bible? The dream of Abimelech, a Philistine king. Shalev chooses, however, to devote 90 percent of the chapter to the first Hebrew dream (i.e., Jacob�s ladder). In another chapter, Abraham is identified as the �first prophet� and then forgotten after several paragraphs when the focus turns to a pair of later prophets: Jonah and Elijah. A casual approach to the Bible that will have appeal for many readers. --Wade Osburn

Edition details

• Publisher: Harmony
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0307717186
• ISBN 13: 9780307717184
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304