Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (with CD-ROM: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible) - Hardcover

Bandstra, Barry L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0534527272 ISBN 13: 9780534527273

Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing, 1999

Synopsis

This text is designed to teach students how to read the Hebrew Bible and how to go about mining the Biblical text for literary, historical, and thematic meaning. This book is accompanied by a CD-ROM that includes the entire text of the Bible, the entire text of the book, and an interactive Study Guide. The author demonstrates how a knowledge of ancient culture, religion, and history is essential for correctly interpreting Biblical texts. While history, archaeology, and extra-biblical documents are heavily utilized, they are presented only as they apply directly to specific Biblical texts. The book actively applies recent literary, rhetorical, and structural studies that shed light on art, design, coherence, characterization, theme, and other literary features of the Hebrew Bible.

About this title

About the Author:

A respected scholar and teacher in the field of religious and Biblical studies, Barry L. Bandstra received his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literature from Yale University. He also holds degrees from Calvin Theological Seminary and the University of Illinois at Urbana. He is the chairman of the Religion Department at Hope College, where his primary teaching fields are Biblical studies and Biblical theology. He also serves as director of instructional technology. In addition to this Old Testament text and the accompanying interactive study guide, Barry Bandstra has published articles and reviews on many aspects of religion and scripture. He is married and has three sons.

Review:

Preface. Introduction: Reading the Bible. Part 1: TORAH: PROLOGUE TO THE TORAH. 1. Genesis 1-11: The Primeval Story. 2. Genesis 12-50: The Ancestral Story. 3. Exodus: Deliverance and Covenant. 4. Leviticus and Numbers: In the Wilderness. 5. Deuteronomy: The Torah of Moses. Part 2: PROPHETS: PROLOGUE TO THE PROPHETS. 6. Joshua: The Conquest of Canaan. 7. Judges: Securing the Land. 8. Samuel: The Rise of Kingship. 9. Kings 1: The Early Monarchy. 10. Kings 2: The Assyrian Crisis. 11. Kings 3: The Babylonian Crisis. 12. Exilic Prophecy: Hope for the Future. 13. Post-exilic Prophecy: Return and Restoration. Part 3: WRITINGS: PROLOGUE TO THE WRITINGS. 14. Psalms: Complaint and Thanksgiving. 15. Proverbs and Job: The Wisdom of Israel. 16. Five Scrolls: Stories of the People. 17. Daniel: From History to Apocalypse. 18. Chronicler's History: Retelling the Story After the Hebrew Bible. 19. Apocrypha: Additions to the Story. 20. Pseudepigrapha: In Their Name. Conclusion: The Biblical Canon.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0534527272
• ISBN 13: 9780534527273
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 590