The Books of Moses: Opening the Books

Opening the Books of Moses presents an introduction to the first five books of the Bible. It is written for any student engaged in the scholarly study of these most central of biblical texts. The aim throughout is to examine the books with a view to illuminating the ideas, beliefs and experiences of the time. This broad overview provides: a survey of the current state of Pentateuchal research; an analysis of how the texts were shaped by their time and audience; an outline of Jewish areas in the Persian period; the study concludes with an analysis of key concerns in the study of the Pentateuch, notably the Torah, geography, ethnicity, the nature of Yahweh and other deities, theories of cult, treaties and oaths, and Moses himself.

Diana Edelman is Reader in the Department of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield. Her research focuses on the history and archaeology of the southern Levant, the development of early forms of Judaism and the creation of authoritative biblical books.

Philip R. Davies is Research Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield.

Christophe Nihan is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Lausanne.

Thomas Romer is Professor of Hebrew Bible at the Faculty of Theology and History of Religions of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He is also Professor of Biblical Studies at the College de France, Paris. He is the author and editor of several books focusing on the Pentateuch and the Former Prophets.