Exodus 19-40: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary

A masterful study that provides perspective on Israelite culture and on the role of ritual, law, and covenant in biblical religion

The conclusion to William H. C. Propp’s sweeping study of Exodus is informed by Propp’s deep understanding of ancient cultural mores and religious traditions. This volume, which includes critical textual evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls, casts new light on the Israelites’ arrival at Sinai, their entry into a covenant with God, their reception of the Law, their worship of the golden calf, and their reconciliation to God. The incisive commentary on the building of the Holy Tabernacle–God’s wilderness abode–is supplemented by numerous illustrations.

Propp extends the scope and relevance of this major work in appendices on the literary formation of the Torah, the historicity of the Exodus tradition, the origins of Israelite monotheism, the Exodus theme in the Bible, and the future of Old Testament scholarship. By taking an anthropological rather than strictly theological approach, Propp places familiar stories within a fresh context. The result is a fully accessible guide to one of the most important and best-known books of the Bible.

William H. C. Propp is a professor of history and Judaic studies at the University of California, San Diego. He has written on the Hebrew Bible for such respected scholarly journals as the Catholic Biblical Quarterly, the Journal of Biblical Literature, Vetus Testamentum, and Bible Review. He lives in La Jolla, CA.