The Book of J

Bloom, Prof Harold (Interpreted by), Translated from the Hebrew by David Rosenberg

ISBN 10: 0571161111 / ISBN 13: 9780571161119

Published by Faber and Faber Ltd, London, 1991

About this Item

First UK edition, first impression. Some slight edge wear and chipping to top and bottom of jacket and spine, corners slightly rubbed, some faint scratches to spine, some slight yellowing to page block. Not price clipped (£14.99), no inscriptions, internally clean tight and almost square, overall a vg+ copy for its age. 286pp. In this work of literary restoration, Harold Bloom and David Rosenberg recover a lost masterpiece by a nameless writer know as J, author of the oldest and most powerful stories in the Bible. Religious tradition ascribes authorship of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Old Testament, to Moses, but scholars agree that it is in fact a composite work consisting of texts by several different authors, woven together around 400 BCE by a master editor whom scholars know as the Redactor or R. The oldest of these texts, running through Genesis, Exodus and Numbers was written by the author whom scholars call J, probably in the 10th century BCE. For the first time, Bloom and Rosenberg lift the J text out of the surrounding material so that it stands as the classic it is. Bloom argues on aesthetic grounds that J is a writer of the stature of Homer, Shakespeare and Tolstoy, and on literary and psychological grounds that J was a woman, very likely a woman of the royal house living at the King Solomon's court. Paradoxically, on Bloom's interpretation, J is in no sense a religious writer. Rather she is an ironist with formidable powers of characterization, as revealed in her portrait of Adam, Joseph, Moses, Eve, Rebecca and Tamar. But J's finest creation is her Yahweh, an exuberant vitalist who is a far cry from the remote Jehovah superimposed by R and other editors. In Rosenberg's rendering, J's language is powerfully inventive, punning, playful and uncanny and her men and women are crafty and courageous. Quite a scarce book.

Seller Inventory # 009019

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Book of J
• Publisher: Faber and Faber Ltd, London
• Publication Date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0571161111
• ISBN 13: 9780571161119
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Jacket by Irene von Treskow
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

J is the title that scholars ascribe to the nameless writer they believe is responsible for the text, written between 950 & 900, on which Genesis, Exodus & Numbers is based. In The Book of J, Bloom & Rosenberg draw the J text out of the surrounding material & present it as the seminal classic it is. In addition to Rosenberg's original translations, Bloom argues in several essays that "J" was not a religious writer but a fierce ironist & a woman living in the court of King Solomon. He also argues that J is a writer on par with Homer, Shakespeare & Tolstoy. Bloom also offers historical context, a discussion of the theory of how the different texts came together to create the Bible & translation notes. Rosenberg's translations from the Hebrew bring J's stories to life & reveal her towering originality & grasp of humanity.

From the Publisher

"[Rosenberg's] version is exhilarating: it evokes the power of the poetry and the force of the human predicament....Eloquent....Bloom's vision...is startling but convincing."--Grace Schulman