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Title: Who Wrote the Bible? by Richard Elliott Friedman ISBN: 0-06-063035-3 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 01 March, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.27 (52 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A very thorough analysis
Comment: Richard Friedman, a highly respected academic, has written a very probing and revealing work regarding the authorship of the Bible. Not only does Friedman conclusively demonstrate the validity of the documentary hypothesis, which assigns four authors and a redactor to the books supposedly written by Moses, but he goes into detail as to why this was done.. Ancient rivalries between the Mosaic and the Aaronid priesthoods, additional rivalries between the northern and southern kingdoms, and the need for a foundational work attributable to Moses by those who saw the downfall of the Davidic dynasty are all examined skillfully by Friedman, who artfully laces these clues together into a compelling account of how the old testament came to be.
Many critics of this work are quick to claim that only someone seeing with spirtually guided eyes could possibly understand the real meaning of the Bible, be it the old or new testament. But this is a fallacious argument that depends on self-election into God's informed elite, not on principles of true dispassionate scholarship..
Friedman's book liberates the bible from its fundamentalist chokehold and portrays it in historical and literary terms that preserve the lure and beauty of its prose while developing a modern and sobering account of it's origins.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Detective Story of the Highest Caliber
Comment: I had read several books that purported to explain the origins of the Old Testament, but they tended to make assertions without explanations. Perhaps they were too advanced for me. This book, however, explains in great detail how it arrives at its conclusions.
It is great fun to read parts of the book and ask yourself: Whodunit? For example, there's one place where you are compelled to predict who wrote about the Golden Calf incident. I picked J, but the author picked E. After he explained his decision, I had to admit that he was probably right and I was probably wrong. Not so good for my ego, but an enjoyable puzzle nonetheless.
The author is careful not to overstate his case. In situations where he lacks sufficient evidence, he points this out. This level of caution makes the whole work much more credible.
I greatly enjoyed the way he explained how the political reality of the ancient Near East created pressures to write (or compile) a particular KIND of book. Prior to this, I knew that many Bible stories contained contradictions, but I didn't know why.
What is interesting about this -- though this may be lost on literalists -- is that the analysis of the Bible in no way diminishes it. Indeed, by explaining the reasons for the contradictions (rather than simply explaining-away), this book greatly increases my respect for the Bible.
I think everybody who claims to know the Bible should read this book. It's all very well to memorize chapter and verse, but if you don't know of the Bible's origins, you can hardly claim to understand all its implications.
Rating: 5
Summary: The best book on the Hebrew Bible
Comment: If you want to learn all about the fascinating Old Testament scholarship of the 20th century, you can either spend a few years in divinity school or read this book. Of course, reading the book is a whole lot cheaper. =)
Actually, Friedman does not discuss the entire Old Testament, but only the first five books (the Torah, or Pentateuch), which are traditionally held to have been written by Moses. He outlines how modern scholarship has in fact identified several different authors, usually referred to as the Yahwist, Elohist, Priestly and Deuteronomist sources, as well as a final Redactor or editor. Brilliant stuff, and Friedman makes it read like the greatest bit of historical detective work ever.
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Title: Who Wrote the New Testament?: The Making of the Christian Myth by Burton L. MacK ISBN: 0060655186 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 01 September, 1996 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts by Neil Asher Silberman, Israel Finkelstein ISBN: 0684869136 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Hidden Book in the Bible by Richard E. Friedman ISBN: 0060630043 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 01 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: The Bible With Sources Revealed: A New View into the Five Books of Moses by Richard Elliott Friedman ISBN: 0060530693 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 25 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: 101 Myths of the Bible: How Ancient Scribes Invented Biblical History by Gary Greenberg ISBN: 1570718423 Publisher: Sourcebooks Pub. Date: 01 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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