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shiradest's review
5.0
This book was absolutely fascinating, and also very well-written!! It deserves a place on the bookshelf of any serious student of Biblical or even just ancient near-eastern history, imho.
Five authors: the J, E, P, D and R are found in a great summary of modern Higher Literary criticism of the Biblical texts known to Christians as the Old Testament, and just the Bible or TNaCH to Jewish readers. The J and E are roughly contemporary, from the time of the Northern kingdom and the Kingdom of Yehuda (Solomon's kids southern kingdom): J=Jehovah vs E for Elohim via the Hebrew names for God: two ancient texts combined into one. The P was a priestly document which accounts for the various 'where he shall place his name' lines coming up seemingly randomly in sacrifce laws, D=Deuteronomist, and the Redactor edited it all together into one document, apparently without dropping a line, and coherent enough to inspire a national narrative going forward after the Babylonian exile! Now that is beautiful genius!
Overall, I found it reassuring that various groups of writers show different but clear motivations for writing the books that began as separate works. It was quite interesting to see why and when those books could have been combined due to changing historical circumstances.
It was also surprising for me to learn of the Judean refugees in Egypt. But this does explain the presence of the Jewish mercenaries on the Nile island of Elephantine. I loved his phrase on page 144: "from Egypt to Egypt" and also possibly related to that is a reference on page 146 that I must look up: Baba Batra 15a from the Talmud Bavli (I just found this note with no other context... but here is a source ref: https://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Batra.15a ).
I found it thrilling to see the idea of Jeremiah as writing Deuteronomy, and of Ezra or his scribe Baruch as the redactor. These findings closed for me what had previously been gaping wounds based on my own problems with the inconsistencies within the Biblical texts. Now I can read and study these texts in the knowledge that it is no secret that these writings were put together for a purpose by multiple people, yet serve a purpose greater perhaps than even the redactor himself could have forseen at the time. Hope, inspiration and magnificence all come from the pages written and redated into one whole, and this is an amazing example of the Divinity that human cooperation can produce.
27 June, 12017 HE
(Holocene or Human Era)
Shira
Five authors: the J, E, P, D and R are found in a great summary of modern Higher Literary criticism of the Biblical texts known to Christians as the Old Testament, and just the Bible or TNaCH to Jewish readers. The J and E are roughly contemporary, from the time of the Northern kingdom and the Kingdom of Yehuda (Solomon's kids southern kingdom): J=Jehovah vs E for Elohim via the Hebrew names for God: two ancient texts combined into one. The P was a priestly document which accounts for the various 'where he shall place his name' lines coming up seemingly randomly in sacrifce laws, D=Deuteronomist, and the Redactor edited it all together into one document, apparently without dropping a line, and coherent enough to inspire a national narrative going forward after the Babylonian exile! Now that is beautiful genius!
Overall, I found it reassuring that various groups of writers show different but clear motivations for writing the books that began as separate works. It was quite interesting to see why and when those books could have been combined due to changing historical circumstances.
It was also surprising for me to learn of the Judean refugees in Egypt. But this does explain the presence of the Jewish mercenaries on the Nile island of Elephantine. I loved his phrase on page 144: "from Egypt to Egypt" and also possibly related to that is a reference on page 146 that I must look up: Baba Batra 15a from the Talmud Bavli (I just found this note with no other context... but here is a source ref: https://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Batra.15a ).
I found it thrilling to see the idea of Jeremiah as writing Deuteronomy, and of Ezra or his scribe Baruch as the redactor. These findings closed for me what had previously been gaping wounds based on my own problems with the inconsistencies within the Biblical texts. Now I can read and study these texts in the knowledge that it is no secret that these writings were put together for a purpose by multiple people, yet serve a purpose greater perhaps than even the redactor himself could have forseen at the time. Hope, inspiration and magnificence all come from the pages written and redated into one whole, and this is an amazing example of the Divinity that human cooperation can produce.
27 June, 12017 HE
(Holocene or Human Era)
Shira
backlogbooks's review
informative
5.0
Very informative overview on biblical scholarship, focusing on the first five books of the Bible. It was organized in a way that made sense & helped with the concepts—it starts with an overall introduction to the academic investigation into biblical authorship, and how they distinguish source texts from each other within the bible, and then with each source text gave a chapter on the time period on which it was written before explaining the investigation into the author of the specific source text. I found it really interesting, and appreciated the last chapter, which goes back to considering this section of the bible as a whole after having split it into its parts for the bulk of the analysis.
Also, appreciate being filled in on the drama between rival priest factions in biblical history, very important to me to know that the golden calf story was a dig at Aaron 🤣
Also, appreciate being filled in on the drama between rival priest factions in biblical history, very important to me to know that the golden calf story was a dig at Aaron 🤣
zekethejedi's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
A landmark introduction to Biblical Scholarship and the Documentary Hypothesis. Dr Friedman's knowledge and charisma are only matched by his ability to translate hundreds of years of Biblical Scholarship into an incredibly beginner-friendly and fun read.
jedi_indyjones's review
5.0
This has been the most insightful book on the Torah I have read yet. I have several others of Friedman that I plan to read. This period of antiquity is really fascinating to me. I finished the Torah just before the end of last year using [b:The Harper Collins Study Bible|20892033|The Harper Collins Study Bible (NRSV)|Wayne A. Meeks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600489959l/20892033._SX50_.jpg|40234875], which I recommend. I have been listening to [a:Jordan Peterson|20540303|Jordan Peterson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s lectures on the Bible, which certainly takes a psychological, philosophical, and Jungian approach to the text, but I have always been interested in the history of the Bible's formation. I think this was the right book to kick things off. This book was really digestible and I found myself thinking about it while it was put down. It also has helped me appreciate the text even more. I am a skeptic and I look for the understanding in sacred texts while avoiding the dogma. I think knowing the history is vital to understanding the claims in scripture, but that's just me. I have many more of Friedman's books on the subject and I am greatly interested in the work done by others on the subject as well. [a:Israel Finkelstein|98755|Israel Finkelstein|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1278725001p2/98755.jpg] and [a:Neil Asher Silberman|98756|Neil Asher Silberman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1278724683p2/98756.jpg] have [b:The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts|169479|The Bible Unearthed Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts|Israel Finkelstein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348974667l/169479._SY75_.jpg|163655], which I am reading now and [b:David and Solomon: In Search of the Bible's Sacred Kings and the Roots of the Western Tradition|169480|David and Solomon In Search of the Bible's Sacred Kings and the Roots of the Western Tradition|Israel Finkelstein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436912252l/169480._SY75_.jpg|163656]. Finkelstein and [a:Thomas Römer|702201|Thomas Römer|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] have a new series on Youtube discussing Biblical Archeology at the different sites. Very interesting indeed! Also [a:Harold Bloom|236|Harold Bloom|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1212940902p2/236.jpg] has had some great books that have elevated this field that I plan to read too. There are some great books out there on Biblical Archeology and I am so excited to read more and more on this subject. Who Wrote the Bible? is the perfect book to start the Journey on.
kaylana's review
4.0
Fascinating research an who, when, and how of the first five books of the Old Testament.
brucelee1255's review
3.0
This book deals a lot more with what was AROUND the writing of the Bible rather than naming names. Granted, sometimes being able to nail down a specific place and time that something was written can be a lot more enlightening than saying, "The writer was a guy named Ted." Still, it's interesting to say the least.
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