A review by jedi_indyjones
Who Wrote the Bible? by Richard Elliott Friedman

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.