Language:
English
Pages:
LXII, 538 Seiten
,
Illustrationen
Edition:
1. Auflage
Year of publication:
2021
Abstract:
The volume covers a period that witnessed the initial development of many phenomena that would come to define Jewish culture and civilization: the Hebrew language and alphabet, Israelite/Jewish law and religion (in particular, monotheism), and the books of the Hebrew Bible, that Tigay and Berlin describe as “Israel’s greatest and most distinctive cultural achievement.” This volume is first chronologically of a monumental anthology of primary sources. Volume 1: Ancient Israel covers the longest time period of any of the volumes. It reaches back into the second millennium BCE and extends into the fourth century BCE. It contains selections from what became the Hebrew Bible, Israel’s anthology of major literary works that subsequently influenced millions. As Tigay and Berlin note, “the Bible contains accounts of Israel’s past, visions of its destiny, and scenes from daily life. It exemplifies its authors’ literary art, their spiritual worldview, their civil and religious laws, their vision of society and critique of its shortcomings.” Biblical selections are presented here as expressive of ancient Israel’s culture and are often juxtaposed with extrabiblical materials, from Israel and its neighbors, that illuminate that culture. The selections are organized by genre, rather than in the order they appear in the Bible. Prominent among these genres are poetry, prophetic literature, and long prose narratives. The volume also presents laws and legal documents as well as lists, catalogues, and letters. Grouping the types of material based on genre makes clear that “the Bible is not a single, monolithic book but a collection of very different types of writing, each with its own character and purpose.” Reading these biblical and extrabiblical materials in the context of Volume 1 exemplifies the extraordinary vision guiding The Posen Library. A rich sampling of visual and material culture complements the written texts since the Bible itself contains no images, only verbal descriptions.
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