Opening the Old Testament

This succinct and innovative book shows readers how to read and appreciate the Old Testament: as history, as literature or as theology. Offering an ideal ‘taster’ of Old Testament themes and issues, the book encourages students to explore various forms of interpretation and develop a lively interaction with the texts.

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• Ideal for those with little experience and knowledge of the Old Testament who need an introduction to how to read it, and why it is still relevant to our world today
  
• Integrates key themes and approaches in Old Testament scholarship, including theological, literary, and historical interpretations
  
• Written from a predominantly Christian perspective, covering issues relating to the nature of the Old Testament, its authority, and contemporary relevance.

List of Figures.

List of Maps.

Preface.

1. What is the Old Testament?.

2. How to ‘Open’ the Old Testament.

3. How to ‘Open’ the Old Testament for Ethical Guidance.

4. Opening the Old Testament Theologically.

5. Opening Difficult or Liberating Texts.

Further Reading.

Index

"A traditional, pious Christian will find in this book encouragement to open the Old Testament.... A reader will learn that the Old Testament is more diverse (and perhaps more interesting) than he or she may have expected." (Expository Times, March 2009) Katharine Dell is Senior Lecturer in Old Testament Studies in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge and Fellow, Tutor and Director of Studies in Theology at St Catharine’s College. She is the author of The Book of Proverbs in Social and Theological Context (2006), Seeking a Life that Matters: Lessons for today from the book of Proverbs (2002), Job, The Peoples’ Bible Commentary (2002), Get Wisdom, Get Insight: An Introduction to Israel's Wisdom Literature (2000), Shaking a Fist at God: Understanding Suffering through the book of Job (1995) and The Book of Job as Sceptical Literature (1991). She is currently working on Ecclesiastes – the third mainstream wisdom book. This succinct and innovative book shows readers how to read and appreciate the Old Testament. Written for those with little experience or knowledge of the Old Testament and its character, it is an ideal first step before turning to more lengthy introductions and commentaries. The book explores the authority and contemporary relevance of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is a rich canon of texts of many different genres and can be read in a number of ways: as history, as literature, or as theology. Opening the Old Testament explores these and other forms of interpretation, showing readers how to use them and form a lively interaction with the texts. The result is an engaging, student-friendly textbook that enables the reader to understand what the Old Testament is, how to read it and why it is still relevant to our world today.

"Colleagues who have been teaching introductory Hebrew Bible should know that there is now a truly creative and absolutely reader-friendly introductory textbook on the market."
–Kristin de Troyer, Claremont School of Theology

"This is a very successful attempt to 'open' the Old Testament for the reader with no specialist knowledge. By concentrating on selected passages in detail, Katharine Dell introduces the major themes and genres of the Bible in an accessible way, and then provides the background information needed to understand the bigger picture. An invaluable guide for anyone puzzled or intrigued by the Old Testament."
–John Barton, University of Oxford

"Upon opening Katherine Dell’s Opening the Old Testament, the reader will encounter a lucid treatment of ancient Israel’s Psalmody, a refreshing way of introducing the daunting world of Old Testament literature. This is a new textbook designed for a new generation of readers. It deserves to be used widely."
–William P. Brown, Columbia Theological Seminary