The Hebrew Bible

Discover the historical and social context of one of the most influential works ever written with this authoritative new resource

The newly revised second edition of The Hebrew Bible: A Contemporary Introduction to the Christian Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh delivers a brief and up-to-date introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in the broader context of world history. Its treatment of the formation of the Bible amidst different historical periods allows readers to understand the biblical texts in context. It also introduces readers to scholarly methods used to explore the formation of the Hebrew Bible and its later interpretation by Jews and Christians.

Written by a leading scholar in the field, this new edition incorporates the most recent research on the archaeology and history of early Israel, the formation of the Pentateuch, and the development of the historical and poetic books. Students will benefit from the inclusion of study questions in each chapter, focus texts from the Bible that illustrate major points, timelines, illustrations, photographs and a glossary to help them retain knowledge.

The book also includes:

• A deepened and up-to-date focus on recent methods of biblical study, including trauma studies, African American, womanist, and ecocritical approaches to the Bible
• An orientation to multiple bibles, translations and digital resources for study of the Bible
• An exploration of the emergence of ancient Israel, its first oral traditions and its earliest writings
• Discussions of how major features of the Bible reflect communal experiences of trauma and resilience as Israel survived under successive empires of the Ancient Near East.
• Fuller treatment of the final formation of biblical books in early Judaism, including coverage of diverse early Jewish texts (e.g. Ben Sira, Enoch, Judith) that were revered as scripture before there were more clearly defined Jewish and Christian Bibles

Designed for students of seminary courses and undergraduate students taking an introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, this second edition of The Hebrew Bible also will interest general readers with interest in the formation of the Bible.

List of Figures vii

List of Maps ix

Main Discussions/Outlines of Biblical Books x

Preface xiv

Acknowledgments xvii

List of Abbreviations xix

Overview of the Historical Period xx

Timeline xxii

Prologue: Multiple Bibles, Versions, and Translations 1

1 Studying the Bible in its Ancient Context(s) 19

2 The Emergence of Ancient Israel and its First Oral Traditions 35

3 Beginnings of the Monarchy and Royal and Zion Texts 59

4 Interlude: Echoes of Past Empires in Biblical Wisdom, Love Poetry, Law, and Narrative 77

5 Narrative and Prophecy Amidst the Rise and Fall of The Northern Kingdom 101

6 Micah, Isaiah, and the Southern Prophetic Encounter with Assyria 123

7 Torah and History in the Wake of the Assyrian Empire 139

8 Prophecy in the Transition from Assyrian to Babylonian Domination 165

9 Laments, History, and Prophecies after the Destruction of Jerusalem 177

10 Torah and Trauma 199

11 The Torah, the Psalms, and the Persian-Sponsored Rebuilding of Judah 227

12 Other Texts Formed in the Crucible of Post-Exilic Rebuilding 249

13 Hellenistic Empires and the Formation of Multiple Scriptures 265

Glossary 287

Index 301

"Not only does this textbook place the biblical writings within their different historical periods in a way that helps students to understand them in their respective backgrounds, but it also introduces students to a wide range of scholarly methods, equipping them to explore the compositional process of the biblical material."

DAVID M. CARR is Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He is an accomplished scholar and author and has written several books on the formation of the Bible, trauma studies and the Bible, and sexuality and the Bible.

Praise for the previous edition:

“An innovative approach to the Hebrew Bible. Instead of surveying the Bible book-by-book beginning with Genesis, this work introduces readers to the major works of the Bible by timeframe. With this approach, it is easier for readers to see both how biblical works are products of their times and how they respond to their times … A very readable introduction and a model of judicious synthesis.”
— MARK S. SMITH, New York University

“Carr’s volume provides a very readable and informative introduction to the study of the Hebrew Bible for beginning theological students. He combines a very useful analysis of the historical and social contexts in which the texts of the Bible were written together with an insightful account of the contexts in which they have been read in both Judaism and Christianity.”
— MARVIN A. SWEENEY, Claremont Graduate University

The newly revised second edition of The Hebrew Bible: A Contemporary Introduction to the Christian Old Testament and the Jewish Tanakh delivers a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in the broader context of world history. Its treatment of the formation of the Bible across different historical periods gives readers a richer understanding of how Old Testament writings were shaped through interaction with ancient empires while introducing them to multiple versions, translations, and digital resources for further study of the Bible.

Written by a leading scholar in the field, the second edition incorporates the most recent research on the archaeology and history of early Israel, the formation of the Pentateuch, and the development of the historical and poetic books, along with a deepened and current focus on recent methods of biblical study, including trauma studies, African American, womanist, and ecocritical approaches to the Bible. Students will benefit from the inclusion of study questions in each chapter, focus passages from the Bible, and other supplementary resources including timelines, illustrations, photographs, and a glossary to help them retain knowledge. Carr’s extensive treatment of the final formation of biblical books in early Judaism covers the diverse early Jewish texts (e.g. Ben Sira, Enoch, Judith) that were revered as scripture before there were more clearly defined Jewish and Christian Bibles.

Comprehensive and ideal for students of seminary courses and undergraduate students studying the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, this second edition of The Hebrew Bible will also interest general readers looking for an accessible guide to the history of the formation of the Bible.