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The Original Torah: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers

Publisher:
, 2023
ISBN: 9781479819133

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“An excellent and provocative read . . . challenges the reader to rethink previously held suppositions concerning biblical texts.” —Carl S. Ehrlich, York University
 
Is the Torah true? Do the five books of Moses provide an accurate historical account of the people of ancient Israel’s origins?
 
In The Original Torah, S. David Sperling argues that, while there is no archeological evidence to support much of the activity chronicled in the Torah, a historical reality exists there if we know how to seek it.
 
By noting the use of foreign words or mentions of technological innovations scholars can often pinpoint the date and place in which a text was written. Sperling examines the stories of the Torah against their historical and geographic backgrounds and arrives at a new conclusion: the tales of the Torah were originally composed as allegories whose purpose was intentionally political.
 
The book illustrates how the authors of the Pentateuch advanced their political and religious agenda by attributing deeds of historical figures like Jeroboam and David to ancient allegorical characters like Abraham and Jacob. If “Abraham” had made peace with Philistines, for example, then David could rely on a precedent to do likewise. The Original Torahprovides a new interpretive key to the foundational document of both Judaism and Christianity.
 
“Contribute[s] to one of the most important debates in the history of the Jewish people, on the very nature of Israel and the Covenant.” —James R. Russell, Harvard University
 
“The modern biblical interpreter . . . faces a daunting task in trying to unravel the intentions of the Torah's authors. S. does not retreat from the challenge.” ― Theological Studies
 
 

  • Title: The Original Torah: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers
  • Author: S. David Sperling
  • Publisher: NYU Press
  • Print Publication Date: 2023
  • Logos Release Date: 2024
  • Language: English
  • Resources: 1
  • Format: Digital › Ebook
  • ISBNs: 9781479819133, 9780814798331, 0814798330, 1479819131
  • Resource ID: LLS:9781479819133
  • Resource Type: Monograph
  • Metadata Last Updated: 2024-05-16T11:43:51Z

Dr. Sperling is Professor of Bible at HUC-JIR/New York. He was educated at Brooklyn College, Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University. He specializes in Bible, ancient Semitic languages and history of Israelite region. Education * Ordained, JTS (1967) * Ph.D., Columbia University (1973) Lecture Titles * Is the Bible Historical? * Magic in the Bible * When did God become Jewish? * Is Rich Better? – A Biblical Perspective * Erotica Biblica Recent Books * Students of the Covenant: A History of Jewish Biblical Scholarship in North America Scholars Press, Atlanta, 1992 (order on-line from amazon.com) * The Original Torah: The Political Intent of the Bible’s Writers New York University Press, 1998. (order on-line from amazon.com) The

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    $15.39

    Digital list price: $27.99
    Save $12.60 (45%)