A Rabbi Reads Collection (3 vols.)

Read the Bible with rabbi Jonathan Magonet and tap into 2,000 years of Jewish exegesis. Magonet draws on his own creativity as a poet and songwriter to read the biblical text, and uses it as a springboard for exploring the character of biblical personalities. He moves comfortably between the worlds of religious tradition and the questioning of the modern secular person. His skills as a popular lecturer and broadcaster help shape this lively book.

Magonet opens up the Bible in a variety of unexpected ways so that all readers will find their perspective and understanding changed and broadened. Its gentle introduction to the world of biblical Hebrew will encourage readers to explore the Bible in its original language. Whatever your starting point, after reading the Bible with a rabii, you will never find the Bible the same again.

After teaching the Psalms for 20 years, Jonathan Magonet has found that within the vast literature about them there is very little that introduces the kinds of interpretations made by the rabbis—whether ancient, medieval, or modern. Moreover, there are very few books which provide a user-friendly introduction to how one actually sets about working with the Hebrew text.

Magonet introduces the nature of biblical poetry, explores the poetic structure of the Psalms, and studies a number of psalms as a way of illustrating these aspects. No knowledge of Hebrew is necessary, as Magonet writes in a plain and straightforward style.

The Jewish tradition of reading a section of the Torah on a weekly basis during the course of a single year is a challenge to find something new each time in a familiar text. These short studies, based on a popular radio series, offer unexpected insights into the very different materials to be found in these biblical books and apply them to the realities of personal, social, and political life today. Rabbi Magonet’s personal engagement in interfaith dialogue opens the world of Jewish tradition to the widest audience of those within and beyond our different faith communities.