The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures

Lucidly written by leading biblical scholar Michael D. Coogan, this balanced, engaging, and up-to-date introduction to the Hebrew scriptures distills the best of current scholarship. Employing the narrative chronology of the Bible itself and the history of the ancient Near East as a framework, Coogan covers all the books of the Hebrew Bible, along with the deuterocanonical books included in the Bible used by many Christians. He treats every book of the canon with careful attention to its historical context, its particular genre, and its distinctive features. Dealing in detail with ancient Near Eastern sources and archaeological data, Coogan works from a primarily historical and critical methodology but also introduces students to literary analysis and other interpretive strategies, especially current ones.

Read more

The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures is enhanced by a glossary, timelines, photos, illustrations, maps, and a four-color insert on Jerusalem in biblical times. Strategically placed boxes address issues that often puzzle readers of the Bible, provide models of interpretation of particular texts, and discuss their significance for Judaism and Christianity. Each chapter includes a preview and summary, key terms, questions for review and discussion, and suggestions for further reading.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

* Fully revised and updated throughout

* Two new introductory chapters that provide students with the context necessary to analyze the biblical texts—one on the composition of the Old Testament and one on the history and geography of the ancient Near East and how it influenced the Hebrew Bible.

* An updated Instructor's Manual and Testbank on CD and a Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/cooganfeaturing resources for both instructors and students

* A FREE 6-month subscription to Oxford Biblical Studies Online (www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com), edited by Michael D. Coogan, which provides students with unrivalled access to six essential Oxford Bibles; Concordances; the Oxford Bible Commentary; nearly 5,000 A-Z articles, from Abel to Zion, integrated with chapter-based scholarly works; hundreds of images and maps; and countless other internet resources.

Audience
adult
Length
long · 562 pages

Click a tag to see books like this one that share it. Point at it (on a phone, tap it) for less of it instead.

Read it? Sign in to help tag it.

Liked The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. Introduction to Saint Thomas Aquinas Shares religion, theology, nonfiction
  2. Understanding the Old Testament Shares religion, old testament, biblical studies
  3. The God of Old: Inside the Lost World of the Bible Shares old testament, religion, nonfiction
  4. Theology of The Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy Shares old testament, biblical studies, theology

“People who read The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures tend to reach for these next.”

  1. Gospel Parallels: A Comparison of the Synoptic Gospels, NRSV
  2. Catholicism: New Study Edition--Completely Revised and Updated
  3. Armchair Mystic: Easing Into Contemplative Prayer
  4. In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience

“If you want more of the same (history about religion), start with these.”

  1. New Testament History and Literature (The Open Yale Courses Series)
  2. Deep Exegesis: The Mystery of Reading Scripture
  3. Who Killed Jesus?: Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the Death of Jesus
  4. The Book of Genesis

“If it was the old testament that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. A Biblical History of Israel
  2. Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey
  3. Introduction to the Bible (The Open Yale Courses Series)
  4. On the Reliability of the Old Testament

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings
  2. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible
  3. The Oxford Bible Commentary
  4. HCSB: Holman Christian Standard Bible