Who Wrote the Bible? by Richard Friedman

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Who Wrote the Bible? by Richard Friedman

A much anticipated reissue of Who Wrote the Bible?--the contemporary classic the New York Times Book Review called a thought-provoking and] perceptive guide that identifies the individual writers of the Pentateuch and explains what they can teach us about the origins of the Bible.

For thousands of years, the prophet Moses was regarded as the sole author of the first five books of the Bible, known as the Pentateuch. According to tradition, Moses was divinely directed to write down foundational events in the history of the world: the creation of humans, the worldwide flood, the laws as they were handed down at Mt. Sinai, and the cycle of Israel's enslavement and liberation from Egypt.

However, these stories--and their frequent discrepancies--provoke questions: why does the first chapter in Genesis say that man and woman were made in God's image, while the second says that woman was made from man's rib? Why does one account of the flood say it lasted forty days, while another records no less than one hundred? And why do some stories reflect the history of southern Judah, while others seem sourced from northern Israel?

Originally published in 1987, Richard Friedman's Who Wrote the Bible? joins a host of modern scholars who show that the Pentateuch was written by at least four distinct voices--separated by borders, political alliances, and particular moments in history--then connected by brilliant editors. Rather than cast doubt onto the legitimacy of the Bible, Friedman uses these divergent accounts to illuminate a text that was written by real people. Friedman's seminal and bestselling text is a comprehensive and authoritative answer to the question: just who exactly wrote the Bible?

Richard Elliott Friedman is a professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of Georgia and one of the country's foremost bible experts. He is the best-selling author of Who Wrote the Bible? He currently resides in Athens, Georgia.

SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9781501192401
ISBN 10 150119240X
Title Who Wrote the Bible?
Author Richard Friedman
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Year published 2019-01-01
Number of pages 304
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.