Who Wrote the Bible? (Second Edition) [B0698]

2019 PB in nice clean condition. 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?

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Excellent and insightful book about a seemingly impossible question to answer. And while we may not have the full names of the authors of the Bible, Friedman does a spectacular job walking through the historical context and other clues to discern at least 3-4 distinct authors (one being more of an editor)."; "This work is a foundational tool for understanding the composition of the core books of the Hebrew Bible. The understanding Dr. Friedman explains in this work enhances the sacred value of the Hebrew Bible and shows us the true extent of Divine Providence work in forging and preserving the text for us to transmit, teach, and treasure."; "Absolutely fascinating! I found this an exciting read, because I learned so much. Several times I was also intrigued to look up topics he mentioned or add more to my To Read list. This book helps explain why the Torah sometimes has contradictory versions of a story side by side, and much more. I learned interesting history and biblical authorship information that I will keep in mind when studying the Torah in the future. I found the book to be quite accessible."