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

Coogan, Michael D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195378407 ISBN 13: 9780195378405

Publisher: Oxford Univ Pr, 2010

Synopsis

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.

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/coogan featuring 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.

About this title

Review

"Michael D. Coogan's The Old Testament is a comprehensive and thoughtful introduction to the body of knowledge generated by over a century of Biblical scholarship. This book lucidly and carefully introduces undergraduate students to new ways of studying a very old book, and to the fascinating and contentious field of professional Biblical scholarship."--Vickie Larsen, University of Michigan, Flint

"This is a top-quality book in all ways: great scholarship, great graphics, and careful attention to detail."--Timothy Dwyer, Roberts Wesleyan College

"The Old Testament is an excellent book for both professors and students. Coogan is thorough in his scope and economical in his prose, making complicated issues understandable for students of various levels."--Jason Gaines, Fairfield University and Mount Holyoke College

About the Author

Michael D. Coogan is Lecturer on the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at the Harvard Divinity School and Director of Publications for the Harvard Semitic Museum. He is the author of A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament, Third Edition (2015), A Reader of Ancient Near Eastern Texts (2012), and The Old Testament: A Very Short Introduction (2008), all published by Oxford University Press.

Cynthia R. Chapman is the Adelia A.F. Johnston and Harry Thomas Frank Associate Professor of Religion at Oberlin College, where she has taught biblical studies for twelve years. She is the author of The House of the Mother: The Social Function of Maternal Kin in Biblical Hebrew Narrative and Poetry (2016) and The Gendered Language of Warfare in the Israelite-Assyrian Encounter (2004).

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford Univ Pr
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0195378407
• ISBN 13: 9780195378405
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 562