The Story of Hebrew: 10 (Library of Jewish Ideas, 10) - Hardcover

Glinert, Lewis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691153299 ISBN 13: 9780691153292

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2017

Synopsis

A unique history of the Hebrew language from biblical times to the modern Jewish state This book explores the extraordinary hold that Hebrew has had on Jews and Christians, who have invested it with a symbolic power far beyond that of any other language in history. Preserved by the Jews across two millennia, Hebrew endured long after it ceased to be a mother tongue, resulting in one of the most intense textual cultures ever known. It was a bridge to Greek and Arab science. It unlocked the biblical sources for Jerome and the Reformation. Kabbalists and humanists sought philosophical truth in it, and Colonial Americans used it to shape their own Israelite political identity. Today, it is the first language of millions of Israelis. The Story of Hebrew takes readers from the opening verses of Genesis--which seemingly describe the creation of Hebrew itself--to the reincarnation of Hebrew as the everyday language of the Jewish state. Lewis Glinert explains the uses and meanings of Hebrew in ancient Israel and its role as a medium for wisdom and prayer. He describes the early rabbis' preservation of Hebrew following the Babylonian exile, the challenges posed by Arabic, and the prolific use of Hebrew in Diaspora art, spirituality, and science. Glinert looks at the conflicted relationship Christians had with Hebrew from the Renaissance to the Counter-Reformation, the language's fatal rivalry with Yiddish, the dreamers and schemers that made modern Hebrew a reality, and how a lost pre-Holocaust textual ethos is being renewed today by Orthodox Jews. A major work of scholarship, The Story of Hebrew is an unforgettable account of what one language has meant to those possessing it.

About this title

Review:

"Finalist for the 2017 National Jewish Book Award in History (Gerrard and Ella Berman Memorial Award)"

"Elegant. . . . The Story of Hebrew covers a great deal of ground in a readable style, studded with stories and quotations that make clear how astonishing it is that out of the fossil DNA of this sacred language, a new creation has arisen."---David Wolpe, Weekly Standard

"Witty and learned. . . . I thought that I was well versed in the history of Hebrew, but there was hardly a page in this book on which I didn't learn something new. And Glinert is a pleasure to spend time with; his authorial voice in The Story of Hebrew reminds me of those famous BBC radio talks given by enormously erudite Oxbridge dons: authoritative, amusing, and crystal clear."---Alan Mintz, Jewish Review of Books

"The Story of Hebrew does not require even a rusty knowledge of the language. Glinert's writing is compelling for anyone who has some background in the Jewish scriptures and the history of the people who preserved the holy tongue--from ancient Israel to diaspora Judaism and back to Israel again in recent decades. Glinert also explores the role of Hebrew in the Christian imagination, including the way the language shaped American colonial life."--Christian Century

"Glinert brings the Hebrew story to life with such a wealth of intriguing cultural detail in so astonishingly few pages of lively, engaging exposition that his account is must reading for all who revel in the history and elasticity of languages."---Ray Olson, Booklist

"An insightful, entertaining, and essential guide to the origins and evolution of the Hebrew language. . . . This is a must-read for students of language and Jewish history."--Publishers Weekly

"The Story of Hebrew . . . is enormously rewarding for those wishing to familiarize themselves with the evolution both of the Hebrew language and attitudes toward it. . . . Glinert is an excellent tour guide. Many of the book's most compelling stories are those that help explain how, during the nearly two millennia during which it had generally ceased to be a spoken language, Hebrew continued to be central to the lives of Jews."---Howard Freedman, J Weekly

"Valuable. . . . Glinert has written a scholarly book designed for and accessible to the layman. In a brief 250 pages he succinctly and convincingly demonstrates that through the centuries Hebrew was more living than dead."---David Isaac, Washington Free Beacon

"The Story of Hebrew is a scholarly, engaging history of the language. . . . Richly detailed and wholly fascinating. Glinert is an engaging storyteller, always lucid, wry and accessible."---Jonathan Kirsch, Jewish Journal

"A major work of scholarship, The Story of Hebrew is an unforgettable account of what one language has meant to those possessing it."--Israel News Online

From the Back Cover:

"In this incandescent narrative of an ever-renewing tongue, masterful linguist Lewis Glinert traces how Hebrew, however severely displaced from its native ground, has continued through centuries of tribulation to nurture its heritage. Elegantly luring us from one intellectual movement to the next, he arrives at history's most moving culmination: the language of the Book returning at last to the everyday voices of little children."--Cynthia Ozick, author of Critics, Monsters, Fanatics, and Other Literary Essays

"An absolutely fascinating story--about the history of Jewish culture, the power of language, and the enduring meaning of Hebrew for Jews and non-Jews alike. Written with command, grace, and charm, this is a marvelous and utterly engaging work."--Barry W. Holtz, Theodore and Florence Baumritter Professor of Jewish Education, Jewish Theological Seminary

"Superb. The Story of Hebrew is a wonderful book--elegantly written, meticulously researched, and exciting to read. A magnificent study."--Curt Leviant, author of the novels King of Yiddish and Kafka's Son

"Masterfully written. Glinert's in-depth account of the sociolinguistic, historical, and cultural aspects of Hebrew is entirely new. A significant contribution to the field."--Aharon Maman, Bialik Professor of Hebrew Language, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0691153299
• ISBN 13: 9780691153292
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 296