Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Norman Cohn <normanncohn AT yahoo.com.br>]

Hi, list!

 

I'm opening this thread to share with you my enthusiasm and fascination for a book I've just recently finished reading: James Kugel's "How to read the bible". I'd also like to know from those who have read it what you think about it. Since the book deals with the biblical literature in a scholarly way and delves into the richness of the hebrew language, I thought that'd make a good topic, especially if you feel like commenting on his particular readings of certain difficult or important passages (difficult in a literary and linguistic sense,  not in a moral or even theological one).  

 

This must be, if not the best, one of the best books I ever read on the Hebrew Bible.

 

The breadth of its scope, the brilliance of its analyses and the thoroughness with which it addresses the topics make it a indispensable resource for anyone interested in the Hebrew Bible. It manages to be both a wide-ranging guide to interpreting the Hebrew Bible and a history of the interpretations thereof.

 

And on top of it, the book is also very entertaining. Or at least just as entertaining as a book of this sort can be!  

 

Needless to say, much of the book deals with language and translation issues, as it'd be impossible to deal with the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible without deeply reflecting on the Hebrew language in which it was written.

 

If you haven't read it yet, I strongly suggest you to do so whenever you find some free time.

 

Best regards,

 

Norman Cohn

São Paulo - Brazil