Judaism Books - Page 7

The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts

Neil Asher Silberman, Israel Finkelstein

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Subjects -> History -> Ancient -> General
Subjects -> History -> Ancient -> General AAS
Subjects -> History -> Middle East -> Israel

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 111 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Joseph's Camels Don't Fit 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Ancient Israel was not an empire of great cities but was a tiny kingdom. The spell-binding saga of the Exodus was not a historic epic but was a moving product of human imagination. Many of the stories happened in a different era than portrayed in the Bible; many were exaggerated and misrepresented; some didn't happen at all.

Here's just one example of how we know this:

The stories of the patriarchs are loaded with camels but archeology clearly tells us camels were not domesticated and widely used until centuries later. The camel caravan in the Joseph story carried gum, balm, & myrhh, products of 7th & 8th century BCE trade during the Assyrian empire, but not before. Likewise, numerous cities, significant in the 7th & 8th centuries BCE, were mentioned in Genesis, but were either non-existent or were merely insignificant villages at the time.

This is just a tiny part of the voluminous evidence that tells a story much more mundane than does the Bible. The stories of the patriarchs reflect concerns of a seventh century Israel - projected onto the lives of legendary figures from a mythical past. The first archeologists studied the holy land with a "Bible in one hand and a shovel in the other." William Albright provided us with the first book representing more modern archeological methods in 1945. F&S have provided us with the first comprehensive update to that book - well worth the time of anyone interested in this subject.

Editorial Review:

In this iconoclastic and provocative work, leading scholars Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman draw on recent archaeological research to present a dramatically revised portrait of ancient Israel and its neighbors. They argue that crucial evidence (or a telling lack of evidence) at digs in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon suggests that many of the most famous stories in the Bible -- the wanderings of the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, Joshua's conquest of Canaan, and David and Solomon's vast empire -- reflect the world of the later authors rather than actual historical facts.

Challenging the fundamentalist readings of the scriptures and marshaling the latest archaeological evidence to support its new vision of ancient Israel, The Bible Unearthed offers a fascinating and controversial perspective on when and why the Bible was written and why it possesses such great spiritual and emotional power today.

Learn Hebrew Today: Alef-Bet for Adults

Howard I. Bogot

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Very Dumbed-Down Way to the Alef-Bet 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Don't buy this book. Better sources exist for FREE; search for:

1) ancient-hebrew dot org and you'll find a good site. on the left-hand side will be the menu; scroll down till you see "learn hebrew". "alphabet" and more is available--with audio files--for free.

2) "foundationstone" this is a free downloadable program that teaches hebrew.

3) "hebrew4christians" dot com and you'll have another good source.

These sites will not only teach you everything for free that this book instead sells to you but a whole lot more in addition. This book is also over-simplified. It's mostly a waste of time since any adult or child, with the correct motivation, can learn much more than this book offers at a much faster pace. Also, the "script" form of the letters was calligraphed and not practically written for the beginner who wishes to actually write it. "The First Hebrew Primer" gives a much better source with three choices of style available: book print, block print, and script. A student can easily write Hebrew immediately with this book's help.

Editorial Review:

This popular approach to learning Hebrew is designed for adults who want to use Hebrew when celebrating Judaism at home and in the synagogue. Students will learn how to pronounce the Hebrew letters and vowels, enabling them to read more than 30 essential Hebrew blessings and prayers. For classroom and individualized instruction.

Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar

Alan Morinis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An excellent presentation of Mussar... 5 out of 5 stars.
28 of 28 people found this review helpful.

This book is an excellent presentation of Mussar, by one of today's premier Mussar teachers in the US/Canada. The author is not Orthodox, and doesn't pretend to be. His own Mussar teacher is Orthodox, and approved of this author's teaching of Mussar to the larger community of both Orthodox and other Jews as well as non-Jews. The material is easy to understand and easy to put into practice. The author teaches Mussar as it was meant to be practiced, with kindness as well as consciousness. If you are the least interested in Mussar, and not interested in a practice to beat yourself over the head with, this is the book you've been looking for. I bought copies for friends along with my own.

Excellent, clear introduction to modern Mussar 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

Mussar is a Jewish ethical practice that involves self-examination leading to self-improvement. The practice is positive in nature and outward focussed though it involves a certain amount of introspection as well.

Everyday Holiness is well laid out in three sections. Part one explains what Mussar is and gives something of its history. Part two describes eighteen middot (character traits) including how they impact on our lives and steps we might take to improve the balance of that particular quality in our personalities. Part three describes Mussar practice, including daily, weekly and annual activities.

I found the book wonderfully clear and relevant for today. It would be quite possible to launch into Mussar with just this book as a guide.

Editorial Review:

Profound and practical Jewish teachings on discovering happiness, wisdom, and our highest potential amid the struggles of everyday life—a step-by-step path for inner growth that anyone can follow—now in paperback.

Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends

Anita Diamant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

useful information 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book has a lot of useful information for conversion. The only drawback was that it was written for people converting for a partner who is Jewish. Not all people convert for this reason so it is not a one size fits all conversion book.

Absolutely wonderful book! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book. It explained a lot of things for me when I was contemplating conversion. After making my decision, I actually gave the book to my mom to help her understand my decision.
I highly recommend this book for anyone thinking about converting.

Editorial Review:

Married to a convert herself, Anita Diamant provides advice and information that can transform the act of conversion into an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth.

Here you will learn how to choose a rabbi, a synagogue, a denomination, a Hebrew name; how to handle the difficulty of putting aside Christmas; what happens at the mikvah (ritual bath) or at a hatafat dam brit (circumcision ritual for those already circumcised); how to find your footing in a new spiritual family that is not always well prepared to receive you; and how not to lose your bonds to your family of origin. Diamant anticipates all the questions, doubts, and concerns, and provides a comprehensive explanation of the rules and rituals of conversion.

The Prophetic Imagination

Walter Brueggemann

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Author Books Unusual Use of Words 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 10 people found this review helpful.

This book is about putting "prophetic imagination" inspirations into social actions. Actual example was putting an organisation together in a community to help the needy and underprivileaged. Not very spiritual, but very commendable.

Editorial Review:

In this challenging and enlightening treatment, Brueggemann traces the lines from the radical vision of Moses to the solidification of royal power in Solomon to the prophetic critique of that power with a new vision of freedom in the prophets. Here he traces the broad sweep from Exodus to Kings to Jeremiah to Jesus. He highlights that the prophetic vision not only embraces the pain of the people but creates an energy and amazement based on the new thing that God is doing. In this new edition, Brueggemann has completely revised the text, updated the notes, and added a new preface.

Contents
--Preface
--The Alternative Community of Moses
--The Royal Consciousness: Countering the Counter-Culture
--Prophetic Criticizing and the Embrace of Pain
--Prophetic Energizing and the Emergence of Amazement
--Criticism and Pathos in Jesus of Nazareth
--Energizing and Amazement in Jesus of Nazareth
--A Note on the Practice of Ministry

The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus

Amy-jill Levine

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Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Reference -> Criticism & Interpretation -> New Testament

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Jesus is Jewish! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This is the best book available today about the Jewishness of Jesus. Amy Jill Levine points out that many of the Gospel stories would hit home with more of us if we read the New Testament with the eyes of a first century Jewish person. She points out the Jewishness of each line of the Lord's Prayer and its similarities with the Mourner's Kaddish in Judaism. She also shows that the parable of the Good Samaritan will be more powerful when we realize that the role model of the story is the enemy of the Jews.

Similarly, the parable of the tax collector and the self-righteous Pharisee praying in the temple has a bigger punch when we remember how despised tax collectors were and how unlikely it would seem that a sinful, self-centered tax collector would repent and turn to the Jewish God.

There is also an important chapter about anti-Judaism in the New Testament. Levine feels that the issue of whether or not there is anti-Judaism in the NT cannot be decided by the historian, but by the individual. Some will see it in the text, some won't.

I wanted to argue at this point. I wanted to say "What about authorial intent? Can't we study the salient passages in their contexts to see if the authors intended an anti-Jewish polemic?"

But Levine would rightfully note that we all have different reactions to what we read. Even though she rejects this notion, I still see it as a family disagreement.

There is also an important chapter about the dangers of stereotyping Judaism. Levine notes that when we preach the gospels, we talk about the harsh legalism of the Pharisees, the strain of women under the law of Moses, the idea that the Jewish people rejected Jesus because he wasn't a warrior messiah, the idea that the Jewish people were obsessed with the idea of keeping pure from outsiders, and the impossibility of keeping the law of Moses. Levine points out that these are stereotypes, this is NOT the way the Jewish people looked at their lives.

Levine also calls for true interfaith dialogue. This means avoiding statements like "All Jews think ..." or "All Christians think ...." It also means recognizing that both Jewish and Christian traditions have texts that might rub the other dialogue partner the wrong way. Levine counsels us to speak out when someone makes a derogatory comment about Jewish people or Christian people. There is no room for hate at the table of faith. I agree.

And yet there is a clear message in the New Testament that Jesus Christ is superior to the institutions of Judaism, especially in the book of Hebrews and in certain texts from Galatians and the gospels. I think this is an important message. The Jewish writers of the New Testament were transformed by their faith in Jesus Christ. They felt so passionately about their Messiah that they even stated that faith in Him was superior to anything else Judaism could offer. As a Jewish believer in Jesus as Messiah, I wholeheartedly concur.

Nevertheless, Ben Witherington is surely right when he calls this book the best book written on the Jewishness of Jesus. I personally need to be careful in the future about making sure I don't stereotype Judaism in my treatment of the Gospels.

Editorial Review:

In the The Misunderstood Jew, scholar Amy-Jill Levine helps Christians and Jews understand the "Jewishness" of Jesus so that their appreciation of him deepens and a greater interfaith dialogue can take place. Levine's humor and informed truth-telling provokes honest conversation and debate about how Christians and Jews should understand Jesus, the New Testament, and each other.

Everyman's Talmud: The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages

Abraham Cohen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An enlightening book for all religious faiths 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book will provide you with a great deal of insight into the scriptures. Since Christianity has its roots in Judaism, this book is valuable in increasing your knowledge to God's written word. The text size could be a little bigger than it was for easier reading.

meet the rabbis 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

really worth reading, this is one fine introduction into the literture of the thoughts of the rabbi,or the teacher in the time of JESUS.

Insightful, fun and revealing! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I found this book to be a wonderful resource for insight into Biblical thinking.I have found the insights of the talmud to bring clarity and understanding to my Christian vocation and my relationship with Christ. Very worthwhile read!

Very interesting... but difficult to read 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The content is great, but be aware that the typography is abysmal and is difficult to read.

Editorial Review:

The First Comprehensive Summary, for the English Reader, of the Teaching of the Talmud and the Rabbis on Ethics, Religion,Folk-lore and Jurisprudence. Cohen does an excellent job of presenting the origins of Talmudic literature and summarizing in a meaningful way the many doctrines it contains.

Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts (Llewellyn's High Magick)

Donald Michael Kraig

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 126 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Absolutely the best Beginners Book on Ceremonial Magick. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I first read Modern Magick about 20 years ago. I had been studying books by Israel Regardie and Aleister Crowley and was getting nowhere fast. This book is a key that opens up many doors of understanding and will easily take a complete novice to advanced levels of practice with minimal fluff, with heavy emphisis on the practical aspects of Magick.

This book was written by an expierenced magician and all instructions are clearly presented. Working through this book will make just about any other book on the subject of Magick considerably more accessable.

It is my serious belief that this is perhaps the most important book on Magick written in the last fifty years.

Editorial Review:

Modern Magick is the most popular, most complete, step-by-step instruction manual on how to do real magick that has ever been published. Already over 100,000 people are using it. Author Donald Michael Kraig wrote this after teaching the information in classes for ten years. It is refined, tested, and easy to understand. It is filled with exercises, techniques, and rituals to help you. It is presented in a series of eleven lessons. Follow the lessons, practice the rituals and techniques, and by the end of your work you will be a magician. What does it cover? Rituals, healing, initiation, talismans, astral travel, creative visualization, psychic self-defense, evocation of spirits, the Kabalah, physical exercise, and magical tools such as wands.

Torah/Pocket Edition

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Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Bibles -> Formats -> Pocket

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Easy reading for the lay person 5 out of 5 stars.
23 of 25 people found this review helpful.

I'm not a Bible scholar, so I'm basing my review on ease of use for the lay person.

This Torah was written to be very easy to read. The font is easy on the eyes, and there are plenty of footnotes.

I liked how the Preface explained the history of how this version came to be, and also the guide to using the footnotes.

This review is based on the paperback version. That version is very thick (1.5" - my pockets are not quite that big for this pocketbook version!), so I later bought the hardcover edition for easy reading while doing something with my hands, like eating.

Just Right 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This translation is one of the best. I like the size of the Pocket Edition because it is convenient for travelling.

Paperback Torah 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is a great little book when you need just an English translation of the Torah.

A way to learn of others befiefs 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I was raised a Presbyterian and studied Buddhism for most of my adult life. I have always been interested in others beliefs and I was not disappointed. The book is a modern translation without losing its meaning. Easily readable for today.

Editorial Review:

An easy to carry pocket edition of the acclaimed JPS translation of the Torah.

The Art of Biblical Narrative

Robert Alter

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Fascinating Way to Read the Bible 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Modern Biblical scholarship has tended toward a process of atomization: how many editors were involved in the creation of the Bible? How many different strands of tradition can we find in a given story? Robert Alter's "The Art of Biblical Narrative" at once provides a corrective to this tendency, and a striking alternative way of understanding the Good Book.

Although recent scholarship has emphasized historical- and textual-critical methodologies, Alter chooses a literary-critical approach; that is, he asks how we should read the Bible first and foremost as literature. Ancient Hebrew storytelling conventions were often radically different from those we use today, so we must learn to be attuned to things like a character's silence, or minor, telling variations in a scene that is repeated several times. In this way, Alter takes much of what may make the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible) seem "boring" today--its Spartan narrative style, the apparent redundancy of many of its stories--and shows how these elements are actually integral to how the Bible tells its story.

Alter's prose style is scholarly without being suffocating. It is, however, dense with ideas. I often found myself reading as little as five pages at a sitting, as each sentence seemed so full that it was all I could take in before I had to stop for a mental breather. (I recommend reading the Conclusion first, which ten pages provide an excellent summary of the book's main ideas and may make it easier to digest them as the author investigates each one in detail in the rest of the book.) His examples are profuse, and well-chosen to illustrate his points.

Alter mostly steers clear of ideological disputes about what the Bible is or isn't, sticking to his purely literary analysis of the text. He occasionally makes comments to the effect that he sees the stories of the Bible as "historicized fiction," but his approach can still fit into any faith framework; it is just as possible for a devout Christian and an atheist to read the Bible as literature. What's more, Christians will not only find an enriching way of appreciating their sacred text here, but may even gain comfort in the face of some scholars who seem to think that a Bible with editors is inherently an unreliable Bible. Alter, to the contrary, shows that the Biblical author-editors must have been very sophisticated storytellers, and that what are often taken for mere inconsistencies today may well represent a deeply thoughtful approach to depicting the moral and social ambiguities the authors saw in their world.

"The Art of Biblical Narrative" takes effort to read, but those willing to take the time to absorb it may find their understanding of the Bible enhanced, deepened, even changed.

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