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

THE OLD TESTAMENT: A HISTORICAL AND LITERARY INTRODUCTION TO THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES. By Michael D. Coogan. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2006. 544 pp. plus appendix and bibliography.

This book is intended for use in introductory Hebrew Bible/Old Testament courses. Coogan wisely does not summarize the biblical material in order to encourage students to read that for themselves. The book follows the canonical order through 2 Kings; after that Coogan uses what he calls "a historical chronology." Most chapters end with a "Retrospect and Prospect" that sets them in literary and historical context. Each chapter also includes a short bibliography (there is a long one at the end of the book) and often "Important Terms" and "Questions for Review."

As an Intro text, this book covers familiar territory but Coogan often tweaks it. For instance, he discusses the Documentary Hypothesis but follows it with a section on "Challenges" to it and another on "Other Strategies for Interpreting the Pentateuch." He frequently discusses differences in Jewish, Christian, inter-Christian and (more rarely) Muslim interpretations. Coogan also includes sections on "History and the Ancestors of Israel," "The Exodus and History," "The Exodus and the History of Religions," "Purity and Impurity," and "The Legends of Elijah and Elisha," among others.

The true strength of the book is in these discussions, the excursuses and the "boxed" insets. These are fascinating. There are appropriately placed excursuses on--forgive me for the lengthy lists, but they're really good--"Women in Israelite Ritual and Law," "The Character and Personality of Moses," "Covenant" (including an excerpt from a Hittite treaty), "The Ideology of the Davidic Monarchy," "Music in Ancient Israel," and "The Development of Beliefs in Life after Death in Ancient Israel," among others.

Boxed insets include "Genesis and Science," "The Sabbath in Jewish and Christian Tradition," "Myth and the Bible," "Noah's Drunkenness," "The Sons of God," "Enoch," "The Land of Israel in Jewish and Christian Tradition," "The Binding of Isaac," "Legends of Rescue" (in relation to Moses' birth story), "The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart," "Capital Punishment," "Miriam," "Samuel in Other Traditions," "Positive Assessments of Saul," "Solomon in Later Tradition," "Prophetic Attacks on Rituals," "God as Parent: Father or Mother?," "The Identity of Immanuel," "Megiddo and Armageddon," "Jeremiah and the History of Bookmaking," "Marriage in Ancient Israel," "Female Images of God," "Aramaic," "Samaria and the Samaritans," "The Elephantine Papyri," "Widows," "Angels and Demons," and "Son of Man," among many others. There is also an appendix on "The Canons of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament."

Coogan includes helpful chronologies and maps throughout the book, particularly in the chapters dealing with the United and Divided Monarchies. There are also pictures scattered throughout the book--(including a section of a psalm from the DSS, Jebel Musa, a Canaanite altar, Shechem, a Samaritan ostraca, Egyptian and Assyrian reliefs). Oddly, he discusses Ecclesiastes and Job separately from Proverbs, although he acknowledges that they all fall under the rubric of Wisdom.

Throughout the book Coogan references apocryphal and postbiblical traditions. His last two sections include studies of 1-2 Maccabees, Baruch, Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon, 4 Maccabees, the Additions to Esther, Judith, Tobit, 3 Maccabees, and the Additions to Daniel. My Introductory courses get to the end of the canonical scriptures moments before the semester ends--and I talk fast--so I'm not sure that I would be able to make full use of these chapters. It would be good for students to have access to this material, though. At the beginning of the semester few of my students are aware that the Hebrew Scriptures were written in Hebrew, let alone that there are religious writings from that culture not found in their Bibles.

I'm hooked. I've already ordered my textbooks for this fall (that will teach me to meet administrative deadlines), but next spring I'm going to use this one.

Carol Stuart Grizzard

Pikeville College

Pikeville, KY 41501

COPYRIGHT 2006 Biblical Theology Bulletin, Inc
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning