First published 2008
This collection examines how biblical interpretation evolved across millennia. The book opens with studies of foundational Hebrew Bible texts, from creation narratives and Abraham's story through prophetic writings that redefined sacred literature. Scholars then turn to Second Temple Judaism, analyzing texts from Qumran and other non-biblical sources that show how ancient interpreters understood scripture. The final section traces biblical imagination through rabbinic literature into later works, including Milton's Paradise Lost and Gerhard Kittel's antisemitic scholarship, concluding with contemporary readings of Levinas and the Talmud. These essays honor James L. Kugel's decades of research into early biblical interpretation, demonstrating how sacred texts generated new meanings across cultures and centuries.
Genres: history, religion, judaism, academic
Vibes: academic, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-study, cultural-evolution
Setting: Qumran
Period: Millennia, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Literature
628 pages · Paperback · Society of Biblical Literature