TABLE OF CONTENTS: List of Abbreviations xi
Why Read the Old Testament? 1
Chapter 1: "Not a dot, nor a tittle shall pass" The Text of the Old Testament 5
The Hebrew Text 5
The Greek Text 8
Other Translations 13
Qumran 14
Chapter 2: A Book as Library The Old Testament Canon 16
The Hebrew Bible 17
The Septuagint 19
Deutero-Canonical Writings 20
Chapter 3: The Old Testament as Holy Scripture Passed down by Postexilic Judaism 22
The Transmitting Groups 22
The Concern That Begot the Literature 23
The Nature of the Interpretative Process 25
The Literary Analysis 29
Chapter 4: The Remnants of Ancient Israelite Literature 31
Wisdom Books 33
Annals and Historiography 38
Law Books 40
Cultic Lyrics 43
Priests and Prophets 50
Chapter 5: The Great Redactions of the Sixth Century BCE 61
The Yahwist's History 61
The Deuteronomistic History 70
Chapter 6: The Beginnings of Old Testament Theology The Book of Jeremiah 77
Chapter 7: The Theological Significance of the Law 86
The Decalogue 87
Deuteronomy 91
Chapter 8: The Struggle for Precedence between the Theologians from the Exile and the Jerusalem Temple School
The Book of Ezekiel 97
Chapter 9: The Temple as the Center of the Jewish Diaspora The Priestly Source 101
Chapter 10: Fixing the Torah
The Pentateuch Redaction 110
Chapter 11: The Modification of Kingship Theology
Second Isaiah 115
Chapter 12: Prophetic Eschatology
The Book of Isaiah 123
Chapter 13: The Conflict with the Proto-Samaritan Commuunity
The Book of Hosea 129
Chapter 14: Judaism on the Threshold of the Hellenistic Age
The Chronicler's History 134
Chapter 15: Sects and Groups within Hellenistic Judaism 139
The Psalter 140
The Book of Proverbs 143
Chapter 16: Didactic Stories 147
Jonah 147
Job 150
Ruth 154
Chapter 17: On the Fringe of the Canon 157
The Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) 157
Ecclesiastes, or The Preacher 159
Esther 161
Chapter 18: The Maccabean Period and the Rise of Apocalyptic The Book of Daniel 165
Chapter 19: The Close of the Canon 169
The End of the Growth of the Text 169
The Scope of the Collection 170
Criteria for Canonicity 172
The Final Establishment of the Canon 173
Chapter 20: The Old Testament: An Open Book 174
Appendix A: The Books of the Old Testament 177
Appendix B: The Hebrew Bible 179
Appendix C: The Septuagint 181
Chronological Outline 183
Further Reading 187
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