These interpretations, and not the mere words of the text, became the Bible in the time of Jesus and Paul or the rabbis of the Talmud. Their sometimes surprising interpretations soon became the generally accepted meaning. Poring over every little detail in the Bible's stories, prophecies, and laws, they let their own theological and imaginative inclinations radically transform the Bible's very nature. Was the snake in the Garden of Eden the devil, or the Garden itself "paradise"? Did Abraham discover monotheism, and was his son Isaac a willing martyr? Not until the ancient interpreters set to work. Leading us chapter by chapter through its most important stories-from the Creation and the Tree of Knowledge through the Exodus from Egypt and the journey to the Promised Land-James Kugel shows how a group of anonymous, ancient interpreters radically transformed the Bible and made it into the book that has come down to us today. This is a guide to the Hebrew Bible unlike any other. There are completely new introductions and notes for many of the books in the Bible, plus a full revision and updating of all others. For instance, There are newly commissioned introductory essays on the archaeology of ancient Israel and the New Testament world, the religion of ancient Israel, the social and historical context of each book of the Bible, and on Biblical interpretation. In this new revised edition every introduction, essay, map, illustration and explanatory note has been reviewed and updated, and new material added. Including up–to–date introductions to the Biblical books, based on the latest critical scholarship, by leading experts in the field concise notes, clearly explaining names, dates, places, obscure terms, and other difficulties in reading the Biblical text careful analysis of the structure of Biblical books abundant maps, tables, and charts to enable the reader to understand the context of the Bible, and to see the relationship among its parts.
With the guidance of the Society of Biblical Literature, an organization of the best biblical scholars world wide, we have selected Dean of Yale Divinity School, Harold Attridge, to oversee the Study Bible's updating and revision. After 10 years of new archeological discoveries and changes in biblical studies, it was time for an overhaul of this classic reference work.
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