glitterbomb47's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended to anyone who is interested in the origin of the Old Testament.
mad_hatter's review against another edition
informative
5.0
So readable! Packed with detail without being overwhelming or discursive. Not dense at all...an accessible, fascinating look into the work of one of the most influential biblical scholars of the past few decades. Loved the intersection of history, literary analysis, linguistics, and anthropology. Friedman presents his research in an objective way and allows readers to bring their own beliefs to the table and draw their own conclusions.
brentmayberry's review against another edition
4.0
I "borrowed" this book from my folks, without a clue as to its position on who authored the Bible. You know, the whole avoiding judgment on the cover thing. Would this be an attack on the Judeo-Christian tradition, along the lines of atheist manifestos recently en vogue, or would it be a feel-good, warm-fuzzy kind of treatment, leaving unanswered questions about the Bible's authenticity?
Richard Elliott Friedman, I was happy to discover, uses rigorous and, at times, ingenious methods of scholarship and literary analysis to come to his conclusions. Without spoiling it for you, Friedman explains the motivations and world views, among other things, of the authors or compilers of the Old Testament from Genesis to 2 Chronicles, and he brings the events and stories and figures of the Old Testament to life. Part of the book is a little dry and scholarly, but that's a very small price to pay for what you get out of the book.
It's an entertaining read, sort of like a mystery novel in a way. Whodunnit? You'll be enlightened and entertained to find out.
Richard Elliott Friedman, I was happy to discover, uses rigorous and, at times, ingenious methods of scholarship and literary analysis to come to his conclusions. Without spoiling it for you, Friedman explains the motivations and world views, among other things, of the authors or compilers of the Old Testament from Genesis to 2 Chronicles, and he brings the events and stories and figures of the Old Testament to life. Part of the book is a little dry and scholarly, but that's a very small price to pay for what you get out of the book.
It's an entertaining read, sort of like a mystery novel in a way. Whodunnit? You'll be enlightened and entertained to find out.
hollydeitz's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't finish it, but what I read was excellent. I'll probably go back over time.
veryperi22's review against another edition
5.0
I read Who Wrote the Bible by Richard Elliott Friedman with such angst! It was life changing for me. It has opened up a world for me in as much as the bible is a work of history and literature, open to literary analysis and not a divine document given by god to Moses.
I repeatedly went back to the early chapters for reference again and again.
To understand the book, a lot of biblical background is necessary, which I had almost none at the time, and I needed to plow thru slowly.
The book sparked an interest in the DH that I wouldn't have pursued otherwise.
I repeatedly went back to the early chapters for reference again and again.
To understand the book, a lot of biblical background is necessary, which I had almost none at the time, and I needed to plow thru slowly.
The book sparked an interest in the DH that I wouldn't have pursued otherwise.
professor_x's review against another edition
3.0
A short book presenting evidence that the Bible was written by many different authors, each adding passages that corresponded to their social and political environments at their time of living. Friedman does an excellent job presenting the evidence for this by showing differences in language and syntax found in the most famous stories, like Noah's Ark or Moses receiving the 10 commandments. These stories show up multiple times in the Bible but with different lines or certain words added, signifying that someone (or a group) changed the story around slightly. These have become known as the J, E, and P texts (Jahweh, Elohim, and Priestly).
I find it fascinating that so many people swear by it, follow it, praise it but know absolutely nothing about its history. It contains so many contradictions. I don't understand why people still continue to use the Bible as an authoritative text rather than use it as a means for spiritual guidance (although many parts of it that I've seen quoted are rather violent and primitive). I plan to read parts of it strictly as literature and for historical context, only because I find the Near East so interesting.
I find it fascinating that so many people swear by it, follow it, praise it but know absolutely nothing about its history. It contains so many contradictions. I don't understand why people still continue to use the Bible as an authoritative text rather than use it as a means for spiritual guidance (although many parts of it that I've seen quoted are rather violent and primitive). I plan to read parts of it strictly as literature and for historical context, only because I find the Near East so interesting.
brucelee1255's review against another edition
3.0
This book deals a lot more with what was AROUND the writing of the Bible rather than naming names. Granted, sometimes being able to nail down a specific place and time that something was written can be a lot more enlightening than saying, "The writer was a guy named Ted." Still, it's interesting to say the least.
duke1983's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. I have read it three times now and I know I will turn to it again and again. Friedman writes in a clear, concise manner that is highly readable. He provides a clear presentation of the Documentary Hypothesis and traces the various strands providing theological, historical, and political motivations for each strand and for the different steps in the redaction of the text. This would be a wonderful first book for a person new to source criticism.