The twelve patriarchs, excerpts and epistles, the Clementina, Apocrypha, Decretals, memoirs of Edessa and Syriac documents, remains of the first ages

Abstract

Drawing on material throughout the Old Testament, J. C. L. Gibson unfolds for modern readers the ancient imagery and language in the Hebrew biblical texts. Focusing on the extraordinary literary power of the Old Testament, he describes the creative techniques and artful expressions of its authors, and he emphasizes their use of common literary genres for common people. The book will interest not only those accustomed to hearing the Bible read aloud to them in worship but also anyone interested in its enormous impact on language, literature, and culture.For the serious Bible reader who wonders why there have been so many modern attempts at translating the Bible, this is an admirable book. It shows, as much as any single book can show, why the Old Testament has been classed among the world's great literature and enables the ordinary reader to come close to the excitement and thrill of reading it in the original Hebrew. Written by an expert teacher of the language, it explains many of the distinctive characteristics of it its style and forms and distinctive idioms giving the reader a feel for it as no other book does. Altogether this is a thoroughly delightful and commendable book. I hope that it will be widely bought and read as companion to the Old Testament itself. Ronald E. Clements, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament Studies, King's College, London

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