This accessibly written textbook has been a popular introduction to the Pentateuch for over twenty-five years. It identifies the major themes of the first five books of the Bible and offers an overview of their contents. Unlike some academic studies, it focuses on how the books from Genesis to Deuteronomy form a continuous story that provides an important foundation for understanding the whole Bible. This new edition has been substantially updated throughout to reflect the author's refined judgments and to address the future of pentateuchal studies.

448 pages.

View excerpt here.

Contents

Part 1: The Main Themes of the Pentateuch
1. An Overview of the Pentateuch
2. God's Temple-City
3. The Royal Lineage in Genesis
4. The Blessing of the Nations
5. Paradise Lost
6. By Faith Abraham . . .
7. Who Is the Lord?
8. The Passover
9. The Covenant at Sinai
10. The Tabernacle
11. Be Holy
12. The Sacrificial System
13. The Clean and the Unclean Foods
14. Toward the Promised Land
15. Murmurings
16. Love and Loyalty
17. Why Israel?
18. The Pentateuch and the Biblical Metanarrative
Part 2: Pentateuchal Criticism
19. Introduction to Pentateuchal Criticism
20. The Rise of the Documentary Hypothesis
21. Going behind the Documents
22. The Documentary Hypothesis under Threat
23. Exodus 19:1-31:18--a Test Case
24. The Future of Pentateuchal Studies
Indexes