Product Description

In what is both a radical approach to the Bible , and a fundamental return to its narrative prose, Robert Alter reads the Old Testament with new eyesthe eyes of a literary critic. Alter takes the old yet simple step of reading the Bible as a literary creation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #196310 in Books
• Published on: 1983-07-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Customer Reviews

Greatly enriches any reading of Old Testament narrative
In "The Art of Biblical Narrative", Robert Alter sets out a manifesto for all those scholars who would read the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) in a literary-critical manner. Alter gives scholarly backing to the view that the Bible is not simply a "religious" document, but has a strongly artistic and literary dimension too. Alter outlines various artistic "conventions" employed by the authors of the Old Testament writings, which when grasped can greatly enrich an understanding of the biblical documents, for Christians, Jews and scholars alike. His close engagement with the Hebrew text, his thorough understanding of literary-critical methods and sources, and his passion for the writings of ancient Israel all make the challenge of his dense prose extremely rewarding.

I would personally recommend this text to all students of the Old Testament, as well as intellectually serious believers, at least to dip into, if not to enjoy in its entirety.