This is the third edition of the book, for some great reviews go back to the first and second editions and you will find very lengthly well written reviews. For a third edition you expect to find some new material. Chapter 8 is the best section of "new" material as it takes you from the Jewish culture and history to that of Christianity. The first two editions lacked this section, but that was not an oversight it was intentional as the book is about the culture and history of Israel before the advent of Christianity.
For most Christians we have not read the history of the Jews that is found most commonly in the Apocrypha. This was included in Catholic Bibles but is absent in Protestant Bibles. But more than the history of the Apocrypha Professor Cohen takes us through the history of Israel from the time of minor prophets through the 400 years of silence leading up to the New Testament. It is a great textbook for us on learning much more about the nation of Israel and what happened to them and brought them to the place that they are today.
I found that material highly interesting and found myself asking, why hadn't I heard about the first two editions? I'm grateful that I heard about this third edition and grateful to the publisher for making a review copy available to me.
For students of the Bible and Christianity I think that this textbook is a must read as it will bring together many aspects of the nation of Israel that answer underlying questions that you might have as to why they rejected the Messiah, why they act the way they do and the frustration they must have felt with the subjugation they underwent by being over run and ruled by foreign kings and dictators forever.
I won't go into the technical side of the book, I think that this is done by reviews of volume two. The first two reviews by David Blair and Bruce Marold are excellent and well worth your read.
Consider this as your next technical read or a gift to the one you know who loves history, theology, or anything Jewish
No comments:
Post a Comment