“Who Wrote the Bible?” Book Recommendation
Knowing the history of who the Biblical writers were will help you better understand sacred Scripture. Tradition proclaims that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, which is not correct. The fact that Deut. 34:5-7 describes Moses’ death as reason enough to question Moses’ authorship. Instead, learn from qualified scholar Richard Elliot Friedman, the professor of Hebrew, Bible, and Jewish Studies at the University of Georgia. Friedman’s book, Who Wrote the Bible? is an in-depth, yet approachable read.
Friedman shares what college religion classes teach, that the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, were written by different authors, and describes their writing styles, theological concerns, etc. Friedman’s timeline also helps us understand how the faithful understood God’s communication and how it evolved. Along with literary considerations, Friedman describes the historical considerations that prompted the writer’s motivation and rationale for their theological emphasis. Learning the setting, with its cultural and political considerations, brings the Biblical “books” alive.
Friedman provides the reader with a foundational understanding of the earliest books of the Hebrew Bible. Learning the background behind the Biblical origins will help you approach reading the rest of the Old and New Testaments. Friedman writes his book in such a way that both students of religious studies and those coming to Biblical studies for the first time will feel blessed for taking the time to read Who Wrote the Bible?. Friedman’s “Epilogue” pulls together the book, and his “Appendix” helps you pull together the timeline and scriptural organization. His “Notes on Identification of Authors” is so clear, I wish I had access to it in college and seminary.
Finally, Friedman undertakes the challenge of writing this book in a little under 250 pages. Who Wrote the Bible? is not a cumbersome read. Let me know what you think of Dr. Friedman’s great work.