Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (review)

Hebrew Studies 46 (2005) 392 Reviews certainly find much in these essays of value. Although some of these more technical pieces are parts of fuller books that have since been published, other pieces will only be found in this collection. On the whole, this volume is well organized, cleanly edited, and contains highly usable indices. Any serious library will need to obtain a copy of this book and there is no doubt that many scholars will want it on their shelves as well. Unfortunately, its current pricing will severely limit its sales to individual buyers, and one only hopes that the publisher is considering releasing a more modestly priced soft-cover edition in the not too distant future. Joel Kaminsky Smith College Northampton, MA 01063 jkaminsk@smith.edu INTRODUCTION TO THE HEBREW BIBLE. By John J. Collins. Pp. xii!+ 613 +13 maps + CD-ROM. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2004. Paper, $49.00. My quest for a new textbook for an undergraduate course on the Hebrew Bible had seemed quixotic until the appearance of John Collins’ Introduction. His text treats primarily the composition and meaning(s) of biblical literature, apprising students of the areas of consensus and debate in study of the Bible, thereby giving them a sense of both the history of our discipline and its contemporary diversity. Collins approaches the literature outside of any particular faith tradition, while acknowledging the ways it has been read within diverse religious communities. At the same time, he challenges received traditions about the Bible, including tendencies to accept uncritically the worldviews inscribed in its pages. Finally, Collins generally keeps in mind that his audience is composed of undergraduates rather than other scholars. The CD accompanying the book contains a digital copy of the text with embedded hyperlinks to definitions and, in the case of scripture references, to an English Bible translation. Collins treats the literature under four rubrics: The Torah/Pentateuch, The Deuteronomistic History, Prophecy, and The Writings. Parts one and two follow precisely the order of the Torah and the former prophets in the Masoretic text. However, Collins places the latter prophets in chronological order, treating first Amos and Hosea, followed by a chapter on Isaiah 1–39, Micah, Nahum, and Zephaniah. The following chapter surveys Habbakuk and Jeremiah, to which Collins also attaches Lamentations. The next chapter deals with Ezekiel and Obadiah, followed by a chapter on “The Additions to the Book of Isaiah” (Isaiah 40–66 and 24–27). The section concludes with “Postexilic Prophecy: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Joel.” Hebrew Studies 46 (2005) 393 Reviews While Collins’s order for these books differs from any recognized canonical arrangement, it is an agreeable accommodation. Treating the prophetic books together provides the modicum of familiarity students need (an important concession in a study that challenges their comfort with the Bible in other respects), while arranging the books chronologically allows the exposition of the prophets’ words and actions within the unfolding political fortunes of the ancient Near East, as well as the growth of the prophetic literature (especially in the case of Isaiah 40–66 and 24–27). Forcing the prophets to be read within a particular historical and literary environment dislocates them from whatever tradition students have known, thus affording them a chance to understand these works in a new way. However, I am perplexed by two dislocations of a different type: the inclusion of Lamentations under the rubric of “Prophecy” and the transfer of Jonah to the section on “The Writings.” As Collins notes, the modern consensus denies Jeremianic authorship to Lamentations, and he provides no other justification for including Lamentations under “Prophecy.” While the association of Lamentations with the prophet Jeremiah has roots in rabbinic traditions and the LXX, this hardly justifies its inclusion here, especially since Collins chooses to treat the book of Daniel, which stands after Ezekiel in the LXX, within the division of “The Writings,” in accord with the Masoretic Text’s arrangement. Although Collins’s postponement of the book of Jonah to place it with Ruth, Esther, Tobit, and Judith as examples of “The Hebrew Short Story” is sensible on one level, it raises further questions about his rationale for ordering the literature. Is his arrangement determined...