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Hebrew Studies 34 (1993) 168 Reviews HEBREW IN ITS WEST SEMITIC SETTING: A COMPARATIVE SURVEY OF NON-MASORETIC HEBREW DIALECTS AND TRADITIONS. By A. Murtonen. Part One; A Comparative Lexicon. Section Ba: Root System: Hebrew Material. Studies in Semitic Languages and Linguistics 13. Pp. xiv + 473. New York: E. J. Brill, 1988. Cloth, G 186. This work is the second volume in a now-completed three volume set. The first volume, published in 1986 with the distinguishing subtitle "Section A: Proper Names," contains a list of some 1678 proper names preceded by a synopsis and comments on the name list. The third volume (1990), which represents a modification and significant abridgment of Murtonen's original publication plans, contains the author's discussion of phonetics and phonology (Part Two) and his treatment of morphosyntactics (Part Three). It is necessary to mention this larger context because the volume being reviewed cannot be used profitably without constant reference to at least the first volume in the set. The list of abbreviations and sigla which are absolutely essential to understanding the material in the volume under discussion are found only in the first volume; they are not repeated in the second volume. Volume Two consists of a 473 page list of Hebrew roots. The consonantal root is printed in bold Hebrew print in the left hand margin, and then inset to the right in regular print is the entry. The entry normally begins by identifying whether the root is attested as a verb or a noun, followed by a brief indication of its meaning. If the root occurs in both verbal and nominal forms, the verbal forms will be listed first. After the initial identification of the fonn and simple definition, the attested vocalizations of the form in the non-Tiberian traditions-Qumran, Samaritan, Palestinian, Babylonian, and Greek and Latin transcriptions-are cited. The listing is restricted to verbs and nouns (including adjectives, numerals for 100 and above, and numeral adjectives). Particles, pronouns, and the smaller numerals are excluded from the list. The list is a useful resource to have on one's reference shelf, but it does have its shortcomings. One may certainly quibble with some of Murtonen's decisions about the correct root under which a certain derived form is to be listed. Does 'I, "time," really belong under the same root as 'nn, "clouds," for instance? There may be legitimate differences of opinion on such matters, but if one is looking for a derived form, one may have difficulty in deciding where to look. Moreover, this problem in using the Hebrew Studies 34 (1993) 169 Reviews volume is exacerbated by the work's physical layout. The list is definitely not "user friendly." In addition to the constant irritant of having to look in another volume to check an abbreviation, it is very easy to miss additional entries under the same root because the separate entries are not set off adequately . The abbreviations, diacritics, choice of typefaces, and lack of spacing between sub-entries, presumably out of an admirable desire to conserve space, makes the list very hard on one's eyes. 1.1. M. Roberts Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton, NJ 08542 CONFRONTING CREATION: HOW JUDAISM READS GENESIS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF GENESIS RABBAH. By Jacob Neusner. pp. xii + 385. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, 1991. Cloth, $24.95. Jacob Neusner has selected from Genesis Rabbah passages which he believes are "especially striking and compelling for Jews today" in order to "enrich the weekly study of Torah lection." The selections are grouped according to the weekly lectionary portions and generally arranged in textual order. In addition, Neusner has introduced each passage with "a brief statement of the point to which I believe the passage is relevant" and concluded it with "a remark on what I think is important in the citation" (p. xii). The book is introduced by a preface which points out that, contrary to many modem interpreters, Judaism is defined by the rabbinic writings, not by the Bible alone; a twelve-page introduction which summarizes Neusner's understanding of Genesis Rabbah as a response to the institutionalization of Christianity in the fourth century; and a prologue which explains the mode...

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