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ALONG THE PATHWAYS You have now traveled on these pathways through the Bible. You have glimpsed in Torah the beginnings of the world, humankind, and Israel, as inspired Jewish writers have thought about them (Genesis). You have witnessed how Israel entered into the Covenant of the Pact (Exodus), which laid upon them the duty to live a life of justice and righteousness (Leviticus). You have read how they struggled through the wilderness to the edge of the Promised Land (Numbers, Deuteronomy), where by example and teaching they might as a people bring blessing and hope to all humankind. In Nevi’im you have seen how Israel entered the Promised Land and conquered it ( Joshua, Judges), and how they created there a great kingdom (Samuel), and how that kingdom grew, then became divided, and was finally destroyed (Kings, Chronicles). You have met the courageous prophets of Israel (Amos, Hosea) and Judah (Isaiah, Micah, and Jeremiah) whose fiery words spoke to the conscience of the people and their rulers, appealing for righteous and just living, and those other prophets whose strong yet tender words about God’s power, love, and forgiveness (Ezekiel, Isaiah of the exile) sustained the Jewish people in sorrow and exile until they returned to their land, overcame many difficulties , and built a new home and life for themselves again ( Jonah, Ezra-Nehemiah). And you have read the rich and varied abundance of Kethuvim: the songs of religious poets (Psalms, Lamentations); the wise sayings of sages (Proverbs); dramatic tales and love songs (Song of Songs); the profound thoughts of people who sought answers to perplexing questions ( Job, Ecclesiastes); and stories of women and men who readily faced sacrifice and even death, out of personal integrity and love for the people of Israel and its way of life (Ruth, Esther, Daniel). We trust that you have had an interesting, enjoyable, and enriching experience. Our purpose has been to help you become better acquainted with what the Bible has been saying to the Jewish people and to humankind throughout the ages. To our forebears, the Hebrew Bible has been an inspiration for daily tasks, a helpful companion on life’s pilgrimage, and an encouragement to live a worthwhile life as a human being and as a Jew. Perhaps the Bible can fill the same roles in your life. And perhaps the experience of Along the Pathways ■ 515 reading this book will create in you the desire to read the full and complete story; for there is much more to read, ponder, and enjoy. You stand before a new adventure. We believe that you are now better equipped to enter upon that adventure, and to travel into the wondrous realm of your people’s Bible, THE TANAKH. 516 ■ Pathways Through the Bible ...

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