Jews call the Hebrew Scriptures the “Tanakh”; Christians call them the “Old Testament.” And there begins the discussion of how Jews and Christians see common Scripture and how each use its teaching in divergent, conflicting, and often complex ways.
The Hebrew Bible for Beginners introduces students to the tremendous influence the book has had on contemporary society and explores the complexities of reading ancient religious literature today. The book also addresses how different approaches can be alarming, indeed even shocking, to those who have not been exposed to the distinctions between Jewish and Christian beliefs, but it tackles the conversation in a faith-respecting, sympathetic, and noncritical fashion.
Avoiding jargon and convoluted prose, this highly accessible volume provides textboxes, charts, a timeline, a glossary, and regularly includes artistic renderings of biblical scenes to keep lay and beginning readers engaged.
