David M. Carr - The Hebrew Bible

One of the primary aims of the first edition of the Introduction was to provide a relatively concise textbook so that students would have more time to read biblical texts as well. Though this revision includes substantial new material, I have worked to keep the overall book compact. In addition, users should note some new exercises and chapter review questions that focus on analysis of the Bible itself, including a series of questions oriented to the discussion of “Focus texts” featured in most chapters. Overall, I have endeavored to cite biblical passages by the numbers that appear in widely used English translations (e.g. NRSV, NIV; though note that some important English translations, e.g. the New Jerusalem or New Jewish Publication Society versions, follow the Hebrew versification, which diverges slightly for some biblical passages). Also, users of this book are encouraged to consult my own website, www.davidmcarr.com, for links to some non‐biblical texts discussed in this book, explanatory videos, and other materials related to this textbook.

Overall, I hope to have provided a “Contemporary” Introduction to the Hebrew Bible and highlighted this in the revised title of the book. Moreover, the main title was revised to focus on “Hebrew Bible” rather than just “Old Testament” in order to reflect the way that this book emphasizes academic study of the Bible and not just one (Christian) confessional approach to its subject matter. It should be emphasized, however, that this second edition preserves a focus on the impact of successive empires on the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament/Tanakh, even though it no longer includes the previous subtitle “sacred texts and imperial contexts.”

Finally, I have been profoundly helped in this revision by the feedback provided by colleagues and numerous classes of students at my institution, Union Theological Seminary in New York City, especially the Fall 2019 section of my Introduction to the Old Testament. I want to offer specific thanks to several colleagues for sharing bibliography and/or reading drafts of sections and suggesting revisions, including Charles Carter, Thomas Dozeman, Esther Hamori, Mahri Leonard‐Fleckman, Robert Rezetko, Jerusha Rhodes, William Schniedewind, and my wife (and fellow biblical scholar) Colleen Conway. I dedicate this revision to my beloved parents, Adrienne and John Carr, both of them teachers and lifelong learners, even as I now mourn the loss of my father two years ago.

David Carr

New York

The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge the permission granted to reproduce the copyrighted material in this book:

The Pharaoh Merneptah hymn in Chapter 3, pages 70–71, and the Cyrus cylinder text in Chapter 11, page 229: PRITCHARD, JAMES; ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN TEXTS RELATING TO THE OLD TESTAMENT – THIRD EDITION WITH SUPPLEMENT . © 1950, 1955, 1969, renewed 1978 by Princeton University Press. Reprinted by permission of Princeton University Press.

At points throughout the book extracts have been used from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The publisher apologizes for any errors or omissions in the above list and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.

For Bible abbreviations, see the box on “Bible Abbreviations, Chapters, and Verses,” in the Prologue, p. 11.

Asterisks after Bible citations, e.g. “Genesis 12–50*,” indicate that only parts of the cited texts are included.