Bibles Bible Studies Books

Wonderful series/ Helpful footnotes that make reference to the catechsim and church fathers. I can't wait for the series to be completed.

Years ago, classicist Richard Lattimore set out to offer a one-person translation of the entire New Testament from its original Greek. With "The Five Books of Moses," "The David Story" (1 & 2 Samuel), and "The Book of Psalms," Robert Alter is well-along the much longer path of providing something similar for the Hebrew Bible. Though Lattimore's translation provided only the barest of end-notes, Alter brings to bear perhaps four times as much commentary as actual translation, so that one is more likely to spend one's time in the notes than in a continuous reading of the text. Not a bad place to spend some time, it turns out.

In introducing New Testament letters in the New Interpreter's Bible (Volume X), Robert W. Wall discusses three goals in considering a Biblical text: (1) To discover something of the ancient "world behind" the text, (2) to examine the "world within" the text via study of its literary arrnagent, and (3) to engage readers living in the "world before" the text, as it may speak to modern audiences. In Alter's project, it is the world within the text which he seeks most to illumine, though he presents enough of the world behind the text to provide background sufficient to the task. (Thoughtful readers may thereby be able to better recognize the range of meanings available "before" the text as well, though that seems not to be Alter's primary aim.)

It's delightful to read (or to play in, really) Alter's notes. In the Song of the Sea, for example, on leading to the Israelites through the waters to safety, Alter points to its heightened testament to God's activity via the strikingly patterned use of the Hebrew verbs "nattita"..."nahita"..."neihalta" (" You stretched out"..."You led forth"..."You guided" -- Exodus 15: 12-13). Does learning of such assonance help one better appreciate the world within the text? If so, let the reader dive in! I look forward to having Alter as a continuing guide to the literary terrain of the Bible. And to a one-volume, non-annotated, translation-only edition of his completed work, some day!

Alter, Robert. "The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary", W.W, Norton, 2004.

A Beautiful Edition

Amos Lassen

I am always on the lookout for new editions and new commentaries of "The Five Books of Moses". The beauty of the books is that they can be read and reread and each time new ideas can be found. Alter gives us a faithful English translation of the books and every translation is a commentary in its own right. Alter is one of the leading, if not the leading, Hebrew translator at work today and what he gives us here is both thoughtful and fascinating. He looks more at Biblical themes and poetics rather than a strict historical translation giving new life to the words on the page. Rather than translate the Torah as a historical document, he works with it as a piece of literature and his final translation is stunning. The commentary and background information show the intricacies of the Hebrew language. Alter manages to give a perfect balance between the original language of the Torah and the detail that he provides in the English language. The text is lively as are the footnotes which tell a great deal about the Mosaic text. Alter gives great detail as he describes the origins of many Hebrew words and explains their usage in the context of the Torah text as well as pointing out how rabbinical scholars view the words. This gives the reader a chance to see the text from both a modern perspective alongside a traditional view.
Alter considers the major views of "The Five Books" (Yahwist, Elohist, Deuternomic and Priestly) but also goes to Jewish and Christian scholarship in the commentaries and introductions he provides and sometimes takes issues with leading theories providing the reader with new food for thought. Alter is seen throughout the text with his many footnotes of explanations and we never lose sight that this is his translation and commentary. He, however, never forces his thoughts on the reader and even though I felt he was looking over my shoulder as I read, I never once found him to be intrusive. In fact, I kind of look at him as an old friend and mentor who is there to answer my many questions. His psychological observations, however, at times, seem a tad speculative but, on the other hand, he does show the humanity of the characters and rather then being just names on a page, they come to life.
I am particularly fond of Alter's approach to the book of "Genesis" as he gives the state of the human before the patriarchal rise of the Israelites and then he looks at the patriarchs as human. "Genesis" of late has taken a major role in the world because of what the Christian world calls "original sin" but when we read the first book in context with the other four, we realize that the entire Pentateuch is merely the background for Moses, the protagonist of almost the entire Torah. He becomes the mouthpiece of G-d and it is from his lips that we receive both the wrath of the Supreme Being as well as the law. The Torah, without Moses, would not have much to say.
It is astounding when we see that the ratio of law to narrative is four to one and reading about the law is perhaps the most difficult aspect of "The Five Books". There is a great deal of repetition but Alter shows that this is necessary to stress the importance of Mosaic Law.
The modern age that we live in is one of extreme arrogance and as we become more and more modern, it becomes more and more difficult to get past the diversities of culture and religion. Many dismiss the Torah as being hard to understand and merely a representation of an ancient culture that has little bearing on life today. The difficulty of the philosophy and the tremendous amount of repetition seem to underlie the mentality of modern man but a study of "The Five Books of Moses" allows for thoughtful questioning and a better understanding of issues about modern Israel. But we must also not forget that the Pentateuch is not an end all but merely one of the building blocks of all of the Hebrew scriptures and in order to gain a full understanding of what we have, further study is needed. Nevertheless, Robert Alter is a fine place to start.

This is not a comment on the substance of Dr Alter's translation. I opened it today for comparative study; I own three other versions of The Five Books. To my dismay, I find no Parashat-Named Headings,none; merely Chapter Headings,and Bk Chapt.#s at the top of each page. I sought refuge in the index. There is no index! I have read many reviews and comments of this work and none, not one, mentioned this glaring omission. For a layman as myself I find this book too tedius to bother with,other than when I go to another version for the missing information. It is beyond my comprehension how this highly praised book by a masterful author could be published without the norms I have mentioned.

I've been using this text as part of a Bible Study I conduct. The commentary is primarily a translator's. What I mean by that is that it's not mainly a theological commentary, but one which seeks to understand the Hebrew text and explain how the translator sees the text. I like that insofar as what I'm looking for is an attempt at an accurate translation rather than as someone promoting his own theological agenda. If you're looking for theological interpretations, then this commentary would be of limited interest. The primary goal is to render an accurate literary translation of the Hebrew and to offer some archeological/ancient cultural commentary. I can see this text useful regardless of whether it's used by Jews or Christians.

Not a completely new translation. Not a language study. Torah nicely written with recommendable commentary. Hebrew is much more picturesque and alive than any translation I have ever seen. Although MANY liberties are taken, the translation is more picturesque and more accurate to the actual meaning (very opinionated) than others. The translation is easy to like.

You will be glad you spent the time to work your way through Kenneth Bailey's works. You will learn the structure of Jesus's parables and the genius of the New Testament writers. You will learn what was on the heart of Jesus, and your heart will be moved as you read the parables through new lenses. Your faith will also be strengthened as you realize that these were not made up stories put in the mouth of Jesus by the church decades later, but these were true-to-life stories for the time of Jesus Himself by Jesus Himself.
Jonathan Williams

Dr. Kenneth Bailey spent most of his life in the Middle East and as result has a great appreciation and understanding for its culture and its spiritual history. This book is actually two previously released books combined that examine in extensive detail the parables of Jesus in the book of Luke in their first century Palestinian context.

The first fifty or so pages in the first book goes into exhaustive analysis of the structure of parables showing that they have four basic types of patterns and there is sometimes a predictable symmetry to them. This segment is highly technical and can be overwhelming for the layman. But once you get through that part of the book and begin the chapters dedicated to each parable, it becomes a literary treasure, revealing the hidden cultural nuances in the setting of first century Palestine and unlocks many spiritual truths for 21st century Westerners.

Overall I strongly recommend this book - especially for someone who gives sermons or leads a Bible study on these parables. I only have a few minor criticisms. One is that I strongly disagree with Bailey's exegesis on the Parable of the Unrighteous Steward in Luke 16 and also but to a much lesser degree, his exegesis on the Parable of the Fig Tree in Luke 13. My other criticism is that Bailey does not cover every parable in the book of Luke. Fortunately he covers most including the Prodigal Son. In spite of these two issues, I still enthusiastically recommend this book.

An interesting view of the parables found in the Gospel of Luke from a literary and cultural perspective. It helped me understand some of the more obscure parables and gave a fresh perspective on the familiar ones.
Although some of the language studies lost me, the literary form and cultural perspective can be very enlightening.

Bailey's unique contribution is that he sat down with a number of trusted Palestinian nomads and listened carefully to their take on the cultural issues behind various parables. He contends, with some justice, that this group of people have something in contact with the original culture that these parables arose in, and thus can help us understand the unstated assumptions and cultural implications of the texts. He invested many years in this and did it with care and precision. On top of that, he has explored the early translations of the New Testament into Syrac and related languages. The result is nothing short of stunning. His analysis of the puzzling parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-13) is worth the price of admission alone, and even on the well-trod parable of the Good Samaritan, he has much valuable insight to share.

Bailey has also written other works including "Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15" that focus on the lost sheep, lost coin, lost son, parables of that chapter. All of his works I especially recommended.

Having grown up with his missionary parents in the Near East, among the very cultures that spawned the Judaeo-Christian Scriptures, Dr. Kenneth Bailey is uniquely qualified to translate their cultural nuances into such idioms as modern Western minds can grasp. Note that I did not say "readily grasp": as is the case with his other books, 'Poet and Peasant' and 'Through Peasant Eyes' (actually two books in one volume) is a VERY heavy and scholarly treatment of the subject matter. As the titles suggest, the author takes the positions that both Jesus and His first-century audience were peasants and that the Biblical writers were both poets and peasants. Hence, the key to understanding the Christian Parables--a form of poetry themselves--is to be found in the cultures and bodies of literature of the region.

As is the case with 'Jacob and the Prodigal' (which I have also reviewed here), 'Poet and Peasant' and 'Through Peasant Eyes' will be best appreciated by serious Bible scholars interested in exegetical study. If this category excludes you, pass on this one; there are lots of other decent commentaries out there that won't confuse or bore you to death.

This resource is proving to be very valuable in my Study of the Bible. I often struggle with pulling out the subtle but significant differences between the synoptic gospels. Flipping back and forth in my Bible leaves me feeling frustrated. After using the "NIV Harmony of the Gospels" in my personal study, rather than feeling frustrated, I am excited and am able to appreciate those subtle differences. I would HIGHLY recommend this resource for any student of God's Word!

I am currently reading through this book, which is really a combination of each of the gospel accounts in chronological order. So far the book has been very enlightening and has taught me more about Christ than I would have learned by reading one gospel at a time. There is something about reading each account side by side that really brings the stories to life, and making Jesus more tangible (at least in my mind). If you want to know more about Jesus, His disciples, and you want to grow closer to the Lord this is a great book to help with all of these things.

The commentary is excellent. For example, did you realize that Jesus began to teach in parables late in His ministry, and only after many people had turned against Him?

One other thing that I really like about this book is that every time an old testament prophecy is fulfilled in the new testament it gives the old testament reference right there in the text. I know that many Bibles note this, but they use superscript marks and it's easy to read over them, so I like the references in the reading, that way I don't miss anything.

I enjoyed this book and find it full of information that is useful. It is a good reference to use along with your bible.

This helpful book arranges the four gospels in parallel columns, following the life of Jesus. It is a very helpful resource for anyone desiring to know what Jesus said and did in chronological order. Also, the book provides excellent essays and notes about various interesting and controversial issues involved in studying Jesus' life. It uses the New International Version in the text, making it available to all English readers. I use this book as an important part of the course I teach to ministerial students on the life of Jesus.

This is not a new harmony of the Gospels. It is a "revision" of the time honored standard work by A T Robertson and John Broadus. What Thomas and Gundry have done (which they readily admit in the preface) is to "revise" the translation to the NIV, and the original notes and essays to their own Dispensational theology. I quote from page 6 & 7 "The second comparison lies in eschatological perspective. Occasionally Broadus and Robertson reflected the amillennial or postmillennial temperament of their times. The twentieth century has witnessed a surge of interest in the premillennial interpretation of Scripture. It is the persuasion of the revisers that a consistent grammatical-historical interpretation of the Bible inevitably leads to this latter view. For this reason several of the explanatory footnotes reflect a corresponding difference in perspective from the earlier editions."

Robertson and Broadus were both considered "consistent grammatical-historical" interpreters of scripture and they, just like many today, were not Dispensationalist. I think it sad to see their material misused in this way. If you are a serious student of the Bible and wish to form your own opinions of Eschatology stay away from this harmony. Or at least realize what you are getting before you spend your money on this book. I bought a copy of the original and find it much more enlightening and accurate.

Everything we thought it would be and more. Great Book! Quick delivery too!

I would highly recommend this book to every believing woman who is confused or unaware of her God-given responsibility of service in the Church.

M. Peace has taught me something I never realized - the younger women of today struggle with life because no one has decided to be a Titus 2 woman. There are women everywhere seeking the knowledge of how to be a wife, a mother, a worshipper of God. This book offers women the wisdom to become all of that and more. It challenges you to seek wisdom and understanding of the role of being a Christian woman, a Titus woman. The older women are here on Earth to disciple the younger women, to encourage and help them when needed. Praise God for this woman to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

This book is one of the most practical tools for learning to be a mentor that I have ever read. Martha Peace presents her study in such a way that anyone can understand and apply her principles. And her principles are only a reflection of the ONE reflection that we are suppose to be!! Wonderful for a ladies bible study!!!

I did not like this book at all. It is extremely legalistic and teaches that if a woman is a domestic violence victim, her ONLY response or recourse is prayer. I wonder how many women in those situations have been injured or killed while praying.

This book is very easy to read. The reference materials is very relevant and the author catches the essence of each chapter to help readers to understand the heart of Jesus.

Each section is also separated into a limited 'dosage' and hence it can help all readers, including those who cannot afford long attention span to read and benefit from it too.

Author N. T. Wright provides a wonderful translation of scripture in modern vernacular that seems to speak to people of all ages, and from all walks of life. While I also like Peterson's modern language translation, "The Message," there are times that I prefer Wright's. His books are wonderful for sermon preparation and for Bible study groups, and I think they are advertised for the latter. Also, I like them for individualized study. His commentary meets people where they are; no talking head stuff. I recommend all of them very highly.

N.T. Wright's guides to all the books of the New Testament provide accessible commentary that is passionate, insightful, scholarly, thought provoking and inspiring. These guides are relevant to our lives today and are for everyone. I encourage you to enjoy this rare and wonderful gift! You won't stop at John - You will want to read/pray through them all!

I am a homeschooling mom of 10. I was thrilled with this timeline. It is everything i was looking for and more. Wonderful resource. The kids have enjoyed almost as much as I have!

The 'Rose Book of Bible & Christian History Time Lines' by Rose Publishing must be taken exactly at its word, in that it lays out a history as related in the Bible itself. To be sure, it isolates everything prior to Abraham to a section which tends to recognize that we are talking about myths, but otherwise, it essentially takes the Biblical timeline at its word. This is superb, if you are teaching the Bible to anyone up to High School. For example, there is no hint of the archeological evidence and even evidence from within the Bible itself that were were more than 12 historical tribes of Israel, and that the Levites were from an entirely different background than the northern 12 tribes. The one thing I want to stress the most is that Rose Publishing tends to put all their material out in many, many different forms. This version of the timeline is far superior to the one in a similar volume, 'Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps & Timelines'. I found this volume quite useful in finding and checking dates of many historical events, although if you need an authoritative source for dates, see 'An Outline of World History' by Langer.

I bought this thinking it was a book of Biblical time lines. Turns out it is a 20 foot long card stock pull-out inside the covers of a book. There are 26 8 1/2 x 11 pages folded together. It does a good job showing Biblical happenings on the top part with world history on the lower part. If I was looking for a time line chart for a Sunday School, for instance, I would have bought this one. I imagine most people will hang the time line on a wall for display, in which case there really isn't a need for the book style cover. It would be nice if they would sell the time-line without the cover at a discount.

This is a fascinating time line...hundreds of facts. Lots of pictures as well. 2 giant time lines on Biblical history and world history. A great reference tool.

The Rose Book of Bible and Christian History Time Lines is a full-color book with a fold-out 20-foot time line inside. It covers more than 4,000 years at a glance.

It compares Bible and World history side by side.

The time line can be read like a book, or taken out the cover and put it up on the wall. (You can do this without damaging the book, as it has a slide-out pocket in the back.) It has more than 1,000 facts and key people.

Comparison to other Bible/Christian History time line books on the market:
(1) The Rose time line includes more than 6,000 years of history from Genesis to present day and is more than 20 feet long. It includes the genealogy from Adam and Eve to Abraham and more.
(2) includes highly detailed information from 2200 BC - present, whereas the Timechart of Biblical History ends at AD 100, and the The Wallchart of World History (Revised): From Earliest Times to the Present - A Facsimile Edition ends at 1997.
(3) The Rose timeline includes more than 300 key events and people from church history (the Wallchart of World History has 30 facts specifically addressing key events/people in church history),
(4) Rose has illustrations, photos, archaeological finds, maps, and uses updated scholarship. The Wallchart of World History and the Timechart of Biblical History are mainly reprints of a public domain time line from the Victorian era (1890). Most of the illustrations are quaint colored pen-and-ink drawings.
(5) The Rose book fits vertically on a book shelf (the two time line books above are more than 17.5 inches tall, taller in reality than what is listed--I own all of them),
(6) The Rose time line uses large print using 11 point type, whereas other two fold-out time lines use 4-8 point type,
(7) all are on heavy chart paper
(8) The Rose time line can be removed from the binding and then put back into binding (unlike the others where the time line is glued permanently into the binding).
(9) Size: The Rose Book of Bible & Christian History Time lines truly is a 20-foot time line (actually 21 feet). However, despite the claims, the "Timechart of Biblical History" has only 10 feet of actual continous time line. "The Wallchart of World History" has 30-feet of printed material, but the continuous time line only makes up 15 feet of that.
(10) The Rose time line has all of the printed information on one side, so that when it is unfolded all dates can be seen at a glance. The others have printing on both sides, so that it needs to be turned over to see all of the time line and other information.
(11) The Rose time line is more expensive ($10-12 higher list price), but is worth it.
(12) All three books list Creation, the genealogies (the "begats"), Noah, the Flood, the patriarchs, Moses, slavery in Egypt, the Exodus, Wilderness wandering, major battles, kings of Judah and Israel, prophets, key events in the Bible, Joshua's conquest of Canaan, lives of King Saul, King David, and King Solomon, Babylonian and Assyrian attacks, The Exile, the Intertestamental period, the rise of the Roman Empire, Jesus' life and ministry, choosing the disciples, Jesus' crucifixion, death and resurrection and ascension, the lives of Peter, Paul, and other apostles, the writing of the books of the Bible, Paul's missionary journeys.

This book is for history lovers, teachers, professors, pastors, home schoolers, Bible study leaders, small groups, adult Sunday school, youth pastors, religion classes. A simplified time line for grades K-5 is the Giant 10-Foot Bible Time Line.

This book is a quick survey of the major messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. Actually, I found the first chapter on how to interpret messianic prophecy the most helpful chapter in the book. Kaiser rejects the double fulfillment approach that many have taken with the prophecies of Christ's first coming. He makes a case for the Christocentric interpretation being the the primary interpretation in each case study. I do not always agree with this approach, as his interpretation of Isaiah 7:14 is less than satisfying.

But in most instances, his interpretations are very good, and you can perceive Kaiser's strong evangelical faith in the volume. Recommended.

walter kaiser has written his book from an exceptional conservative evangelical position with which i have no problems with. the one problem i have with a book written from this perspective is that it tends to see the old testament, more often than not, as merely a set of 'proof texts' to show how the concept of the messiah originated from within the old testament and is continued into the new. thus passages from the old testament are read from the perspective of the new testament. i do not deny that the old testament finds its ultimate fulfilment in the new. the question is then whether we are true to what the old testament really has to say about the messiah. in fact what do the jews themselves have to say about the messiah? there are some texts like the fourth suffering servant in deutero-isaiah which are considered 'messianic' from the traditional christian point of view but not necessarily so from the jewish perspective. the probable jewish understanding of the 'servant' from this passage is that it refers to the prophet himself. kaiser's book would do greater justice to the 'first' testament ('old' from the christian view point) if it tries not to read too much into the text of what christians normally 'expect to hear' about the messiah. let us give some justice to the old testament and let its voice be clearly heard first. then we can move on to what christians have to say about what the old testament says about the messiah. in this way, it would not be surprising to find texts that christians normally considered as messianic to be understood by the jews in an entirely different fashion. afterall the old testament was the testament of the jews.

Walter Kaiser, Jr. has given us a very rich study regarding the Messiah. His study is very specific and unique. He focuses only on passages that deal with direct prophecies/predictions of the coming Messiah. He steers clear of typology, which can sometimes be too subjective. His approach is chronological. He begins with the Pentateuch and shows us the foundation of predictions of the Messiah that God revealed in the earliest of His revelations. He proceeds to show the reader how subsequent writers of Holy Scripture built upon this foundation and developed themes of the Messiah (e.g. Prophet, Priest, King, Servant, etc.). He follows prophecies of the Messiah through different eras of Israel's history. When he gets to the prophets themselves, he groups them by the century in which they prophesied. So, the earliest parts of this book give us prophesies of the Messiah in the order that they come in our English translations of the Old Testament. The prophets, however, are not necessarily addressed in our biblical order, as their works do not appear in chronological order in our English transations.

I wish I could say this study was for everyone - I do believe it would be beneficial reading for everyone. Kaiser's study is deep, and sometimes technical. It helps to have a basic understanding of hermeneutics (biblical interpretation) before beginning this book. There are a couple of places where he discusses aspects of Hebrew grammar - the gist is attainable if the reader will press on through these brief sections. So, it is readable, but some things will be outside the grasp of the average reader. Kaiser does not overwhelm one with the technical aspects of his research, but it is sometimes present.

There is another aspect of this book that may trouble some readers. Kaiser deals with the Hebrew text. In some places his conclusions are based on personal translations that imply that the English translations are actually mistranslations. Certain groups of Christians, especially the "King James" only crowd, will have problems with this approach. Kaiser seems to tackle the subject with a belief in the inspiration of Scripture, but not with the belief in the inspiration of the translators of Scripture. I agree with him at this point, but am concerned that it may cause difficulties for young believers.

From the other reviews of this book, it is evident that some Jewish people will have problems with this study. It is unfortunate. Kaiser makes little attempt to convert anyone - it is not an overt aspect of his work. He simply examines the evidence and writes about his findings. Some of the passages he examines are obscure, some are more commonly understood as referring to the Messiah. Kaiser is not shy about quoting from the Jewish Targums, those that predate the life of Jesus, and showing where pre-Christian Jewish understandings of the Messiah were.

All in all, this is an excellent study. I came away from this book with a deeper knowledge of how thoroughly God predicted the coming Messiah to the Jewish people. I appreciate more deeply the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah - His death in my place. Kaiser does not connect all the prophecies to their corresponding fulfillments in the New Testament. When I taught a series based on Kaiser's work I traced every New Testament connection that I could find. It is almost overwhelming to see how the New Testament shows Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. Such a study will enrich one's faith!

This is an excellent and very informative book filled with pertinent facts for the discerning Jew, Christian or anyone else interested in learning the evidence as it points to the true Messiah. The review below notwithstanding. God's chosen people--gimme a break. This is the year 2002 and I wouldn't be surprised if the Messiah lands in Israel and smites her for her arrogance. Embrace the blessed truth and humble yourselves before it's too late. Shalom!

I am Jewish and I read this book and like most attempts by Christians to convert me I found the author's arguments unconvincing. The Tanach is very clear about what the world will be like once the Messiah has come and it is patently clear that this has not happened. And if there is to be a second coming, why not a third or a fourth? The problem Christians face in converting Jews is cultural not theological. The only Jews who would be susceptible to the arguments set out in this book are those who are totally estranged from their own Jewishness. Any self-respecting Jew with a modicum of religious knowledge will not be convinced by the arguments set out in this book. Give it up missionaries! The Jews are G-d's chosen people, a Light Unto The Nations, and this Light will remain bright until the end of time (despite missionary attempts to dim it). Instead of trying to convert Jews, you should encourage them to become observant Jews and you should yourselves observe the 7 Noachidic Laws so that the Messiah really does come. Books like this only delay the coming of the Messiah.

Very clear Hebrew, great size and very clear to read. The English translation is very good,I like comparing the translation to other Bible translations. The translations gives some different perspectives. The Tenach comes with the Hebrew calendar readings for Bible study. It also has a lot of Hebrew insight.

How often can you say something was better than expected ? Not often enough. But my experience here really has been!

I even had to return 1 book that I ordered by mistake and they credited my account easily.

You can Shop with confidence!

I purchased this book because my Rabbi told me this was the most accurate of versions. I do enjoy the tone of the narrator and the way the writtings flow.

This book provides the student of the Torah, and bible in general, an easy to read and accurate translation.

The Tanach (Old Testament in both Hebrew and literal English translation), Stone Edition, makes the Jewish scriptures even more useable with the added feature of commentary from various scholars. Its compact size allows for conservation of space and ease of use. While visiting a worship service at a local synagogue shortly after this purchase, my assistant and I showed the rabbi a Tanach. Before we could ask his opinion, he said, "Oh, excellent! Superb!" I couldn't say it any better. For those interested in in-depth study, but who are not proficient in Hebrew, the Tanach will be a marvelous aid. Highly recommended.

I was supposed to receive the book at the end of august however i haven't recieved the book yet. Could someone please tell me what is going on?

I am not Roman Catholic. I bought the book to enhance my knowledge of Ecclestiastical Latin. It is my most prized possession. I am prersently reading it from cover to cover for the fourth time. It affords wonderful insight into the history and attitudes of an almost forgotten world. The Bible in ancient script is considerably more raw and entertaining. Some passages are incredibly beautiful. Read at your own peril.

While Jerome was an extraordinarily gifted Bible scholar of his time, and some certain records attest to the fact that he translated faithfully the Latin Bible from the (presumed) original tongue, we have to remember that it is the English Bible (KJV-1611) that offers more PRECISION of text; and I may say freely here that the Aramaic-English translation by Prof. Dr. George M. Lamsa it is (in my opinion) the best readable Bible in the world! Try it for yourself! You will be VERY impressed! Aside from this FACT, we can know exactly what the Aramaic text says, because it was so skillfully translated by Dr. Lamsa, and his friends and fellow scholars do attest to this fact...even Dr. Billy Graham and other American high profile Bible scholars have been impressed and persuaded by this Aramaic translation aforesaid. Moreover, without any offense to Latin translated Bible (B. S. Vulgata), we ought to REMEMBER ALWAYS that there were many fine Christians in England and in other European countries who were very violently persecuted by the state security apparatus, and some of them even killed at the stake and burned for daring to CHANGE the status quo of their time--to translate the Bible in the language of their nation (English, German, etc). While the Latin Vulgate held the field supreme for more than a thousand years even above the Greek and Aramaic, the new evidence uncovered at the Dead Sea reveals that our true Hebrew-Aramaic Bible was neglected even by Eusebius and other church "fathers" and never been presented ALONGSIDE the Latin Vulgate (50 of them) ordered by the emperor Constantine! Can any scholar today would behave with a state authority in this way in our modern era? I do NOT think so! We can see in our days that the KJV Interlinear has the Greek text ALONGSIDE it, and the Aramaic or even Hebrew texts do have this RESPECTFUL ARRANGEMENT for the WORDS OF GOD ALMIGHTY ALONGSIDE the translated text therein! Now, we hear "rumors" that this very text of Latin Vulgate is up for discussion in the Vatican state with a view to make it again as the "official" text of the Catholic Church (and consequently of the next superpower they will create--the United States of Europe). It seems that history will repeat itself in this (grave and unsettled) matter that caused much suffering and human distress because the people in power and with the Latin Vulgate in their pulpet REFUSED to allow a SIMPLE FAVOR to their countrymen, that of reading the Holy Bible in their own language--instead of hearing it all the time in an UNKNOWN language to them! That is exactly what the dictators of communist-atheist Eastern European countries did to so many Christians in their own land: they (the communists dictators in power) REFUSED a simple favor to their countrymen, that of speaking freely about the Words of God to other fellow countrymen in their own language! Now, we hear these rumors that the Latin Vulgate is going to be the Bible of the land (U.S. of Europe) as it was in England and Germany prior to and during the REFORMATION, and these rumors tend to open "de novo" an old and unsettled ecclessiastical question with respect to the freedom of the Words of God to be disseminated in the respective language of the people of this Earth! Again, no offense intended to such a masterpiece of a holy book and unique in its own right...but, we have to SHOW REVERENCE and much RESPECT for the Words of God to "travel" freely around the globe in the respective language of the people, not RESTRICTING God's holy words of the Bible to the Latin language of Jerome (by ecclessiastical fiat--once again)!! I hope and pray that Christians everywhere will realize one day soon how CRUCIAL it is to ALLOW God's holy Words to move FREELY in every country of this world in the respective language of the people therein! Finally, we ought to REMEMBER well, that the Holy Bible (Old and New Testament) was written originally in Hebrew-Aramaic, not in Latin or in Greek! The fact that NOT a single copy of the "original" tongue was presented to emperor Constantine ALONGSIDE the 50 Bibles that he ordered Eusebius of Caesarea to produce for the event of Nicea in 325, shows with certain clarity (an authoritative human message-not divine though), that the Hebrew-Aramaic text was relegated to obscurity from that time (325 AD)forward, even though the Hebrew Bible was IN FACT THE DIVINELY INSPIRED and ORDERED TEXT given forever and should have been viewed THE SUPREME AUTHORITY over the other (translated) Bibles--including Latin Vulgate! When we read and study carefully the Hebrew-Aramaic Bible (together with the "interpreting" TARGUMS, it clearly shows that there is NO MATCH and neither supremacy over these original tongues...no matter how one may attempt to "eisegesing" the comparison between the Latin Vulgate and the original Bible that was refused a fair royal "audience" to the first Christian emperor of the "holy" Roman Empire!
(Anthony Ianosel, Esq.; Member, American Bar Assn.)