Sinai and Zion

by Jon D. Levenson

Book Overview

A treasury of religious thought and faith--places the symbolic world of the Bible in its original context.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006254828X
• ISBN13: 9780062548283
• Release Date: October 1987
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Jewish approach to Scripture and Theophany

Ben Kickert. Review of Jon D. Levenson, Sinai & Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible, New Voices in Biblical Studies (San Francisco, California: Harper Collins Publishers, 1985). Sinai & Zion is Jon D. Levenson's contribution to developing a decidedly Jewish understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures by "delineate a theology of the Old Testament alone" (1). Levenson is qualified to do this as he himself comes from a Jewish background and is familiar with rabbinical tradition. His work has demonstrated remarkable resilience as it enters its third decade in print. In his approach, Levenson has opted to focus primarily on the message of Jewish tradition over and above historical criticism. Specifically, he follows the traditions associated with the two great mountains of Jewish history, Sinai and Zion, and the covenants that accompany them: the Mosaic covenant and the Davidic Covenant. Levenson has arranged his work into three major parts. The first segment addresses the theology of Mount Sinai and the torah-centric ideology it produces in its teachings of covenant. The second segment outlines the importance of Mount Zion and the role the temple played in later Israelite faith. Finally, the third section addresses the relationship between these two locations and theologies and how they affect an understanding of Jewish faith as a whole. The theophany at Mount Sinai is arguably the most important event in Jewish history. It is here the law is given, the nature of Israel as a people is established, the presence of God is granted, and the character of its people is outlined. In fleshing out a theology of Sinai in Part I of his book, Levenson focuses extensively on the covenantal ideology that developed out of the tradition. This understanding of covenant is the driving force behind the importance of Sinai. For Levenson, the importance of the Sinaitic covenant is inescapably linked with its similarities to suzerain-vassal treaties of the Ancient Near East. For this conclusion, he relies heavily upon the work of George Mendenhall and others pertaining to Hittite treaties. Levenson argues, "The correlation ... cannot be coincidental. Israel has become the vassal of YHWH; YHWH has become the suzerain of Israel" (35). This relationship gives meaning to the entirety of the Mosaic covenant while employing a framework which is essential to Jewish theology. Levenson argues that Sinai sets the stage for how Israel views itself, its relationship with YHWH, its relationship with outsiders, even its relationship with other Gods. In sum, Sinai is to be understood as the mountain of identification and definition. As Judaism develops, we find that the traditions surrounding Mount Zion slowly overshadow Mount Sinai. This transition is less about replacement and more about continuation according to Part II of Levenson's book. Wherein "Sinai was the mountain of Israel's infancy" (89), Zion becomes the symbol of Israel's maturity as a nation. The Sinaitic experience

Sinai and Zion: An entry into the Jewish Bible

This books makes wonderful insights into the study of Judaism that everyone can use. Jon Levenson delves into what was the force of Sinai and Zion as well as the result of said ideals. When one reads about the promise made to King David, one gets a full,comprehensive understanding of the promise G-d made to His shepherd. Yet, the premise of the book seems to be critical at the beginning suggesting that Levenson does not believe in the actual occurences of the events. He claimed not to go into the Christian JEDP theory, but somehow offered an understanding akin to a Jewish equivalent. The actually noting in the text concerning of Sinai and Zion suggest the belief in their actuality and in their effect for the Jews of today. The author is offering a true understanding of the implications of both Sinai and Zion, but his personal do not appear to connect at the forefront of his book. No disrespect, the book is brilliant and makes important insights the both Christians and Jews can benefit from, yet there needs more of a fundamental belief such events actually occurred or outright assertion somewhere.

Go tell it on a mountain...

Jon Levenson is a professor of Jewish Studies at Harvard University, and one of the editors of the Harper's Bible Commentary. Author of several books of commentary and interpretation, Levenson's ideas are significant in several aspects. The idea of Jewish scholarship doing theological interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament) with minimal reference or reflection through the New Testament is still relative rare in academia; as Levenson states in his introduction, even the more-neutral approach of historical criticism has not attracted this kind of work, nor has a new openness toward Judaism made significant strides in this kind of work. Levenson's book is used at my seminary in various classes to help students approach the texts of the Hebrew scriptures/Old Testament without as much Christian reinterpretation and `flattening' as was often involved in more traditional seminary curricula. Levenson uses the two traditional stereotypical topics that Christians tend to use toward the Hebrew texts, namely, the Law (Torah) and Temple, and recasts these - tracing a Sinai tradition (law, or, more particularly for Levenson, Covenant ) and a Zion tradition (Temple), he works through scriptural implications by means of historical and theological methods. Levenson sees two of the primary building-blocks of ancient Israel's culture and religion being mountain traditions - the mountain of Sinai, and the mountain of Zion (Levenson also sees the crisis of Exile and restoration as important, but puts this beyond the scope of this volume). These two traditions, according to Levenson, give Judaism an enduring quality and unique shape, one that did not however drop out of the sky or form out of the desert without any outside influences. The total synthesis for Israel is unique, Levenson argues, even if there are carry-overs and influences from other cultures and sources (Mesopotamian law codes, Canaanite temple rituals, etc.). After a section for each of the traditions of Sinai and Zion, Levenson puts the two together - he sees Zion being heir to the Sinai tradition, which assumed many Sinaitic traits, but did not leave either tradition intact. There was also a geographic division over the dominance of the two traditions, which is not a simple north/south divide, but also a theological tension, interwoven as theology was back then with politics as well. This is a fascinating book, one that brings forward many ideas new to most readers and students (of all sorts) of the bible, from a perspective not often heard, particularly in Christian circles.

Readable reliable account of the Old Testament covenants

Levenson discusses the history and meaning of the covenants Yahweh makes with Abraham, David and Moses and the people of Isreal. This book is widely used in seminaries and religion departments but would be of interest to anyone exploring the Christian Bible or the Hebrew Scriptures at any level. Levenson addresses the major lines of scholarly inhterpretation but in a way that most readers will find available