The Hidden Book in the Bible: Restored, Translated, and Introduced by Richard Elliott Friedman

by Richard Elliott Friedman

Book Overview

Renowned biblical sleuth and scholar Richard Elliott Friedman, author of Who Wrote the Bible?, reveals for the first time his most startling and revolutionary discovery: embedded within the Bible is a continuous narrative that had been sliced apart by ancient editors who interlaced it with other stories, laws, and poetry. It is a singular work of genius, the core of the Bible. Across three millennia, this great work of prose comes back to us--pieced...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060630035
• ISBN13: 9780060630034
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Actual Oldest Example of Human Prose

The foremost scholar of the JEPD textual theory of the Torah, Friedman presents his scholarly notes and backgrounds, and the reconstructed text of what he understands to be the original story of the J text, thought to be the oldest narrative of the Torah, which uses Yahweh as the name of God. Freidman's analytical reconstruction differs from that of Harold Bloom, in "The Book of J." Friedman find the J Writer in much of the material up through the Davidic monarchy of united Israel. Bloom follows the more conservative traditonal view that restricts the J document primarily to Genesis. Friedman interacts with Bloom and other textual critics and their theories. Friedman presents strong stylistic, linguistic and thematic arguments that this original document goes from Genesis through the establishment of Solomon's reign. He further presents arguments confirming the antiquity of this deep strata of biblical material, proving that this is the oldest known example of prose in any language, as well as the first history (though all ancient "histories" are different in style from the modern western concept of history). The author further deals critically with its relationship to the early material from the northern kingdom, commonly referred to as E, showing that they both were in final form and already being combined into a single document in Judah. Together these constitute the two oldest examples of human prose, predating even Greek histories, previously claimed to be the earliest histories. Friedman closes with a devastating detailed argument against recent lines of argument claiming all the biblical texts were written in or after the Babylonian Exile.

Controversial, but fascinating

If you read Harold Bloom's "The Book Of J", you need to buy this.The scholarly consensus over most of the past century was that the oldest Biblical stories were from the Yahwist (or "J") source. However, Friedman makes a pretty convincing argument that the J source and another Biblical source, the "Court History of David" were written by the same person. Of course, this means that J is much more recent than previously thought, since it could not pre-date the reign of Solomon (with whom the Court History ends).

Great research, interesting results

Everyone has their own unique way of talking and writing. Where I would use one set of words to describe something someone else would use a totally different wording for the same thing. Where I would use one type of illustration to make a point someone else will use a totally different one. Friedman uses this sort of linguistic analysis along with other techniques to search the Old Testament and find passages that appear to be written by the same author. What results is a Biblical history book that apparently had been scattered throughout several of the Old Testament books and now is brought together as one consistent and highly readable book. Working from Hebrew sources, his research is sound and scholarly and yet the result is easily understandable and highly readable. Mr. Friedman notes that as he researched this common authorship he noticed that each time one section ended the next section that met the same author's writing style started up from the same place the first left off as if there had been nothing between. This further supported his position that it has at one time been one text and was probably the original work of prose for the Bible. The book covers the period from the creation until the reign of Solomon and is a wonderful read for those interested in Biblical studies, early Jewish thought, or Biblical history. A recommended read.

Friedman's best work yet.

It makes intuitive sense that there might be a single dominant thread in the Hebrew bible, with a timeline running from the creation story through the rule of David. Friedman, expanding on his earlier work "Who wrote the Bible", develops his thesis of this core work (with a sole author) through painstaking linguistic analysis and textual criticism. Within his interpretation of what is referred to by documentary hypothesis scholars as the "J" (Yahwist) account, you'll be surprised by such things as a very different rendering of the ten commandments, to say nothing of some surprising redefinitions of words and phrases that will both amuse and enlighten you. All in all, the reader will feel as if they are seeing an extremely unvarnished and unedited version of ancient Israel's history for the first time, and if you really enjoy an in-depth look at the construction of the Torah, as well as the court era of the old testament, this work will not disappoint you. One warning though: be prepared, if your academic skills lie elsewhere, to read it twice because Friedman will put you through your paces in terms of the biblical expertise required of you to understand his thesis. Additionally, I would recommend that you read "Who Wrote The Bible" as a prelude to this book.

Enjoy the Bible story as you have never read it before.

Having studied the Old Testament for over 60 years, it was always the genealogy and the talmudic laws that killed the enjoyment of the poetry and story line in the Old Testament. But in this wonderful book Professor Friedman after years of work and study uncovered the Hidden book within the Bible, the story by J. Here is the first great prose of mankind. Shorn of all the additions heaped on it by editors with their own agendas you now have a work of beauty. It is more like Homer or Shakespeare. I never thought, I not only would understand the story of the Hebrews from creation to King Solomon, but would truly enjoy reading it. Boiled down to 222 pages of beautifully printed text, Professor Friedman calls this version "IN THE DAY" taken from the first three words of this new revision of the Book of J. He shows why his translation works by as he says "presenting the text of the original as carefully as possible. This translation is made from Hebrew original sources. This is a big departure from for example the King James version that used Greek translations that muddied the works even further. Let me quote Freidman. "Readers have an opportunity to see the first great prose writer's full achievement; an epic work of the struggle between God and humans. and between good and bad." Professor Friedman is one of the most interesting biblical writers actively writing today.