From Gods to God: How the Bible Debunked, Suppressed, or Changed Ancient Myths and Legends

by Avigdor Shinan; Yair Zakovitch

Publisher:

Jewish Publication Society

, 2012

Overview

The ancient Israelites believed things that the writers of the Bible wanted them to forget: myths and legends from a pre-biblical world that the new monotheist order needed to bury, hide, or reinterpret.

Ancient Israel was rich in such literary traditions before the Bible reached the final form that we have today. These traditions were not lost but continued, passed down through the ages. Many managed to reach us in post-biblical sources: rabbinic literature, Jewish Hellenistic writings, the writings of the Dead Sea sect, the Aramaic, Greek, Latin, and other ancient translations of the Bible, and even outside the ancient Jewish world in Christian and Islamic texts. The Bible itself sometimes alludes to these traditions, often in surprising contexts.

Written in clear and accessible language, this volume presents thirty such traditions. It voyages behind the veil of the written Bible to reconstruct what was told and retold among the ancient Israelites, even if it is “not what the Bible tells us.”

Key Features

• Enables readers to discover the great wealth of traditions that preceded the present shape of Scripture
• Explores the understanding of the history of ideas and the history of culture
• Examines the Hebrew Bible’s role as part of an evolving theological and political discourse

Contents

• Introduction: When God Fought the Sea Dragons
• Part 1. The World of Myth
• Part 2. Cult and Sacred Geography
• Part 3. Biblical Heroes and Their Biographies
• Part 4. Relations between Men and Women

Top Highlights

“And the Lord drove back the sea with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground’ (v. 21)” (Page 36)

“‘They had faith in the Lord and His servant Moses.” (Page 36)

“The purpose of these books was to teach readers about themselves: who they were, where they came from, what their relations were with other nations.” (Page 1)

“From these verses it becomes clear that seraphs were in fact flying serpents: the temple envisioned by Isaiah was filled with serpents with arms, legs, and wings, and it seems likely that this was the tradition that Isaiah knew regarding the primeval serpent in the Garden of Eden, before God transformed it into a dirt-slithering animal.” (Page 21)

“Uneasiness with the beliefs and worldviews of the ancient traditions tended to surface around a number of themes, four of which will be explored in this book: the world of myth; cult and sacred geography; biblical heroes and their biographies; and relations between men and women.” (Page 5)

Praise for the Print Edition

This book will open readers’ eyes to a whole new way of reading our sacred texts. It could forever change the way its readers will approach the subject. The term "must read" may be overused, but I believe it is appropriate in describing this book.

—Stuart Lewis, Jewish Chronicle

This book is wonderful, not just for its scholarship or for its many fascinating themes, but also because it is, simply, a joy to read.

—Bob Rickard, Fortean Times

Shinan and Zakovitch approach 30 specific Bible stories (e.g., Was Goliath really slain by a young boy named David?) as literary archaeologists. . . . Their thoughtful and sympathetic exegesis uncovers possible explanations why the biblical authors saw their interpretations of these stories as best suited to instruct a nation. Most important, they introduce the oral and literary traditions of ancient Israel with breathtaking clarity and ease.

—Christopher McConnell, Booklist

Product Details

• Title: From Gods to God: How the Bible Debunked, Suppressed, or Changed Ancient Myths and Legends
• Authors: Avigdor Shinan and Yair Zakovitch
• Translator: Valerie Zakovitch
• Publisher: Jewish Publication Society
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 320
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Topic: Biblical Studies

About the Authors

Avigdor Shinan is the Yitzhak Becker Professor of Jewish Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of numerous books in Hebrew on rabbinic literature, Jewish liturgy, and the Aramaic translations of the Bible.

Yair Zakovitch is the Emeritus Father Takeji Otsuki Professor of Bible Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a professor of Jewish Peoplehood at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya. He is the author of numerous books in Hebrew on biblical literature and ancient interpretation of the Bible.

Valerie Zakovitch is a translator and editor of works in Jewish studies and the humanities.

Sample Pages from From Gods to God: How the Bible Debunked, Suppressed, or Changed Ancient Myths and Legends