The World of Biblical Literature

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Reading
Review: In 'The World of Biblibcal Literature', Robert Alter fills some gaps he felt he left in his Biblical narrative and poetry volumes. As such, the book is more of a collection of related articles rather than a sustained argument. Two of the chapters are essentially extended reviews of other works: one on the JPS Torah Commentary, another on 'The Book of J'. Others give hints on how to read the books of Samuel as literature, on Biblical poetry, on the necessity of the literal in translating the bible (although this makes me wonder why Alter chose to use the non-literal, anachronistic title LORD for YHWH in his translations), as well as general considerations of the range of biblical literary forms, their meanings and uses. Good reading.