Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful, insightful, and very clear
Review: James Kugel assured his place as a giant of biblical studies with his opus, The Bible as it Was, which examined various secondary texts to understand the way Israelites read the Bible during the Second Temple Period. Here, Kugel examines a subject that, in his own words, is far thinner. Looking at the Bible, particularly the Five Books of the Torah, he tries to gain insight into how Israel perceived G-d in the Biblical period. He does not disappoint. Examining the occasions when individuals encountered the divine or His messengers, Kugel builds a persuasive case that ancient Israelites understanding of the divine stands as remarkable different from what modern readers seek to project backwards through time.Some may take offense at some of Kugel's assertions, that the ancient Israelites saw G-d as corporeal and did not embrace monotheism as early as modern interpreters argue. However, the modern quirk projecting back modern concepts as far back as possible, while a comforting fiction, bellies our attempts to truly understand our ancestors. The development of Monotheism, easily one of the greatest and most impactful achievements of human history, should not be taken for granted as something that came in a preverbal flash. Kugel does a wonderful job presenting complex material in an accessible format. His sensitivity to the potentially controversial thesis he espouses only further coxes the reader along for this fascinating journey. People interested in this subject should also read Kugel's other work and consider reading the works of Bill Dever and Baruch Halperin, both also excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: A book for contemplation
Review: The author has obviously written this book as a personal study and contemplation of a difficult subject. The author looks at the apparent change in God's contact with humankind or at least how we have tried to explain the lack of God's physical appearances. More specifically, he tries to understand why God appears to O.T. folk physically but apparently stopped at some time. There is no conclusion drawn, only that doubt is raised as to whether God has really changed his tacts, or have we caused the rift. Interesting thoughts that may never be answered to anyone's complete satisfaction.
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