Testament: The Bible and History

Rating:
Summary: A history of sacred words
Review: John Romer's Testament: The Bible and History is an accessible, interesting account of both the Bible in history, and the history of the development of the sacred text. Romer explores various issues according to the timeline of events, incorporating issues of archaeology, textual redaction, philosophy and sociology into the discussion.

Romer subscribes to the basic, academically-accepted division of authors for the Hebrew scriptural development (J, P, D, etc.). But instead of simply recounting the theories, he interjects personality into his discussion, talking about Ezra as a strong possibility for redactor, and going into the issues, personally and religiously, that would have impacted his work at compilation and redaction.

Romer also recounts a lot of legendary material. The gravesite of Eve, the pools and ponds of Abraham (including the carp of Abraham that is still caught and eaten to this day), the various sites identified as pilgrimage sites by Romans and then later Crusaders -- these bring up lots of extra-biblical folklore that is truly interesting when coupled with the Biblical text. 'In popular imagination they [Abraham's people] are condemned to bend under the Egyptian lash, make pyramids and palaces. But this vision, both of ancient Egypt and the foreigners who came to live there, is largely false, and serves only to distort our understanding of the Egyptian stories in the Old Testament.... For just as the ancient Egyptians in their day had thought the rest of the world to be somewhat primitive, so many Western historians have similarly regarded the ancient Egyptians; a part of an old colonial dream of sensuous cruelty mixed with simpleness. It is certainly a world that neither the ancient Egyptians nor Abraham ever knew.'

Romer does not say things like this to discredit or discount the biblical testimony; far from it, Romer is probably more sympathetic to the idea of divine inspiration than many modern scripture scholars. But he is careful to distinguish interpretation from text, historical development from poetical extension, and let both the historical record and the biblical texts speak for themselves, sometimes in harmony and sometimes in discord.

Romer's recounting of the original writing and compilation of the Hebrew scriptures is very interesting. The original need for a 'bible' arose in the face of repeated destructions, exiles, and, particularly, the destruction of the Temple, twice. 'The vice-like pressure of these two national disasters forced into being the Hebrew Bible, which is also the Christian Old Testament. But these disasters also affected the very identity of the God that the ancient books defined. For ancient gods changed when they were uprooted. These gods, with their cults and rituals, were bound into the life and character of the cities and civilisations in which they were first worshipped.'

The Bible became a way for the preservation of this way of life and worship, and in the end provided the primary means for the preservation of the identity of the people of Israel even when there was no geographic centre to call home.

Romer's discussion of the closing of the canon and subsequent development of the Bible in the Christian world is fascinating, too. From discussions of the early church fathers, such as Jerome, to the political intrigues over the vernacular translations of the Bible in the early Renaissance, he provides interesting details. Speaking of Jerome (during a discussion of the Latin Vulgate): 'At once a saint and among the greatest doctors of the church, Jerome was yet a man of whom it has been said that he was canonised not for his qualities of saintliness, but for the services he rendered the Roman church. Hot-tempered, outspoken, passionately devoted to his work and his friends, Jerome is certainly one of the most extraordinary figures in church history. And doubtless, it is due to this special temperament that his Latin Bible has come to be regarded by many people almost as if it were the unmediated word of God himself.'

Of course, many today (especially in America) see the King James Version of the Bible in much the same light. To ignore the background to the development of this Bible does it a disservice; yet, to discount the true inspiration that is apparent on the pages of the King James Version is also to do it a disservice.

From the Israel stela of Thebes to the motion pictures of Cecil B. DeMille, this book covers the large expanse of history humour and graceful prose, without getting bogged down in minute points. There is plenty to argue with in this book, but then, of which book on this theme is there not?

Rating:
Summary: Essential Reading
Review: Romer is quite a writer. If you have seen the television series, this book will provide further enriching detail, and should not be missed. Since he had to cover a few thousand years worth of history, Romer has packed each page with detail, presenting the reader with the sometimes daunting task of gleaning all of it before moving on to the next page. I found at times that I needed to reread pages, but not due to confusion. Rather, I felt a need to make sure that I got all of the material clear in my head so that I would remember it once the book was sitting on the shelf. Kind of the intellectual equivalent of using your finger to get that last bit of frosting off of the dessert plate. Romer is particularly talented at dropping you into the location, the time, and the culture that existed at the scene, and is careful to discuss motivations and feelings along with the technical detail. Indeed he helped me to understand many of the subtle nuances of the translation efforts of the bible, and how they related to church politics of the day. This is required reading for adult bible study, and a wonderful read to boot. I recommend that you read this prior to Wide As the Waters by Bobrick, as it presents essential background material. If you've already read Wide As The Waters, well . . . then . . . you should read this anyway!

Rating:
Summary: Essential Reading
Review: Romer is quite a writer. If you have seen the television series, this book will provide further enriching detail, and should not be missed. Since he had to cover a few thousand years worth of history, Romer has packed each page with detail, presenting the reader with the sometimes daunting task of gleaning all of it before moving on to the next page. I found at times that I needed to reread pages, but not due to confusion. Rather, I felt a need to make sure that I got all of the material clear in my head so that I would remember it once the book was sitting on the shelf. Kind of the intellectual equivalent of using your finger to get that last bit of frosting off of the dessert plate. Romer is particularly talented at dropping you into the location, the time, and the culture that existed at the scene, and is careful to discuss motivations and feelings along with the technical detail. Indeed he helped me to understand many of the subtle nuances of the translation efforts of the bible, and how they related to church politics of the day. This is required reading for adult bible study, and a wonderful read to boot. I recommend that you read this prior to Wide As the Waters by Bobrick, as it presents essential background material. If you've already read Wide As The Waters, well . . . then . . . you should read this anyway!

Rating:
Summary: A history of meaning
Review: This is quite a book. If you can't find this book here (shh, don't tell anyone at Amazon!) you might be able to find it a bigger chain book store. If you really want to understand the beginnings of our civilization, and our search as humans for a sense of purpose and destiny, this is the book to read. The Bible has been at the center of this search for the sacred. Even for the non-religious, its story must be considered as quite a spectacular attempt by humanity to reach for that higher pinnacle. I would also strongly recommend the documentary based on this book if you can get ahold of it. I have set up a page on Romer at http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~pruffini/romer.htm. It grew out of a project for my English class last year. Much to my surprise, I have gotten e-mails from around the world by people who had a similar interest in John Romer and the Testament series.