The Torah: An Introduction for Christians and Jews

As a chapter-by-chapter introduction to the Torah (the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Bible), this work provides an excellent source for interfaith study of the Five Books of Moses; it provides a wealth of representative examples of the Torah in the Christian scriptures and in the rabbinic teachings of the midrash and the Talmud. There are sections on the Torah as a source of inspiration, its place in the ritual and prayer life of the synagogue, the term "Old Testament," and how the divisions of the Hebrew Bible compare to standard Christian editions of the Bible. In addition, major chapters are devoted to Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Each of these chapters is subdivided into the following sections: An introductory overview including diverse highlights of the particular book, A literal chapter-by-chapter description of the book, Representative quotations of that particular book within the Christian scriptures, Representative quotations of that particular book within the rich teachings of rabbinic literature; and finally, A special section of text study with notes for suggested readings. Other topics include a brief historical overview of the biblical period, the place of women in the Bible, who wrote the Torah, the development of Jewish law, the Torah in Jewish life, the Torah in Christian life, and what the Torah says about life today. Book jacket.