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The Religion of Israel: From Its Beginnings to the Babylonian Exile Paperback – March 12, 1972

by Yechezkel Kaufmann (Author), Moshe Greenberg (Translator)

4.7 16 ratings

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A hardback monograph on the religion of biblical Israel.

Print length

486 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Schocken Books
Publication date

March 12, 1972
ISBN-10

0805203648
ISBN-13

978-0805203646
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Schocken Books (March 12, 1972)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 486 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0805203648
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0805203646
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds

Best Sellers Rank: #684,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #163,247 in Religion & Spirituality (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 16 ratings

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R. T.

A book that should be republished!

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2004

Verified Purchase

Kaufman's study is a masterful introduction to the religion of ancient Israel. Because it was published in Hebrew and in multiple volumes no less, Kaufman?s work was generally overlooked when it was published. However, once Moshe Greenberg abridged and translated Kaufman's study into English, more scholars discovered what Kaufman has to say.

In part, Kaufman?s book is an argument against Julius Wellhausen?s "Prolegomena to the History of Israel." Wellhausen had championed the documentary hypothesis that the first five books of the Bible were composed from several distant sources and Wellhausen dated P, the Priestly source, as the latest and in fact post-exlic. Kaufman accepted the documentary hypothesis, but challenged Wellhausen?s claim that P was post-exilic. Kaufman argued that in fact P contained some of the oldest strands in the Bible.

However, Kaufman's book is far more than a debate about dating the sources. Kaufman sought to demonstrate the originality and uniqueness of ancient Israel's religion in the context of the ancient world. Moreover, Kaufman reviews the entire Bible and seeks to demonstrate how the core concepts of Israel's religion developed over time and were shaped in different ways by the various authors and prophets.

Sadly, Moshe Greenberg's masterful condensation and translation is now out of print. I say "sadly" because over time scholars have begun to appreciate more and more Kaufman's genius. There are many modern scholars today who have been greatly influenced by Kaufman - Jacob Milgrom, Israel Knohl, Richard Friedman, and Moshe Greenberg himself, to name only a few. These days one frequently notices references to Greenberg?s abridgement of Kaufman in footnotes but, unless one already has Greenberg's translation, looking up the citation is hopeless. One can only hope that Greenberg?s abridgement and eminently readable translation of Kaufman's masterpiece will someday soon be published again.

38 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Fabulous book

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2023

Religious research

Basic work on the past, that also deals with our present time and the future.

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2017

Verified Purchase

Classical work, no need to describe, a necessary companion to reflect on the significance of faith, emerging through the history of Israel as well as human history in general.

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Maria

Expensive Textbook For A Great Price!

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2016

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I am taking an online Yale Class and fortunately found this book that I needed at such a great price on Amazon ~ Thank You!

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Doing background reading

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

This book presents a very interesting thesis on the origins of biblical Judaism. I am reading it as a background text for a class on the old testament. It is a used book which arrived in very good condition. Excellent value but not quite five stars.

One person found this helpful

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Michael Lewyn

interesting ideas

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2012

This book contains essays about a wide variety of Torah topics. Although Kaufman presumes the validity of the Documentary Hypothesis (the idea that the Torah has been written by several human authors) his primary thesis is that idolatry was rare, and that Hebrews had been predominantly monotheistic for as long as anyone knew.

Kaufman begins by discussing the Bible's attitude towards paganism. Kaufman begins by focusing on the nature of paganism, and how it differs from Biblical monotheism. Paganism assumes gods are like humans, and have private lives. They are subject to natural forces and thus can be coerced by magic. The all-controlling Hebrew God shares none of these characteristics.

He also notes that the Hebrew Bible never references pagan mythology (which treats their gods as deities with life stories of their own). Instead, it merely treats pagan gods as names ("X, god of nation Y") or as impersonal blocks of wood and stone. Kaufman apparently interprets this apparent ignorance of paganism as evidence that true paganism (as opposed to vulgar superstition) was so rare that Jews really didn't understand it very well. He acknowledges that the Bible repeatedly refers to idolatry, but argues that such idolatry was typically confined to small circles. For example, he notes that when Jehu massacres "all the servants of Baal" (II Kings 10), this group was small enough to fit into one temple.

In the middle of the book, another essay focuses on the Israel/Canaanite relationship. Kaufman argues that the Biblical story of Hebrews ethnically cleansing Canaanites is mostly true, and that there is no evidence that the two peoples merged or that the Hebrews were just a faction within the Canaanites. To support this view, he notes that there is no evidence of early Hebrews using chariots (a form of military technology used by Canaanites) or adopted the Canaanites' city-state form of political organization. Although Canaanite settlements did survive Joshua's conquests, they were separate from the Hebrews (and presumably hostile).

Kaufman's last few essays focus on the prophets; he argues that the prophets differed among themselves. Amos focused on everyday social sins, especially those involving exploitation of the poor. The most unique feature of Isaiah's prophecy is less his attack on sins as his vision of redemption: Isaiah envisions Divine salvation not just for Israel, but for all mankind. Micah, by contrast, is more nationalistic, focusing on the risk of national destruction and the hope of national revenge upon Israel's enemies. Habakkuk acknowledges the worldly success of paganism, but argues that it is only temporary. Kaufman's discussion of Jeremiah explains why it was so difficult for the Jews to accept his prophecies: while Isaiah had (correctly) counseled resistance to foreign invaders, Jeremiah urged submission to Babylon, and asserted that if the kingdom of Judah failed to submit it would be destroyed as punishment for its sins- not just the sins of the rich against the poor (as in Amos) but a wide variety of everyday sins. Ezekiel's prophecy was directed towards exiles rather than towards residents of Israel, and was more mystical in nature than the others.

13 people found this helpful

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yuvalkn@icptv.co.il

Uncover the roots of the Israeli belief

Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 1999

Prof. Yechezkel Kaufmann (1889-1963),with its original and creative attitude, goes back 3,300 years to the period when the Israeli beliefe had been born. This comprehensive research was written from scientific-historic point of view. The main question of this great book is what can be learned from the bible books, what is being reflected in the old stories. Kaufmann is trying to prove that the Israeli monotheistic belief is an original creation from the days of Moses. From those days the monotheistic belief was the ruler power in Israel and gave this nation a special course in the history of the world. The readers will be deeply thrilled and expressed by this book, even if not everyone would agree with its conclusions.

18 people found this helpful

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The Religion of Israel: From Its Beginnings to the Babylonian Exile Paperback – March 12, 1972

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