The Art of Biblical Narrative

Since it was first published nearly three decades ago, The Art of Biblical Narrative has radically expanded the horizons of biblical scholarship by recasting the Bible as a work of literary art deserving studied criticism. Renowned critic and translator Robert Alter presents the Hebrew Bible as a cohesive literary work, one whose many authors used innovative devices such as parallelism, contrastive dialogue, and narrative tempo to tell one of the most revolutionary stories of human history: the revelation of a single god.

“Winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought”

"[An] admirable book....It is truly extraordinary that such familiar tales as those of Joseph and David should acquire so much detail and color, as if perfectly restored."--New York Times
"In its day, "The Art of Biblical Narrative" was subversive. ... The book was -- and remains -- a surprise hit; it opened up an old, mysterious and often maligned text for the first time to many readers. And though academic critics have argued with Alter's approach, they have never been able to ignore it."
--New York Times
"A groundbreaking study that encourages us to look beneath the theological surface of the biblical text to glimpse its beating heart."--Jonathan Kirsch, Los Angeles Times
"The results of [Alter's] work give the Bible a fresh voice for a new generation of readers."--Christian Science Monitor
"This clearly written book should please anyone interested in the fundamentals of storytelling."--The Washington Post

Robert Alter is a Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a recipient of the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime contributions to American letters, he lives in Berkeley, California.

Since it was first published nearly three decades ago, The Art of Biblical Narrative has radically expanded the horizons of biblical scholarship by recasting the Bible as a work of literary art deserving studied criticism. Renowned critic and translator Robert Alter presents the Hebrew Bible as a cohesive literary work, one whose many authors used innovative devices such as parallelism, contrastive dialogue, and narrative tempo to tell one of the most revolutionary stories of human history: the revelation of a single god.

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