The PentateuchIntroducing the Torah

The Pentateuch is the heart of the Hebrew Bible and the foundational document of Judaism. It is also the focus of tremendous scholarly debate regarding the complex history of its composition. This history is explored in this volume along with analysis of the historical background and ancient Near Eastern parallels for its primeval history its ancestry narratives and laws, the theological purposes of its final redaction, and its diverse interpretation in communities today. Book jacket.