There are probably millions of English-speaking men and women of religious inclination who have never read the Hebrew or the Christian Scriptures cover to cover. When I undertook a masters degree from a Roman Catholic Seminary, only the Pentateuch and the Prophets were required three-credit courses, and our professors emphasized themes over textual analysis. And, like many others, I know something "of" Deuteronomy and Numbers but have never examined the texts closely.
Searching souls return to sources, and it may be this need that would propel a reader to Robert Alter's original translation of the Pentateuch. As I am neither a true scripture scholar nor fluent in Hebrew language, I cannot comment on the accuracy of the translation, though it is hard to imagine a major publisher [Norton] going wrong with a scholar whose resume includes at least twenty full length works on Scriptural literature and philosophy. What I can address is the impact of Alter's efforts, his manner of presentation, underlying presuppositions, and the values and dangers of applying one's self to the full text.
Alter presupposes an openness to modern scholarship. The very title is metaphorical, not factual. The author embraces the standard source theories [Yahwist, Elohist, Priestly, Deuternomic] and draws from major Christian and Jewish scholarship in his commentaries and introductions, at times taking issue with theories or other mainstream translations. He maintains a strong presence throughout the text, perhaps five footnotes per page. There is considerable effort made to explain the multiplicities of meaning in critical Hebrew words, and the reader--perhaps scratching his head--comes away with both a greater respect of the ingenuity of ancient authors and a better understanding of the headaches of modern translators. Other footnotes connect or contrast particular texts to other parts of the Pentateuch, or the canon of Hebrew Scripture, or to other ancient texts. Of particular interest is Alter's inclusion of medieval Jewish commentators.
Alter is an all-abiding presence, but I never found him intrusive. He is useful and respectful, allowing the sacred text to stand in its context, majesty, and paradox. There is no effort to contextualize his commentary with the Christian Scriptures or present-day Christian theologies. The author does at times go out on a limb with his psychological observations: his contrasting of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for example, is intriguing if speculative, and yet it was my impression that the ancient authors probably intended for their readers to capture the humanity of such characters as the ten scouts whose knees wobbled at their first reconnoitering of Canaan as against the courage of Joshua and Caleb.
Alter sees the first book, Genesis, as an introduction to both the human situation prior to the patriarchs, and the patriarchal age itself, concluding with Joseph and the relocation of the Hebrews to Egypt. Genesis has enjoyed a certain preeminence in our time, possibly because of Christian interests in doctrines dealing with creation and original sin, not to mention its colorful tales and personages. However, when seen in the context of the five books, Genesis loses a bit of its glitter, and the reader comes to see that the Pentateuch is actually Moses' stage. Not only is Moses the protagonist of nearly everything that happens in Exodus and beyond, but he becomes the channel for the Word of God, and it is through his lips that both the Law of God and the wrath of the Almighty come to the Israelites. The Pentateuch makes clear that Moses, though hardly sinless, is the one indispensable human in the Hebrew Scripture.
The reader need be forewarned that the description of the Pentateuch as the source of the Law is well-founded. The ratio of narrative to legal code is perhaps 1:4. Despite Alter's cogent efforts to explain the significance of ritual precision and the concept of moral cleanliness, the reading of the Law in its entirety--from Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers--is arduous and at times ingratiating. One comes to the conclusion that the repetition and detail of Hebrew Law is itself a manner of emphasizing its importance.
I indicated earlier that there are inherent dangers in reading the Pentateuch. One of the most immediate is the difficulty of many contemporary readers to transcend the barriers of cultural and religious diversity, as well as the arrogance of modernity. I would concede that there will be readers who will dismiss the text as useless, incomprehensible, or representative of an ancient, inferior culture. The repeated emphasis in the Pentateuch upon ritual exactitude and community cleanliness in particular will be troublesome to those who do not trouble themselves to understand the underlying religious mentality. There are also philosophical difficulties. It is somewhat disconcerting for the Judaeo-Christian reader to come face to face with the genesis of his tradition, the violent uprooting of indigenous peoples in Canaan. Needless to say, the content of the Pentateuch and the situation of present day Israel will raise thoughtful questions.
The sacred authors and editors of the Pentateuch may have sensed something of this quandary, for Deuteronomy, the final book of the unit and the last will and testament of Moses, reflects a distinct authorship and vision of the desert experience. Evidently written later than the other books, Deuteronomy smoothes somewhat the ethical exactitude of the earlier books and places more emphasis upon the Glory of God and his great love of Israel. The reader should remember, too, that the Pentateuch, while the cornerstone of the Hebrew Scripture, is not its sum and substance. To significantly comprehend the books of Moses, one must read on.
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