Opening the Books of Moses

This first volume in a six volume series within the BibleWorld series forms an introduction, setting out the background information about the contents, creation, dating and audience of the Pentateuch, including a section on the Samaritan Pentateuch, a sketch of Jewish areas in the Persian period and a list of the major themes to be handled in the subsequent five volumes. These themes include 1) Torah, 2) geography, 3) ethnicity, 4) Yahweh and other deities, 5) theories of cult in the Pentateuch, 6) treaty, loyalty oath and royal grant, and 7) Moses. The volume is aimed at undergraduates but it will also serve graduates and scholars. Although it is intended to introduce the forthcoming series, it is a volume that can stand alone as a very useful resource. The remaining five volumes on individual books comprising the Pentateuch will differ from ordinary commentaries in that they will approach the literary and ideological aspects of texts by focusing on key themes, how they are addressed within each book of the Pentateuch and what they imply about the issues and trends within the society at the time the books were created.

Diana Edelman is Reader in the Department of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield. Her research focuses on the history and archaeology of the southern Levant, the development of early forms of Judaism and the creation of authoritative biblical books.

Philip R. Davies is Research Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield.

Christophe Nihan is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Lausanne.

Thomas Romer is Professor of Hebrew Bible at the Faculty of Theology and History of Religions of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He is also Professor of Biblical Studies at the College de France, Paris. He is the author and editor of several books focusing on the Pentateuch and the Former Prophets.