The Jewish Bible : a material history / David Stern.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stern, David, 1949- author.

Series:

Samuel and Althea Stroum lectures in Jewish studies

The Samuel and Althea Stroum lectures in Jewish studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Old Testament--History.

Bible.

Bible. Old Testament--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible. Old Testament.

Books--Religious aspects--Judaism.

Books.

Torah scrolls.

History.

Penn Provenance:

Stern, David, 1949- (autograph) (donor) (Kislak Center BS1130 .S74 2017)

Physical Description:

xv, 303 pages ; 27 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Seattle : University of Washington Press, [2017]

Summary:

"In The Jewish Bible: A Material History, David Stern explores the Jewish Bible as a material object--the Bibles that Jews have actually held in their hands--from its beginnings in the ancient Near Eastern world through to the Middle Ages to the present moment. Drawing on the most recent scholarship on the history of the book, Stern shows how the Bible has been not only a medium for transmitting its text--the word of God--but a physical object with a meaning of its own. That meaning has changed, as the material shape of the Bible has changed, from scroll to codex, and from manuscript to printed book. By tracing the material form of the Torah, Stern demonstrates how the process of these transformations echo the cultural, political, intellectual, religious, and geographic changes of the Jewish community. With tremendous historical range and breadth, this book offers a fresh approach to understanding the Bible's place and significance in Jewish culture"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

The Jewish Bible: an introduction

1. The Torah Scroll

2. The Hebrew Bible in the age of the manuscript

3. The Jewish Bible in the early age of print

4. The Jewish Bible since the sixteenth century

Epilogue: The future of the Jewish Bible.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Kislak Center BS1130 .S74 2017 has inscription: "December 2017 For the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, with much appreciation for all your help and support, David."

ISBN:

9780295741482

0295741481

OCLC:

961388618