Job the Silent: A Study in Historical Counterpoint

I recommend this book after taking two of Dr. Zuckerman's courses at USC and after reading his book for a term paper. He presents a powerful analysis of the Book of Job that counters the traditional view of Job as a patient, righteous sufferer. Instead, he uses historical literary evidence and comparisons with other Ancient Near Eastern texts, along with analogy, to argue that the Job of the Bible is actually an Anti-Job--the original Job tradition probably depicted a suffering Job more along the lines of the description of Job in James 5:11. While this is a secular book commenting on the development of Job as a book of the Bible, I would also argue that, if Zuckerman's thesis holds true, there are some very profound theological implications, as the intention of the author is taken into account. Job the Silent is a very provocative reading that I highly recommend.