The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures

Michael Coogan is a renowned expert in the bible. his book is an excellent introduction to the study of the Old Testament. Easy to read but yet very detailed and informative.

This text is a thoughtful, informed overview of the Hebrew Scriptures. Useful for layperson or student. Easy reading.

I ordered this book for a Scripture course I will be taking. It is lavish and informative; like a small encyclopedia, actually.Coogan is known for readable work and in-depth scholarship. I heartily recommend this book.

Coogan is one of the leading Bible experts, a co-editor of the Oxford Bible Dictionary with Metzger. His point of view is balanced, educated, a "real teacher's" approach. The "Old Testament" book is a nicely done textbook. The maps reflect accurately the book discussion, the diagrams are clear and not very crowded, and the references at the end of each chapter are the best starting points for further exploration of specific topics. As the title indicates, this is an introduction (read: university freshman/sophomore level) to the history of the Old Testament, with an equal discussion of the literary merits of the book(s). The book can easily be read on one's own, because it is clearly written, and well organized. The chapters of the book are set up "historically", and there is an excellent discussion of the actual history/archaeology matching the Old Testament texts. The archaeological support for the Old Testament is superb; it makes you see the OT from a deeper, different perspective. I especially liked the fact that the book is balanced, and does not "interpret" theological points (that's up to each reader, I think). The book is also very attractive, the print size reads very easily. To get the most out of the book, one would probably need a modern Old Testament translation (the Oxford NRSV with the Apocrypha would be ideal, or the Harper/Collins edition). I can easily see the book becoming a standard university textbook, just like Ehrman's New Testament textbook. As much as I liked reading the book, I would love having a few more appendices. For example, a (brief) discussion of the Septuagint, possibly some commentary/interpretation from rabbinic sources, possibly discussion of the Qumran texts.

Michael Coogan writes well and delivers the story of the Hebrew Bible with a good balance. He shows in clear language how to understand this text and the contribution of scholars of all traditions in this understanding. The introduction is very straight forward. The layout is very attractive. Pertinent illustrations show the connection of modern scholarship to our understanding of the text. The appendix on the canon is very clear and concise. This is an exciting read for anyone. This is the best introduction available for students of the Hebrew Bible.