Strong As Death Is Love: The Song of Songs, Ruth, Esther, Jonah, and Daniel, A Translation with Commentary

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Bible & Bible Studies, Old Testament, Commentaries, Bibles, Other Bibles
Cover of the book Strong As Death Is Love: The Song of Songs, Ruth, Esther, Jonah, and Daniel, A Translation with Commentary by , W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9780393243055
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: March 2, 2015
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9780393243055
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: March 2, 2015
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

“A pleasure to read. . . . Alter has given fresh life to some of the most beloved . . . books in our heritage.”—Philadelphia Inquirer

The Song of Songs; Ruth; Esther; Jonah; and Daniel offer readers a range of pleasures not usually associated with the Bible. As distant in time from the Five Books of Moses as Updike is from Shakespeare, these Late Biblical books are innovative, entertaining literary works. Women often stand center stage. The Song of Songs is a celebration of young love, frankly sensuous, with no reference to God or covenant. It offers some of the most beautiful love poems of the ancient world. The story of Queen Esther’s shrewd triumph is also a secular entertainment, with clear traces of farce and sly sexual comedy. The character of Ruth embodies the virtues of loyalty, love, and charity in a harmonious world. Enigma replaces harmony in Daniel’s feverish night dreams. The apocalyptic strangeness of Daniel echoes in works from the New Testament’s Book of Revelations to the lyrics of Bob Dylan. And Jonah, the tale of a giant fish who, on God’s command, swallows the prophet and imprisons him in his dark wet innards for three days, ends with a question that lingers, unanswered, leaving the reader to ponder the many limitations of humankind.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

“A pleasure to read. . . . Alter has given fresh life to some of the most beloved . . . books in our heritage.”—Philadelphia Inquirer

The Song of Songs; Ruth; Esther; Jonah; and Daniel offer readers a range of pleasures not usually associated with the Bible. As distant in time from the Five Books of Moses as Updike is from Shakespeare, these Late Biblical books are innovative, entertaining literary works. Women often stand center stage. The Song of Songs is a celebration of young love, frankly sensuous, with no reference to God or covenant. It offers some of the most beautiful love poems of the ancient world. The story of Queen Esther’s shrewd triumph is also a secular entertainment, with clear traces of farce and sly sexual comedy. The character of Ruth embodies the virtues of loyalty, love, and charity in a harmonious world. Enigma replaces harmony in Daniel’s feverish night dreams. The apocalyptic strangeness of Daniel echoes in works from the New Testament’s Book of Revelations to the lyrics of Bob Dylan. And Jonah, the tale of a giant fish who, on God’s command, swallows the prophet and imprisons him in his dark wet innards for three days, ends with a question that lingers, unanswered, leaving the reader to ponder the many limitations of humankind.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book Midwinter Break: A Novel by
Cover of the book Brief Coaching for Lasting Solutions by
Cover of the book The Terror Presidency: Law and Judgment Inside the Bush Administration by
Cover of the book The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by
Cover of the book Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke, 1892-1910 by
Cover of the book "One Hell of a Gamble": Khrushchev, Castro, and Kennedy, 1958-1964 by
Cover of the book Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs by
Cover of the book A Ghost in the Music by
Cover of the book The Marketplace of Ideas: Reform and Resistance in the American University (Issues of Our Time) by
Cover of the book Logic Made Easy: How to Know When Language Deceives You by
Cover of the book Robert E. Lee: A Biography by
Cover of the book The Psychoanalytic Theory of Neurosis by
Cover of the book American Son: A Novel by
Cover of the book The Decision Book: Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking (Fully Revised Edition) by
Cover of the book Vivas to Those Who Have Failed: Poems by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy