{"product_id":"why-the-bible-began-an-alternative-history-of-scripture-and-its-origins-paperback-softback-9781108796682","title":"Why the Bible Began; An Alternative History of Scripture and its Origins (Paperback \/ softback) 9781108796682","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eWhy the Bible Began\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eAn Alternative History of Scripture and its Origins\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWith a bold new thesis about the discovery of 'peoplehood,' this book revolutionizes our understanding of the Bible and its historical achievement.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eJacob L. Wright (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781108796682, Cambridge University Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback \/ softback, published 1 May 2025\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e500 pages\u003cbr\u003e22.8 x 15.3 x 2.6 cm, 0.73 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e'Wright has succeeded in creating a highly readable new history of the origins of (some) biblical books, presenting an interesting and, above all, new approach to the design of these books.' Christoffer Theis, Journal of the American Society for Premodern Asia\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eWhy did no other ancient society produce something like the Bible? That a tiny, out of the way community could have created a literary corpus so determinative for peoples across the globe seems improbable. For Jacob Wright, the Bible is not only a testimony of survival, but also an unparalleled achievement in human history. Forged after Babylon's devastation of Jerusalem, it makes not victory but total humiliation the foundation of a new idea of belonging. Lamenting the destruction of their homeland, scribes who composed the Bible imagined a promise-filled past while reflecting deeply on abject failure. More than just religious scripture, the Bible began as a trailblazing blueprint for a new form of political community. Its response to catastrophe offers a powerful message of hope and restoration that is unique in the Ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman worlds. Wright's Bible is thus a social, political, and even economic roadmap - one that enabled a small and obscure community located on the periphery of leading civilizations and empires not just to come back from the brink, but ultimately to shape the world's destiny. The Bible speaks ultimately of being a united yet diverse people, and its pages present a manual of pragmatic survival strategies for communities confronting societal collapse.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eI. The Rise and Fall: 1. Abraham and Sarah: From One to the Many\u003cbr\u003e 2. Miriam: Empire and Exodus\u003cbr\u003e 3. Deborah: A New Dawn\u003cbr\u003e 4. David: Between North and South\u003cbr\u003e 5. Ahab and Jezebel: Putting Israel on the Map\u003cbr\u003e 6. Jehu and Elisha: Israel's Downfall and Judah's Jubilation\u003cbr\u003e 7. Hezekiah and Isaiah: Putting Judah on the Map\u003cbr\u003e 8. Josiah and Huldah: Judah's Downfall and Deportation\u003cbr\u003e II. Admitting Defeat: 9. Daughter Zion: Finding One's Voice\u003cbr\u003e 10. The Creator: Comforting the Afflicted\u003cbr\u003e 11. Haggai the Prophet: Laying the Foundation\u003cbr\u003e 12. Nehemiah the Builder: Restoring Judean Pride\u003cbr\u003e 13. Ezra the Educator: Becoming a People of the Book\u003cbr\u003e 14. Hoshayahu the Soldier: Peoplehood as a Pedagogical Project\u003cbr\u003e III. A New Narrative: 15. Jeremiah and Baruch: A Monument to Defeat\u003cbr\u003e 16. Isaac and Rebekah: The Family Story\u003cbr\u003e 17. Moses and Joshua: The People's History\u003cbr\u003e 18. Hannah and Samuel: The Palace History\u003cbr\u003e 19. Solomon and the Queen of Sheba: The National Narrative\u003cbr\u003e 20. Jonah: The Prophets as Survival Literature\u003cbr\u003e 21. Yhwh's People: Codes, Covenant, and Kinship\u003cbr\u003e IV. A People of Protest: 22. Matriarch: Women and the Biblical Agenda\u003cbr\u003e 23. The Hero: Redefining Gender Roles\u003cbr\u003e 24. The Other: Tales of War, Outsiders, and Allegiance\u003cbr\u003e 25. The Soldier: Sacrificial Death and Eternal Life\u003cbr\u003e 26. Prophet and Priest: Open Access and Separation of Powers\u003cbr\u003e 27. The Sage: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes\u003cbr\u003e 28. The Poet: The Song of Songs and Psalms\u003cbr\u003e 29. The Queen: Peoplehood without Piety.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Biblical studies \u0026amp; exegesis [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Biblical studies \u0026amp; exegesis\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Biblical%20studies%20\u0026amp;%20exegesis%20%5BHRCG%5D%22\"\u003eHRCG\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52453514346776,"sku":"9781108796682","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/files\/9781108796682i.jpg?v=1785285572","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/why-the-bible-began-an-alternative-history-of-scripture-and-its-origins-paperback-softback-9781108796682","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}