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The Origin of Satan
by Elaine Pagels
(New York: Random House, 1995), 235 pp., $23
Pagels traces the impact of the concept of Satan, illustrating how the identification of Satan in the Bible as the enemy of God and of Christ has been internalized by Christians to the point where they may view their opponents, both inside and outside of the church, as Satanic.
The Truth About the Virgin: Sex and Ritual in the Dead Sea Scrolls
by Ita Sheres and Anne Kohn Blau
(New York: Continuum Books, 1995), 248 pp., $27.50
The authors examine the Dead Sea Scrolls in search of the secret doctrines and practices concerning the role of women in general, and of virgins in particular, within the Essene community. Their startling findings provide the basis for a reinterpretation of the Essenes and, they assert, for a new understanding of the roots of Judeo-Christian tradition.
The New Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Version
ed. by Victor Roland Gold, et al.
(Oxford Univ., 1995), 550 pp., $14.95
This politically correct translation of the Bible addresses today’s sensitivity to language, particularly regarding gender, ethnicity and disability. The resulting transformation renders the trappings of the Good News as inoffensively as possible—God is no longer a He, darkness is no longer associated with evil, people who are blind are no longer described by their disability as blind people, wives and children are only requested to commit, not submit, to their husbands and fathers, and even the right hand of God has been changed to the mighty hand of God to avoid offending the left-handed. The bad news is that the begats just got twice as long, since now both parents are listed.
The Five Books of Moses: The Schocken Bible, Vol. I
ed. by Everett Fox
(New York: Schocken Books, 1995), 1088 pp., $50
The rhythms, distinctive styles, nuances and idiosyncracies of the Bible’s original Hebrew are preserved as much as possible in this English translation of the Pentateuch—described by David Noel Freedman as “the next best thing to reading and understanding the original itself.” A nice design touch places the commentary on facing pages to the text.
Sage, Priest, Prophet: Religious and Intellectual Leadership in Ancient Israel
by Joseph Blenkinsopp
(Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox, 1995), 186 pp., $19
This first volume in the Library of Ancient Israel offers a sociohistorical look at the roles of sage, priest and prophet—examining the dynamics of their social interactions during Israel’s emergence to reveal the origins of religious traditions and the relationship of the texts created by these figures to the culture from which they came.
