Description
Book SynopsisThe book is an in-depth, reader friendly analysis of the Book of Judges, one of the most dramatic books of the Bible. This study argues that the Book of Judges has a single focused message: that it is the values held by a people and not its politics that determine its fate.
Trade Review[Millgram]…wonderfully integrates an explanation of the relevant historical background of the book and includes an analysis of the concepts necessary for a deep understanding of the text. [He] also delineates… the literary, historical and religious significance of Judges… giving no little attention to linguistic and textual problems in order to explain words, expressions, and difficult concepts whose significance requires elucidation, comparing the text we have with those that exist in ancient translations of the Bible (the Septuagint, the Vulgate) and by examining the medieval Jewish commentaries and modern non-Jewish expositors. This is a unique work that every reader… will enjoy immensely, and will learn much from it about the Book of Judges in particular, and about the Bible in general. -- Shlomo Sharan, professor emeritus, Tel-Aviv University, professor emeritus, Tel-Aviv University
You are not really a thinker unless you are thinking outside the box. If you are not thinking in a new way then you are really simply repeating the thoughts of others…. Hillel Millgram is a thinker because he thinks outside the box….[He] senses the glory and the tragedy of Biblical figures….[He] has keen cultural sensibility, bringing together different cultures in order to achieve a kind of wisdom. In his works he exhibits the literary and historical sensibility of a profound ethical thinker, showing that the bottom line is that ultimately God has to be the moral arbiter of the world. -- Avraham H. Feder, rabbi-emeritus and senior scholar, Beth Tikvah Synagogue, Toronto
A beautifully written historical narrative which reads as a novel…. The Biblical characters come alive, and careful research and original translation clarify both the social structural, cultural, and psychological factors as well as the symbolism that contextualize the author’s explanation of the Book of Judges… a significant contribution to our understanding of this biblical period both in terms of history and social science and a profound message of how leaders may became part of the problem rather than its solution. -- Judith Porter, PhD, Professor Emerita of sociology, Bryn Mawr College
The timeliness of this collection is part of its appeal. Immigration has moved from a vital part of our modern society to a political talking point. -- Lisa C. Taylor, Mom Egg Review
Table of ContentsAbbreviations List of Maps Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction Prologue: Setting the Stage Foreword: A Flawed Follow-Up Chapter 1: Getting Our Bearings Chapter 2: The View from Olympus Part I: The First Saviors: Solo Beginnings Chapter 3: A New Age Dawns Chapter 4: The Left Hand of God A Minor Interlude: Shamgar Part II: The Deborah Duet Chapter 5: Canaan’s Last Gasp Chapter 6: Sing Muse, How the Enemies of the Lord are Fallen Part III: The Gideon Quartet Chapter 7: The Hewer of Idols Chapter 8: The Day of Midian Chapter 9: Nemesis Chapter 10: The Man Who Would Be King A Second Minor Interlude: Tola And Jair Part IV: The Jephthah Quintet: A Tragedy in Five Installments Chapter 11: A Dialogue Twixt Heaven and Earth Chapter 12: The Man from Tob Chapter 13: Giving Peace a Chance Chapter 14: Triumph and Tragedy Chapter 15: Into the Valley Of Death Final Minor Interlude: Ibzan, Elon and Abdon Part V: The Loose Cannon: The Samson Sextet Chapter 16: Introduction: The Tragedy Of Samson Chapter 17: Prologue: In the Beginning Chapter 18: Timnah Chapter 19: Vengeance Is Mine Chapter 20: The Way to Dusty Death Chapter 21: Unresolved Dissonances Epilogue: Has It Come To This? Chapter 22: Epilogue Part I: A Tale of Stolen Silver Chapter 23: Epilogue Part II (A): Atrocity! Chapter 24: Epilogue Part II (B): Outrage! Chapter 25: Epilogue Part II (C): Restoration Conclusion Chapter 26: Olympus Revisited Appendices Glossary of Terms and Place Names Who’s Who in Judges Selected Bibliography Index About the Author
