Job the Silent: A Study in Historical Counterpoint
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Book Overview
Offering an original reading of the book of Job, one of the great literary classics of biblical literature, this book develops a new analogical method for understanding how biblical texts evolve in the process of transmission. Zuckerman argues that the book of Job was intended as a parody protesting the stereotype of the traditional righteous sufferer as patient and silent. He compares the book of Job and its fate to that of a famous Yiddish short story, "Bontsye Shvayg," another covert parody whose protagonist has come to be revered as a paradigm of innocent Jewish suffering. Zuckerman uses the story to prove how a literary text becomes separated from the intention of its author, and takes on quite a different meaning for a specific community of readers.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0195121279
ISBN13:9780195121278
Release Date:July 1998
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Length:304 Pages
Weight:1.05 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 6.1" x 9.2"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
A Must Read for All Contemporary Commentators
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
I recommend this book after taking two of Dr. Zuckerman's courses at USC and after reading his book for a term paper. He presents a powerful analysis of the Book of Job that counters the traditional view of Job as a patient, righteous sufferer. Instead, he uses historical literary evidence and comparisons with other Ancient Near Eastern texts, along with analogy, to argue that the Job of the Bible is actually an Anti-Job--the original Job tradition probably depicted a suffering Job more along the lines of the description of Job in James 5:11. While this is a secular book commenting on the development of Job as a book of the Bible, I would also argue that, if Zuckerman's thesis holds true, there are some very profound theological implications, as the intention of the author is taken into account. Job the Silent is a very provocative reading that I highly recommend.
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