From Epic to Canon: History and Literature in Ancient Israel

by Frank Moore Cross, Nikiforos P. Diamandouros

In From Epic to Canon, Frank Moore Cross discusses specific issues that illuminate central questions about the Hebrew Bible and those who created and preserved it. He challenges the persistent attempt to read Protestant theological polemic against law into ancient Israel. Cross uncovers the continuities between the institutions of kinship and of covenant, which he describes as "extended kinship." He examines the social structures of ancient Israel and reveals that beneath its later social and cultural accretions, the concept of covenant -- as opposed to codified law -- was a vital part of Israel's earliest institutions. He then draws parallels between the expression of kinship and covenant among the Israelites and that practiced by other ancient societies, as well as in primitive societies.

Genres: Biblical Studies, Religion, Ancient History, History

280 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 1998

About the author

Frank Moore Cross Jr. (1921–2012) was the Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages Emeritus at Harvard University, notable for his work in the interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls, his 1973 magnum opus Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic, and his work in Northwest Semitic epigraphy. Many of his essays on the latter topic have since been collected in Leaves from an Epigrapher's Notebook.

Reviews

[Adam Tomlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I did skip 1 chapter on the Prosody of Lamentations 1 and the Psalm of Jonah, but other than that, this book satisfied my thirst for historical-critical approach to Israelite religion, specifically, its inception. Further, the discussion on the evolution of the Israelite canon and language was fascinating.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Cross’ writing style and his arguments. Many biblical scholars write in a way that is less engaging, but Cross speaks my language.