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Sinai and Zion: A Treasury of Religious Thought and Faith in the Symbolic World of the Bible
A treasury of religious thought and faith--places the symbolic world of the Bible in its original context.
227 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
81 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
Jon D. Levenson
21 books20 followersJon D. Levenson is the Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies at the Harvard Divinity School.
He is a scholar of the Bible and of the rabbinic midrash, with an interest in the philosophical and theological issues involved in biblical studies. He studies the relationship between traditional modes of Biblical interpretation and modern historical criticism. He also studies the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.
Levenson's foci include: Theological traditions in ancient Israel (biblical and rabbinic periods); Literary Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible; Midrash; History of Jewish biblical interpretation; Modern Jewish theology; Jewish-Christian relations.
He is a scholar of the Bible and of the rabbinic midrash, with an interest in the philosophical and theological issues involved in biblical studies. He studies the relationship between traditional modes of Biblical interpretation and modern historical criticism. He also studies the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.
Levenson's foci include: Theological traditions in ancient Israel (biblical and rabbinic periods); Literary Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible; Midrash; History of Jewish biblical interpretation; Modern Jewish theology; Jewish-Christian relations.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 22, 2007
Levenson presents an excellent introduction to the Jewish faith as it is represented in scripture. In Sinai & Zion he takes a clear look at the two mountains and the traditions which arose from Jewish experience of them and details their symbolism, meaning, and theological trends which arose: Sinai, the mountain of the conditional covenant, Moses, and the twelve tribes and the complex relationship it has to Zion, the mountain of David, the unconditional covenant, and the southern monarchy.
He offers a detailed analysis of their relationship, the subtleties of their interactions, and a needed corrective to a predominant view of biblical Judaism by contemporary christian scholars, theologians and many lay people.
He offers a detailed analysis of their relationship, the subtleties of their interactions, and a needed corrective to a predominant view of biblical Judaism by contemporary christian scholars, theologians and many lay people.
June 25, 2025
Good and poor, depending. Levenson presents two mountains, taken from Hebrews 12, where we have received revelation and how the two interact with one another and inform one another. At mount sinai we, of course, receive the law. At mount Zion we are told of the heavenly glories. So what does Sinai have to do with Zion? Much in every way. Levenson looks at Exodus at the giving of the law and explores the ancient near eastern themes, which, given the age of this book, holds up nicely. Looking at Sinai and Zion, it is not as though one supersedes the other, or that there is simply a chronological succession, or even that as the north and south separated there was a geographical difference where the north took Sinai and the South took Zion. Instead, Levenson sees that Zion inherited the legacy of Sinai and experiences it on the new mountain; this way they continue to complement one another. Because this is from a Jewish perspective, you get a good serving of gobbledygook on your plate. But you also get some of the stuff that we Christians overlook or ignore.
January 1, 2021
This is a remarkable book on Jewish biblical criticism examining the theophanic revelations at Sinai and Zion and comparing how the Mosaic covenant from Sinai/Horeb was brought (via the Tabernacle) into the Jerusalem Temple on Mount Zion.
The book is organized into three major parts. The first section concerns the theology of Mount Sinai and the torah-centric ideology it produces in its teachings of covenant. The second section outlines the importance of Mount Zion and the role the temple played in later Israelite faith. Finally, the third section addresses the relationship between these two locations and theologies and how they affect an understanding of Jewish faith as a whole. The various types of covenants (Mosaic, Noahatic, Davdic, Adamic, Abrahamic) are examined, but not the New Testament concept of New Covenant as that would be supersessionalism for which Levenson will not stand.
The book ends with a polemic by Levenson against Protestant biblical scholarship, taking umbrage at how he feels those scholars take from Jewish scholarship almost like a vampire sucking blood from a victim. Most of his criticism is for a tradition apart from my own, so I saw no challenge from him, but your mileage may vary. It is an extremely interesting book that influenced the next step of this process in Morales' 'The Tabernacle Pre-figured' and yet further in Bucur's 'Scripture Re-envisioned'.
The book is organized into three major parts. The first section concerns the theology of Mount Sinai and the torah-centric ideology it produces in its teachings of covenant. The second section outlines the importance of Mount Zion and the role the temple played in later Israelite faith. Finally, the third section addresses the relationship between these two locations and theologies and how they affect an understanding of Jewish faith as a whole. The various types of covenants (Mosaic, Noahatic, Davdic, Adamic, Abrahamic) are examined, but not the New Testament concept of New Covenant as that would be supersessionalism for which Levenson will not stand.
The book ends with a polemic by Levenson against Protestant biblical scholarship, taking umbrage at how he feels those scholars take from Jewish scholarship almost like a vampire sucking blood from a victim. Most of his criticism is for a tradition apart from my own, so I saw no challenge from him, but your mileage may vary. It is an extremely interesting book that influenced the next step of this process in Morales' 'The Tabernacle Pre-figured' and yet further in Bucur's 'Scripture Re-envisioned'.
March 26, 2024
I am torn between 3.5 and 4 stars. This book has many things I liked and disliked. As far as critiques, the author takes a much more critical stance on the text and history of the OT than I think is merited. I also felt that he caricatured Paul, the NT, and Christianity at multiple points. It was also a bit slow at multiple points. Yet, there were also many things commendable about the book. Levenson divides and organizes OT theology around two mountains, Sinai and Zion. This is especially fascinating because we see precedence for this, with some differences, in the NT (Gal. 4:21-31; Heb. 12:18-29). Sinai relates to themes such as covenant Levenson clearly wants to interpret these texts in their original ANE context which he does well. Although I wish he would have emphasized more of the distinctive of the OT compared to the rest of the ANE. The main thing he emphasizes as unique is the idea of being in covenant with a deity. This text is supposed to only cover what Levenson considers to be pre-exilic material, thus excluding multiple parts of the OT. It is also fascinating that Levenson traces some theological streams onward into Rabbinic Judaism, and he shows how it relates to practicing Jews today. I'd say the greatest use of this text is not in presenting a comprehensive theology of the Hebrew Bible, but rather in illuminating individual texts in enlightening and creative ways. Levenson may not like it, but at many points, it seemed to me that his theological exposition of the OT would flow nicely into NT and Christian theology.
October 28, 2025
A dated, but erudite treatment of the relationship between Sinai/Mosaic and Zion/Davidic themes or material or traditions in the Hebrew Bible. Levenson makes some brief (and often disparaging) remarks on Christian/NT developments and Protestant scholarship which he bemoans as being dominant in the twentieth century. There is a lot of rich thematic insight into the Jewish Bible, while also a fair bit of reductionistic analysis of those whom he critiques.
August 28, 2023
jøss.... fikk meg til å tenke på både det ene og det andre ja... vakke domme de gamle jødene...
April 13, 2021
This book was recommended by my bishop, Archbishop Alexander (Golitzin) as a good place to begin to understand the complex relationship between the activity in God's presence, how that presence manifested itself on Earth, and the continuation of that activity in the modern (Orthodox) Christian tradition.
The book delivered such in spades. For a scholarly work, it was surprisingly readable. And for a book ostensibly about Jewish theology, it was particularly relevant to someone seeking to understand, at least to the point one can understand, the relationship between heavenly worship and earthly worship. It laid a solid foundation without limiting or implying the significance of the theology that could be derived from the building on such a foundation.
The significance to me cannot be overstated. It provides a continuum of worship practices and places, from the Creation and Noah, through Abraham and Moses, to the Jewish second temple. Although the book itself doesn't address the topic, the inferences to modern Christian worship become clear.
Two aspects of the book deserve special mention. First, the unique characterization of the covenant between God and Israel, rooted in the understanding of near-Eastern covenants and treaties. Rather than de-mysticizing the covenant, the author's assertions and conclusions demonstrate quite clearly how the covenant was quite typical, yet at the same time, atypically unique.
The second, for me at least, was the depth of discussion around myth. I have long understood that the poetic nature of scripture betrayed historicity in the expression of truth. What Levenson adds to this is an understanding of the timelessness of myth, in communicating to all cultures. What I appreciated deeply was the idea that faithfulness to a documentary style of historical writing was not the most important aspect of the scripture, because that wasn't was scripture was describing.
History tends to provide context, for sure, yet, also tends to "limit" the applicability when the context changes ever so slightly. To the modern mind, melded to the idea that the individual reader of scripture will be the ultimate judge of the meaning of a text. Yet, in Levenson's discussions, to my mind he stresses the timeless nature of the communication, and that the historical significance of a particular event or person is quite beside the point. It is and remains a revelation of who God is, in every instance, and has very little significance in the determination of the historical circumstances of humanity.
I can't recommend this book highly enough to those desiring to see and begin to grasp the continuity of God's interaction with humanity throughout history.
The book delivered such in spades. For a scholarly work, it was surprisingly readable. And for a book ostensibly about Jewish theology, it was particularly relevant to someone seeking to understand, at least to the point one can understand, the relationship between heavenly worship and earthly worship. It laid a solid foundation without limiting or implying the significance of the theology that could be derived from the building on such a foundation.
The significance to me cannot be overstated. It provides a continuum of worship practices and places, from the Creation and Noah, through Abraham and Moses, to the Jewish second temple. Although the book itself doesn't address the topic, the inferences to modern Christian worship become clear.
Two aspects of the book deserve special mention. First, the unique characterization of the covenant between God and Israel, rooted in the understanding of near-Eastern covenants and treaties. Rather than de-mysticizing the covenant, the author's assertions and conclusions demonstrate quite clearly how the covenant was quite typical, yet at the same time, atypically unique.
The second, for me at least, was the depth of discussion around myth. I have long understood that the poetic nature of scripture betrayed historicity in the expression of truth. What Levenson adds to this is an understanding of the timelessness of myth, in communicating to all cultures. What I appreciated deeply was the idea that faithfulness to a documentary style of historical writing was not the most important aspect of the scripture, because that wasn't was scripture was describing.
History tends to provide context, for sure, yet, also tends to "limit" the applicability when the context changes ever so slightly. To the modern mind, melded to the idea that the individual reader of scripture will be the ultimate judge of the meaning of a text. Yet, in Levenson's discussions, to my mind he stresses the timeless nature of the communication, and that the historical significance of a particular event or person is quite beside the point. It is and remains a revelation of who God is, in every instance, and has very little significance in the determination of the historical circumstances of humanity.
I can't recommend this book highly enough to those desiring to see and begin to grasp the continuity of God's interaction with humanity throughout history.
December 31, 2025
Really rewarding read if you have a good background in understanding ANE lit. Below are some of my favorite quotes from the book.
“History in the modern sense is not the goal of the Sinai narratives: they present the Sinaitic experience as disclosing the essential, normative relationship of YHWH to his people Israel.”
“For the theological tradition maintained that Israel had been a people before she was a worldly kingdom, a people to whom laws and even the destiny had already been given, she owes neither to the states. Thus, it is of utmost significance that the Torah, the law of theo-policy, was, for all its diversity, always ascribed to Moses, and not to David, to the humble mediator of covenant and not to the regal founder of the dynastic state.” (75)
In fact, some biblical traditions stress that the Sinaitic experience was not repeatable, at least not at Sinai. When, for example, the great prophet of the 9th century, Elijah, attempts to duplicate the experience of Moses on Sinai slash Horeb, he fails utterly. For no longer does Yahweh reveal himself in a pyrotechnic spectacle with lightning, thunder, dense cloud, fire, and the blast of a trumpet as he did in the days of Moses. (89)
“The traditions of Yahweh's Theophany, his earth-shattering apparition to man, even to some extent his revelation of law, have been transferred from Sinai to Zion. In short, Sinai has not so much been forgotten as absorbed. In the early poetry of Israel, as we have seen, one common theme is the march of Yahweh, conceived as a warrior from Sinai and earth-shattering apparitions. But in most passages it is not from Sinai, but from Zion, that he comes. The transfer of the motif from Sinai to Zion was complete and irreversible, so that Yahweh came to be designated no longer as, quote, the one from Sinai, but as, quote, he who dwells on Mount Zion. More than merely the name of the mountain abode, Yahweh is involved in the change. Zion, unlike Sinai, was a known site in Israel. The transfer of the divine home from Sinai to Zion meant that God was no longer seen as dwelling in an extraterritorial no-man's land, but within the borders of the Israelite community. This in turn means that the anachronistic tendencies associated with the Zionistic tradition, which we have discussed in the last part, will be somewhat mitigated or altered in the Zion traditions, which will see Yahweh as less remote from the ordinary governments of human society.” (91)
“In any event, most of the biblical references to ZIon have in mind what is today known as the Temple Mount, on which sits the spectacular mosque, the Dome of the Rock.” (92)
“In other words, all the social pressure in the biblical times encouraged Israel to stress what set her apart from her neighbors, for example, the experience of the Exodus, rather than what she shared with them. This later category certainly included the temple, which was executed by Phoenician craftsmen, and whose design and decoration, as described in the Bible, are familiar to archaeologists from the excavation to the temple of other peoples in the area. It is therefore not surprising that the text of the Hebrew Bible is so taciturn about the theology of the temple. It does not tell us the meanings of the iconography. We have to reconstruct them. It does not specify the prayers that must have been accompanied with the sacrifices. We have to reconstruct them, mostly from the Psalms, as best we can. It does not elaborate upon the idea of a cosmic center. This, too, we must reconstruct from hints the text has left, and from comparative materials. But to take this taciturnity at face value, to take it as an indication that the idea of the center was absent in Israel, or that the decorations in Solomon's temple held no symbolic significance, or that the sacrifices were a dumb show because Leviticus supplies no words, is to miss the social dynamics at work. It seems more probable that it was precisely the vitality of the temple's mythos which accounted for the fragmentary character of the references to it. It was too well known, too much a part of the common cultural landscape, to be allowed free and independent expression.” (120-121)
“The end of the temple evoked a whole series of dislocations in Judaism. Just as prayer replaces sacrifice, so does the synagogue succeed the temple. The rabbi inherits the authority of the priest and the family table replaces the altar. “Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Eliezer both used to say”, reads the Talmud, “so long as the temple stood, the altar made atonement for Israel. Now a man's table makes atonement for him.” In other words, the Jewish home acquires the centrality that had defined the temple in Jerusalem. The daily and yearly rhythms of prayer and celebration at home become the focus of the old/new religion, the temple religion without the temple. domesticity acquires cosmic significance…” (181)
“The survival of Judaism after the destruction of its temple and the loss of the land of Israel is the most remarkable feature of Jewish history. No people ever placed greater importance upon their land than did the Jews of ancient times, and yet no ancient people, other than they, has survived the loss of their land. The reason is that the land and the temple, which are really one, always possess a significance beyond what one sees if he examines only their mundane reality. In a word, a cosmic significance. Since the land was more than a territory, and since the temple was more than a building, the loss of both did not mean death.” (181)
“History in the modern sense is not the goal of the Sinai narratives: they present the Sinaitic experience as disclosing the essential, normative relationship of YHWH to his people Israel.”
“For the theological tradition maintained that Israel had been a people before she was a worldly kingdom, a people to whom laws and even the destiny had already been given, she owes neither to the states. Thus, it is of utmost significance that the Torah, the law of theo-policy, was, for all its diversity, always ascribed to Moses, and not to David, to the humble mediator of covenant and not to the regal founder of the dynastic state.” (75)
In fact, some biblical traditions stress that the Sinaitic experience was not repeatable, at least not at Sinai. When, for example, the great prophet of the 9th century, Elijah, attempts to duplicate the experience of Moses on Sinai slash Horeb, he fails utterly. For no longer does Yahweh reveal himself in a pyrotechnic spectacle with lightning, thunder, dense cloud, fire, and the blast of a trumpet as he did in the days of Moses. (89)
“The traditions of Yahweh's Theophany, his earth-shattering apparition to man, even to some extent his revelation of law, have been transferred from Sinai to Zion. In short, Sinai has not so much been forgotten as absorbed. In the early poetry of Israel, as we have seen, one common theme is the march of Yahweh, conceived as a warrior from Sinai and earth-shattering apparitions. But in most passages it is not from Sinai, but from Zion, that he comes. The transfer of the motif from Sinai to Zion was complete and irreversible, so that Yahweh came to be designated no longer as, quote, the one from Sinai, but as, quote, he who dwells on Mount Zion. More than merely the name of the mountain abode, Yahweh is involved in the change. Zion, unlike Sinai, was a known site in Israel. The transfer of the divine home from Sinai to Zion meant that God was no longer seen as dwelling in an extraterritorial no-man's land, but within the borders of the Israelite community. This in turn means that the anachronistic tendencies associated with the Zionistic tradition, which we have discussed in the last part, will be somewhat mitigated or altered in the Zion traditions, which will see Yahweh as less remote from the ordinary governments of human society.” (91)
“In any event, most of the biblical references to ZIon have in mind what is today known as the Temple Mount, on which sits the spectacular mosque, the Dome of the Rock.” (92)
“In other words, all the social pressure in the biblical times encouraged Israel to stress what set her apart from her neighbors, for example, the experience of the Exodus, rather than what she shared with them. This later category certainly included the temple, which was executed by Phoenician craftsmen, and whose design and decoration, as described in the Bible, are familiar to archaeologists from the excavation to the temple of other peoples in the area. It is therefore not surprising that the text of the Hebrew Bible is so taciturn about the theology of the temple. It does not tell us the meanings of the iconography. We have to reconstruct them. It does not specify the prayers that must have been accompanied with the sacrifices. We have to reconstruct them, mostly from the Psalms, as best we can. It does not elaborate upon the idea of a cosmic center. This, too, we must reconstruct from hints the text has left, and from comparative materials. But to take this taciturnity at face value, to take it as an indication that the idea of the center was absent in Israel, or that the decorations in Solomon's temple held no symbolic significance, or that the sacrifices were a dumb show because Leviticus supplies no words, is to miss the social dynamics at work. It seems more probable that it was precisely the vitality of the temple's mythos which accounted for the fragmentary character of the references to it. It was too well known, too much a part of the common cultural landscape, to be allowed free and independent expression.” (120-121)
“The end of the temple evoked a whole series of dislocations in Judaism. Just as prayer replaces sacrifice, so does the synagogue succeed the temple. The rabbi inherits the authority of the priest and the family table replaces the altar. “Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Eliezer both used to say”, reads the Talmud, “so long as the temple stood, the altar made atonement for Israel. Now a man's table makes atonement for him.” In other words, the Jewish home acquires the centrality that had defined the temple in Jerusalem. The daily and yearly rhythms of prayer and celebration at home become the focus of the old/new religion, the temple religion without the temple. domesticity acquires cosmic significance…” (181)
“The survival of Judaism after the destruction of its temple and the loss of the land of Israel is the most remarkable feature of Jewish history. No people ever placed greater importance upon their land than did the Jews of ancient times, and yet no ancient people, other than they, has survived the loss of their land. The reason is that the land and the temple, which are really one, always possess a significance beyond what one sees if he examines only their mundane reality. In a word, a cosmic significance. Since the land was more than a territory, and since the temple was more than a building, the loss of both did not mean death.” (181)
February 24, 2009
Offers a really compelling way of reading the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. Levenson takes two primary motifs--Sinai and Zion--and uses them to illuminate what's going on in the canonical books. One of those works that prevent you from ever reading certain texts in the same old way again. Levenson's perspective as an Orthodox Jew can energize Christian readings.
April 18, 2019
I first read this classic, I believe, while I was taking Jon Levenson’s course on Genesis at Harvard Div School. Reading it, and teaching it again this season in my “Intro Bible” course I’m appreciating its difficulty and brilliance. I had forgotten how much this book is slalom run of polemics against Protestant scholars who had been reading the O.T. through a Christian theological lens. There are long stretches of confusing disquisition on Hebrew words, toggling between familiar stories (Genesis, Exodus) and unfamiliar Israelite politics. Yet his hard-won conclusions are worth the slog. On this reading, I’ve noticed that Levenson’s ingenious reading—philological, literary, theological—is shaped by another polemic: the centrality of mitzvot. By framing O.T. as a tension between two 'mountain' traditions: the law from Sinai (audial) and the kingship at Zion (visual), Levenson has laid out a stimulating view. Has some contemporary Jewish thinker integrated his conclusions into a theology?
August 27, 2018
This was not quite as accessible as I would have liked, but it covers some profound material.
Its three main sections deal with (1) Sinai, the origin of the covenant identity of Israel, (2) Zion, the prototypical society capable of communion with God, centered around the Jerusalem temple, and (3) the interplay between the two, they being complementary poles on a single axis.
It is perhaps no wonder that two of the most prominent old testament figures, namely Moses and David, each have their own covenant, each grounded on these opposite poles. Navigating the space from, to, and in between Sinai and Zion seems to be the foundation of the Jewish experience, and is notably also the groundwork for contextualizing Christ and the new covenant, as well as a major portion of latter-day saint theology.
Its three main sections deal with (1) Sinai, the origin of the covenant identity of Israel, (2) Zion, the prototypical society capable of communion with God, centered around the Jerusalem temple, and (3) the interplay between the two, they being complementary poles on a single axis.
It is perhaps no wonder that two of the most prominent old testament figures, namely Moses and David, each have their own covenant, each grounded on these opposite poles. Navigating the space from, to, and in between Sinai and Zion seems to be the foundation of the Jewish experience, and is notably also the groundwork for contextualizing Christ and the new covenant, as well as a major portion of latter-day saint theology.
May 26, 2025
This almost got 5 stars from me. I would call about 60% of this book nothing short of a brilliant introduction ish into the Jewish Bible. The expositions on Sinai and comparing the Sinaitic covenant with the surrounding ANE cultures plus some theological insight (which I was more familiar with) was very engaging to read, while the next half on Zion (which I was not as familiar with) was just as good but the writing could be tough to get through and I wish he did some more comparative work between other ANE cultures. But overall great read and introduction into the Jewish Bible for anyone who is curious.
July 11, 2024
This book is organized into three main sections. The first one is on the Jewish covenant, represented by Mt. Sinai. The second is on the Jewish temple, represented by Mt. Zion. The third, much shorter section, is on the relationship between the two. I was able to follow the material on the temple much better than I was the material on the covenant, probably because I was more familiar with the material. This book would be worth rereading for me, if for no reason than to get a better handle on what the author had to say about covenant.
August 2, 2022
Another 🔥 one!
• Levenson does a helpful job of understanding the HB on its own terms.
• Weaves in ANE paralllels for the mountain motif
• Looks at the pluriform/multifaceted relationship between Sinai and Zion
• Helpfully explores relationship btw Mountain, Covenant, Temple, and Creation
• Also helpfully observes rabbinic, midrashic, and Talmudic interpretation of both Mountain traditions. So many great insights were found in this particular part!
• Levenson does a helpful job of understanding the HB on its own terms.
• Weaves in ANE paralllels for the mountain motif
• Looks at the pluriform/multifaceted relationship between Sinai and Zion
• Helpfully explores relationship btw Mountain, Covenant, Temple, and Creation
• Also helpfully observes rabbinic, midrashic, and Talmudic interpretation of both Mountain traditions. So many great insights were found in this particular part!
November 23, 2025
This book describes the relationship between a Mosaic theology which flows from the experience of the ancient Israelites at Mount Sinai, and a Davidic theology that flows from the temple and from Mount Zion. As you might guess , this description includes a comparison and contrast of the Mosaic covenant and the Davidic covenant.
July 26, 2017
Rich theology of OT Judaism that demonstrates the complex nuances that distinguish and yet conjoin the theology of Sinai and the theology of Zion. Highly recommended for those interested in a significantly deeper understanding of the theological overtones of the First Testament.
November 28, 2018
Helpful book, but not as accessible as I had hoped for. Pretty technical book that assumes you have some foundational understanding of the concepts covered.
December 1, 2019
I greatly appreciate Levenson’s orienteering of the Jewish landscape between both of its central localities, the literal, symbolic and historical mountains of Sinai and Zion.
December 16, 2024
Great one... Excellent intro to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible.
December 8, 2025
2025 reads: 28
Rating: 4 stars
Jon D. Levenson has some moments of sheer brilliance and clarity--at times poetic. Wonderful reflections on Sinai and Zion and the relationship between them.
Rating: 4 stars
Jon D. Levenson has some moments of sheer brilliance and clarity--at times poetic. Wonderful reflections on Sinai and Zion and the relationship between them.
February 23, 2017
For the wildly under-initiated, this book -- short though it is -- is no gentle introduction. The first two-thirds, which focuses on the pentateuch, I mostly managed to follow, and found quite interesting. The last third focused on various other Biblical texts (Prophets, etc.), and presupposed a deep familiarity with them that I, alas, don't have. So the trees were mostly lost on me and, with them, large swaths of the forest. Even so, I did find it rewarding to read this book and get as much from it as I managed to. And I appreciate the praise it has received from scholars in the field. It is a very skillful piece of exegesis.
April 27, 2015
As with Levenson's other books I've read, he writes on this topic with one foot in higher criticism, and one foot in a synchronic reading of the Hebrew Bible, discussing in its final literary form. When he writes from the latter perspective - which is probably the majority of time in this book - his insights are compelling and significant.
In particular, he does a great job tracing the covenant theme throughout the Hebrew Bible, beautifully noting how the Mosaic law and God's love are not at odds. Christians need to hear this.
Unfortunately - and this was only a minor treatment of his - it seems he suffers from reading the Apostle Paul's attitude toward the Mosaic law through the lens of Luther (which is understandable, since the average Christian today has inherited this mistaken view of Paul and the law, and widely disseminates this wrong view), rather than through the lens of Paul. Simply point, Paul doesn't actually have any hostility toward the law, anymore than the Hebrew Bible - with which he was intimately acquainted and committed to - did.
But, again, Levenson only touches on this briefly - and we can't blame him, as a Jew, for putting his finger on a prevailing - though wrong - caricature of Paul and the Christianity he helped spawn.
In particular, he does a great job tracing the covenant theme throughout the Hebrew Bible, beautifully noting how the Mosaic law and God's love are not at odds. Christians need to hear this.
Unfortunately - and this was only a minor treatment of his - it seems he suffers from reading the Apostle Paul's attitude toward the Mosaic law through the lens of Luther (which is understandable, since the average Christian today has inherited this mistaken view of Paul and the law, and widely disseminates this wrong view), rather than through the lens of Paul. Simply point, Paul doesn't actually have any hostility toward the law, anymore than the Hebrew Bible - with which he was intimately acquainted and committed to - did.
But, again, Levenson only touches on this briefly - and we can't blame him, as a Jew, for putting his finger on a prevailing - though wrong - caricature of Paul and the Christianity he helped spawn.
September 5, 2010
I read this to see why Jeff Lindsay of the Mormanity blog had found it worthwhile. It's not a quick read and so I'll spend more time studying it. Among other things, it presents insights into what the ancient temple was about in the Jewish religion, and that seems to be a lot of what Mormon temples are about. Certain of the Psalms relate to the temple in ways of which I had been unaware.
April 22, 2013
This is my second time through this book. I am interested in Old Testament Studies. I enjoyed re-reading this book because Levenson does an excellent job of describing both the ancient religious meaning associated with Moses as well as the nature of the covenant between God and Israel.
January 18, 2015
Made good points about Sinai (the desert of the Theophany) and Zion (Jerusalem and beyond)as the essential coordinates that explain and elucidate the Hebrew Bible, but very drily written. Writer struck reader as somewhat of a prig.
November 5, 2025
An excellent dialogue partner between the tension of source criticism and biblical theology. The mythopoetic approach to Sinai is the most provoking topic, IMO.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews