How to read the Bible - Brettler, Marc Zvi (Jewish Publication Society, 2005)
Includes bibliographical references (pages 339-360) and indexes
Reading as a Jew and as a scholar -- What is the Bible, anyway? -- The art of reading the Bible -- A brief history of Israel -- With scissors and paste : the sources of Genesis -- Creation vs. creationism : Genesis 1-3 as myth -- The ancestors as heroes -- Biblical law : codes and collections -- Incense is offensive to me : the cult in ancient Israel -- "In the fortieth year-- Moses addressed the Israelites : Deuteronomy -- "The walls came tumbling down" : reading Joshua -- "May my lord King David live forever" : royal ideology in Samuel and Judges -- "For Israel tore away from the house of David" : reading Kings -- Revisionist history : reading Chronicles -- Introduction to prophecy -- "Let justice well up like water" : reading Amos -- "They shall beat their swords into plowshares" : reading (first) Isaiah -- "I will make this house like Shiloh" : reading Jeremiah -- "I will be for them a mini-temple" : reading Ezekiel -- "Comfort, oh comfort my people" : the exile and beyond -- "Those that sleep in the dust-- will awake" : Zechariah, apocalyptic literature, and Daniel -- Prayer of many hearts : reading Psalms -- "Acquire wisdom" : reading Proverbs and Ecclesiastes -- "Being but dust and ashes" : reading Job -- "Drink deep of love!" : reading Song of Songs -- "Why are you so kind-- when I am a foreigner?" : reading Ruth vs. Esther -- The creation of the Bible