The Bible’s Cutting Room Floor by Joel Hoffman

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Even a surface reading of Tanach and Talmud tells the reader that there are other literary works to which the writers had access, which are not present in our Bible. Some of these works have been preserved in full; others in translation only; others only partially preserved. Yet each has had a profound influence on the Hebrew Bible, on our understanding of ancient Israelite history, and even on the Judaism we practice. Dr. Hoffman organizes a range of these “outside” works, showing how each can deepen our understanding of the books that “made the cut” and appear in the Jewish Bible. In this volume, he is particularly adept as a storyteller, communicating dramas such as the life of Josephus and the discovery and publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Bible’s Cutting Room Floor is a handy guide to much of the literature that helps frame and contextualize our Tanach. Appendix.

Source: Jewish Book Council