LogosBookAwardWinnerECPAGoldMedallionFinalistThefirstfivebooksoftheOldTestamentlaythefoundationonwhichtherestofScripturestands.Itsgreatthemes,epochaleventsandtoweringfiguressetdownvectorsonwhichthebiblicalstoryisplayedout.TheveryshapeoftherestoftheOldTestamentwouldcollapsewerethePenteteuchtoberemoved.ThestructureofNewTestamentthoughtwouldbebarelyintelligiblewithoutit.HerewemeetthegreatancestralfiguresofIsrael--Abraham,IsaacandJacob--andthetoweringfigureofMoses,whosepresencedominatesfourofthesefivebooks.ThecreativeactofGod,theparadisalgarden,theexileofAdamandEve,thejudgmentofthegreatflood,thecallofAbrahamfromamongthenations,thecovenantofAbraham,theexodusfromEgypt,thegivingofthelawatSinai,theplanofthetabernacle,thevariedexperiencesofIsraelinthewilderness,andtheannouncementofthecovenantblessingsandcurses--alloftheseandmorecontributetoaworkofworld-formativepower.ThisdictionaryexploresthemajorthemesandcontoursofthePentateuch.BehindandbeneaththegrandeurofthePentateuch,issuesofhistoricityhavebothpuzzledandbeckoned.Butwhereasinthemid-twentiethcenturymanyEnglish-speakingscholarswereconfidentofarchaeologicalsupportforthepatriarchalaccounts,theclimatehasnowchanged.Inthemostextremecases,somecontemporaryscholarshaveradicallychallengedtheantiquityoftheancestralstories,arguingfortheirfinalcompositionevenaslateastheHellenisticera.Thisdictionaryexaminesandweighsthehistoricalissuesandposespossiblesolutions.Thedocumentaryhypothesis,theformerreigningcriticalconsensus,isnowwidelyrumoredtobeonlifesupportwithnoheirapparent.Meanwhile,conservativescholarsreconsiderwhatindeedaclaimtoMosaicauthorshipshouldentail.Thisdictionaryoffersanassessmentofthearrayofquestionssurroundingtheseissuesandconsiderssomepossiblewaysforwardforevangelicalscholarship.Atthesametime,therehasbeenafruitfulturningtothenature,messageandartofthereceivedtextofthePentateuch.Literarystudiesofbriefepisodes,sprawlingsagas,complexnarrativeandeventhefivefoldcompositionofthePentateuchitselfhavedeliveredpromisingandexcitingresults.Thisdictionaryoffersbothappreciativepanoramasandclose-upassessmentsofthesedevelopmentsandtheirmethods.TheDictionaryoftheOldTestament:Pentateuchisthefirstinafour-volumeseriescoveringthetextoftheOldTestament.Followinginthetraditionofthefouraward-winningIVPdictionariesfocusedontheNewTestamentanditsbackground,thisencyclopedicworkischaracterizedbycloseattentiontothetextoftheOldTestamentandtheongoingconversationofcontemporaryscholarship.InexploringthemajorthemesandissuesofthePentateuch,editorsT.DesmondAlexanderandDavidW.Baker,withaninternationalandexpertgroupofscholars,informandchallengethroughauthoritativeoverviews,detailedexaminationsandnewinsightsfromtheworldoftheancientNearEast.TheDictionaryoftheOldTestament:PentateuchisdesignedtobeyourfirststopinthestudyandresearchofthePentateuch,onwhichtherestoftheBibleisbuilt.ReferencevolumesintheIVPBibleDictionarySeriesprovidein-depthtreatmentofbiblicalandtheologicaltopicsinanaccessible,encyclopediaformat,includingcross-sectionalthemes,methodsofinterpretation,significanthistoricalorculturalbackground,andeachOldandNewTestamentbookasawhole.
