Job the Silent
A Study in Historical Counterpoint
Published on 27. June 1991
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-0-19-505896-3 (ISBN)
Description
This remarkable work offers a brilliantly original reading of the book of Job, one of the great classics of biblical literature, and in the process develops a new formula for understanding how biblical texts evolve in the process of transmission.
Zuckerman presents the thesis that the book of Job was intended as a parody the stereotypical righteous sufferer. In his most extended analogy, Zuckerman compares the book of Job and its fate to that of a famous Yiddish short story, `Bontshe Shvayg', another covert parody whose protagonist has come to be revered as a paradigm of innocent Jewish suffering. The history of this story is used to show how a literary text becomes separated from the intention of its author, and comes to have a quite different meaning for a specific community of readers.
Zuckerman presents the thesis that the book of Job was intended as a parody the stereotypical righteous sufferer. In his most extended analogy, Zuckerman compares the book of Job and its fate to that of a famous Yiddish short story, `Bontshe Shvayg', another covert parody whose protagonist has come to be revered as a paradigm of innocent Jewish suffering. The history of this story is used to show how a literary text becomes separated from the intention of its author, and comes to have a quite different meaning for a specific community of readers.
Reviews / Votes
`This is a thought-provoking treatment, offering insights on the book of Job (and other texts referred to) which escape more orthodox readings.'Richard Coggins, Expository Times. 'This book is a tour de force, an impressive achievement and a good read.'
D.J.A. Clines, Literary Criticism and Introduction 'This is one of the most fascinating and perceptive studies of the Book of Job that I have read.'
C.S. Rodd, Journal of Theological Studies, Vol. 44, No. 2, October 1993
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
653 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-505896-3 (9780195058963)
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Schweitzer Classification