Bible Review

The J source is the earliest of the four literary strata of the Pentateuch. For an excellent introduction to these sources, see Richard E. Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible? (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987).

C.E. (Common Era) is the scholarly alternate designation corresponding to A.D.

Yahweh is the probable vocalization of the tetragrammaton (YHWH), the name of God in Hebrew script.

According to the New Jewish Publication Society (NJPS) translation. Others translate “seat of mercy” instead of “cover.”

See Hershel Shanks, “BAR Interview: Avraham Biran—Twenty Years of Digging at Tel Dan,” BAR 13:04.

See John Gammie, “Alter vs. Kugel—Taking the Heat in Struggle Over Biblical Poetry,” BR 05:01.

“b.” is the standard rabbinic abbreviation for ben meaning “son of.”

A casuistic law is in the form “If … then.…”

The teacher of Righteousness was the early leader and revered teacher of the Qumran group; he is credited with being an inspired interpreter of the prophets.

There may be one or two other exceptions. The Psalms of Solomon are thought by some to be Pharisaic.