Reviewing: “The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel: Genesis.” Koren Publishers. 2024. Multilingual. Hardcover. 513 pages. ISBN-13: 978-9657766705.
In a fascinating new book, “The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel: Genesis” (Koren Publishing), editor David Arnovitz and his team of scholars have written a different type of history book. This includes not only history but also geography, Egyptology, language, flora and fauna, and much more.
This is the fifth volume in the series, and it continues the excellence displayed in the volumes on Exodus and Numbers.
The premise of the series is that in order to fully understand Tanach, it needs to be understood within its ancient Near East (ANE) context. Understanding the Torah within its historical, cultural, literary and geographic context underscores that, from beginning to end, it is truly an exceptional work.
No other ANE text besides the Chumash is a continuous historical narrative from the creation of the world and mankind to the development of humanity before the flood, and their dispersion throughout the Middle East, Levant, North Africa and the Mediterranean.
No other ANE text besides the Torah portrays a deity instructing a people, details a deity’s relationship to the world and humanity on the macro and micro levels, or details a deity taking a people out of slavery in one land and leading them to another.
From its very first sentence, the Book of Genesis represents a revolution in thought and ethics against ANE amoral polytheism. Yet without a commentary like this one, the reader may miss all of that.
Contributors to this volume include scholars such as Prof. Shawn Zelig Aster of the Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University; Dr. Jill Katz, who teaches archaeology and anthropology at Yeshiva University with a specialty in biblical archaeology; and many more. Many of the contributions are from Rabbi Dr. Zvi Ron, editor of The Jewish Bible Quarterly.
In many of his insightful comments, Ron notes that many of the events in Genesis are unique to the pagan cultures, from a supernatural God who needs no rest, contrasted with ANE gods that were upset at mankind for disturbing their rest, to Genesis 4:3, where humans initiate prayer, contrasted with other ANE cultures where the gods establish temples for themselves and create people to serve them.
Here are some fascinating insights: In 16:7, why does God use an angel to tell Avraham not to sacrifice his son when the original command was through God himself? In the ANE, it was rare for important figures to communicate directly with each other, and messengers functioned as their representatives. Thus, the angel here speaking in God’s name is not unusual.
We take for granted that the site of Kever Rochel is the definitive location where it is identified today near Bethlehem. But based on different readings of Genesis 35:20, it was one of two potential locations where the kever is truly located.
Why is there a question of the location of the grave? Ron writes that linguistically, among the traditional commentators, there is a difference of opinion about the meaning of the words “kivrat ha’aretz” in Genesis 35:16.
The grammarian Menachem ben Saruq, as well as ibn Ezra, Targum Yerushalmi and Rashbam, interpret it as denoting a long distance. However, Rashi and others state the opposite, based on the use of the term in Melachim 2 5:19.
Like all of the other volumes in “The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel” series, this one offers unique insights into the text. It is a truly fascinating volume that will certainly expand your knowledge and appreciation of the Book of Genesis.
Ben Rothke lives in New Jersey and works in the information security field. He reviews books on religion, technology, philosophy and science. Follow him on Twitter at @benrothke.
