The Art Of Biblical Narrative

Alter reveals various techniques used by the Biblical writers to make the stories so compelling. One technique is the reserve of the narrator who often leaves unspoken the motives of the characters, thereby drawing us into the story by compelling us to try to supply what the narrator has withheld. Wordplay, the skillful repetition of words and phrases - so often lost in translation, connects seemingly disparate narratives into a fascinating montage. Type scenes, similar settings and stories such as meeting a future spouse at a well, play off each other, inviting the reader to compare and contrast what happens in one scene with its counterpart and to find meaning in these similarities and differences. The often laconic and subtle remarks of the narrator tend to support or undermine the words spoken and poses struck by the characters, which most of us will miss unless we learn to read the stories closely.

Perhaps the most delicious part of Alter's book is his frequent recourse to the stories themselves in order to demonstrate his points. For example, Alter begins his book by examining the story of Judah and Tamar that falls in the middle of the Joseph story. Tamar, you will recall, was Judah's daughter-in-law. His son and her husband dies and the other brothers do not fulfill their obligation by levirate marriage to carry on the dead son's name by fathering children with Tamar. Tamar ultimately rights this wrong by seducing Judah and conceiving two children by him. Alter reads the story closely and convincingly argues that the story has been woven tightly into the Joseph story by various narrative techniques so that it becomes the fulcrum upon which the stories hinge, making Judah a different person in time for his momentous meeting with Joseph in Egypt. Alter's treatment of the Judah and Tamar story alone is worth the price of the book. Buy the book and read it, you'll never regret having done so. In fact, you'll find yourself rereading it over and over.


A fresh perspective of the Bible   January 13, 1997
 23 out of 39 found this review helpful

I am a bilble seminary undergraduate from Hong Kong. After I read this book, I found a new perspective (and interest)to read the Bible---the narrative way. Alter helps us to analyse the underlying narrative motive of the Bible writer, which we usually missed


Art of Biblical Narrative by Alter   March 11, 2004
 20 out of 25 found this review helpful

This work begins with connecting archaeological discoveries to
important biblical perspectives. It teaches that the Bible is
sacred history and that the 3rd person narrative is a bridge to
future meanings/interpretations. The author shows where there
is much verbatim repetition in Biblical stories/themes. The
book anticipates a more meaningful theological purpose with the
passage of time and experience with Biblical themes. This is
a wonderfful work for biblical scholars, theologians, historians
and a wide constituency of academicians of all faiths.


An Eye Opening Approach   April 22, 2005
 18 out of 24 found this review helpful

I recently purchased Alter's Five Books of Moses, and decided to follow that up with some of his earlier works. The book was a real eye opener for me in the way it presented the use of various narrative and literary techniques in the Bible. I think this book will prove insightful for anyone looking to appreciate the Bible as something to be read, rather than merely as a "text" to be analyzed for historical layers. I'm not sure that higher criticism does much for the average person once you've seen it; a literary approach allows for modern scholarship to be applied in a meaningful way.


The Artfulness of Hebrew Bible stories   February 19, 2007
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is a great book. I love how Alter points out the literary artfulness of some of the great stories of the Bible. He shows how the writers use symmetry, repetition, parallelism, wordplay, and tension to hold the interest of the reader. He begins with Genesis 38, the story of Judah and Tamar. Scholars have written this text off as a later insertion with little relevance to the Joseph narrative, but Alter shows how Judah's sexual indiscretion is perfectly and deliberately in contrast with Joseph's sexual purity. He notes how both narratives have themes of betrayal and deception (which is consistent with the rest of Genesis).

Alter also discusses stories from the life of David, how the extensive speech by David climaxes at the point of Saul's choked cry "Is that you, David, my son?"

Alter also points out names in the Hebrew Bible which carry meaning and significance for the meaning of certain narratives.

The book is an eye-opening look at the narrative art found on the pages of Holy Scripture. It is well written and holds your attention. Recommended.