Richard Elliott Friedman – Author, Scholar, Teacher (original) (raw)

Friedman's latest book is out now

The Exodus

The Exodus has become a core tradition of Western civilization. Millions read it, retell it, and celebrate it. But did it happen?

ABOUT RICHARD ELLIOTT FRIEDMAN

Richard Elliot Friedman’s works represent a robust collection of careful investigation, detailed analysis of Hebrew Bible and rich biblical archaeology. Each book is written with clarity and engaging style, turning a potentially dry scholarly inquiry into a lively and at times inspiring read. Those who have read his various works note that “his credentials as a biblical scholar are impeccable. He gives firm evidence for each of his assertions, based upon the work of many other scholars and writers." Others have stated “A titanic achievement of scholarship", “A must for anyone who has a sincere interest in the current status of religion."

Take Friedman's Online Course

An introduction to the books of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) that tell its core story, from creation to the time of great empires. Professor Friedman’s lectures are known for combining the latest scholarship with humor, spirituality, and sensitivity to contemporary concerns.

AUTHOR

Friedman’s books have been translated into Hebrew, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Polish, Hungarian, Dutch, Portuguese, Czech, Turkish, Korean, and French. Who Wrote the Bible? has sold over 250,000 copies, was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, a New York Times Editors’ selection, and was the subject of a three-hour television special. The Disappearance of God (published in paperback as The Hidden Face of God) was named among the “Best Books of 1995” by Publishers Weekly.

With a dazzling display of deep learning lightly presented, Friedman addresses the fundamental moral and religious issues which confront the present malaise and future survival of our species. If we listen, there is hope

-H.G.M. Williamson, Regius Professor of Hebrew, Oxford University

FRIEDMAN'S THOUGHTS

The Exodus is Not Fiction

There is an interview with me in the Spring 2014 issue of Reform Judaism magazine about the Exodus. Despite fairly common claims these days, the evidence from both text and archaeology is that the Exodus is historical. Here is the interview: http://www.reformjudaism.org/exodus-not-fiction

Death and Afterlife

Death and Afterlife The Biblical Silence Richard Elliott Friedman and Shawna Dolansky Overton In Judaism in Late Antiquity Part Four Death, Life-After-Death, Resurrection and the World-to-Come in the Judaisms of Late Antiquity Edited by Alan J. Avery Peck and Jacob Neusner We have few unquestionable references to life after death in the Hebrew Bible. Our problem, though, is not only…

Thoughts about the Documentary Hypothesis

(From the Introduction to Empirical Models for Biblical Criticism, Jeffrey Tigay, Editor) Since the nineteenth century, the Documentary Hypothesis has been the best-known, most published, most often criticized, most thoroughly defended, and most widely taught explanation of the development of the first five books of the Bible. Evidence and arguments in support of it have grown continually more substantial—not just in quantity…