The Savage in Judaism: An Anthropology of Israelite Religion and Ancient Judaism. Howard Eilberg-Schwartz (original) (raw)

The book "The Savage in Judaism" by Howard Eilberg-Schwartz offers a provocative analysis of ancient Israelite religion and Jewish anthropology, challenging traditional scholarship's neglect of this area in the context of comparative religion. It critiques past methodologies that marginalized these subjects, presenting a fresh perspective through a functionalist-structuralist lens. Despite its innovative approach, the work has limitations, including a lack of comprehensive analysis of biblical texts and insufficient engagement with influential recent scholarship, ultimately serving as a programmatic guide to further exploration of ancient Israel's cultural and religious practices.