Despite its general absence from the Jewish liturgical cycle and its limited place in Jewish practice, the Book of Job has permeated Jewish culture over the last 2,000 years. Job has not only had to endure the suffering described in the biblical book, but the efforts of countless commentators, interpreters, and creative rewriters whose explanations more often than not challenged the protagonist's righteousness in order to preserve Divine justice. Beginning with five critical essays on the specific efforts of ancient, medieval, and modern Jewish writers to make sense of the biblical book, The Book of Job in Jewish Life and Thought concludes with a detailed survey of the place of Job in the Talmud and Midrashic corpus, in medieval biblical commentary, in ethical, mystical, and philosophical tracts, as well as in poetry and creative writing in a wide variety of Jewish languages from around the world from the second to sixteenth centuries.

About the Author

Jason Kalman is Professor of Classical Hebrew Literature and Interpretation at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati.

Book Information
ISBN 9780878202270
Author Jason Kalman
Format Hardback
Page Count 605
Imprint Hebrew Union College Press,U.S.
Publisher Hebrew Union College Press,U.S.
Weight(grams) 1080g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 152mm * 42mm