Joseph's Bones

March 1, 2007
Scholar Segal (Inst. for Philosophy & Public Policy, Univ. of Maryland; "Creating the Palestinian State") takes on a theological role in the style of Martin Buber and Abraham Joshua Heschel, suggesting that the story of Joseph's bones (Gen. 50:256; Exod. 13:19; Joshua 24:32) "opens the reader to a possible change in perspective" of how humanity sees itself. This shift in perspective, he writes, is about stepping "away from thinking of the Bible as God's words, and toward a perception of the Bible as humanity's message to itself." He weaves together strands of various philosophical thinking (e.g., recounting Stoicism, taking Kierkegaard to task, and engaging Sartre's "other") while remaining programmatic; his focus is on the function of narrative and reading the biblical text more like a novel. Segal includes an afterword that attempts to tie his suggested biblical reading method to the New Testament narratives. Though his book often feels homiletic, it is an interesting read. Recommended for synagogue and public libraries.Anthony J. Elia, JKM Theological Lib., Chicago

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2007
The narratives concerning Joseph, the eldest son of Jacob and Rachel, are related in Genesis, verses 37 to 50. They form the transition between the stories of the patriarchs and the Israelite enslavement in Egypt. Segal points out that Joseph's bones are mentioned three times in the Hebrew Bible and once in the New Testament. He posits that the first six books, Genesis through the Book of Joshua (sometimes called the Hexateuch), reveal a single, powerful, and coherent story that does, in some ways, resemble Greek mythology. "It is not Pious. It does not revere God, but depicts a constant struggle between God and humanity, and in many ways, its sympathies lie with mankind." Philosopher Segal has written a perceptive and intelligent book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)