Whether rendering the Bible as wonderous or strangely familiar, David Rosenberg's magisterial translation forces us to ask again - and at last in literary terms - why the Bible remains a crucial foundation of our culture...[His] translation is the only possible rival to the King James Version. A Literary Bible presents the core of the Hebrew Bible, restoring a sense of the original authors and providing a literary revelation for the contemporary reader. A copy of the New York Times Book Review of "A Literary Bible" is inserted in the book.Amos Lassen (Amazon.com) When asked if I have a favorite book, I often reply that I have several but above them all is the Bible because it is such a beautiful piece of literature. It is all that more exciting because we do not know who wrote it. Regardless how one feels about the divine aspects of the Bible, few can deny its literary beauty. Of the many translations available some are beautifully done and some are very literary. Then along comes this new translation by David Rosenberg that emphasizes the literary aspects of the Bible and all others can be placed away. Rosenberg gives us a whole new way to read the Bible because he has added what so many have ignored--the essence of "imaginative creation". Reading his translation is like reading a book that had been just written and not one that is 3000 years old. We find ourselves beginning to understand why the Bible is such an important and crucial foundation to today's culture. Rosenberg goes straight to the heart of the writing and gives us a sense of the authors who wrote it thus giving the Bible more literary presence than ever before. No longer is the Bible a homogeneous book--we become aware of the different authors who had a part in its transcription. The play of language is emphasized and I felt if the ancient Hebrew language might be akin to today's English. Nothing will change what we believe but now it is easier to believe it in lyrical terms. There is also no question that the Bible is majestic in beauty and scope but now it takes on a new majesty that is both soulful and heartfelt. The Bible becomes a gorgeous prose poem which includes all the literary genres. It is quite simply a beautiful work, a masterful translation that is full of originality and imagination. This is not an embellishment to the original work but a restoration of the original principles that were embodied by those who originally wrote the scriptures. My Torah study group has of late been studying the books of Ezra and Nehemiah so this was the first place I looked in the Rosenberg translation and although the translation is not complete (and I wish it were), it gave me a whole new understanding of the two men. There are other wonderful aspects of Rosenberg's book. Included are prefaces to the readings and there is a wonderful epilogue, "How the Bible Came About" and an afterward, "How This Book Came About". One thing that I certainly discovered is that this translation is the one I will keep close to me especially when I want to read for the sheer pleasure of reading. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.