Understanding the Hebrew Bible: A Reader's Guide (ISBN 0881258717)

An easy-to-follow reference for any practitioner or teacher of the Judaic faith and scriptures:
Very highly recommended and informative reading, Understanding The Hebrew Bible: A Reader's Guide by Elliott Rabin is an easy-to-follow reference for any practitioner or teacher of the Judaic faith and scriptures. As an informed and informative reference to many of the teachings and a significant portion of the intended meanings behind what is stated in the Old Testament, Understanding The Hebrew Bible is works to bring ease to the struggling jew's mind when studying the holy scriptures. Understanding The Hebrew Bible offers and excellent guide to what may usually require a far greater research, meaning far more time spent on the subject, allowing for an ease in the readers scheduling.

Disappointing:
I thought this book would be insightful as to understanding the Hebrew Bible and what the Old Testament was really about. I found this not to be the case. This book seemed to mock Christian faith and strive to have the readers question the validity of what is written in Scripture. When I looked at Chapter 6 and saw the heading; "Mr. Smith goes to Jerusalem" and how the author parallels the prophets to the movie character Mr. Smith in the movie it's clear that the author is taking a jab at Christians. This became even more clear when I read an article Mr. Rabin wrote titled; "The Need for Unity". This is a staunchly conservative Jewish writing that basically states if you are not a Jew you are nothing. He states that, "The message of the Conservative movement is that we need to follow those customs that sustain us, keep us unique, and ensure our continuity with the past while confronting those elements of the world that challenge our faith. For the Jewish faith to remain strong and not lose its relevance, it must be able to speak to our lives and experiences today, and not transport us to an artificial utopia, past or future, based on the manipulation of nostalgic sentiments". My wife and in-laws are Jewish and they accepted a Christian as a son-in-law, so I know Mr. Rabin is a staunch conservative Jewish man, which I have no problem as I firmly support Israel. His post on the Internet opened my eyes as to who Mr. Rabin is and why his book is written the way it is. I had great hopes for finding a better understanding of Scripture in this book and instead found disappointment.