The Bible of La Pleiade
Titulo original: La Bible: Ancient Testament (Tome 1 et 2)
The “La Bible: Ancient Testament (tome 1 et 2)” from La Pléiade publisher, translated by Édouard Dhorme, Franck Michaéli, and Antoine Guillaumont, offers a comprehensive look at the Old Testament.
Tome 1: This volume includes the Pentateuch, which contains narratives of the creation, early prophets, and the Exodus. It also covers historical books such as Joshua, the books of Samuel, the books of Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and the books of the Maccabees. This edition is notable for its “historian’s perspective” of these texts, making it a significant literary monument. Despite its publication in 1956, it doesn’t incorporate the most recent archaeological discoveries and analyses. The texts are enriched with an enlightening introduction about the history of the Bible, including its Hebrew texts and Greek or Latin versions. Key figures such as Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samson, David, and Solomon are featured, along with detailed accounts of religious laws, precepts, and the long enumerations of Jewish tribes.
Tome 2: This second volume includes the Four Major Prophets, the Twelve Minor Prophets, the Three Poetic Books, the Five Scrolls, and the Deuterocanonical books. The translations for this volume were contributed by Jean Koenig, Édouard Dhorme, Frank Michaéli, Jean Hadot, and Antoine Guillaumont. This part of the collection highlights the Old Testament as a vast literary compilation comprising liturgical poems, tales and legends, hymns and songs, and sayings and proverbs. It presents a rich variety of texts, satisfying a wide range of readers with different interests. Notable contents include the voluptuous poetry of the Song of Songs and the profound philosophical musings found in Ecclesiastes and the Book of Job.
These volumes provide a deep and varied exploration of the Old Testament, reflecting both its historical significance and its vast literary wealth. The translations and introductions contribute to a nuanced understanding of these ancient texts, making them accessible to a modern readership.
About Edouard Dhorme
Edouard Dhorme (1881-1966) was a French Assyriologist and biblical scholar. He is best known for his work on the Akkadian language and the cuneiform script, as well as his translations and commentaries on the Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Dhorme studied at the Ecole biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem, where he developed his expertise in Semitic languages and literature. He later taught at several universities, including the Sorbonne in Paris, where he was appointed professor of Assyriology in 1933.
Dhorme’s most influential works include “The Ancient Near East,” a survey of the history, culture, and religions of the region, and “Theologie babylonienne et judéo-chrétienne,” a comparative study of Babylonian and Judeo-Christian theology. He also contributed to the French translation of the Bible known as the “Bible de Jérusalem,” and published several commentaries on individual books of the Hebrew Bible, including the Psalms and the Book of Job.
Dhorme’s contributions to the fields of Assyriology and biblical scholarship are still recognized and studied today.
See also
Wiki › Dhorme Bible translation
External links
La Bible: Ancient Testament | Bibliothèque de la Pléiade