Theological question ---

[Comfortableshoes]

What's the difference between the Old Testament and the Jewish Bible? I'd always thought the OT was essentially the Jewish Bible - am I right? Or has the Jewish Bible been edited in the same way as the New Testament has been Ie: bits have been left out and added in according to whims.

Thanks....

hello my lovely,
no direct answer to this question but - of course! - i have a book recommendation for you. am reading 'a history of god' by karen armstrong and i reckon you would really enjoy it, comfy. it takes you through the earliest origins of religion in all its forms and therefore the roots of judaism, islam and christianity are all explained. it is really opening my eyes to the central core of meaning that all religions share (including buddhism;-)
the author is a well-known former nun who now seems to churn out these amazingly well-written and researched books on such themes - the next one i plan to read is called 'a case for God'
big hugs, and hope someone can answer your question shortly!

THank you Katie - I'll look it up. I know Karen Armstrong but haven't read / finished any of her books!

I only came up with this question coz I'm reading a great book The Rabbi's Daughter. It's about a young woman who turns her back on her sex and drugs lifestyle and goes to Israel to study Orthodox Judaism.

Thanks for hugs I need them, DH is being grumpy this evening and I respond with being snappy. Not good. Hmmmm

oooh....sounds good! i could do with a slightly less heavy book - my other book at the moment apart from 'history of god is 'auschwitz and after' by charlotte delbo - hardly light relief...
yes DH is grumping around here too...and wants laptop back xxx

Answering a question with a question: isn't the Old Testament different between different Christian denominations? Does that just complicate things ?

Katie - maybe Monday is deemed grumpy day for all DH's.
Bababa - you're right about different denominations getting different Bibles. I've just wikipedia'd my question and this is what I got.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_Bible
Interesting stuff.

This does all beg the question (yes another one) why didn't G*d go to one reputable publisher to avoid all this confusion. Perhaps Dawkin's publisher would be interested....

Off to placate DH... and write DD's letter to Father Christmas

The Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh are very similar. The scriptures are much the same in each, with a bit of consolidation and rearrangement.

Hi KatieK - I like karen Armstrong's books too - I don't know if you've ever heard her speak, but I googled her the other week and there's a 20 min TED lecture on her Charter of Compassion that I think you'd like if you haven't already seen it!

merrily - i haven't seen that, so thank you very much! my quaker meeting is organising a 'compassion charter day' in january, inspired by karen armstrong's initiative - so it will be good to listen to that first.
thanks again!