On Sale: Nov 3, 2026
Page Count: 272 pages
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN-13: 9781541609273

$19.99

$25.99 CAD

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From the celebrated translator of the Hebrew Bible Robert Alter, the classic book on the Bible as literature, now updated with a new preface

“A groundbreaking study that encourages us to look beneath the theological surface of the biblical text to glimpse its beating heart.” —Los Angeles Times

Winner of the National Jewish Book Award

In The Art of Biblical Narrative, renowned critic and translator Robert Alter radically expands our view of the Bible by recasting it as a work of literary art deserving studied criticism. Alter describes how the Hebrew Bible’s many authors used innovative literary techniques—from dialogue to artful repetition to recurrent motifs—to tell one of the greatest stories of all time: the revelation of a single God. In so doing, Alter shows, these writers reshaped not only history, but also the art of storytelling itself.

Now updated with a new preface, The Art of Biblical Narrative is an indispensable contribution to biblical and literary scholarship alike.

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Winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought
"A groundbreaking study that encourages us to look beneath the theological surface of the biblical text to glimpse its beating heart."
Jonathan Kirsch, Los Angeles Times
"[An] admirable book....It is truly extraordinary that such familiar tales as those of Joseph and David should acquire so much detail and color, as if perfectly restored."
New York Times
"The results of [Alter's] work give the Bible a fresh voice for a new generation of readers."
Christian Science Monitor
"This clearly written book should please anyone interested in the fundamentals of storytelling."
The Washington Post
"In its day, “The Art of Biblical Narrative” was subversive. … The book was — and remains — a surprise hit; it opened up an old, mysterious and often maligned text for the first time to many readers. And though academic critics have argued with Alter’s approach, they have never been able to ignore it."

New York Times

Robert Alter

About the Author

Robert Alter is professor in the graduate school and emeritus professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley. He is an award-winning translator of the Hebrew Bible, as well as the author of fifteen other books, including The Art of Biblical Narrative. He lives in Berkeley, California.

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