The Discovery of God
Subtitle: Abraham and the Birth of Monotheism
Publisher: Doubleday
Published: March 18, 2003
Language: eng
Number of pages: 368
ISBN-13: 9780385499736
First sentence: Reaching us like pulses of ancient light from a star in a distant galaxy, the circumstances of Abraham's birth are obscure.
Description: "The Discovery of God chronicles Abraham's life from his birth in Mesopotamia through his travels as preacher and missionary throughout the Middle East. Many of the primary sites of Abraham's life and career still exist, and Klinghoffer describes what there were like in ancient times and how they appear today. The tangible details of the polytheistic culture are re-created, showing how Abraham challenged the most basic beliefs of his contemporaries.

He did not set out to establish the Jewish religion, but rather to spread the message of ethical monotheism as it was revealed to him - a powerful message that deepened over time, as did his faith and relationship with God.".

"In contrast to many scholars who, troubled by its contradictions and apparent errors, see the Bible as the work of a series of scribes and editors, Klinghoffer argues that the Bible should be viewed as an esoteric text that can only be comprehended in light of the oral tradition from which it emanated.

Combining rigorous scholarship and interpretive ingenuity, he draws on biblical commentary and the Jewish oral tradition as preserved by the sages from the Talmudic scholars to Maimonides to explore and explain the miraculous origins of monotheism."--BOOK JACKET.