Shawn Aster

The final book of the Bible recounts the nation's history, but what it emphasizes and de-emphasizes is telling.

Eicha, the Book of Lamentations, asks important questions that address the theological crisis following the Jewish exile.

Those who returned from Babylonia sought to reclaim Judah's former glory, despite major challenges.

The Book of Samuel tells of the rise of the Davidic monarchy

The Judean and Israelite monarchies from the rise of King Solomon to the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.

Twelve "minor prophets" form one "book" concluding the Prophets, the middle section of the Hebrew Bible.

Early Jewish texts affirmed the universal fraternity of humankind, while asserting the importance of Jewish distinctiveness.