Prof. Edward L. Greenstein

Prof. Edward L. Greenstein

Bar-Ilan University

Prof. Edward L. Greenstein is Professor Emeritus of Bible at Bar-Ilan University. He received the EMET Prize (“Israel’s Nobel”) in Humanities-Biblical Studies for 2020, and his book, Job: A New Translation (Yale University Press, 2019), won the acclaim of the American Library Association, the Association for Jewish Studies, and many others. He has been writing a commentary on Lamentations for the Jewish Publication Society.

Last Updated: November 10, 2026

Books by the Author

Job: A New Translation

Job: A New Translation

JPS Bible Commentary: Lamentations

JPS Bible Commentary: Lamentations

The Timetables of Jewish History: A Chronology of the Most Important People and Events in Jewish History

The Timetables of Jewish History: A Chronology of the Most Important People and Events in Jewish History

Marbeh Hokmah: Studies in the Bible and the Ancient Near East in Loving Memory of Victor Avigdor Hurowitz

Marbeh Hokmah: Studies in the Bible and the Ancient Near East in Loving Memory of Victor Avigdor Hurowitz

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Articles by Author

Hagar: The Only Female Fugitive Hero

Hagar: The Only Female Fugitive Hero

Hagar’s flight from Sarai is more than a story of mistreatment and divine mercy toward a maidservant. Like Moses, Hagar’s journey into the wilderness follows the contours of the fugitive hero pattern, yet examining how her story adapts this pattern sheds new light on its unexpected details and narrative turns.
Where Are God’s Tears in Lamentations?

Where Are God’s Tears in Lamentations?

Tears abound in Lamentations: the poet cries, the people cry, even the city cries, but God does not. In contrast, the gods and goddesses of ancient Near Eastern city laments, cry along with their people. Midrash Eichah Rabbah, seemingly uncomfortable with such a callous depiction of God, rereads Lamentations to include God weeping.
Language Is Baffling – The Story of the Tower of Babel

Language Is Baffling – The Story of the Tower of Babel

The Tower of Babel story (Genesis 11:1-9) is not only about the downfall of Babylon or the origin of languages. It is a reflection on how languages work differently, on the limitations of one language to convey the sense of another, and the insufficiency inherent in translation.
Moses and the Fugitive Hero Pattern

Moses and the Fugitive Hero Pattern

The story of Moses follows a pattern that is typical of ancient Near Eastern fugitive hero narratives. However, when Moses goes to Mount Horeb, the plot deviates from the usual “divine encounter” feature. What does this tell us about the composition of the story of Moses and the Burning Bush?

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