The Riddle of One Samuel (2024)

Is it possible to discern central concerns of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament by noting possible wordplays there?

We don’t do this kind of thing in English. Which of us would note in my first sentence that ‘discern’ and ‘concerns’ both contain the letters C, E, R and N, and that the word ‘central’ between them contains the same four letters in a scrambled order, and then conclude that CERN, the world’s largest scientific experiment buried beneath Switzerland, should be brought to mind? Surely not. The idea is too fantastic.

My belief is that ancient Hebrew, which is a different kind of language, may contain hints of just this kind, particularly in relation to the proper names. The fifty literary devices I propose serve to highlight the main issues of the text of One Samuel. See if you agree.

By explaining everything carefully with the use of simple diagrams, I have tried to make the book easily accessible to non-Hebraists. I hope you enjoy the journey.

ISBN 978-1-7392029-4-1, 161 pages.

from Amazon for £5.00.

Two responses

The book you've sent is the best thing I've read in a while. Reading it is thrilling, like that of finding gold and seeing it cleaned up and its colour revealed before your eyes. I guess you could say I'm enjoying it! R B

Thanks for the copy of your book on the Hebrew of 1Samuel. It is quite fascinating. I enjoy your sense of humour as well as the importance of the subject. It is very easy to read and presents your ideas clearly. I like the way that you leave it up to the reader to decide. A friend of mine in Israel has been exploring the flexibility of the Hebrew text when considered in its original form without vowels. I consider him to probably have something important but quite daring to follow that line. Yet, surely there is far more than we have received with our Greek minds. C D