Paperback reprint, with new foreword, of the original 1986 hardback.
Focusing his research on his own previous studies as well as studies by
Cassuto, Sarna, Fishbane, and Sasson, Rendsburg clearly explains his
theory that Genesis was edited/redacted around symmetrical patterns. He
leads the reader through a step-by-step description of the Abraham
Cycle, for instance, showing how content, duplicated narratives, and
vocabulary reveal a chiastic pattern; and this pattern is repeated in
other sections of the book. On the other hand, in the primeval history,
the patterning is parallel, rather than chiastic. Overall, Rendsburg
makes it clear that the editing of Genesis led to a systematic design,
uniting the material in ways that often is overlooked.