Reading backwards from the beginning : my life with the Psalter

Abstract

The Psalter is more than the sum of its individual parts. The book is indeed the collected hymns of ancient Israel and its designation as "the hymnbook of second temple period" is appropriate. But, in addition, the Psalter is a narrative within a poetic text. Contemporary interest in the Psalter includes the desire to flesh out, give breath to, and stir the nephesh ("the inmost being") of the text of the book of Psalms. But are scholars making any progress? In this article the author answers positively and is intended to provide a summary of this same learning experience.