Our most popular pocket Bible, now in new colors, as well as our traditional black edition. This pocket version of the JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH offers the same text and number of pages as the standard edition. Although smaller, the letters, Hebrew vowels, and cantillation marks are crisp and clear. Fitting easily into a backpack or briefcase, this pocket edition will appeal to students and others who need a lightweight, compact version of the popular JPS Hebrew-English Bible. The sturdy coated paper cover will stand up well, even with heavy use.

Small enough to carry anywhere, this new pocket-sized "Tanakh" is the most portable version of the Jewish Bible ever. Easy to hold and carry, it fits easily into a handbag, briefcase, backpack, or jacket pocket.

Hebrew-English Torah: The Five books of Moses is a Study Edition of the traditional Masoretic text, placed next to the classic "word-for-word" Jewish translation; it features the most authoritative Hebrew text -- based on the Leningrad Codex and complete with cantillation marks, vocalization and verse numbers. The large format and the use of good paper are part of the design to allow a diligent Torah student to write on margins for more efficient learning. This printed edition comes with a free downloadable PDF edition of the title provided by Varda Books upon presenting to it the proof of purchase.

A JPS TANAKH that's small enough to take anywhere. This new pocket-sized TANAKH is the most portable version of the Jewish Bible ever. Easy to hold and carry, the text is identical to that in our full-sized, English-only editions, set in two columns. It fits easily into a handbag, briefcase, backpack, or jacket pocket. The sturdy coated paper cover will stand up well to heavy use and is available in three new colors: rose, moss, and blue denim with accent stitching. The JPS Pocket Bible is also available in a special white gift edition, with embossing and gold stamping on the cover, and gilded edges. Suitable for weddings, b'nai mitzvahs, confirmations, and other life-cycle events and special occasions, this lovely pocket TANAKH will become a treasured keepsake.

Contains the Torah, Prophets (Nevi'im) and Writings (Kethubim) Indexable 5 7/8 x 8 1/8 % Font size: 7

This adaptation of the JPS translation of the Torah (1962) will appeal to readers who are interested in a historically based picture of social gender roles in the Bible as well as those who have become accustomed to gender-sensitive English in other aspects of their lives. Many contemporary Bible scholars contend that the Bible's original audience understood that the references to God as male simply reflected gendered social roles at the time. However, evidence for this implicit assumption is ambiguous. Accordingly, in preparing this new edition, the editors sought language that was more sensitive to gender nuances, to reflect more accurately the perceptions of the original Bible readers. In places where the ancient audience probably would not have construed gender as pertinent to the text's plain sense, the editors changed words into gender-neutral terms; where gender was probably understood to be at stake, they left the text as originally translated, or even introduced gendered language where none existed before. They made these changes regardless of whether words referred to God, angels, or human beings. For example, the phrase originally translated in the 1962 JPS Torah as "every man as he pleases" has been rendered here "each of us as we please" (Deut. 12:8). Similarly, "man and beast" now reads "human and beast" (Exod. 8:14), since the Hebrew word adam is meant to refer to all human beings, not only to males. Conversely, the phrase "the persons enrolled" has been changed to "the men enrolled" (Num. 26:7), to reflect the fact that only men were counted in census-taking at this time. In most cases, references to God are rendered in gender neutral language. A special case in point: the unpro-nounceable four-letter name for the Divine, the Tetragammaton, is written in unvocalized Hebrew, conveying to the reader that the Name is something totally "other"-- beyond our speech and understanding. Readers can choose to substitute for this unpronounceable Name any of the numerous divine names offered by Jewish tradition, as generations have before our time. In some instances, however, male imagery depicting God is preserved because it reflects ancient society's view of gender roles. David Stein's preface provides an explanation of the methodology used, and a table delineates typical ways that God language is handled, with sample verses. Occasional notes applied to the Bible text explain how gender is treated; longer supplementary notes at the end of the volume comment on special topics related to this edition. In preparing this work, the editors undertook a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the Torah's gender ascriptions. The result is a carefully rendered alternative to the traditional JPS translation. The single most innovative aspect of the gender-sensitive translation offered in The Contemporary Torah is its treatment of the Hebrew word 'ish as a term of affiliation more than of gender. Scholars seeking a fuller explanation of that treatment are invited to read David E.S. Stein's articles in the Journal of Hebrew Scriptures (2008) and in Hebrew Studies (2008).