THE TORAH IN THE LIGHT OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY

The Torah in the Light of Science and History: A Fresh Look at Selected Biblical Narratives, by Avi Sion, is an original, dense, modern commentary on the Torah (the Five Books of Moses). This study closely examines and logically evaluates a selection of major biblical narratives concerning material events and phenomena, taking them in their prima facie, literal sense and assessing them in the light of contemporary scientific knowledge, historical evidence, and relevant calculations. The narratives considered include the creation of the world and of humankind, a global flood, the geographic dispersion and linguistic differentiation of humanity, and the exodus from Egypt together with the subsequent wilderness wandering towards Canaan. The work is deliberately confined to these physical aspects of the biblical record and does not seek to develop a spiritual, ethical, or legal critique of Judaism. Its central purpose is to confront Torah narratives frankly with contemporary facts and understanding, without resorting to polemics or apologetics. The author argues that a believer can readily assimilate such objective research without any devastating loss of faith, simply by refraining from an unduly literal reading of certain narratives. This approach contrasts markedly with that of more orthodox recent commentators, who decline to concede any ground on the dogma of literal Divine revelation, often dismissing or disregarding factual evidence and reasoning which challenge their position, and attempting - ultimately unpersuasively - to maintain a rearguard defense against findings and conclusions that are now well established.