Robert Alter lectures now available to watch online

A unique book called The Art of Biblical Narrative appeared in 1981—a seismic moment in the history of interpreting the Hebrew Bible. Robert Alter inspired widespread interest in literary analysis of scripture. Alter’s work showed that biblical authors were not mere primitive scribblers; he says they were “among the pioneers of prose fiction in the Western tradition” in matters of narrative, character, organization, and much more. Using the tools of literary criticism, Alter has helped countless readers find countless treasures in these ancient texts. For nearly a quarter of a century, Alter worked on his own translation of the Hebrew Bible, which was published last year in three volumes of over 3,000 pages. Alter visited Brigham Young University in January to talk about the project in a lecture called “The Challenge of Translating the Bible.” The following day, Dr. Alter discussed how he came to write The Art of Biblical Narrative. Both lectures are available to watch online now. Dr. Alter is also scheduled to appear in an upcoming episode of the Maxwell Institute Podcast. Dr. Alter's visit was co-sponsored by the Institute along with BYU's Department of Ancient Scripture and the Kennedy Center's Ancient Near Eastern Studies Program.

Watch