Bridge between the Testaments

"This book ranks among the best introductions to the intertestamental period...we do not hesitate to recommend this work as an elaborate study of a well-informed author."



Journal for the Study of Judaism



"Gowan's 'reappraisal' is his attempt (successful, I believe) to deal with the Judaism of this period with empathy, without Christian polemics, and in the light of recent evidence. This volume is enhanced by good basic bibliographies and a fine selection of photos, maps, charts, and other illustrations.... Teachers looking for a single introduction to the history of this period will want to consider this well-written and well-informed volume."



Religious Studies Review



"This is an extremely successfu evocation and evaluation of what the author is no longer willing to call 'intertestamental period' (the fruit of a dozen years of teaching a course so named).... Everything here is well done, and the whole can be highly recommended as a sophisticated textbook. A select bibliography follows each individual section."



Old Testament Abstracts



"This is not a monograph in the usual sense of the term. Instead it is a really first-rate textbook, intended primarily for undergraduate students but containing many insights that their teachers will value...this can be recommended without reserve as a readable and very judicious introduction to a difficult period."



The Society for Old Testament Study



"The difficult postexilic period of Old Testament history is described clearly, with a good sense for pertinent details by Donald E. Gowan.... After covering the history (pp. 11-160), the author investigates: institutions like home, religion, government, and education; literature like the Septuagint, Old Testament canon, apocrypha, mishnah, and Talmud; theological strata like wisdom, torah, and new beliefs."



The Bible Today



"...[Gowan] should be commended for writing a thorough, careful, and eminently readable introduction to this massive subject."



The Catholic Biblical Quarterly