New Books: Briefly Noted
Brief notices of three new books: Andrei Orlov's Supernal Serpent, an exhaustive study of the Leviathan from ancient Mesopotamian myth through Tanakh, Pseudepigrapha, Talmud and Zohar; Jennie Grillo's Daniel After Babylon, on the Septuagint additions to Daniel and their role in the history of interpretation; and the Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel: Deuteronomy, completing that series' commentary on the Torah.
Supernal Serpent: Mysteries of Leviathan in Judaism and Christianity by Andrei Orlov (Oxford, 2023), 347 pp.
This exhaustive study of the Leviathan covers the concept of this ancient sea serpent from ancient Mesopotamian myths, through the Tanakh and later works from the Pseudepigrapha, Talmud and Zohar, as well as Christian and Islamic works. This creature has represented primordial chaos, the forces of evil, hidden knowledge and the foundation of the created world, among other ideas. The book is particularly significant for readers of Job, Isaiah and Ezekiel who encounter references to this beast in its various names, giving context as to what it meant to people at that time. See in particular the discussion of the taninim in Genesis 1:21, which is described as being created (bara) by God, a term otherwise used only for the entire creation (Gen. 1:1) and the creation of man (Gen. 1:27), indicating that these creatures have special significance (pp. 104-105).
Daniel After Babylon: The Additions in the History of Interpretation by Jennie Grillo (Oxford, 2024), 192 pp.
This is a study of the additions to the Book of Daniel that are included in the Septuagint but left out of Tanakh (the tale of Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Hebrews in the fiery furnace). While many Jewish readers are unfamiliar with these non-canonical additions, they played a very significant role in adding and emphasizing certain theological messages in the Book of Daniel, particularly as relating to the power of prayer and the issue of martyrdom, especially in the Greek and Christian world.
The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel: Deuteronomy eds. David Arnovitz and Jeremiah Unterman (Koren, 2025), 420 pp.
This volume completes the Koren LOI commentary on the Torah (Samuel has already been released and Ezra-Nehemiah is next). This beautifully produced series focuses on archaeological finds, geographical material, ancient Near Eastern parallels and etymological matters related to the biblical text. A wonderful supplement to be read alongside traditional rabbinic commentaries, offering the baseline pshat and historical context of the world of the Torah.
Cite this article
The Editorial Board. "New Books: Briefly Noted." Jewish Bible Quarterly 54, no. 3 (July – September 2026): 203.
The Editorial Board. "New Books: Briefly Noted." Jewish Bible Quarterly, vol. 54, no. 3, 2026, pp. 203.