This short story has called forth the highest praise from the most competent critics for its simple beautiful presentation of scenes from the rural life of ancient Israel. It is artistic in the noblest sense, though it is not likely that in those days there was much consciousness of art of discussion as to the technique of story-telling.
-from "Ruth: A Woman's Faithfulness and Its Reward"

With an emphasis on the Bible as literature, this classic 1922 work examines the stories of the Old Testament with a modern eye, exploring not only their religious and historical significance but their beauty and effectiveness as prose and as examples of the art of storytelling.

Among the tales considered are:

. The Creation of the World
. The First Murder
. The Tower of Babel
. The Story of Jacob
. Samson: or A Strong Man's Failure
. Saul and the Witch of Endor
. The Story of Job: The Problem of Suffering
. The Story of Jonah: A Prophetic Satire
. and more.

Canadian scholar W. G. JORDAN was professor of Hebrew language and literature at Queen's University, Kingston. He also wrote Biblical Criticism and Modern Thought (1909).