Anderson (emeritus, religious studies, Michigan State U.) and Giles (biblical studies, Gannon U.) collaborate on a third study of the Samaritans, a community with ancient origins that still exists today, they say. The Samaritans recognized only the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, The Pentateuch, and in a version quite distinct from the other better known versions: the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Septuagint. They synthesize current burgeoning scholarship for the benefit of nonspecialists, tracing the history of the Samaritan Pentateuch from its origins through its most recent translations. Among their topics are textual pluriformity in the late Second Temple period, textual characteristics, the beginning of textual criticism, and translation. The Society of Biblical Literature publishes the paperbound edition; Brill publishes the hardbound. Annotation 2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
