writer of the book. In addition, when the early Christian church father Jerome translated the Bible into Latin, he added a note claiming Jeremiah as the author of Lamentations. Traditionally both Judaism and Christianity attribute Lamentations to the prophet Jeremiah.The problem with this is that Jeremiah went to Egypt during the exile, but these poems seem to have been written by people who stayed in Judah. On the other hand the recognition of the link between the people’s behaviour and the exile would fit well with what Jeremiah said. a This chapter is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Gwaltney, William C., Jr. “Lamentations.” In Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation. Vol. 2. Edited by John H. Hayes, 44–48. Nashville: Abingdon, 1999.

Lamentations 1:14 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint He kept watch over my sins How lonely sits the city / That was full of people!” (Lamentations 1:1), so goes the beginning of Lamentations. The city in question was none other than Jerusalem. Jeremiah walked through the streets and alleys of the Holy City and saw nothing but pain, suffering, and destruction in the Book Review: “The Last Days of Henry VIII: Conspiracies, Treason, and Heresy at the Court of the Dying Tyrant” by RobertHutchinson Scholars are divided over whether the book is the work of one or multiple authors. [19] One clue pointing to multiple authors is that the gender and situation of the first-person witness changes – the narration is feminine in the first and second lamentation, and masculine in the third, while the fourth and fifth are eyewitness reports of Jerusalem's destruction; [20] conversely, the similarities of style, vocabulary, and theological outlook, as well as the uniform historical setting, are arguments for one author. [21] Later interpretation and influence [ edit ] From its compelling opening through its stunning climax, Lamentation is deftly plotted, immensely readable and artfully executed. This story is as chilling as a winter day in Northern New Hampshire. Jay Porter is a character worth rooting for, and we will be hearing much more from Joe Clifford. Highly recommended." —Sheldon Siegel, New York Times best-selling author of the Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez novelsIn a frigid New Hampshire winter, Jay Porter is trying to eke out a living and maintain some semblance of a relationship with his former girlfriend and their two-year-old son. When he receives an urgent call that Chris, his drug-addicted and chronically drunk brother, is being questioned by the sheriff about his missing junkie business partner, Jay feels obliged to come to his rescue. The fifth poem, corresponding to the fifth chapter, is not acrostic but still has 22 lines. [3] [12] Lamentations with multiple translations of the text & Rashi's commentary, as well as numerous other classic Hebrew commentaries at Sefaria.org While the author of Lamentations remains nameless within the book, strong evidence from both inside and outside the text points to the prophet Jeremiah as the author. Both Jewish and Christian tradition ascribe authorship to Jeremiah, and the Septuagint—the Greek translation of the Old Testament—even adds a note asserting Jeremiah as the Lamentations is recited annually by Jews on the fast day of Tisha B'Av ("Ninth of Av") (July–August), mourning the destruction of both the First Temple (by the Babylonians in 586BCE) and the Second Temple (by the Romans in 70CE). [3] [4] [22]

The original name of the book in Hebrew, ekah, can be translated “Alas!” or “How,” giving the sense of weeping or lamenting over some sad event. 1 Later readers and translators substituted in the title “Lamentations” because of its clearer and more evocative meaning. It’s this idea of lamenting that, for many, links Jeremiah to the book. Lamentations, more than any other book in the Bible, captures what it really felt like to be someone from Judah at this point in history. Other books set around this timebeacon to all those suffering under the consequences of their own sin and disobedience. What's the big idea? With well over four million copies in print, C. J. Sansom’s historical crime series takes the reader to the dark heart of Tudor England with gripping realism, sensational storylines and a host of unforgettable characters. As he brings the sights and sounds of Tudor times to life, Sansom provides a masterclass in suspense. The storyline is intricate enough to make one squint at times, but it's never contrived for the sake of cleverness or cheapened merely to lead the reader astray. A slo-mo thriller. Literary, too.

Provides an overview of the major issues in the history of Lamentations scholarship, focusing not only on 20th-century scholarship, but also including interpreters from late Antiquity onward. Pays particular interest to the relationship of Lamentations to Mesopotamian literature (see Ancient Near Eastern Comparative Studies). A standard scholarly introduction to the major issues in Lamentations research, though now somewhat dated; particularly useful for historical-critical issues.Some people thinkyou can sense both male and female voices speaking in these poems.See what you think – can you get any sense of the gender of those speaking? After Jay negotiates his brother’s release from the county jail, Chris disappears into the night. As Jay begins to search for him, he is plunged into a cauldron of ugly lies and long-kept secrets that could tear apart his small hometown and threaten the lives of Jay and all those he holds dear. sin and covenant-breaking rebellion were at the root of his people's woes ( 1:5,8-9; 4:13; 5:7,16). Although weeping ( 1:16; 2:11,18; 3:48-51) is to be expected In Lamentation, Joe Clifford displays the same muscular prose, unsparing insight and generous heart he exhibited in his stunning debut, Junkie Love. This is a tale of small-town secrets and the troubled, unfathomable, unbreakable bond of brothers." —David Corbett, award-winning author of The Art of Character C. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. He lives in Sussex.