"What is Job?"

Bar-Ilan University Prof. Emeritus Ed Greenstein's English translation of the Book of Job was the subject of an answer – and a question – on a recent episode of the popular US TV game show "Jeopardy".

On "Jeopardy" the host presents an answer to which the contestant has to formulate the correct question. The clue alluding to Greenstein's book appeared in the category devoted to "Translations". "In Edward Greenstein's 2019 translation, this Biblical man goes through a lot of troubles and is 'fed up' with God," stated the game show host, to which an astute contestant correctly asked, "What is Job?"  

Excited family and colleagues quickly sent a flurry of correspondence to Greenstein offering their congratulations on his newfound fame.

This isn't the first time Greenstein's much-acclaimed book, entitled Job: A New Translation (Yale University Press, 2019), has been recognized. In 2020 he was awarded two prestigious prizes in appreciation of this seminal work: the Jordan Schnitzer Book Award and the Israeli EMET Prize in the Humanities.

Of this latest recognition, Prof. Emeritus of Bible Greenstein said, "I wrote my Job translation in order to alter the way that the Book of Job is generally understood, and the reference to my translation on a popular and intelligent television program is happy evidence that my translation has made some impact."

An expert in ancient Semitic studies as well as Bible, Greenstein edited the Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society for nearly 50 years and has published hundreds of articles, essays, and reviews. He edited the Society of Biblical Literature’s innovative Semeia Studies book series for six years. He has been writing commentaries on Job, Lamentations, and Ruth, as well as other books. He has received research fellowships and grants from the (US) National Endowment for the Humanities (twice), the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University, and the Israel Science Foundation (three times). The State of Israel recognized him as an outstanding immigrant scholar, and in 2017 Bar-Ilan University awarded him a prize for innovative research. Under Greenstein’s supervision, nearly 40 scholars have completed their doctorates.