You can learn a lot by reading how the editors of anthologies decide what to include or leave out. The editors of the Norton World Masterpieces Anthology argue that the Western World is founded on the texts from three peoples: the Hebrews, the Greeks, and the Romans. (Incidentally, they contend that St. Augustine is the figure that best combines these three strands).
They select four passages from the OT for inclusion: the story of the fall, Joseph’s narrative, excerpts from Job, and the “suffering servant” passages from Isaiah.
The Genesis passages present a before and after: free people choosing to rebel against God and a godly man triumphing in earthly terms despite trials and tribulations. According to the editors, the story of Job complicates the victory Joseph achieves. We get Job’s thoughts in a way we never get inside Joseph, and we’re left with as many questions as answers at the end of the book. Finally, the messianic passages from Isaiah portray a servant who not only suffers on behalf of others (the archetypal scapegoat) but, in taking on that punishment despite having done nothing wrong, provides a model of sacrificial love.
Three observations:
- The editors choose these passages for typological reasons: their narrative patterns (suffering) are repeated and complicated.
- The editors clearly do not believe in the historical veracity of these stories. Adam, Eve, Joseph, and Job are all fictional characters.
- The editors rightly point to the incarnate Son of God as the culmination of this sequence. They read these narratives as part of a larger story and Christ as that story’s culmination.
Experiments in Criticism 