In this book, Barbara Holdrege has set a high standard for comparative work and has made an important contribution to both Hindu and Jewish studies. She has looked at Veda and Torah not simply as 'scripture, ' but as systems of meaning, symbol systems, each with its own affiliated meanings, each with its symbolic context, and each with its history of interpretation.

Barbara A. Holdrege is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is a comparative historian of religions specializing in Hindu and Jewish traditions.