What food did the ancient Israelites eat, and how much of it did they consume? That's a seemingly simple question, but it's actually a complex topic. In this fascinating book Nathan MacDonald carefully sifts through all the relevant evidence -- biblical, archaeological, anthropological, environmental -- to uncover what the people of biblical times really ate and how healthy (or unhealthy) it was.
Engagingly written for general readers, What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat? is nonetheless the fruit of extensive scholarly research; the book's substantial bibliography...
What food did the ancient Israelites eat, and how much of it did they consume? That's a seemingly simple question, but it's actually a complex topic. ...
The book of Hebrews has often been the Cinderella of the New Testament, overlooked and marginalized; and yet it is one of the most interesting and theologically significant books in the New Testament. A Cloud of Witness examines the theology of the book in the light of its ancient historical context. There are chapters devoted to the structure of Hebrews, the person of Jesus Christ, Hebrews within the context of Second Temple Judaism and the Greco-Roman empire and the role of Hebrews in early Christian thought.
The book of Hebrews has often been the Cinderella of the New Testament, overlooked and marginalized; and yet it is one of the most interesting and the...
In ancient Israel the production of food was a basic concern of almost every Israelite. Consequently, there are few pages in the Old Testament that do not mention food, and food provides some of the most important social, political and religious symbols in the biblical text. Not Bread Alone is the first detailed and wide-ranging examination of food and its symbolism in the Old Testament and the world of ancient Israel. Many of these symbols are very well-known, such as the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, the abominable pig and the land flowing with milk and honey. Nathan MacDonald...
In ancient Israel the production of food was a basic concern of almost every Israelite. Consequently, there are few pages in the Old Testament that do...
Decisive Meals discusses various aspects of meal traditions and their relevance in terms of boundaries between different groups in the context of first century Judaism and the early Christ-movement.
The contributors discuss different communities at different times and places - under the same focus of common meals: The postexilic community in Judaea, the Pauline communities in Asia Minor, as well as in the Roman dominated city of Caesarea and the Hellenistic Jewish community and the emerging rabbinical community - each time a community is affected through the sharing of meals, but...
Decisive Meals discusses various aspects of meal traditions and their relevance in terms of boundaries between different groups in the context of f...
Nathan MacDonald examines the term 'monotheism' and its appropriateness as a category for analysing the Old Testament. He traces the use of 'monotheism' since its coinage in 1660 and argues that its use in Old Testament scholarship frequently reflects a narrowed, intellectualistic conception of religion."Finally, MacDonald's volume is a valuable contribution to the discussion because it is also a fine example of biblical theology, a truly insightful exposition of some of the significant themes in the book of Deuteronomy, accompanied by a fine, detailed exposition of crucial passages in the...
Nathan MacDonald examines the term 'monotheism' and its appropriateness as a category for analysing the Old Testament. He traces the use of 'monotheis...
Discussion of early Jewish monotheism has focused on its origins in earlier Israelite religion, while its development in late prophetic and early apocalyptic literature has received little attention. Yet the reflections of the concept of monotheism in these works are much more diverse than is generally recognized. This literature reflects a lively debate over the implications of Yhwh's supremacy, which extend to the full range of religious and socio-political experience. The authors of this volume explore that diversity by focusing on how particular texts and themes embody and shape the...
Discussion of early Jewish monotheism has focused on its origins in earlier Israelite religion, while its development in late prophetic and early apoc...
Whilst prophetic oracles in late prophetic books evidence tensions about the Jerusalem temple and its priesthood, MacDonald demonstrates that the relationships between prophetic oracles have been incorrectly appraised. Employing an interpretative method attentive to issues of redaction and inner-biblical interpretation, MacDonald show that Ezekiel 44 is a polemical response to Isaiah 56, and not the reverse as is typically assumed. This has significant consequences for the dating of Ezekiel 44 and for its relationship to other biblical texts, especially Pentateuchal texts from Leviticus...
Whilst prophetic oracles in late prophetic books evidence tensions about the Jerusalem temple and its priesthood, MacDonald demonstrates that the r...
Covenant and election are two theological concepts that dominate the landscape of the Hebrew Bible. If they became the main structuring concepts of the Hebrew Bible, they were not so from the beginning. Their centrality was the result of their utilization by exilic and post-exilic scribes and tradents to focus Israel's traditions into a coherent structure as fitted the revelation of one God. The essays in this collection examine covenant and election across the biblical literature, from the priestly document through Deuteronomy to Jeremiah and the book of Chronicles. They show how the ideas...
Covenant and election are two theological concepts that dominate the landscape of the Hebrew Bible. If they became the main structuring concepts of th...
