Kategoria BISAC: Religion >> Biblical Studies - History & Culture

Israel and Empire introduces students to the history, literature, and theology of the Hebrew Bible and texts of early Judaism, enabling them to read these texts through the lens of postcolonial interpretation. This approach should allow students to recognize not only how cultural and socio-political forces shaped ancient Israel and the worldviews of the early Jews but also the impact of imperialism on modern readings of the Bible.

Perdue and Carter cover a broad sweep of history, from 1300 BCE to 72 CE, including the late Bronze age, Egyptian imperialism, Israel's entrance...

In the course of along and noteworthy career, Dr Andrew Macintosh has trained a large number of students in the language and literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Some of these have gone on to achieve recognition as leading biblical scholars, while others have occupied positions of influence in education and religion. All have been shaped by the honorand's unquenchable enthusiasm for the Hebrew language and its employment in texts ancient, medieval, and modern. In addition to his own estimable scholarly publications, Dr Macintosh has been a valued and appreciated colleague to...

The New Testament writings allow only limited access to the interpretative traditions that lie beneath the claim that Jesus' resurrection took place according to Scripture.

This book investigates the underlying principles of scriptural arguments in relation to Jesus' resurrection and the unstated interpretative moves that govern the selection and combination of texts relating to it.

Novakovic's working hypothesis is that the Davidic tradition supplied the primary scriptural categories for the claim that Jesus was raised from the dead according to Scripture. This tradition was...

Many of the writings deemed 'apocryphal' and 'pseudepigraphical'were in circulation in the early centuries of Judaism and Christianity. Their influences and impacts on the development of early communities, and the development of Jewish and Christian thoughts, have not yet been sufficiently examined. While this judgment is especially true for the so-called Christian Apocrypha, it also applies for other writings that were not included in the Jewish and Christian Bibles and nor in other sacred collections of Scripture, like Rabbinics and Patristics.

Most of these ancient writings...

For 2000 years Judaism and Christianity have been at odds with one another. The problem at the heart of the division is the concept of messiah.

Shirley Lucass looks directly at the concept of messiah from an historical perspective and examines its roots in ancient Jewish literature, and its development within the Christian tradition, aiming not only to trace the biblical and extra-biblical developments of the concept, but to outline a platform for religious dialogue. Lucass begins with a survey of methodological approaches, and then moves on to consider the origins of the messiah...

These essays explore new methods and overlooked traditions
that appear to shed light on how the founders of the Christian movement
understood the older sacred tradition and sought new and creative ways to let
it speak to their own times.

Gurtner discusses the Matthean version of the temptation narrative. Chandler
investigates the exhortation to 'love your neighbour as yourself' from Lev.
19.18b. Talbot re-examines Jesus' offer of rest in Mt. 11.28-30. Myers explores
the ways Matthew's appeal to Isa. 42.1-4 in Mt. 12.17-21 affects the
characterization of Jesus in...

Israel and Empire introduces students to the history, literature, and theology of the Hebrew Bible and texts of early Judaism, enabling them to read these texts through the lens of postcolonial interpretation. This approach should allow students to recognize not only how cultural and socio-political forces shaped ancient Israel and the worldviews of the early Jews but also the impact of imperialism on modern readings of the Bible.

Perdue and Carter cover a broad sweep of history, from 1300 BCE to 72 CE, including the late Bronze age, Egyptian imperialism, Israel's entrance...

This is a collection of papers given at SBL International Meetings 2009-2011, which investigate the inherent spatiality of human existence. The contributors discuss ancient Mediterranean texts and societies from a decidedly spatial perspective, debating over such issues as narratological space, critical spatiality, sociological theories on space, space and identity, space and body. The volume consists of three parts and commences with three studies focusing on theoretical approaches towards spatial analysis and application of the theory to specific Old and New Testament texts. The essays...

Traditions at Odds explores the Pentateuch's literary influence on other biblical texts. There exist a number of content discrepancies between pentateuchal and non-pentateuchal texts that treat the same subject. Through a detailed analysis, the author argues that the discrepancies are not alterations of pentateuchal material, as is generally argued, but rather indications of independent traditions. Thus, much of biblical literature was written outside of the Pentateuch's purview. Corroborating evidence is found in literature from the Second Temple Period, which also exhibits a lack of...

Intermarriage and group identity in the Second Temple Period will be investigated from different points of view with regard to methodology and analyzed texts. With an introduction to the history of research and a summarizing final section, the individual contributions will be associated with the larger context of the recent debate. Thus not only the diversity of texts on mixed marriage within the Hebrew Bible and related scripture will be shown and emphasized but the question of continuity and discontinuity as well as the socio-historical background of marriage restrictions will be dealt...

New Testament Theology in a Secular World is an important and original new work in Christian apologetics. It is the first book to apply constructivist theory to biblical studies.

Biblical Studies scholar Peter Lampe tackles head on such questions as: What do we understand by "reality?" How does this relate to what theology calls the "reality of God" or the "reality of resurrection?" How can we account for the concept of "revelation"? Lampe argues that in talking about "reality" theologians must make an effort to engage with the concept of "reality" as it is discussed in the fields...

Scholarly interest in intertextuality remains as keen as ever. Armed with new questions, interpreters seek to improve their understanding of the function of older scripture in later scripture. The essays assembled in the present collection address these questions. These essays treat pre-Christian texts, as well as Christian texts, that make use of older sacred tradition. They analyze the respective uses of scripture in diverse Jewish and Christian traditions. Some of these studies are concerned with discreet bodies of writings, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, while others are concerned with...

Critical studies and analyses of space are becoming increasingly common in scholarship, although it is not always clear how such studies proceed, what theoretical works inform them, or what are their potential benefits for biblical studies. This volume helps address those questions, by including the work of biblical scholars working in a range of historical periods and locations, from Deuteronomy's idealized spaces to the Qumran community on the shores of the Dead Sea.
Each of the scholars in this volume is actively involved in the critical study of space, having presented work on this...

This book investigates Paul's effort to combat factionalism by his use of the Greco-Roman rhetoric of 'the common advantage' to overcome socio-ethical problems caused by the improper exercise of 'private advantage' in Corinth. Chang examines 'the common advantage', first, as a fundamental principle that defined human and societal relationships in the Greco-Roman world. He explores how the neglect and misunderstanding of this principle lay at the root of relational and societal breakdowns. The book further examines Paul's use of the term and demonstrates that, when properly understood and...

Joseph Blenkinsopp provides a new commentary on Genesis 1-11, the so-called 'Primeval History' in which the account of creation is given.

Blenkinsopp works with the conviction that, from a biblical point of view, creation cannot be restricted to a single event, nor to two versions of an event (as depicted in Genesis 1-3) but, rather, must take in the whole period of creation arranged in the sequence: creation - uncreation - recreation (as can be derived from Genesis 1-11).

Through the course of the commentary, presented in continuous discussion rather than in a rigid...