This is the third edition of Shaye J. D. Cohen's important and seminal work on the history and development of Judaism between 164 BCE to 300 CE. Cohen's synthesis of religion, literature, and history offers deep insight into the nature of Judaism at this key period, including the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, the function of Jewish religion in the larger community, and the development of normative Judaism and other Jewish sects. Cohen offers students more than just histor...
Those who study the Bible are becoming increasingly attentive to the significance of economics when examining ancient texts and the cultures that produced them. This book looks at the socioeconomic landscape of Second Temple Judea, from the end of the Babylonian exile to the destruction of the temple by the Romans (532 BCE to 70 CE). Adams carefully examines key themes, paying special attention to family life, the status of women, and children, while engaging relevant textual and a...
Raymond Westbrook and Bruce Wells examine Old Testament legal materials that illustrate how ancient Israelites settled their grievances. This textbook is unique in exploring these legal materials as they relate to the issues of everyday life--family, property, contracts, and crimes--and providing readers with a broad understanding of their ancient legal and social foundations.
Current scholarship in the study of ancient Christianity is now available to nonspecialists through this collection of essays on anti-Judaism in the New Testament and in New Testament interpretation. While academic writing can be obscure and popular writing can be uncritical, this group of experts has striven to write as simply and clearly as possible on topics that have been hotly contested. The essays are arranged around the historical figures and canonical texts that matter most ...
In a book that will appeal to both Jews and Christians, Gary Anderson explores the story of Adam and Eve and its perspectives on the problem of evil, the nature of sexuality, and the question of sin and forgiveness.
In this book, Jacob Neusner gives an introductory, systematic, and holistic account of the theology and practice of Rabbinic Judaism, which emerged, along with Christianity, from antiquity and formed the classical statement of Judaism to the present day. He offers a description of beliefs and practices, theology as expressed in mythic narratives, and norms of ritual and symbolic behavior. Neusner also discusses: revelation and scripture, the doctrine of God, the definition of the ho...
The problem of anti-Judaism in the Forth Gospel is a complex matter that has historical, sociological, and theological dimensions. It involves the study of the original texts and their reception and effects throughout history as well as their ethical and theological implications in the perspective of Christian-Jewish dialogue.A selection of essays from the 2000 Leuven Conference, Anti-Judaism and the Fourth Gospel presents the views of Johannine scholars from around the world on thi...
John Hayes and Sara Mandell provide a clear exposition of Jewish history from 333 BCE to 135 CE. This volume focuses on the Judean-Jerusalem community from a historical rather than ideological or theological perspective. With the inclusion of charts, maps, and ancient texts, the authors have constructed a fascinating account that is indispensable for the study of this crucial period.
Jewish wisdom flourished under Hellenism in the books of Ben Sira and the wisdom of Solomon, as well as in a recently discovered sapiential text from Qumran. In this book, now available as a casebound, internationally known author John Collins presents a compelling description and analysis of these three texts and their continuing wisdom traditions.The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries ...
In this book, James Aageson likens interpretation to a conversation and uses Paul as a model for illustrating this. In Paul's case, interpretation is a conversation between two people, Paul and scripture. Aageson gives four case studies of Paul conversing with scripture: Paul's use of Abraham texts, his understanding of Israel, his use of the figure of Adam, and his seeing Christ as a figure by which all traditions are understood in new ways.
This book offers the best current handling of Pentateuchal traditions as they operated in the past and as they help the church now. Hans Walter Wolff sees Israel's faith tradition as a continuous kerygmatic response to a variety of cultural challenges. Walter Brueggemann introduces this dynamic view of tradition. Both authors approach the Pentateuch as a treasury of new expressions of faith resulting from conflicts between traditional formulas and changing social conditions. Today's ...
This study of sixth-century Hebrew thought, a part of the Old Testament Library series, grew out of Peter Ackroyd's influential Hulsean Lectures on the same topic.The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.
