This volume of the Princeton Theological Seminary Dead Sea Scrolls Project contains the text, critical apparatus, translation, and introduction to the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, in which the Jewish author claims he has recorded the final words of the twelve sons of Jacob.Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the winter of 1947, the composition was extant only in Greek, Armenian, and Slavonic manuscripts, with late Aramaic and Hebrew copies of some Testaments. The earliest Gre...
The Thanksgiving Hymns have been labeled the mystical gems among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Some of them may have been composed by the genius who is known as “the Righteous Teacher” in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Other psalms, hymns, or odes were composed by members of the Qumran community. This volume includes all fragments and all portions of the manuscripts of this superb witness to the height of Jewish poetry and thought before 70 CE and the end of early Judaism. Preliminary work on the major manuscrip...
In this reader-friendly guide, Markus Bockmuehl offers a sympathetic account of the ancient apocryphal Gospel writings, showing their place within the reception history and formation of what was to become the canonical fourfold Gospel. Bockmuehl begins by helping readers understand the early history behind these noncanonical Gospels before going on to examine dozens of specific apocryphal texts. He explores the complex oral and intertextual relationships between the noncanonical an...
We know that the early Christian church had a variety of scriptures and other source material that informed their faith and shaped their thinking. We also know that after a few centuries the church decided to keep the twenty-seven books of our present New Testament and to treat them as canonical in faith and practice. But the other books did not simply disappear. In fact, many of them remain valuable for understanding the diversity of the early Christian church and the astounding cl...
The emotionally evocative power of the book of Revelation has been often noted and experienced by interpreters, but until now it has never been systematically explored. The strange visions of the book of Revelation provide some of the most difficult passages of the New Testament, yet Christians have long been fascinated by its power and provocative pronouncements. David deSilva analyzes how the book argues and persuades us to see the world through the eyes of John, and suggests...
SEVENTYFIVEPERCENT>Why do religious people choose paths that lead to their deaths as martyrs? Why do some who are killed for their faith become known and revered while others do not? Gail Streete asks these important and disturbing questions in the context of early Christianity, looking at the stories of martyred women such as Thecla, Perpetua, and Felicitas-- women whose stories helped shape Christian faith for centuries, yet are all but forgotten in the modern world. Streete recl...
Estimated to date back to the very early Jesus movement, the lost Gospel known as Q offers a distinct and remarkable picture of Jesus and his significance--and one that differs markedly from that offered by its contemporary, the apostle Paul.Q presents Jesus as a prophetic critic of unbelief and a sage with the wisdom that can transform. In Q, the true meaning of the "kingdom of God" is the fulfillment of a just society through the transformation of the human relationships with...
Since its discovery in the mid-1940s, the Gospel of Thomas has aroused the interest of scholars and general readers alike. Thomas, the Other Gospel provides a clear, comprehensive, nontechnical guide through the scholarly maze of issues surrounding the Coptic text. Nicholas Perrin argues that the Gospel derives not from the era of Jesus or even the apostles but from the late second century CE. Further, contrary to what many scholars believe, he maintains that the Gospel was original...
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.
Religious experience and reflection have always engendered poetry and literature, prompting the imagination and moving beyond speculative thought. In this anthology, the editors address the common origins and various stages in the development of religious expression and literature, as well as the various interpretive methods that have been used to explain these literary texts.
In this book, Klaas Smelik presents a selection of writings from ancient Israel that ranges from tax records to battle accounts. Smelik interprets these writings in light of their historical, social, and biblical contexts.
This revised edition is a translation of the sixth German edition, just as the original English New Testament Apocrypha was a translation of the third German edition. The introductions to individual texts have been either completely rewritten or thoroughly revised. This book reflects current research findings. The bibliographical data in all sections has been updated as well. Some of the texts have been newly translated, some completely revised, and three completely new texts have be...
Praise and lament are two major approaches to praying to God. In this book, Claus Westermann investigates these primary categories of the Psalms and shows their meaning for prayer and worship. He contrasts the Old Testament Psalms with those of Babylon and Egypt indicating their distinctive characteristics. Sensitively written and carefully reasoned, Westermann's book will be valued for the clear-cut way it brings light to the character of the ancient Psalms of Israel.
This anthology of gospel literature contains texts that are not a part of the New Testament but are of great importance for the study of Christian origins. Containing some of the writings from the Nag Hammadi library, these sixteen texts constitute what remains of the non-canonical Gospels from the first and second centuries. They transmit sayings of Jesus and relate stories about Jesus.
