Criticism and exegesis of sacred texts Books

Book SynopsisIn 1945 thirteen volumes, or fragments of volumes, written on papyrus were found by chance near Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt. It appears that they had come from the library of a gnostic community and together comprised 49 works, written in Coptic and most of them unknown. None of the works included in the discovery has been so much discussed and has created so much interest as The Gospel according to Thomas. It is in fact a great collection of Logia, a harvesting of 114 “Sayings of Jesus” together with a prologue which stresses the esoteric character of the sayings and attributes their recording and preservation to the apostle Didymus Jude Thomas. Many of the sentences are identical with the Logia of the Synoptic Gospels or are closely related to them. Other sayings on the contrary are extracanonical. Among these are certain “agrapha” which were already known or can now be recognized in ancient or medieval literature from patristic, gnostic, Manichaean, or even Catharist sources. Finally, the collection comprises many Logia which are quite new and have never before been seen. This reprint of the original 1959 edition presents the Coptic text based on a minute examination of the manuscript, together with as faithful a translation as possible.

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Trade Review'Un de ses mérites est de relever à travers l'oeuvre entière de Jérôme les nombreuses allusions que fait l'écrivain au problème «traduction littérale ou traduction littéraire».' Ch. Martin, S.J. Nouvelle Révue Théologique, 1981. '...a work as useful as this...' J.H.D. Scourfield, The Classical Review, 1981.

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Book SynopsisThis volume is concerned with the origin and development of the Targum to the Prophets, focusing for this purpose upon the Twelve Prophets (from Nahum to Malachi). A wide-ranging introductory chapter sets current research in context by surveying almost two centuries of Targumic study. It is argued that the evidence in the extant text for a Second Commonwealth phase in the Targum's history is meagre and that, in particular, the Qumran Habakkuk pesher is not dependent upon the Targum to Habakkuk. Other issues discussed are the Hebrew Vorlage of the Targum, incipit formulae, 'Additional Targum' and the standard Targum, the haggadah in the Targum to Zechariah 3 in the light of a (so-called) Eastern Aramaic linguistic element, Targum and Peshiṭta, land and divine presence, and the final redaction of the Targum.Trade Review'...a valuable companion to his translation and commentary on the Targum of these prophets...' A. Gelston, SOTS, 1994. 'Every so often in the history of a scholarly discipline, there appears a work which brings order to that discipline, in such a way that the paths for future investigation stand out with absolute clarity. Robert Gordon's monograph is one such work.' C.T.R. Hayward, Journal of Theological Studies, 1995. 'This is exemplary work in many ways. ...Professor Gordon understands better than most the complex nature of Targum and abstains from drawing simplistic conclusions about it.' Alison Salvesen, Journal of Jewish Studies, 1995. 'This book provides a useful survey of many of the issues pertaining to the origin and development of Targum Twelve Prophets and contains much useful bibliographical information.' David M. Stec, Journal of Semitic Studies, 1995. 'Recommended for advanced students.' Zev Garber, Religious Studies Review, 1995.

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Book SynopsisThis wide-ranging handbook presents an overview of our current knowledge on the history of the Bible. Divided into three parts, it shows how the collections of canonical and apocryphal books were formed, explains the transmission and translation of the Biblical texts and describes biblical interpretation in Judaism and Christianity. Incorporating the immense amount of information that has become available since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the author sets out to bridge the gaps between widely different areas and trends in the field of Biblical Studies: canonical and apocryphal literature, written and oral traditions, rabbinic and Christian exegesis and modern critical exegesis, and literal and allegorical interpretation, among others. Uniquely, Trebolle Barrera also looks at the Wirkungsgeschichte of the Bible in relation to the Greek and Roman world, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Scholars, students and interested lay persons alike will benefit from the wealth of general information found here as well as detailed discussion on many topics currently under debate, from the significance of Qumran to the influence of the Semitic and Greek world on Christianity.Trade Review'Decrying the tendency to compartmentalization and excessive specialization in biblical studies, Trebolle offers a broadly based and "interdisciplinary" history of the Bible, aimed primarily at students. Handy as a reference book, this intelligently constructed and elegantly written text can be read with pleasure. This reader found it hard to put down; it is full of unusual insights, and the wide scope means that it has something new to say to almost everybody. Nicholas R.M. de Lange, Vetus Testamentum, 1995.

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Book SynopsisThe second part of a 2-volume work, this study combines recent approaches that treat the formation and early interpretation of the final form of the book of Isaiah with the more conventional historical-critical methods that treat the use of traditions by Isaiah's authors and editors. Studies investigate Isaiah's use of early sacred tradition, the editing and contextualization of oracles within the Isaianic tradition itself, and the interpretation of the book of Isaiah in later traditions (as seen in the various versions of the text and various communities). Contributors of this volume include virtually all of the major scholars of Isaiah and the leading scholars of biblical interpretation in the intertestamental, New Testament, and early Jewish periods.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most conspicuous innovations of early Christianity within Greco-Roman culture is its reliance upon a collection of authoritative texts. The ultimate author of Scripture was thought to be God Himself, whose will could and should be sought and found in these holy writings. For this reason it is not surprising that very soon these texts not only became the object of careful attention and scholarly study, but also put their stamp on the various forms and manifestations of early Christian life, such as martyrdom, asceticism, liturgy, art, and literature. This multifarious influence of Scripture is the subject of The Impact of Scripture in Early Christianity. It contains fourteen contributions, predominantly in English, by Belgian and Dutch scholars which have been gathered in a thematically ordered collection.Trade Review'Of considerable interest to specialists in the areas touched upon and ro research libraries.' Michael W. Holmes, Religious Studies Review, 2000.

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Book SynopsisRecent years have witnessed an upsurge of interest in relating the Bible to the worlds of literature and the visual arts. How is the Bible portrayed in the arts and how do the arts affect what we know, or think we know, about the Bible? In this provocative and wide-ranging collection, the eight contributors engage in a lively and fruitful conversation with the work of novelists, artists, filmmakers, and critics. Topics treated in this collection include the Bible and film, from Frank Capra movies of the 30s and 40s to such Hollywood epics as The Robe and The Ten Commandments; the Bible and literature, focusing particularly on the story of David and Bathsheba in recent fiction; and the Bible and painting, with specific studies of Rembrandt as painter and etcher and the twentieth-century German artist Lovis Corinth and more generalized discussion of paintings of King David throughout the centuries and the representation of the sexuality of Jesus in Renaissance art. Contributors include Joel Rosenberg, Erica Sheen, Martin O'Kane, Ilse Müllner, Johannes Taschner, Clive Marsh, J. Cheryl Exum, and David Jasper.Table of ContentsEditorial Introduction Beyond the Biblical Horizon: The Bible and the Arts, J. CHERYL EXUM The Bible and Film What the Bible and Old Movies Have in Common, JOEL ROSENBERG ‘The Light of God’s Law: Violence and Metaphysics in the 50’s Widescreen Biblical Epic’, ERICA SHEEN The Bible, Painting and Literature: David and Bathsheba The Biblical King David and His Artistic and Literary Afterlives, MARTIN O’KANE Blickwechsel: Batseba und David in Romanen des 20. Jahrhunderts, ILSE MULLNER The Bible and Painting & Etching Mit wem ringt Jakob in der Nacht? Oder: Der Versuch, mit Rembrandt eine Leerstelle auszuleuchten, JOHANNES TASCHNER Rembrandt the Etcher: Mission and Commission as Factors in New Testament Interpretation, CLIVE MARSH Lovis Corinth’s Blinded Season, J. CHERYL EXUM Review Essay In the Beginning Was the World? Leo Steinberg, The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and in Modern Oblivion, DAVID JASPER

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Book SynopsisThis volume reviews the criteria, assumptions, and methods involved in critical Jesus research. Its purpose is to clarify the procedures necessary to distinguish tradition that stems from Jesus from tradition and interpretation that stem from later tradents and evangelists. This publication has also been published in paperback, please click here for details.

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Book SynopsisVirtual History and the Bible asks where we are at the beginning of the new millennium and how we got that way. What if important events in ancient history had turned out differently? How different might the present century be? This is a volume about history, not fantasy or fiction. Sixteen eminent historians of the Bible discuss not only what might have happened differently but demonstrate how, in practice, biblical historians go about reconstructing the past.

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Book SynopsisContinuing a project begun in 2002, with the publication of volume 1 of Mediaeval Commentaries on the “Sentences” of Peter Lombard, this volume fills some major lacunae in current research on the standard textbook of medieval theology. Twelve chapters study the tradition of the Sentences, from the first glosses of the twelfth century through Martin Luther’s marginal notes. The questions addressed in these chapters throw light on the history of the Sentences literature as a whole, focusing on changes in literary structure and methodology as much as on matters of textual transmission and doctrinal content. The conclusion synthesizes the individual contributions, succinctly presenting the current state of our knowledge of the main structures that characterize the tradition of the Sentences. Contributors: Magdalena Bieniak, John F. Boyle, Stephen F. Brown, Marcia L. Colish, William O. Duba, Michael Dunne, Russell L. Friedman, Olli Hallamaa, Pekka Kärkkäinen, Hans Kraml, Gerhard Leibold, Riccardo Quinto, Philipp W. Rosemann, Chris Schabel, and Hubert Philipp Weber.Table of ContentsCONTENTS Abbreviations ... vii Preface ... ix Philipp W. Rosemann The Pseudo-Peter of Poitiers Gloss ... 1 Marcia L. Colish Stephen Langton … 35 Riccardo Quinto The Glossa in IV libros Sententiarum by Alexander of Hales ... 79 Hubert Philipp Weber The Sentences Commentary of Hugh of St.-Cher ... 111 Magdalena Bieniak Thomas Aquinas and his Lectura romana in primum Sententiarum Petri Lombardi ... 149 John F. Boyle Robert Kilwardby’s Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard ... 175 Gerhard Leibold William de la Mare ... 227 Hans Kraml Henry of Harclay and Aufredo Gonteri Brito ... 263 William O. Duba, Russell L. Friedman, and Chris Schabel On the Limits of the Genre: Roger Roseth as a Reader of the Sentences … 369 Olli Hallamaa Richard FitzRalph’s Lectura on the Sentences ... 405 Michael Dunne Peter of Candia’s Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard ... 439 Stephen F. Brown Martin Luther ... 471 Pekka Kärkkäinen Conclusion: Th e Tradition of the Sentences ... 495 Philipp W. Rosemann Bibliography ... 525 Index of Manuscripts ... 537

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Book SynopsisIn this book the author re-examines the relevance of the seminal texts of western civilization for the present environmental debate. He is arguing that what we today know as 'Christian cosmology' is in fact a grafting of classical Greek philosophy onto ancient Israelite thought, with certain valuable traditions being all but lost in the process. The dietary laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, in particular, still prove surprisingly relevant today.Trade Review'Boersema writes with considerable competence as far as O.T. criticism is concerned [...] his treatment of biblical passages will be of benefit to biblical scholars as well as to wider audiences.' P.J. Williams, in Vetus Testamentum.

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Book SynopsisThis study is the first volume in the new Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series. It contains a new English translation of Philo’s famous treatise On the creation of the cosmos (the first for seventy years), and the first ever commentary in English. In this work the Jewish exegete and philosopher gives a selective exegesis of the Mosaic creation account and the events in Paradise as recorded in Genesis 1–3. It is the first preserved example of Hexaemeral literature, and had a profound influence on early Christian thought. The commentary aims to make Philo’s thought accessible to readers such as graduate students who are just beginning to read him, but also contains much material that will be of interest to specialists in Hellenistic Judaism, ancient philosophy and patristic literature.Trade Review"…an excellent introduction to the De Opificio Mundi." – John Dillon, in: Ancient Philosophy, 2004 "An excellent and very helpful first commentary in this series on Philo's major works." – Fred W. Burnett, in: Religious Studies Review, 2004 "... this commentary is undoubtedly the major reference work on this Philonic treatise, and so it will surely remain for a long time." – Claudio Zamagni, in: Review of Biblical Literature, 2005 "This is a masterwork of historical scholarship that, in scope and execution, demonstrates the kind of contribution a commentary of this type can make." – Mark Weedman, in: Review of Biblical Literature, 2006

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Book SynopsisThis collection of essays in honour of Heikki Räisänen, New Testament professor at the University of Helsinki, consists of 22 essays written by his colleagues and students on Jesus, the gospels, Paul, early Christianity, and biblical interpretation. Räisänen's own research has been characterized by methodological awareness combined with a keen interest in ethical issues. Both these aspects come to expression in his insistence on "fair play" as a correct scholarly attitude involving an honest dialogue, a real encounter, and a recognition of diverging opinions. In this spirit, most of the essays in this book lay emphasis on issues related to early Christian diversity and conflicts, and to their challenge in modern society. The book is useful for scholars, academic teachers and students interested in various aspects of the New Testament, early Christianity, and hermeneutics.Trade Review'…a volume of essays on a topic that span the spectrum of NT scholarship and consistently challenge readers to rethink their assumptions and received opinions without either dismissing or diminishing the work of other scholars…' The Catholic biblical Quarterly,2003.

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Book SynopsisFormerly known by its subtitle “Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete”, the International Review of Biblical Studies has served the scholarly community ever since its inception in the early 1950’s. Each annual volume includes approximately 2,000 abstracts and summaries of articles and books that deal with the Bible and related literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigrapha, Non-canonical gospels, and ancient Near Eastern writings. The abstracts – which may be in English, German, or French - are arranged thematically under headings such as e.g. “Genesis”, “Matthew”, “Greek language”, “text and textual criticism”, “exegetical methods and approaches”, “biblical theology”, “social and religious institutions”, “biblical personalities”, “history of Israel and early Judaism”, and so on. The articles and books that are abstracted and reviewed are collected annually by an international team of collaborators from over 300 of the most important periodicals and book series in the fields covered.Trade Review'An invaluable aid to scholars…This comprehensive survey is excellent for reference purposes and rewarding for the browser.’ The Expository Times, 2002.

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Book SynopsisThis volume honors the lifetime of scholarly contribution and leadership of Professor Emanuel Tov, Judah L. Magnes professor of Bible at the Department of Bible, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Colleagues from all over the world have contributed significant studies in the three areas of Tov’s primary interest and expertise: the Hebrew Bible, its Greek translations, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. This Festschrift is a fitting tribute to one of the generation’s leading scholars, whose dedicated efforts as editor-in-chief have brought about the complete publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls.Trade Review'Four editors, fifty-six contributors, 849 pages of text, twelve indices spread out over eighty-nine pages and constituting a separate volume—this is huge, and not simply in girth. In an era when the genre of Festschriften has alas lost its luster, this collection shines through. At the risk of blaspheming, I can best appraise this work by paraphrasing (and loosely at that) the last verse of Gen 1: All those involved in Emanuel saw everything they had made, and indeed, it was very Tov.' Leonard Greenspoon, Review of Biblical Literature, 2007.

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Book SynopsisThe essays in this Festschrift honor James L. Kugel for his contribution to the field of biblical studies, in particular early biblical interpretation. The essays are organized in three roughly chronological categories. The first group treats some part of the Tanakh, ranging from the creation and Abraham stories of Genesis to the evolving conception of sacred writing in the prophetic literature. The second set of essays focuses chiefly on the literature of Second Temple Judaism, including Qumran and extra-biblical literature. The last group concerns the scriptural imagination at work in rabbinic literature, in Milton's Paradise Lost, in the anti-semitic work of Gerhard Kittel, up to the present in a treatment of Levinas and the Talmud.Trade Review'…extraordinarily rich and stimulating collection of essays…the editors are to be congratulated on having assembled such a distinguished list of contributors to this fine volume.' C.T.R. Hayward, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 2005. 'Den beiden Herausgeberinnen, Hindy Najman und Judith H. Newman, ist für diesen überaus reichhaltigen Band, der nicht nur der Diskussion der Arbeit James Kugels, sondern auch der den Jubilar beschäftigenden lebendigen Auslegungstradition der Bibel wertvolle Impulse verleiht, sehr zu danken.' Tobias Nicklas, Review of Biblical Literature, 2005.

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Book SynopsisFormerly known by its subtitle “Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete”, the International Review of Biblical Studies has served the scholarly community ever since its inception in the early 1950’s. Each annual volume includes approximately 2,000 abstracts and summaries of articles and books that deal with the Bible and related literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigrapha, Non-canonical gospels, and ancient Near Eastern writings. The abstracts – which may be in English, German, or French - are arranged thematically under headings such as e.g. “Genesis”, “Matthew”, “Greek language”, “text and textual criticism”, “exegetical methods and approaches”, “biblical theology”, “social and religious institutions”, “biblical personalities”, “history of Israel and early Judaism”, and so on. The articles and books that are abstracted and reviewed are collected annually by an international team of collaborators from over 300 of the most important periodicals and book series in the fields covered.Trade Review'An invaluable aid to scholars…This comprehensive survey is excellent for reference purposes and rewarding for the browser.’ The Expository Times, 2002.

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Book SynopsisAncient Israelite and Early Jewish Literature offers more than simply an introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Increased interest in Early Judaism as successor to the religion of Ancient Israel and background to the New Testament demands an introduction that guides the reader through the maze of Jewish literature dating from the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods in addition to the Hebrew Bible.Trade Review'This book presents a wealth of information in a refreshing way. It not only describes the literature from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), but it also puts it within the context of the literature of the Ancient Near East and Early Judaism. Written in a grand style, it is a witness to the superb scholarship of the late Adam S. van der Woude and Th.C. Vriezen. An ideal text book for graduate classes in Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, and Early Judaism.' Kristin De Troyer, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Claremont School of Theology.

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Book SynopsisSalvation in the New Testament offers an analysis of the soteriological perspectives and language of the different books of the New Testament. Special attention is given to the imagery used in expressing soteriological ideas. Salvation deals with becoming part of the people of God. In Salvation in the New Testament special attention is given to the nature and power of the salvific language used in the New Testament to express the dynamics of salvation. Individual articles on the different books of the New Testament highlight the diverse perspectives offered in these documents. The emphasis especially falls on the different images and metaphors which were used to express the event and moment of salvation, rather than on the results (ethics or behaviour) of salvation. An overview of the different perspectives on soteriology in the New Testament offers the opportunity to compare similarities and differences in concepts and expressions. It also illustrates the dynamic interaction between historical situations and salvific language and expression.Trade Review'A fine contribution to the theology of the New Testament.' Frank J. Matera, The Catholic University of America (RBL 08/2006). 'Der Band bietet eine gründlich erarbeitete Zusammenfassung des ntl. Heilsverständnisses...dieser Sammelband [ist] zweifelsohne ein wichtiger Beitrag zur neutestamentlichen Soteriologie und Theologie allgemein.' Christoph Stenschke, Novum Testamentum, 2010Table of Contents1. INTRODUCTION, Jan G. van der Watt – University of Pretoria 2. VIEWS ON SALVATION IN THE GOSPELS AND ACTS 2.1 [Ihsou", the Davidic Messiah, as political Saviour in Matthew’s history, Andries G. van Aarde – University of Pretoria 2.2 Salvation in Mark, H. J. Bernard Combrink – University of Stellenbosch 2.3 Soteriological perspectives in Luke’s Gospel, Gert J. Steyn – University of Pretoria 2.4 Salvation in the Gospel according to John, Jan G. van der Watt – University of Pretoria 2.5 The soteriology of Acts: Restoration to Life, Hermie C. van Zyl – University of the Free State 3. PAULINE AND DEUTRO-PAULINE LETTERS ON SALVATION 3.1 The “for us” phrases in Pauline soteriology: Considering their background and use, J. Celliers Breytenbach – Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin/University of Stellenbosch 3.2 Cavri~ in Paul. An investigation into the apostle’s ‘performative’ application of the language of grace within the framework of his theological reflection on the event/process of salvation, Stephan J. Joubert – University of Pretoria 3.3 Forensic metaphors in Romans and their soteriological significance, Andrie B. du Toit – University of Pretoria 3.4 Salvation as redemption. The use of ‘redemption’ metaphors in Pauline literature, D. Francois Tolmie – University of the Free State 3.5 Salvation of the reconciled (With a note on the background of Paul’s metaphor of reconciliation), J. Celliers Breytenbach – Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin/University of Stellenbosch 3.6 Salvation in Colossians and Ephesians. Petrus J. Gräbe – Regent University School of Divinity/ Associate University of Pretoria 3.7 Safe in the Family of God. Soteriological perspectives in 1 Thessalonians, Pieter G.R. de Villiers – University of the Free State 3.8 “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”: Soteriology in the Pastoral Epistles, Abraham J. Malherbe – Emeritus Buckingham Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale Divinity School 4. PERSPECTIVES ON SALVATION FROM THE GENERAL EPISTLES, HEBREWS, AND REVELATION 4.1 God’s Purposes and Christ’s Saving Work according to Hebrews, Craig R. Koester – Lutheran Theological Seminary/ University of Pretoria 4.2 Simple salvation, but not of straw… Jacobean soteriology, J. Eugene Botha – University of South Africa 4.3 Soteriology of Peter, Fika J. Janse van Rensburg – North West University 4.4 Salvation in the Johannine Epistles, Dirk G. van der Merwe – University of South Africa 4.5 Soteriology in the Apocalypse of John, Jan A. du Rand – University of Johannesburg 5. CONCLUSION, Jan G. van der Watt – University of Pretoria 6. INDEX OF AUTHORS

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Book SynopsisFormerly known by its subtitle “Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete”, the International Review of Biblical Studies has served the scholarly community ever since its inception in the early 1950’s. Each annual volume includes approximately 2,000 abstracts and summaries of articles and books that deal with the Bible and related literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigrapha, Non-canonical gospels, and ancient Near Eastern writings. The abstracts – which may be in English, German, or French - are arranged thematically under headings such as e.g. “Genesis”, “Matthew”, “Greek language”, “text and textual criticism”, “exegetical methods and approaches”, “biblical theology”, “social and religious institutions”, “biblical personalities”, “history of Israel and early Judaism”, and so on. The articles and books that are abstracted and reviewed are collected annually by an international team of collaborators from over 300 of the most important periodicals and book series in the fields covered.Trade Review"An invaluable aid to scholars…This comprehensive survey is excellent for reference purposes and rewarding for the browser." – in: The Expository Times, 2002

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Book SynopsisExploring the interface between the Bible and film offers exciting opportunities for both biblical scholars and moviegoers alike. The eleven contributors to this provocative and wide-ranging collection deal critically and creatively both with films about the Bible and biblical characters, including the recent controversial The Passion of the Christ, and with a wide range of contemporary films in which biblical themes play a significant, and sometimes surprising, role. Originally published as issue 1-2 of Volume 14 (2006) of Brill's journal Biblical Interpretation.Trade Review"... the reader is richly rewarded by reading and re-reading these essays. [..] Hopefully these essays will encourage readers to initiate their own conversations between bibles and film." – Michael Carden, in: The Bible and Critical Theory, 2007Table of ContentsThe Bible in Film Adele Reinhartz - History and Pseudo-History in the Jesus Film Genre Caroline Vander Stichele and Todd Penner - What is “Real”? Re-Viewing and Un-Reeling The Passion of the Christ Richard Walsh - The Gospel according to Judas: Myth and Parable Reinhold Zwick - Mit ‘Esther’ für Versöhnung streiten: Zu Amos Gitais filmischer Aktualisierung der biblischen Erzählung Ulrike Vollmer - Auf Leinwand gebannt: Judith im (Miss-)Verständnis von Malerei und Film The Bible and Film Tod Linafelt - The Wizard of Uz: Job, Dorothy, and the Limits of the Sublime Fiona C. Black - A Miserable Feast: Dishing up the Biblical Corpse in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover Erin Runions - Inherited Crypts of the Wife/Mother: Ang Lee’s Hulk Meets Zechariah 5:5–11 in Contemporary Apocalyptic Discourse George Aichele - The Possibility of Error: Minority Report and the Gospel of Mark Tina Pippin - Warrior Women of the Apocalypse: The Role of the Female in Some Recent Disaster Films Ela Nutu - Angels in America and Semiotic Cocktails of Sex, Bible and Politics

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Book SynopsisFormerly known by its subtitle “Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete”, the International Review of Biblical Studies has served the scholarly community ever since its inception in the early 1950’s. Each annual volume includes approximately 2,000 abstracts and summaries of articles and books that deal with the Bible and related literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigrapha, Non-canonical gospels, and ancient Near Eastern writings. The abstracts – which may be in English, German, or French - are arranged thematically under headings such as e.g. “Genesis”, “Matthew”, “Greek language”, “text and textual criticism”, “exegetical methods and approaches”, “biblical theology”, “social and religious institutions”, “biblical personalities”, “history of Israel and early Judaism”, and so on. The articles and books that are abstracted and reviewed are collected annually by an international team of collaborators from over 300 of the most important periodicals and book series in the fields covered.Trade Review"An invaluable aid to scholars…This comprehensive survey is excellent for reference purposes and rewarding for the browser." – in: The Expository Times, 2002

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Book SynopsisThis book represents the first comprehensive study on the concept of ritual purity in the Dead Sea Scrolls since the full publication of the legal material from Qumran. Utilizing an independent approach to the relevant documents from Qumran, this study discusses the primary and secondary literature on the five major categories of impurity in the scrolls (i.e., diseases, clean/unclean animals, corpses, bodily discharges, and sexual misdeeds). This examination is supported by a comparison between the scrolls’ purity legislations and their biblical counterparts. The book culminates with a comparison between the purity rulings in the scrolls and a diachronic reading of the explicit agreements and disagreements found therein. The result is a far more comprehensive and nuanced interpretation than has been previously offered.

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Book SynopsisFor the first time, this volume brings together biblical scholars and specialists in Syriac liturgy and patristic literature. It contains introductory essays on the Syriac versions in the liturgy, the Syriac Old Testament commentary tradition, and the challenges posed to exegetes by the different Syriac versions of the New Testament, written by the leading scholars in the field. Twenty-one further contributions discuss the patristic and liturgical evidence for the development of the text of the Peshitta and other Syriac versions, as well as the reception and use of those versions in the exegesis and liturgy of the Syriac Churches. These studies are fully updated versions of the papers read at the Third Peshitta Symposium, held in Leiden, 12-15 August 2001.Trade Review... the proceedings of the Third Peshitta Symposium in 2001 (first two in 1985 and 1993) present a major contribution to the study of Syriac scriptures. [...] While there was certainly no attempt to be all-inclusive in this volume, the editor and participants come surprisingly close to providing a virtual manual of the reception history of the Peshitta. - Robert A. Kitchen, Knox-Metropolitan United Church Regina, Saskatchewan, CanadaTable of ContentsKEYNOTE LECTURES The Use of the Syriac Versions in the Liturgy Sebastian P. Brock Between the School and the Monk’s Cell: The Syriac Old Testament Commentary Tradition Lucas Van Rompay Problems in the Syriac New Testament and How Syrian Exegetes Solved Them William L. Petersen PAPERS The Biblical Text in the Disputation of Sergius the Stylite against a Jew A. Peter Hayman Reworking the Biblical Text in the Dramatic Dialogue Poems on the Old Testament Patriarch Joseph Kristian Heal The Old Testament in the New: The Syriac Versions of the New Testament as a Witness to the Text of the Old Testament Peshitta Jan Joosten The ‘Syriac Masora’ and the New Testament Peshitta Andreas Juckel The Four Kingdoms in Peshitta Daniel 7 in the Light of the Early History of Interpretation Arie van der Kooij Aphrahat’s Use of his Old Testament Marinus D. Koster ‘There is No Need of Turtle-Doves or Young Pigeons . . .’ (Jacob of Sarug). Quotations and Non-Quotations of Leviticus in Selected Syriac Writers David J. Lane Ephrem, his School, and the Yawnaya: Some Remarks on the Early Syriac Versions of the New Testament Christian Lange Isho‘dad’s Knowledge of Hebrew as Evidenced from his Treatment of Peshitta Ezekiel Jerome A. Lund The Text of the New Testament in the Acts of Judas Thomas Craig E. Morrison, O.Carm. Interpretation in the Greek Antiochenes and the Syriac Fathers Shinichi Muto The Book of Proverbs in Aphrahat’s Demonstrations Robert J. Owens Sirach Quotations in the Discourses of Philoxenus of Mabbug: Text and Context Wido van Peursen The Reception of Peshitta Chronicles: Some Elements for Investigation David Phillips The Greek vs. the Peshitta in a West Syrian Exegetical Collection (BL Add. 12168) Bas ter Haar Romeny The Peshitta and Biblical Quotations in the Longer Syriac Version of the Commentary of Athanasius on the Psalms (BL Add. 14568), with special attention to Psalm 23 (24) and 102 (103) Harry F. van Rooy The Reception of the Peshitta Psalter in Bar Salibi’s Commentary on the Psalms Stephen D. Ryan, O.P. Obscure Words in the Peshitta of Samuel, according to Theodore bar Koni Alison Salvesen New Testament Quotations in the Breviary of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Example: The Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38) Aho Shemunkasho The Psalm Headings in the West Syrian Tradition David G.K. Taylor Peshitta New Testament Quotations in the West Syrian Anaphoras: Some General Observations Baby Varghese

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Book SynopsisThis volume discusses links between the exegetical trends current in various Second Temple Jewish circles and patterns of New Testament conversation with Jewish Scripture. The standard focus on Jewish background of Christianity is complemented here by an alternative direction: the “mapping” of New Testament evidence as the early witness to more general trends attested in their fully developed form only later, in rabbinic literature. The question that dominates much of the discussion is: How can the New Testament be used for creating a fuller picture of Second Temple Jewish exegesis? The book deals with a representative variety of samples from different layers of the New Testament tradition: Synoptic Gospels, Pauline Epistles and Acts.Trade Review"(The) collection (of articles) here confirms Ruzer's reputation as a perceptive and subtle reader of the New Testament. This book deserves a wide readership: many who are interested in the New Testament's use of the Old will swiftly discover how to broaden their outlook." – George J. Brooke, University of Manchester, in: Journal of Jewish Studies, 2009 "Ruzer’s quest and the examples he provides are persuasive and point New Testament and Early Jewish Studies in a fresh direction." – Christoph Stenschke, in: Religion and Theology 16 (2009) "Many illuminating insights are stored in this book..[...]. The English is fluent and creative..." – Peter J. Tomson, in: Journal for the Study of Judaism, 2010 "...his analyses contribute important insights to the study of identity formation among both Christ-believers and other Jews in the first century... Mapping the New Testament deserves careful study by students of Early Judaism and the New Testament alike." – Anders Runesson, in: Biblical Theology Bulletin, 2009

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Book SynopsisThis volume contains 15 contributions presented at a symposium on the Hebrew of the Dead Sea Scrolls & Ben Sira, held in Strasbourg on May 29 and 30, 2006. The papers address linguistic and philological issues. They seek to relate the Hebrew texts of the Hellenistic period to earlier and later traditions. Among the authors are some of the most eminent Hebraists of our period as well as some younger scholars. The papers throw new light on the interpretation of the Qumran Scrolls, of the Apocrypha and of the Hebrew Bible.

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Book SynopsisIn this volume selected papers from several Pericope meetings have been combined into a thematic volume, dealing with the method of unit delimitation. A hitherto unnoticed Tibero-Palestinian manuscript from Paris is discussed, as well as the text divisions in the Leviticus and Joshua Codices from the Schoyen collection and a fifth-century lectionary. The volume closes with a proposal for a new polyglot Bible, containing data with regard to unit delimitation from our traditions, Hebrew, Greek, Syriac and Latin. The Pericope Series aims at making available data on unit delimitation found in biblical and related manuscripts to the scholarly world and provides a platform for evaluating this hitherto largely neglected evidence for the benefit of biblical interpretation.

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Book SynopsisSeveral decades ago canonical criticism came to dominate the study of the canon and even indeed all of biblical studies by its emphasis on the biblical canon's dogmatic content. An investigation of this canonical criticism brings its weak points to light: most notably the insufficient attention that is given to the canon's historical development. This new historical study begins with the earliest stages of the process of forming the canon rather than its final stages as most studies do. It shows how the canon, in essence, was already formed in the early stages of its historical development. It is essentially, synchronically, an authoritative unification of a range of traditions within the faith community, and diachronically, the guide that draws the dynamics of these traditions beyond their discontinuities to produce a continuity.Trade Review"[A]n erudite piece of work." Arie van der Kooij, Bibliotheca Orientalis 69, 5/6 (2012), p. 614. "The bibliography is immense; it in itself is a treasure trove for anyone interested in the question of canon. The amount of effort that has gone into the research and writing of this book is evident on every page." Sidnie White Crawford, Biblical Interpretation, 18 (2010) "Diese Studie stellt einen in mehrfacher Hinsicht wichtigen Beitrag zur neueren theologischen Forschung dar, zumal sie - mehrere Disziplinen umfassend - das neuerdings große Interesse am biblischen Kanon in eine historische Perspektive einfügt, die einen längeren Zeitraum umfasst... So darf die umfassende und gut dokumentierte Untersuchung - auch unabhängig von einer vollen Haltbarkeit ihrer besonderen Thesen und Strukturen - als eine wahre Fundgrube für jeden gelten, der sich über die veschiedenen schwierigen Fragen zum Kanon orientieren will. Die Studie wird sicherlich zur weiteren Kanondebatte vielfältig und positiv beitragen." Magne Sæbø, Theologische Literaturzeitung, 134 (2009) 6 "Der Studie kommt in zwei Richtungen Bedeutung zu. Zum einen ist es zu begrüßen, dass sie die Kanonsfrage wieder für diachrone Fragestellungen öffnet, insofern der Kanon die Summe seines Gewordenseins ist. Damit werden synchrone Engführungen aufgebrochen. Zum anderen wird deutlich, welche kanonisch zentrierende Bedeutung den Rechtsüberlieferungen im Pentateuch dabei zukommt... Die mit über 700 Seiten umfangreiche Studie des Verf. zeichnet sich durch eine sehr breite Literaturverarbeitung auch gerade älterer Literatur des deutschsprachigen Raumes aus,... Ein Literaturverzeichnis von fast 100 Seiten zitierter Literatur legt davon Zeugnis ab. Der Band wird mit den üblichen Registern abgeschlossen. Dem Verf. ist für die große Mühe, der er sich für diese Studie unterworfen hat, Dank zu sagen." Eckart Otto, ZAR 14 (2008)Table of ContentsContents Abbreviations Foreword Prologue Part I: The Historical Investigation into the Biblical Canon: Present State and Task Chapter 1. History of the Study of the Canon Chapter 2. Terminology Chapter 3. An Evaluation of Modern Canon Study Chapter 4. The Present State of Historical Study of the Canon Chapter 5. A New Historical Study of the Canon: The Task Part II: The History of the Formation of the Biblical Canon Chapter 6. The Canon Process around 560-521 BCE Chapter 7. The Period before 560 BCE 267 Conclusions Hypothesis Epilogue Bibliography Index of Biblical References Index of Key Terms

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Book SynopsisSince the discovery of the Cave 4 versions of The Community Rule (Serekh ha-Yaḥad or S), scholars have been perplexed about its complex textual history. This important charter material for the Dead Sea Scrolls’ authors appears in alternate versions—ones with contradictory legal prescriptions and opposing self-references—but exhibits no clear order of chronological development. Benefitting from the entire Qumran library now available to us, this book offers a new, broader model for reading S that better accounts for the long and diverse history behind the text. The resulting paradigm challenges the Qumrancentric lens through which many read the “sectarian texts” and offers a fresh way of thinking about sectarian community formation among the authors of the Scrolls.Trade Review'It presents a viable perspective on the development of the rule texts and of the communities behind them, and is therefore definitely worthy of further study.' H. Debel, Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses

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Book SynopsisSince the Book of Chronicles is increasingly studied on its own, and not as a copy of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2, this study treats the various aspects and themes of this rich document. It provides an analysis of specific texts and topics uncovering the Chronicler's permanent creativity to transform Israel's tradition(s) into a new theological and ideological system of its own.Trade Review"[This] collection of essays [...] contains stimulating studies which are characterized by sound jugdment and illuminating observations on style and structure of the narratives or parts of the book (Chronicles). The same applies to the cases of innerbiblical exegesis." Bibliotheca Orientalis 69, 5/6 (2012), p. 600. "This is a very rich volume, which I would say is indispensable for those who specialize in historical-critical studies of Chronicles and in the reconstruction of the intellectual discourse of the community in which this book emerged. It consistently exhibits careful readings and thoughtful analyses. It contains an abundance of proposals, readings, and critiques of commonly accepted positions worthy of much consideration." Ehud Ben Zvi, Biblical Interpretation, 19 (2011)

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Book SynopsisThis book investigates the character of the Peshitta in Psalms 90-150 in order to facilitate the proper use of this version in textual criticism. It identifies the Peshitta’s translation techniques and it discusses the version’s interpretation of difficult passages in the Hebrew text. The question of the Hebrew Vorlage behind the Peshitta Psalter is raised. Also investigated here is the relationship between the Peshitta Psalms and the LXX and Targum, and an assessment of the supposed influence of these versions on the Peshitta Psalter is offered. Inquiry is made into the theology of the translation, the identity of the translators, and the relationships among the manuscripts of the Peshitta Psalter. This text is designed as a tool for scholars who, when confronted by critical questions in the Psalter, seek to understand the readings preserved in the Peshitta.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the English translation of the new edition of the Copper Scroll of Qumran Cave 3 (3Q15). The restoration of the three sheets of copper by the Mécénat of the French Electric Company (EDF) in the 1990s made an improved decipherment possible. The physical restoration of the complete scroll is published in the two large volumes of the French edition accompanied by many photographs and drawings, which the reader will find to be sufficient. Le Rouleau de cuivre de la Grotte 3 de Qumrân (3Q15). Expertise - Restauration - Épigraphie. Volume I - Texte, Volume II - Planches (2006). The English translation of the new edition of the engraved text will favor easier access to the new results for a wider public.

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Book SynopsisFormerly known by its subtitle “Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete”, the International Review of Biblical Studies has served the scholarly community ever since its inception in the early 1950’s. Each annual volume includes approximately 2,000 abstracts and summaries of articles and books that deal with the Bible and related literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigrapha, Non-canonical gospels, and ancient Near Eastern writings. The abstracts – which may be in English, German, or French - are arranged thematically under headings such as e.g. “Genesis”, “Matthew”, “Greek language”, “text and textual criticism”, “exegetical methods and approaches”, “biblical theology”, “social and religious institutions”, “biblical personalities”, “history of Israel and early Judaism”, and so on. The articles and books that are abstracted and reviewed are collected annually by an international team of collaborators from over 300 of the most important periodicals and book series in the fields covered.Trade Review"An invaluable aid to scholars…This comprehensive survey is excellent for reference purposes and rewarding for the browser." – in: The Expository Times, 2002

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Book SynopsisThis collaborative commentary on, or dictionary of, Kings, explores cross-cutting aspects of Kings ranging from the analysis of its composition, historically regarded, to its transmission and reception. Ample attention is accorded sources, figures and peoples who play a part in the book. The commentary deals with Kings’ treatment in translation and role in later ancient literature. While our comments do not proceed verse by verse, the volume furnishes guidance, from contributors highly qualified to advance contemporary discussion, on the book's historical background, its literary intentions and characteristics, and on themes and motifs central to its understanding, both of itself and of the world from which it arose. This volume functions as a meta-commentary, offering windows into the secondary literature, but assembling data more fully than is the case in individual commentaries.Table of ContentsPreface Terms, Sigla, and Abbreviations PART ONE TEXTUAL TRADITION OF THE BOOK OF KINGS The Septuagint in the Text History of 1-2 Kings Adrian Schenker Qumran Fragments of the Books of Kings Julio Trebolle Barrera The Text of 1-2 Kings Used by Josephus Étienne Nodet PART TWO KINGS AS A LITERARY WORK Theories of the Redaction(s) of Kings Gary N. Knoppers Characterization in Kings Robert L. Cohn The Composition of Kings Baruch Halpern and André Lemaire Books and Writing in Kings Alan R. Millard PART THREE KINGS AND ITS NEAR EASTERN MILIEU The Book of Kings and Ancient Near Eastern Historiography Mario Liverani Kings and External Textual Sources: Assyrian, Babylonian and North-West Semitic Alan R. Millard PART FOUR THE PEOPLE OF KINGS The Moabites Paul-Eugène Dion and P. M. Michèle Daviau Edom and the Edomites André Lemaire Ammonites and the Books of Kings Walter E. Aufrecht Hiram of Tyre and Solomon Edward Lipiński The Aramaeans of Syria: Some Considerations on Their Origin and Material Culture Hélène Sader Philistines in the Books of Kings Seymour Gitin External Sources: Neohittite States Kenneth A. Kitchen External Sources: Egypt Kenneth A. Kitchen External Sources: Early Arabia Kenneth A. Kitchen PART FIVE DETAILED ISSUES OF KINGS “The Prophets” – References to Generic Prophets and Their Role in the Construction of the Image of the “Prophets of Old” within the Postmonarchic Readership(s) of the Books of Kings Ehud Ben Zvi Priesthood and the Development of Cult in the Books of Kings Wolfgang Zwickel Dates and Calendars in Kings Gershon Galil Law in Kings Raymond Westbrook Officialdom and Society in the Books of Kings: The Social Relevance of the State Izabela Jaruzelska Trade in 1-2 Kings Daniel M. Master Archaeology and the Question of Sources in Kings William G. Dever PART SIX RECEPTION IN JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY Kings in Josephus Silvia Castelli The Books of Kings in New Testament and the Apostolic Fathers Magnus Zetterholm Elijah and the Books of Kings in Rabbinic Literature Karin Hedner-Zetterholm

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Book SynopsisThis study integrates three independent subjects—translation theory, Mandarin aspect, and Greek aspect—for the purpose of formulating a working theory applicable to translating the Bible. The primary objectives are defined in terms of grammatical translation of Greek aspect into Mandarin aspect at the discourse level. A historical overview of the Chinese Bible is provided as a way of introducing major translation issues related to linguistic, conceptual, and logistical challenges. The proposed theory provides the translator with a powerful tool, which is tested in two sample passages from John 18–19 and 1 Corinthians 15. Provided, also, are critical reviews of over sixty Chinese Bible versions, Nestorian, Manichaean, Catholic documents, and a translation written according to the proposed theory.Table of ContentsCONTENTS List of Tables and Charts Acknowledgement Abbreviations Typographical Conventions CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2: BIBLE IN CHINESE: ITS HISTORY, ISSUES, AND RELATIONS TO MODERN TRANSLATION THEORIES 2.0. Introduction 2.1. History and Major Issues of Chinese Bible Translation 2.2. Translation Studies 2.3. Conclusion CHAPTER 3: VERBAL ASPECTS IN MANDARIN CHINESE AND NEW TESTAMENT GREEK 3.0. Introduction 3.1. General Theories of Aspect 3.2. Verbal Aspect in Mandarin Chinese 3.3. Verbal Aspect in New Testament Greek 3.4. Conclusion CHAPTER 4: TRANSLATING THE GREEK PERFECTIVE, IMPERFECTIVE, AND STATIVE ASPECTS IN THE INDICATIVE MOOD INTO MANDARIN 4.0. Introduction 4.1. The Perfective Aspect in the Indicative Mood 4.2. The Imperfective and Stative Aspects 4.3. Conclusion CHAPTER 5: THE NON-INDICATIVE MOODS AND CONDITIONAL CLAUSES 5.0. Introduction 5.1. Imperative 5.2. Subjunctive and Optative Moods 5.3. Infinitives and Participles 5.4. Conditional Clauses 5.5. Conclusion CHAPTER 6: THE PASSION NARRATIVE OF JOHN 18–19 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Chinese Translation of John 18–19 6.3. Conclusion CHAPTER 7: 1 CORINTHIANS 15 7.1. Introduction 7.2. Chinese Translation of 1 Corinthians 15 7.3. Conclusion APPENDICES 1. A Chronology of Chinese Bible Versions 2. Mandarin Translation (FOLEY) of John 18–19 3. Mandarin Translation (FOLEY) of 1 Corinthians 15 BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX OF SCRIPTURE

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Book SynopsisThis volume analyzes the various and overlapping discourses of "religious violence" that emerged within Jewish and Christian culture in the Roman world. Toward this end, the nine papers collected here address both the presence of violence within the authoritative scriptural traditions of early Judaism and Christianity and the redeployment of these older traditions to represent, legitimate, and indeed sacralize violence. Individual papers focus on the specific social and historical contexts from which these texts emerged, while the volume as a whole highlights the patterns of textual practice shared across social and religious boundaries. Throughout, the dynamic interplay between text, tradition, and violence in early Jewish and Christian culture is located within the broad landscape of Roman imperial society.Trade Review"This small collection of articles is a needed addition to an important field of study." Jason M. Zurawski, Henoch 33.2 (2011)Table of ContentsContributors include: Alex P. Jassen, Kimberly B. Stratton, Calvin J. Roetzel, Jennifer A. Glancy, Shelley Matthews, Beth A. Berkowtiz, Margaret M. Mitchell, Ra'anan S. Boustan, Jan Willem van Henten.

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Book SynopsisFormerly known by its subtitle "Internationale Zeitschriftenschau fur Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete", the International Review of Biblical Studies has served the scholarly community ever since its inception in the early 1950's. Each annual volume includes approximately 2,000 abstracts and summaries of articles and books that deal with the Bible and related literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigrapha, Non-canonical gospels, and ancient Near Eastern writings. The abstracts - which may be in English, German, or French - are arranged thematically under headings such as e.g. "Genesis", "Matthew", "Greek language", "text and textual criticism", "exegetical methods and approaches", "biblical theology", "social and religious institutions", "biblical personalities", "history of Israel and early Judaism", and so on. The articles and books that are abstracted and reviewed are collected annually by an international team of collaborators from over 300 of the most important periodicals and book series in the fields covered.Trade Review"An invaluable aid to scholars…This comprehensive survey is excellent for reference purposes and rewarding for the browser." – in: The Expository Times, 2002

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Book SynopsisThroughout the last century, there has been continuous study of Paul as a writer of letters. Although this fact was acknowledged by previous generations of scholars, it was during the twentieth century that the study of ancient letter-writing practices came to the fore and began to be applied to the study of the letters of the New Testament. This volume seeks to advance the discussion of Paul's relationship to Greek epistolary traditions by evaluating the nature of ancient letters as well as the individual letter components. These features are evaluated alongside Paul's letters to better understand Paul's use and adaptations of these traditions in order to meet his communicative needs.Trade ReviewIl volume…offre una rassegna pressoché complete del panorama epistolare e rappresenta uno strumento prezioso per gli studiosi dell’epistolario paolino Antonio Landi, Asprenas 58 (2011) It is clear that the contributions to this volume, summarizing and assessing previous research and sometimes also treading some new paths of study on some of the most important elements of the Pauline letters, are more than welcome. Bart J. Koet, Bijdragen, International Journal in Philosophy and Theology 73.1Table of ContentsPauline Epistolography: An Introduction Stanley E. Porter and Sean A. Adams A Functional Letter Perspective: Towards a Grammar of Epistolary Form Stanley E. Porter Paul’s Letter Opening and Greek Epistolography: A Matter of Relationship Sean A. Adams How to Begin, and Why? Diverse Functions of the Pauline Prescript within a Greco-Roman Context Philip L. Tite Gospel within the Constraints of an Epistolary Form: Pauline Introductory Thanksgivings and Paul’s Theology of Thanksgiving David W. Pao Paul’s Letter Thanksgiving Peter Arzt-Grabner A Significant Decade: The Trajectory of the Hellenistic Epistolary Thanksgiving Raymond F. Collins Investigating the Pauline Letter Body: Issues, Methods, and Approaches Troy W. Martin A Moral Dilemma? The Epistolary Body of 2 Timothy Cynthia Long Westfall Paul’s Letter Paraeesis Young Chul Whang Index of Modern Authors Index of Ancient Sources

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Book SynopsisNew Testament commentaries and exegetes have not paid sufficient attention to the context in which Paul's Epistel to the Romans was crafted. This book written from an African perspective offers a fresh interpretation on a contextualizing reading of Romans and its theology. The argument of the book is that Paul's construcntion of Abraham as a Spiritual ancestor of "all" faith people was based on his encounter with the Roman Ideology based on Aeneas as the founder of Rome. A juxtaposition of these two canonical ancestors needs to be considered in our 21st multi - ethnic Christian world. Paul's epitsle is not about how God saves the individual human being; rather the debate between Paul and the Jewish - Christian interlocutor is about how families of people and nations establish a kinship with God and one another. The concern with ancestors is apaque to Western Biblical readers and Christians. This is book helps both Westerners and Africans to value ethnic diversity.Table of ContentsPREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE: The Ancestor in Greco – Roman Culture: The Case of Aeneas CHAPTER TWO: Abraham in Hellenistic – Jewish Context CHAPTER THREE: The Shona Ancestral Cosmology CHAPTER FOUR: Ancestry and Descendancy in Romans CONCLUSION: An Integrative Cross – Cultural Hermeneutic: Implications and Limitations BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisThis volume is the product of an interdisciplinary conference held at the University of Texas at Austin. Specialists in the study of inscriptions, architecture, sculpture, coins, tombs, pottery, and texts collaborate to produce new portraits of religion and society in the ancient city of Corinth. The studies focus on groups like the early Roman colonists, the Augustales (priests of Augustus), or the Pauline house churches; on specific cults such as those of Asklepios, Demeter, or the Sacred Spring; on media (e.g., coins, or burial inscriptions); or on the monuments and populations of nearby Kenchreai or Isthmia. The result is a deeper understanding of the religious life of Corinth, contextualized within the socially stratified cultures of the Hellenistic and Roman periods.Trade Review...this is a very valuable collection... Peter Oakes, Journal for the Study of the New Testament 33 (5) ...this volume collects a rich assortment of thoughtful, stimulating and often innovative contributions to the contextual study of religion and society in ancient Corinth. All Corinthian scholars will find material of interest here. Amelia R. Brown, University of Queensland, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2014.08.49 'This volume is highly valuable precisely because it brings archaeology and the study of ancient societies and religions (including Christianity) together, such that the extensive and up-to-date archaeological work can inform (and correct)—and hopefully be informed by—the work undertaken in other fields. It is also notable that a number of chapters make sophisticated use of theoretical resources regarding hybridity, identity, cultural complexity, and so on. [...] Overall, this is a diverse, wide-ranging volume offering a number of important and stimulating studies that scholars will need to consult and take into account. It is richly illustrated and generally well presented. David G. Horrell, University of Exeter, Journal of Theological Studies', October 2013Table of ContentsIntroduction: Context, Comparison Steven J. Friesen IMPERIALS: GREEK & ROMAN The Social and Ethnic Origins of the Colonists in Early Roman Corinth Benjamin Millis Asklepios in Greek and Roman Corinth Bronwen Wickkiser The Emperor in a Roman Town: the Base of the Augustales in the Forum at Corinth Margaret Laird Greek Heritage in Roman Corinth and Ephesos: Hybrid Identities and Strategies of Display in the Material Record of Traditional Mediterranean Religions Christine Thomas SOCIAL STRATA Image and Cult: The Coinage of Roman Corinth Mary E. Hoskins Walbank Ceres, Κόρη, and Cultural Complexity: Divine Personality Definitions and Human Worshippers in Roman Corinth Jorunn Økland The Wrong Erastus: Ideology, Archaeology, and Exegesis Steven J. Friesen Where Have all the Names Gone? The Christian Community in Corinth in the Late Roman and Early Byzantine Eras Michael Walbank Appendix: The Corinthian Census LOCAL RELIGION Seeking Shelter in Roman Corinth: Archaeology and the Placement of Paul’s Communities Daniel Neal Schowalter Paul and the Politics of Meals in Roman Corinth James Walters The Sacred Spring: Landscape and Traditions Guy Sanders Religion and Society at Roman Kenchreai Joseph Rife Religion and Society in the Roman Eastern Corinthia Timothy E. Gregory

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Book SynopsisApplying current narrative criticism to the study of the Apocalypse, Hongisto underscores the oral nature of the narrative vis-à-vis the roles of the readers/listeners. EXPERIENCING THE APOCALYPSE AT THE LIMITS OF ALTERITY probes the interplay of meaning creation as readers/listeners encounter the narrative. The author shows how readers/listeners alike partake in the narrative design and become constructors of the narrative, given their own life experiences. Thus, the overarching reading context assists in the creation of a narrativity for the text. The form of the Apocalypse along with its imagistic quality convey a message that is not primarily cognitive, but is delivered and grasped by a sense of alterity encompassing the imaginary world of the text and the real world of the readers/listeners.Table of Contentscontents Introduction Part one Apocalypse , a text looking for a reading Chapter One Critical Orientation 1.1 Questions and Method 1.1.1 Focus and Boundaries 1.1.2 Task 1.2 Some Definitions and Assumptions 1.3 Modalities of Reading 1.3.1 Realist and Non-realist Relation to the Other 1.3.2 A Virtual Text 1.3.3 Shifts in Viewpoints 1.3.4 Text and ‘Site’ Chapter Two Reading the Form of the Apocalypse 2.1 Defining the Form and Function of the Artefact 2.1.1 The Notion of a Setting 2.2 Framing a Hybrid Text 2.2.1 The Role of a Frame 2.3 The Scripture Profile of the Apocalypse 2.3.1 Literary Freedom 2.4 The Apocalypse as Oral Performance 2.4.1 Word-pictures 2.5 Historical, Narrative and Imaginative Qualities 2.6 The Trait of Construction 2.6.1 The Necessity of Selectivity 2.6.2 Transaction Chapter Three Apocalypticality: An Integrating Function 3.1 Imagining the ‘Other’ 3.1.1 The Spectacular 3.1.2 Sequels to Repeated Readings 3.1.3 Staged ‘as if ’ 3.2 Prismatic Reflections 3.2.1 Experience of Cognitive Dissonance 3.3 From Plain Words to Powerful Metaphors 3.3.1 Communal Cognitions 3.3.2 Collective Experience 3.4 Search for a Setting 3.4.1 Exegetical Assumptions and Spiritual Experience Part two Take up and read Take Up and Read Chapter Four Narrative Positioning – Aligning Experiences 4.1 The Narrative Situation – the First Meeting with the ‘Other’ 4.2 Visions of Jesus: Experiencing the Known Anew 4.2.1 Visionary Experiences of Jesus 4.2.2 Corpus of Visionary Sayings 4.3 The Medium of Sharing God’s Knowledge 4.3.1 Deictic Expressions 4.3.2 Gave ‘Him’ 4.3.3 ‘He’ Sent 4.4 The Form of Visionary Appropriation 4.4.1 John’s Own Vision 4.4.2 As He Saw It 4.5 The Sweet Bitterness of Reading Chapter Five Narrator Perspectives – Affirming Narration 5.1 The Narrator as the Experiencer 5.2 Co-Narrator 5.3 Alternating Between Narrator and Co-narrator Chapter Six The Narratee’s Experience – Connectedness of Life 6.1 ‘You’ as Narrative Identity 6.2 The Other as Oneself 6.3 When Narrative Voices Clash 6.4 The Art of Suppleness Chapter Seven Towards an Anatomy of Apocalypticality 7.1 Action Day 7.1.1 Time of Action 7.1.2 Secular and Sacred 7.1.3 Sinners and Saints 7.2 Conceptual Blends and Shifts 7.2.1 Imagistic Cognitions 7.2.2 Alterations 7.2.3 Merging of Time and Eons 7.3 Concentric Spaces Conclusion Postscript Twelve Storyboards of the Apocalypse Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisImagining Creation is a collection of views on creation by noted authors from different disciplines. Topics include creation accounts and iconography from Mesopotamia and Egypt, and cosmologies from India and Africa. Special attention is devoted to creation in the Scriptures (Bible and Koran) and related oral traditions on Genesis from Slavonic Europe, as well as Kabbalah. Some of the creations myths are earlier and some later than the Bible, while a number of the discussed texts offer alternative approaches to the beginnings of the universe. The contributions provide many new perspectives on the origins of man and his world from diverse cultures. The volume is the proceedings of a symposium on creation stories held at University College London.Table of ContentsCONTENTS Foreword Markham Geller and Mineke Schipper Chapter One Introduction Mary Douglas Chapter Two Mesopotamian Creation Stories W. G. Lambert Chapter Three Creation Stories in Ancient Egypt Stephen Quirke Chapter Four You Can’t Get Here from There: The Logical Paradox of Ancient Indian Creation Myths Wendy Doniger Chapter Five Stories of the Beginning: Origin Myths in Africa South of the Sahara Mineke Schipper Chapter Six Modern Jewish Attitudes to the Concept of Myth Wout Jac. van Bekkum Chapter Seven Extract from Genesis 1–2 Translation and Commentary, Norton, NY 1996 Robert Alter Chapter Eight The Bible in the Making: Slavonic Creation Stories Florentina Badalanova Chapter Nine Arab Creation Stories beyond the Pale Abdullah al-Udhari Chapter Ten Lurianic Creation Myths Daphne Freedman Index

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Book SynopsisIn fourteen thoughtful essays this book reports and reflects on the many changes that a digital workflow brings to the world of original texts and textual scholarship, and the effect on scholarly communication practices. The spread of digital technology across philology, linguistics and literary studies suggests that text scholarship is taking on a more laboratory-like image. The ability to sort, quantify, reproduce and report text through computation would seem to facilitate the exploration of text as another type of quantitative scientific data. However, developing this potential also highlights text analysis and text interpretation as two increasingly separated sub-tasks in the study of texts. The implied dual nature of interpretation as the traditional, valued mode of scholarly text comparison, combined with an increasingly widespread reliance on digital text analysis as scientific mode of inquiry raises the question as to whether the reflexive concepts that are central to interpretation – individualism, subjectivity – are affected by the anonymised, normative assumptions implied by formal categorisations of text as digital data.Trade Review"Text Comparison and Digital Creativity is an imaginative book that creatively uses the toolbox of philology, philosophy, linguistics, media and social studies, and ethnography to make us think about our own laboratory of e-philologists as an emblematic instance of social shaping of technologies, as a lens through which bigger phenomena can be investigated, old practices re-invented, and new knowledge created." Arianna Ciula, Literary and Linguistic Computing, 27/1 (2012)

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Book SynopsisIn La Famille 13 dans l’évangile de Marc, Didier Lafleur offers an exhaustive survey of the manuscripts which belong to this Greek New Testament first order witness (f ¹³), including the edition of the all extant members, based on quite new collations of the Gospel of Mark. Dans La Famille 13 dans l’évangile de Marc, Didier Lafleur offre un panorama exhaustif, codicologique et philologique, de cette famille de manuscrits (f ¹³), témoin de premier ordre du Nouveau Testament grec.Trade Review"The 41st volume of the New Testament Tools, Studies and Documents series proves once again the value of this series. The editors should be congratulated for this new and important addition to an already august tradition. Didier Lafleur's methodology in this study is classical textual criticism at its best. He proves himself a mature and seasoned researcher whose work deserves serious attention. It is this reviewer's sincere desire that this volume be only the first of many more to come from this important scholar." – Jac Perrin, in: Novum Testamentum 56 (2014) "...important monograph... Overall this is a fine and detailed piece of scholarship. It will be consulted by textual critics for decades to comen and it makes important advances in the study and theoretical understanding of family 13 manuscripts for Mark's gospel." – Paul Foster, University of Edinburgh, in: The Expository Times125/6 ".. une des meilleures études d’un groupe de manuscrits du Nouveau Testament [...]; et cette étude comble une lacune dans la documentation dont nous disposions pour l’étude des manuscrits médiévaux du Nouveau Testament." – Christian-B. Amphoux, in: Filología Neotestamentaria XXV (2013) "This book is very much welcomed and recommended for text critics and everybody interested in the story of the New Testament text. This is a state-of-the-art study and will be the reference work for family 13 for a long time." – Thomas J. Kraus, in: Review of Biblical Literature (2014)Table of ContentsIntroduction I. La découverte de la famille 13 XVIe-XVIIe siècles : la fondation du « texte reçu » 1700-1788 : les premiers témoins (min. 13, 69, 124) 1788-1881 : de nouveaux manuscrits (min. 174, 230, 346) 1881-1940 : un groupe élargi (min. 543, 788, 826, 828, 983, 1689) II. Étude de la famille 13 La description des manuscrits Les copistes, les textes et les sources de l’Italie méridionale Le stemma de f 13 pour Marc : le bilan de la recherche Conclusion III. L'édition du manuscrit d’Athènes (min. 788) Introduction Le texte IV. Bibliographie

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