Maccabees II Review

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(More customer reviews)Well, how can I say this in a nice way? If I had seen a review on this commentary explaining it in detail, I would not have purchased it.
Let me give my perspective, because I'm sure there are some buyers who might be interested in this type of commentary, but I am a pastor who is working on sermons for preaching in a local Church. I look for commentaries that avoid the endless speculations about who might have originally written what part of the text, and how it might have been modified by someone who might have existed a long time ago.
This commentary never seems to leave that subject behind. The author seems endlessly enamored with textual criticism. So if you love TC, buy this commentary. If it seems irrelevant to you, don't get this one.
Let me focus on the martyrdom of Eleazar in II Mac 6. At first I was really excited. I thought, "Wow-he gives a page of original translation of the martyrdom. Then he gives seven pages of notes!!" His translation is at times easy to understand, but at other times it is difficult to comprehend. One phrase was so unclear I had no idea what it meant. In contrast, my other translations of II Macc were able to help me grasp the meaning the first time through. So that wasn't good, but by the time I finished his notes on a section, I felt I discovered something that would be best for a research paper on redaction theories or something.
On Eleazar's martyrdom, this author seems to have a strong grasp of Ancient Near Eastern background to the Old Testament, with speculative theories about Mardukist Martyrdom texts providing illumination to the Jewish martyrdom texts (I found that implausible). His breadth of interaction reaches in every direction, except into the N.T. It's clear to my mind that Eleazar's martyrdom is a spectacular example of what Peter has in mind when he suggests adding 'Aretes' 'Virtue' to ones faith. Since 'aretes' is the key point of the story, setting up the inspiration of the seven martyred brothers in the next chapter, it seems odd to me that the author would find ties to Marduk, but nothing in common with Peter's writings!! And also given that Maccabees is one of keys sources for the study of Jewish backgrounds of the NT, I was disappointed with Goldstein's failure to tie into New Testament material.
Another thing that I found disappointing was that this commentary does not provide life transforming application of any kind, nor does it focus in an organized way on theological implications from the text.
All that aside, it has value. There are grammatical comments sprinkled throughout dealing with Greek issues that may help the reader grasp nuances more clearly. He also has extensive indexes in the back and ten pencil maps of various scenarios related to Maccabees. He has appendixes with titles like:
How the writers counted time. The Petition of the Samaritans and Antiochus IV's reply. Why it is unlikely that epistle 2 was composed between 67 BCE and 73 CE. (I would say between 67 BC and 73 AD)
His scripture index has a few references to the NT, but not much at all.
Basically, for pastors and Bible teachers who have to bring real life inspiration and transformation into peoples lives on a regular basis, you will not want to purchase this book. If you are into research and are looking for interesting theories to round out a paper for a school project, then this commentary might be your ticket.
BTW-the price printed on the back of this book is $35. I really did not appreciate being charged $10 over list by Amazon. I think if anything this commentary should sell for well below list. I would value it at about $19.95

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Education in Ancient Israel : Across the Deadening Silence Review

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(More customer reviews)I read this book as part of a masters research project on the development of early Christian scripture and worship practices. The author does an outstanding job presenting the development of literacy and education in the ancient Near East. I found the book not only a valuable resource, but Dr. Crenshaw's writing style also makes it a pleasure to read. This volume has found a permanent place in my library and I am sure it will serve as a reference for future projects.

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In this groundbreaking new book, distinguished biblical scholar James L. Crenshaw investigates both the pragmatic hows and the philosophical whys of education in ancient Israel and its surroundings. Asking questions as basic as "Who were the teachers and students and from what segment of Israelite society did they come?" and "How did instructors interest young people in the things they had to say?" Crenshaw explores the institutions and practices of education in ancient Israel. The results are often surprising and more complicated than one would expect.Education, for the people who lived in the biblical world, was more than a simple matter of memorizing information and taking tests. It was a search for the hidden plan and presence of God. Knowledge was gained, according to biblical texts such as Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, not only by means of patient observation and listening, but through communication with Wisdom, the feminine incarnation of the Divine. Drawing upon a broad range of ancient sources, Crenshaw examines this religious dimension of education in ancient Israel, demonstrating how the practice of teaching and learning was transformed into the supreme act of worship.

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An Introduction to the New Testament Manuscripts and their Texts Review

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(More customer reviews)Although entitled 'an introduction' this book appears to be aimed more at the postgraduate Biblical Studies student. It includes an overview of different manuscripts, the various classification systems and how to use them, other witnesses, textual criticism, how to use critical editions and concludes with a brief summary of the various manuscript witnesses for Revelation, the Pauline corpus, Acts and the Catholic epistles and the Gospels.
The author's writing style is clear and scholarly with a vast repository of bibliographic notes which should provide the reader with most of the information they need to find more on a particular subject. The author requires the reader to read Greek, Latin and German to make the most of this book (most citations in those languages are untranslated) and there are particularly large sections of Greek in the final section.
This book served to highlight the importance and complexity of the textual critic's work, of the vast array of different manuscripts and the difficulties in classifying them, of the ways in which textual criticism can influence theology and exegesis and the many areas where further work is required, particularly with regard to postdoctoral research. This was an interesting and helpful book but not for the beginner in textual criticism.

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What's in the Word: Rethinking the Socio-Rhetorical Character of the New Testament Review

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(More customer reviews)Anyone interested in biblical studies and ancient history would find these essays fascinating reading.
Witherington insists it is time for a "paradigm shift" in NT studies. Various disciplines have shown that "ancient texts are not really texts in the modern sense at all--they are surrogates for oral communication" (p 3). All documents in antiquity were expected to be read aloud. Ambrose famously was regarded as singular in that he actually read without moving his lips.
Witherington also points out forcefully that it is long past time to reassess the social background of the NT writers. Their very literacy argues that they were part of the social elite, not the poor. The documents they left behind "reflect a considerable knowledge of Greek, rhetoric, and general Greco-Roman culture" (p 9). Among the types of rhetoric employed by the NT writers were "rhetorical questions, dramatic hyperbole, personification, amplification, irony, enthymemes, and the like...for example...the chereia" (p 13).
In his essay on 'Canonical Pseudepigrapha' he points out that by the second and third century we see that the early Christians had clear objections to any sort of forging or misnaming documents. "Furthermore, we find evidence that when falsification was discovered, there were moves to correct the problem" (p 19).
I also found Witherington's essay on the Beloved Disciple, whom he identifies with Lazarus, to be well thought out and interesting, even though, ultimately, I find Hengel and Bauchkham's arguments more persuasive.

Witherington is at his best on his essay on porneia. He points out that "neither Mark nor Paul think that Jesus allowed any exceptions to his prohibition of divorce" and if Jesus had meant adultery he would have used the word moixeia. Divorce was allowed for Second Temple Jews, although those following Shammaite teachers allowed divorce only for adultery. Witherington concludes that "the social context strongly favors the idea that porneia in Mattthew 5 and 19, as in 1 Corinthians 5:1, refers to incest and thus...not divinely sanctioned relationship" (p 111).
A rich, thoughtful collection.


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The Christian Gospel and Its Jewish Roots (Studies in Biblical Literature) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am not Catholic, but a messianic Jew. Yet, I recommend this book because it is very well researched and makes a point the Catholic church should have made long ago, namely that there is no break between Jesus and his Jesus heritage as so many have assumed. It gives hope for the Jewish-Gentile reconciliation which really began in the 1st century, but was sabotaged by centuries of theology of anti-Jewish contempt. Joseph Mali's excellent exegesis is proof that the Holy Spirit cooperates with those who are willing to mine the wealth residing in the Word of God within its Jewish context. Let us welcome fresh spiritual insights from Africa, the first continent to respond to the gospel. The impact of Joseph Mali's work ought to be as profound as Dan Lioy's Jesus as Torah in John 1-12, since both arrive at similar conclusions. Though I put little faith on Jewish-Christian dialogue per se, I consider this book a true and worthy point of departure for reconciliation based on recognizing Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah for all, Jews and gentiles. If the bridegroom was taken away to be crucified after he collided with the religious authorities, He also promised to return when His bride is One, i.e. when partitions (Jew/gentile, etc.) are no longer artificially raised. I dare say that includes, racial, gender, denominational partitions, as well. The Holy Spirit knows no such partitions. Tearing the partition never meant destroying the identities, but restoring their infinite value and preciousness to the LORD Himself who gave his life of His own free will (new wineskin) to cleanse, sanctify and preserve them for Himself. Here is Jesus' obedience: "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." (John 10:17-18). The Father asked Him to give his life for many, but did not obligate him to do it. So, in his sinless humanity, Jesus chose to obey the Father, thus fulfilling the Torah perfectly. Our sin made our Father God the primary victim from the very beginning, and it makes our fellow man the secondary victim to this day. Jesus was the only one who was, in his divinity the primary victim and in his humanity the secondary victim. Yet he did not die "as a victim", but to vindicate God our Father, His Word which He embodied, and all of us who repent and return to Him. To repent means we can no longer look for a scapegoat, because the Scapegoat has already been provided. Yeshua considered us precious enough to die for our sake. That makes us all equal recipients of His mercy and grace. All the glory belongs to Him. Now the kingdom as well as the judgment of all nations are near and what I do betrays what I believe. My faith without works is dead and cannot save. Therefore abide in him that He may prune you and make you fruitful. He empowers all who believe to do godly works appointed for us to do. If He was made perfect by His obedience, my obedience is not an option (John 14:21-23). Let's not mock His sacrifice. If we hold on to sin, we shall be known by our fruits and judged accordingly. If I consider myself free from guilt, condemnation and the fear of hell, and yet I am not free from the sin that binds me, I am a hypocrite indeed. Let us shine the light of our One Mediator and Savior for all the world to see.

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Against the tendency to interpret Scripture in ways that separate Christianity and Judaism, Joseph F. Mali, through a redaction-critical analysis of the two sayings on the ""new"" and the ""old"" (Mark 2:21-22), argues that Mark does not leave his readers with a complete break between Jesus and his Jewish heritage. Rather, the Evangelist opens a ray of hope that the gospel and its Jewish soil are ultimately reconcilable, not fatally antagonistic. His thorough and incisive study inform Mali's conclusion that standing at the literary center of the controversy series (Mark 2:1 - 3:6), the location of the two sayings on ""new"" and ""old"" (Mark 2:21-22) corresponds to their function of making a condensed statement for Mark, the Evangelist, of the meaning and impact of the whole conflict section.

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Encountering New Testament Manuscripts: A Working Introduction to Textual Criticism Review

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(More customer reviews)If your into textual criticism, definitly get Metzger and Aland's books (both named TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT) before this one.
Kind of a strange book, on one hand it give you very basic introductry info on textual criticism, then it dives into some very complex comparison/contrast of greek wording in variant readings of some of the more important witnesses (i.e. p66, p75, Aleph, B, etc.) -- You'll have to be pretty sharp in greek to make any sense of these....
For your money, you're much much better off getting Metzger's and Aland's books. You will learn WAY MORE!!!
I would only recommend this book to someone who has first read and enjoyed the books mentioned above. -- but even then, the buyer will be disappointed in the amount and depth of info when compared to Metzger/Aland.
Recomendation: Save your money, there are so many other great books to buy ahead of this one.
Eric

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The field of textual criticism remains an exciting one. Thousands of manuscripts have been recovered in recent years. Using the methods of textual criticism, translators have been able to discern from these manuscripts a probable reading of the original New Testament text, a difficult but important task. / Several scholarly books describing the process of textual criticism have already been written, but Encountering New Testament Manuscripts is uniquely different in its approach. Here students have an opportunity to see and read portions of the chief manuscripts for themselves and to learn firsthand the principles of textual criticism. / Included are 24 photographs of some of the oldest and most important manuscripts, including papyri, parchment, and paper texts with both uncial and miniscule script. Through the steps of transcribing the original manuscripts and organizing the various evidences presented, the student learns to develop conclusions about the reading of the original text. / A comprehensive introductory chapter surveying the nature and history of textual criticism and a concluding chapter on the question of methodology make this book a complete course on the subject. Helpful indices and lists of important New Testament manuscripts make it an excellent resource volume as well.

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The First Edition of the New Testament Review

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(More customer reviews)You don't need to know New Testament Greek to follow Trobisch's arguments. Although an astute reader and clever interpreter of textual evidence, Trobisch spares us the usual myopia and nit picking textual critics like to heap upon their readers. He avoids discussions of authorial authenticity that so easily put many people on the defensive. Instead, he helps the reader appreciate larger redactional issues of how the different components of the New Testament relate to one another. By making comparisons to familiar modern publishing practices, Trobisch makes his arguments easily accessible to the modern reader (for example, he shows how the decisions publishers and editors make and the conventions they establish can affect the final form of the text as much, perhaps, as those of the authors.) There's much here I'll want to re-examine when I've done more reading in this area, but on my first read-through I found Trobisch's thesis exciting and refreshing. This book has certainly changed the way I'll be reading the New Testament from now on.
Trobisch's aim was "to describe the history of the Canonial Edition by analyzing the oldest existing copies and tracing the edition back to the time and place of first publication. With this method, Greek manuscripts became more important witnesses than the lists of canonical writings, quotes from biblical literature, and debates about the authenticity of certain writings, translations, and so on." (p. 37) By doing this, Trobisch is able to draw some interesting conclusions: (1) that the editors of the New Testament took great care in naming the different sections of the Bible, and in doing so validated, rather than minimized, the place of the Old Testament in the Christian Bible, (2) that the sequence of the four Gospels as we have it today is a tradition of long-standing, and one that makes good sense even though it means separating Luke from Acts (his explanation of the role of John 21 in this regard is truly fascinating, p. 96ff), (3) that the "first edition" of the New Testament would have positioned the General Letters after Acts and before the Letters of Paul (the logic being, in part, that the first half of Acts introduces the reader to Peter, John and James, and it is only in the second part that Acts starts to focus on the missionary efforts of Paul), (4) that the editors used an elegant system of internal cross referencing to validate both the authority of the leaders in Jerusalem and of Paul (this seeming harmony serving as a unified barrier against Marcionite error), and (5)that the editors managed to straddle the potentially devisive issue of the date upon which Easter should be celebrated by including both the Synoptic and Johannine traditions. Just to name a few! And don't skip the fascinating discussion of the codex ("bound book") v. the scroll in the establishment of the Canonical Edition of the Bible (p. 69-77).
I must admit the flow of Trobisch's argument was so engrossing that I never really examined the endnotes. But they're there and they're detailed. The bibliography is substantial, too (but be warned, it includes a high percentage of German works).
This book is truly worth the investment (both in money and in the time you'll spend digging into it). Treat yourself!

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Hearing the Whole Story Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a book review I wrote for a class over this book. I really enjoyed reading it and this book definitely makes you reexamine your understanding of Jesus and the first century.
Horsley demands a new investigation in the Markan text is required due to the abuse of "modern literary analysis and Christian theological concepts." Mark has suffered from the hands of these dissectors as they savage their way through chunks of verses, establishing their own individualistic agendas, all while ignoring the oral, social, and political concepts of Markan text. Mark must be placed within its correct context of a story full of conflicts describing the historical interaction of the Galilean and Judean villages under Roman imperial rule. The dominant plot of Mark centers on Jesus "proclaiming the kingdom of God and manifesting God's renewing power for the people in exorcisms and healings." Secondly, there is a mandate for the disciples of Jesus to take this message and apply it to both the political and economic life of the village.
The first chapter sets forth the apologetic of understanding Mark as a whole story. The Western reader, diagnosed with individualistic interpretation and plagued by mini-sermons that chop up and allegorize selected chapters, is urged to gain a historical understanding of the situations of the Markan text. Mark is a story that takes place in the villages of a third world country that details the struggle between the ruling elite and those being dominated. All the subplots within the text point toward the general agenda of a renewal movement amongst Israel's villages under the rule of Jerusalem leaders and Roman imperialism.
In the next chapter, Horsley continues his thesis that the Markan text represents a story regarding the renewal movement of people subjected by the Roman Empire. In order to understand this rejuvenation, an investigation into the submerged history of the persons during the Roman occupation is needed. The historical perspective of history is usually viewed through the eyes of the winners and those in power. However, Mark, when compared to its historical and social elements, must be viewed as history from the bottom up. The village life, which in some form was autonomous through community rule, faced heavy taxation from Herod. The High Priests were granted authority only by Herodians rule and collaboration with the Empire. Thus, the priests poisoned the message of God with the venom of the Empire. Jesus, rejecting this form of empiric power, began his kingdom movement through village to village movement consisting of healings and exorcisms.
The third chapter discusses the oral nature of the Markan text. It primarily sets the stage of literacy in the developing Galilean villages. Peasant workers, who were illiterate and whose villages most likely could not afford the expensive parchment scrolls, relied on oral tradition for their education of the Torah and teachings of Jesus. Horsley continues to echo his theme of Jesus, the authority challenger, by showing how he attacked the Pharisaic customs that were traditions over the command of God. Consequently, the village people were enslaved to these customs and did not have the literate means to rebel against them. The oral customs placed the villagers into the chains of religious control, allowing the literate to dominate over the marginalized. Jesus was not interested in abolishing Judaism or the Law, but he was engrossed in bringing an end to the distorted image of God that rests with those in power.
Horsley continues the fourth chapter discussing the role of the disciples within the Markan text. Modern interpretation has often equated Mark with discipleship, with which Horsley strongly disagrees with. The disciples' narratives are merely subplots of the major plot (renewal of Israel). Mark often portrays the disciples in the negative. They seek individual power, fall asleep while Jesus is praying, one denies Jesus, another betrays him, they do not understand his message, and at times they have hardened hearts. The disciples often provide counter examples to the egalitarian kingdom that Jesus is attempting to establish.
The fifth chapter elaborates Horsley's thesis, starting from the climax of the Markan text and working backwards noting common thematic discussion. The dominant plot resides in Jesus' renewal of Israel as a Mosaic/Elijah like character. The Pharisees and Rome crucified Jesus for his role in challenging their authority through non-aggression. Jesus sought the liberation and revival of the village movement.
The sixth chapter inspects the role of Roman rule within the Markan Gospel. The reader is reminded of the historical oppression of the Hebrew village people under Roman rule. Once again, modern theologians have attempted to give Mark an apocryphal connotation, while Horsley states that Mark is speaking (literally!) about the occupation status of Hebrew people under Roman rule. The author's favorite story (which is found repetitiously throughout his book) is that of Legion, whose name means a division of the Roman army. This story, loaded with military words (herd, dismissed, charge, etc...) describes a scenario in which Roman legions are being destroyed and the people of God are being freed.
In the seventh chapter, Horsley continues to dissect the fallacies of modern interpreters in their understanding of the Pharisees. The Pharisees, who are often mistakenly equated with common Judaism, only really represented a fraction of Hebrew thought. Great division existed between the Qumram communities (who saw the Pharisees as liberal in their interpretation) and common Galilean village's beliefs (who lacked literacy and mostly relied on common sayings of the Hebrew Bible). Thus, the Pharisees only represented the temple-state relationship in Jerusalem. Jesus rejected this model preferring the true conservativeness of the Galilean villages, in which doing good is favored over rigorous interpretation.
The eight chapter details the covenant community that Jesus established amongst the villages, noting both the economic and religion factions of these rural communities. The Galilean villages, due to Roman expansion, were already under stressful forced labor and heavy taxation. The village people also had to pay high interest rates to lenders, often selling their land and sharecropping in return. In addition to that, they also were being taxed at the temple through the practice of korban. Thus, the normal village person was being oppressed by both the religious institutions and the state. Jesus' challenged this current situation by calling a renewal to village communities amongst the laboring peasants. He stated that the highest commandments of the Lord were both the Shema and loving one's neighbor. This teaching would counter the Pharisaic notion, that the temple (and thus its stiff expenses) was integral to a pious life.
Next, the role of females within Markan scholarship is elaborated upon by Horsley in the ninth chapter. The role of women in the Markan text has often been overlooked mostly due to male dominance in Western academia. Only through the rise of female scholarship have the exegesis of female characters within the text started to be observed. As noted in chapter four about the disciple's negative examples, women in Mark's Gospel play a positive role in responses to Jesus' message. The examples of the hemorrhaging women, the daughter of the assembly reader, the Syrophoenician woman, and the woman who anoints Jesus prior to his death all portray positive examples of women who respond positively to Jesus' message. Furthermore, these examples transcended a male dominance cultural in which a bleeding woman rights her way through the crowd and the Syro-woman responds to Jesus' riddle and helps to vindicate the Gentile people.
The tenth and final chapter of Horsley's book deals with messianic and prophetic "scripts" (popular tradition of the Israeli people). It helps the reader understand Jesus as a character who had both Mosiac (wilderness feedings) and Elijah (raised child from the dead) like qualities. Jesus established the renewal in communities through this prophetic nature. This section also brings the reader awareness to other messianic risings during the same period of time of Jesus.
Overall, Horsley's book demands a new, authentic look at the Gospel of Mark that will challenge those who read it. He gives overwhelming evidence for his thesis, that Jesus led a renewal movement amongst peasant villages and against the powers that be. Through both his socio-historical and exegetical analysis, a fresh picture of Jesus, the revolutionary prophet, is painted into the readers mind. His book challenges the reader to abandon their preconceived Westernized notions of Mark and enter into the story of Jesus, the popular leader amongst third world peasant villages.


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Horsley provides a sure guide for first time readers of Mark's Gospel and, at the same time, induces those more familiar with Mark to take a fresh look at this important Gospel text. From tracing the plot and sub-plot in Mark to inquiring how the Gospel was first heard (as oral performance), Horsley tackles old questions from new angles. He consistently and judiciously uses sociological categories and method to help readers see how Jesus challenged the dominant order of his day.

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The Old Testament World, Second Edition Review

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I found this book to be hugely informative (deserving five stars for what it deals with), and hugely misleading (because of what it leaves out, and so deserving only one star, because overall it fails). I give it two reluctant stars.
The Product Description is very informative: "[T]his unique introduction ... seeks ... to illuminate the literature of the Old Testament by showing how it was shaped by the events, social structures, and religions and intellectual ideas of the ancient civilizations and cultures in which it was produced ... Rather than a conventional canonical-theological approach, it offers an approach for those interested in the Old Testament as a monumental cultural achievement ... and requires a minimum of prior knowledge or expertise." [The last clause doesn't seem accurate to me: considerable "prior knowledge and expertise" are required, since the book is seeking to replace the centuries-long paradigm of OT scholarship with a new one, beginning from the end of the eighteenth century but rapidly accelerating post-World-War-II and from the turn of the 20th/21st centuries.]
The first three chapters deal with the 'Geography and Ecology of Ancient Palestine', the 'Social Organisation', and 'The Peoples of the Old Testament World'. All very necessary, and well explained.
Part II, 'The History and Religion of Israel', begins to come to the nitty-gritty of what we are really studying: Israel itself, though always with the background acknowledgment of its being one among the nations. The chapters deal successively with 'Until the Time of Solomon' (ch 4); 'From the Death of Solomon to the Babylonian Deportation' (ch 5); 'Judah under the Persians and Ptolemies and the Judeans in Babylonia' (ch 6 - the most complicated and the most important period for the emergence of Judah/Israel with its own definite identity, and for the final redaction of many of the Old Testament books).
Part III, 'Literature and Life', does broad-brush exegesis of various OT tests. Successive chapters analyze the 'Creation and Origin Stories' in Genesis 1-11, compared with the Sumerian and Akkadian versions (ch 8), the nature of Narrative (ch 9), Legal Texts (10), Sacrifices and Psalms (ch 11); and then 'Prophetic, Wisdom and Apocalyptic Literature (chs 11, 12, 13 respectively).
These chapters (4-14) on the history, literature and life of Israel, and later ones too, convincingly build up the `new paradigm' of a continuous redaction of the sources of the OT text, so that, for example, even the `writing prophets' as we now have them are not the products of individuals sitting at their desks and writing scrolls of their prophecies from start to finish. The OT text is everywhere the eventual result of a long-evolving development, with additions, omissions, updatings, and rewritings of real (or even fictional) historical events in the light of contemporary events.
But with Chapter 15, `Beyond the Old Testament', I lost confidence in the authors. In spite of using the term `religion' in some chapter headings, and mentioning associated terms here and there, the Index of the book has no entries for `inspiration, religion, revelation, theology'. This simply will not do. The authors do not rigorously examine the theology of the Old Testament against the surrounding theologies. What is distinctive about the OT?This book misses altogether the point that it simply had to have, because it does not ask: when did the `the Old Testament World' end, and what must it include? There are various possible choices. From the literary point of view, one could argue for an end date set by the last OT writing, Daniel, about 165 BCE. Politically, the end might be seen as the Roman conquest in 63 BCE, or as the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE; or as the (uncertain) acceptance of an OT canon around 90 CE; or even, best of all, as the defeat of Bar Kochba and the final destruction of Jerusalem in 135 CE.
I maintain that EVERY discussion of `the Old Testament World', once it goes beyond Daniel's date, must go on to 70 CE or 135 CE. This means that the life, death, and claimed resurrection and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth, and the outpouring of the Spirit on the first Pentecost, and the founding and spread of the Christian Church (for me, as it developed, the Roman Catholic Church), and Paul, and the whole New Testament, must be included in a discussion of the `Old Testament World'. I see a straight-line continuation, from the history and prophecies of the Old Testament, to Christianity. If one leaves this out one leaves an unfinished `Old Testament' story.
I conclude by quoting the extraordinary words which the authors write in the paragraphs headed `Messianism' on page 222: "This unfortunate and inappropriate term [Messianism] is nevertheless commonly used to convey the widespread Jewish belief during this period that the course of history, which had recently turned against Jews in Palestine, would soon be brought to an end ... However important it has been in the past for Christians to imagine a Judaism waiting for a messiah, there was no `messianic Judaism' and no `messianic doctrine, but the notion of some kind of divinely appointed leader was common. Among Sadducees, of course, messianic ideas of any kind were rejected. And they reached diaspora Judaism only in the form of Christianity; for most of these the notion of a messiah was irrelevant (and politically unwise, anyway). This may be why Paul refers to Jesus as `Christ', literally a translation of `anointed' but in fact meaningless to most of his readers."
I cannot believe that the authors are serious.It seems incredible that I need to appeal to the immense literature on Messiahs and Messianism, against the authors' unbelievable one-page dismissal of it. See my own reviews of The First Messiah (Michael O Wise), The Messiah Before Jesus (Israel Knohl), The Jewish Messiah (Dan Cohn-Sherbok).
And the Dead Sea Scrolls? And John 20.31: "These things [signs] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name".


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Written by two leading Old Testament scholars and widely used throughout the world, Davies and Rogerson's The Old Testament World describes the historical, social, and cultural setting in which the Old Testament was written and examines the major genres of literature that it contains. Ideally suited for college-level introductory classes, it illuminates the literature of the Old Testament by showing how it was shaped by the events, social structures, and religious and intellectual ideas of the ancient civilizations and cultures in which it was produced.Unlike most introductions, it goes beyond traditional formats and reflects the vast and significant changes that our understanding of the Old Testament has undergone in recent decades. Rather than using a conventional canonical-theological approach, the book presents the Old Testament as a monumental cultural achievement. Now thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the many developments of recent years, it is arranged according to major topics for study, followed by sections that introduce the major divisions of the text. It is illustrated with pictures, maps, and charts.

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Charts of the Gospels and the Life of Christ Review

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(More customer reviews)Very helpful charts and summaries. It shparly reduces research time. It is a "must have" for teachers and pastors. I am teaching the Gospel of John and it is so helpful to find the parallel passages. THe chronology presented is also very helpful to put it all together.
I highly recommend it.

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In Quest of the Historical Pharisees Review

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(More customer reviews)Since years I teach introduction to the New Testament and speak, of course, also about the Pharisees, mostly based on the New Testament and Josephus. Neusner's book now gives me a much deeper and more objective view of this Jewish group. Real scholars put Josephus' passages in the context of his whole work and so correct my former view. I am very grateful for such a scholarly work by several excellent scholars. It will change my presentation of the Pharisees dramatically. And I thank Amazon for publishing this work which, I hope, many will read and study.
P.S. How I wish the two DVD's I have ordered in August and September would have also arrived. But I gave up all hope and will not order a DVD anymore. From other sources they arrive but not from Amazon. Pity for the money I paid

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This work sketches the many portraits of the Pharisees that emerge from ancient sources. Based upon the Gospels, the writings of Paul, Josephus, the Mishnah, the Tosefta, and archeology, the volume profiles the Pharisees and explores the relationship between the Pharisees and the Judaic religious system foreshadowed by the library of Qumran. A great virtue of this study is that no attempt is made to homogenize the distinct pictures or reconstruct a singular account of the Pharisees; instead, by carefully considering the sources, the chapters allow different pictures of the Pharisees to stand side by side.

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Matthew as Story, 2nd ed. Review

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(More customer reviews)Jack Dean Kingsbury is a Lutheran (ELCA) and serves as professor of Biblical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. "Matthew as Story" is a narrative-critical analysis of the Biblical Gospel of Matthew; that is to say that Kingsbury treats this Gospel as one would treat any peace of narrative literature with plot, characters, setting, rising action, climax, etc.
The first (and longest) chapter is an introduction to literary criticism, lays out most of Kingsbury's suppositions (e.g. how Matthew is structured), and introduces literary terms even as he applies them to Matthew's Gospel. Most helpful in this chapter is his brief introductions to the "characters" (Jesus, the religious leaders, the disciples, etc.), the setting, the themes/motifs, and the overall message of Matthew. Chapters Two through Four cover the four basic divisions of the Gospel of Matthew: 1:1-4:16 (the reader's introduction to Jesus, the prophesied Son of David/Abraham), 4:17-16:20 (Jesus' teaching, preaching, and healing ministry to the Jews, his escalating conflict with the religious leaders, and his instruction of the disciples), and 16:21-28:20 (His journey to Jerusalem where he is killed and resurrected, his final commission to the disciples). The following chapters deal with aspects of Matthew's Gospel topically: The use of the term "Son of Man" (Chapter 5), Jesus' speeches (Chapter 6), a thorough analysis of Jesus' enemies (Chapter 7) and disciples (Chapter 8), and finally Kingsbury's theory about who Matthew was and to whom he wrote (Chapter 9). While the prose can be difficult at times, the author does his reader a great service by frequently using concluding paragraphs and summaries (his "Concluding Remarks" section at the end of the book even sums up the entirety of this work).
This reader found this book extremely helpful in my understanding of the Gospel of Matthew. Kingsbury treats Matthew in its own right (as opposed to finding connections with Mark, Luke, and John) and thus brings out many themes that tend to get overlooked. His analysis of the personality and motivation of Jesus, the disciples, and the other characters make them more vivid; his outline of Matthew is convincing; and his presentation of the "narrator/author" brings out the reason why Matthew wrote his Gospel (as opposed to John, Mark, and Luke). Kingsbury's analyses make me more equipped to read Matthew, teach it, and preach on it.
There were some aspects of this book that were not helpful. These include Kingsbury's treatment of Jesus' Trinitarian identity, his treatment of Jesus' major speeches, and finally, the whole of Chapter 9. As it relates to Jesus' identity within Matthew's Gospel, Kingsbury is not incorrect in what he writes, but rather fault lies in the fact that he did not write enough about Jesus' identity. He shows that Matthew viewed Jesus' birth as prophesied and his relationship with God the Father as a loving-Father-and-perfectly-obedient-son relationship, but does not advance Matthew's idea that Jesus is in fact God--coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-17; 28:18-20). Second, Kingsbury only covered the functional aspect of Jesus' speeches (how they advance the plot and how they developed the various "characters" in the Gospel); he really didn't give the speeches' actual teachings much coverage. Finally, while aspects of Chapter 9 (the author and his audience) did point out some helpful aspects of this Gospel, he relies too much on speculation and arguments from absence. His final conclusion is that the Apostle Matthew didn't write this Gospel, this author borrowed material from Mark's Gospel, and that his audience was a wealthy, urban-dwelling, persecuted Christian community who probably lived in Antioch.
While these negative aspects are bothersome to this reader, on the whole, this book was well worth my effort. As previously mentioned, it has helped me understand and appreciate the Gospel of Matthew in its own right, distinguish Matthew's unique presentation of the Gospel, and I find it very practical and useful for my work in the parish. While the lay person may have trouble reading some of the jargon, pastors and those very interested in attaining a fuller understanding of Matthew would do well to read it. Recommended.

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The Earliest Christian Artifacts: Manuscripts and Christian Origins Review

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(More customer reviews)The stage needs to be set. Hurtado argues that it is hard to identify any art, architecture, epigraphical evidence or whatever before 200 CE/AD. The earliest building dates to the middle of the third century. Manuscripts that can be dated with any confidence are dated to the third century. However there are some 400 papyri that can be dated to the time before the official recognition of Christianity by the Emperor Constantine. A growing number can be dated to the second century. Hurtado claims it is these which are the earliest Christian artifacts, and he focuses not on textual criticism but what can be found in the texts.

It is a fluke of history that most of the earliest Christian manuscripts come from Egypt due to the weather. Of these it appears that many came from a refuse dump of an ancient city called Oxyrhynchus. Thousands of manuscripts have been found there deposited over six centuries. Do these reflect broader Christian use? Hurtado does not intend to treat early Christian preferences monolithically, but he does argue that there are sufficient reasons for treating the manuscript evidence from Egypt as being practiced widely. For example, Christian networking brought a copy of Iranaeus' Against Heresies from Lyon to Oxyrhynchus within a few years.

The most outstanding feature of Christian manuscripts is that they are codex in form. A codex is unlike a rolled scroll. A codex is folded leaves attached by binding materials much like modern books. Christians did not invent the codex but by the second century, over 70 per cent of Christian writings were codices compared to only 5 per cent of the total number of manuscripts. It has been argued that Christians preferred the codex for such reasons as the expense of writing. However large margins do not indicate a writer concerned about saving costs. Hurtado argues that the Christian preference for the codex was heavy and early and reflected a belief that the text had "scriptural status."

In addition to a codex format, early Christians added other characteristics to their manuscripts, nomina sacra and the staurogram. Nomina sacra are typically abbreviations composed of the first and last letter of a word. Those used with far greater regularity are God, Lord, Christ, and Jesus. This early practice is connected to the Jewish practice of treating the divine name in a special way. Hurtado notes that at an early stage Christ and Jesus were put on the same plane as God and Lord. The staurogram is a compendium formed by superimposing a Greek rho over a Greek tau. In later Christianity the chi-rho became better known. Hurtado believes that the cross over the T formation was a visual reference for the early Christian to the crucifixion of Jesus.

Very early Christians chose a particular format for their sacred writings and implanted into them code devices of their own faith.


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The Sword and the Stylus: An Introduction to Wisdom in the Age of Empires Review

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(More customer reviews)This long-awaited book by one of the preeminent scholars of biblical Wisdom, Leo Perdue, was originally scheduled for publication in November 2007. For reasons unknown to me, it was continuously delayed, being released in June 2008. Perhaps there was some problem, but the result is a book that could have been greatly improved with a major edit. As it is, there are countless repetitions of fact and argument, some on the same page, others a few pages or more apart. It distracted from what was otherwise a very helpful resource.
On the merits, Dr. Perdue has shown many valuable connections between specific biblical and apocryphal Jewish texts and the various empires which held sway over Israel over a six hundred year period, from the Babylonians to the Romans. He shows clearly how each book came out of an elite sage in a privileged position within a colonial context and how each sage grappled in his own way with the ways of life embodied by the occupying power. For instance, he shows how the book of Job was not intended to address the abstract question of "way bad things happen to good people" (although it certainly can be read that way) but rather, to address the experience of the "innocent" rural landowners (like the fictional Job) who were exiled along with the Jerusalem elite to Babylon. Similarly, we can hear the voice of Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) as a skeptical voice of protest against the accommodations of Ptolemaic (Greek) rule over Judah.
Also helpfully, Perdue shows how the wisdom streams flow into the separate branch of what became the protest movement of apocalyptic and the eventual establishment movement of rabbinic Judaism.
Perdue is obviously very well read and his bibliography is an up-to-the-minute compendium of thought on a wide range of topics. It would have been a GREAT book if it had been more carefully and thoroughly edited into a concise sourcebook, but it is still certainly worth the time and money.

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In the Company of Jesus: Characters in Mark's Gospel Review

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(More customer reviews)I was drawn to this book because it contains the author's "The Poor Widow in Mark and Her Poor Rich Readers," cited in more-recent commentaries on Mark 12. This chapter, one of the suthor's seven academic articles gathered to make up the present volume, expands the usual reading of the text and develops six different narrative contexts in which we can view it.
A creative, in-depth study of less-frequently-examined corners of the earliest Gospel, with an introductory chapter on narrative criticism, followed by chapters on "Fallible Followers," "Disciples/Crowds/Whoever," "Interpreting the Disciples in Mark, "Jewish Leaders in the Gospel of Mark," and "The Major Importance of Minor Characters in Mark."

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Jesus, Justice and the Reign of God: A Ministry of Liberation Review

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(More customer reviews)Herzog's work combines the best of the scholarship of traditional eschatological images of Jesus and more contemporary research related to the environment of Galilee, first century Judaism, and the circumstances of Roman occupation that is represented by Crossan and co. Many traditional view of Jesus neglect the latter environment with an exclusive focus on the text of the Gospels and neglect the distinct Jewish character of Palestine. Herzog has accomplished an impressive job in addressing both.
Herzog presents Jesus as a very Jewish prophet deeply rooted in the Old Testament tradition of justice and righteousness. Seeing himself as a viceroy of God Himself, Jesus envisioned a renewal of the ancient covenantal relationship that had all but disappeared under aristocratic rule, foreign occupation, and the inexorable advance of a monetizing agrarian economy. The innovation of private property rights, heavy taxation, and urbanization had the result of breaking God's original covenant with His people. The people of Palestine, particularly the rural Galilee of Jesus' home were losing their land to powerful elites under the burden of this exploitation and were being reduced to destitution. It is to these people that Jesus announced: "Blessed are you destitute, for yours is the kingdom of God".
The Old Testament presents us with a God whose concern is with his people and the prevailing rule of justice and semi-egalitarianism. Extensive provisions are made to care for the poor, to regularly forgive debts, and ensure that all are provided for. The earth did not belong to the people, it belonged to God, and it would bear fruit for the people of Israel provided they kept their covenant with Him. This covenant eroded in time and was replaced with an emphasis on the temple sacrifices, temple tributes, and a focus not on the debt codes that were the heart of the covenant but with the purity codes. To be impure was not to be sinful; everyone was impure at some time. Menstruating women were impure, as were men who had had a nocturnal emission. The leading rulers of the time in Judea had done two things that had violated the covenant: the imposition of the exploitation of temple taxation as a means to provide wealth to Jerusalem, the Romans, and the ruling elites who collaborated with them, and the exchange of the debt codes as the rule of righteousness with the purity codes. This is what Jesus opposed. The temple was not an end, it was a means to an end and the moment it became exploitative and ceased serving the needs of the people it had become illegitimate. The imposition of the purity codes above the debt codes had removed the righteousness and blessing of God away from the people who were poor and had no ability to live up to the Pharisaic purity standards. This is the reason Jesus enacted a symbolic destruction of the temple, as it had become a "den of thieves", and why Jesus is presented as constantly in debate with the rulers of the people regarding purity versus debt. Jesus did not oppose the Torah, he opposed the elitist conception of it; he did not abrogate the Sabbath, he reminded the people that the Sabbath was created for the benefit of the people, not the other way around.
Jesus' God was a God of renewal and compassion, who re-established the people in God's covenant and freed them from the bonds of their imperial and religious leaders. His exorcisms and healings were a symbolic breaking of these bonds, demonstrating God's power and teaching them that the debt codes and forgiveness was what the heart of God was concerned with, not purity. This put Jesus on a collision course with the leaders of the people and the Romans. It was a direct criticism of the status quo and a vision of a new kingdom in which God would rule. This teaching, his symbolic act in the temple, his opposition to the payment of tribute to Caesar, and his predictions of a coming kingdom led to his crucifixion. Yes, Jesus opposed the payment to Caesar; as another reviewer has noted, the commentary on this passage is superb. Jesus did not see himself as a king, but his teachings of the kingdom and his eschatological vision led to the charge that he did.
This sounds like a "social gospel" of Jesus, in the liberal Protestant tradition. To those who would criticize such an approach, I refer them to the Old Testament and the consistent and constant reference to the covenant, prosperity, and the eternal promise of the fruitfulness of the land for the people of God, not a property-owning minority.
This is without a doubt one of the best historical Jesus books you can buy.

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A fresh examination of the conflict stories, healings and passion narratives succeeds in advancing the scholarly debate about Jesus, while highlighting the implications for those who follow him.

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Parables for Preachers: The Gospel of Mark, Year B Review

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(More customer reviews)Barbara Reid's books on 'Parables for Preachers' follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Because of this, the book for Year B concentrates primarily on the texts of the gospel of Mark. Before getting into the heart of the texts, Reid presents introductory material on parables, preaching, and the gospel of Mark. Reid states in her introduction, 'In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus rarely explains his parables. They are meant to be wrestled with by each generation of hearers who allow themselves to be disturbed and challenged by Jesus' subversive stories.'
Subversive stories? One of the things that comfortable Christianity has sometimes forgotten is the revolutionary and radical character of Jesus and his teaching in the first century. Perhaps this is because the teachers are so familiar. How does one find new meanings in familiar parables that show up again and again? This is a particularly important question for preachers, and Reid addresses it directly.
The term 'parable' can refer to a range of types of speech - it goes beyond the simple moral stories similar to Aesop's fables. Parables in Mark carry much of the weight of Jesus' teaching.
Jesus, of course, was not the first to preach or teach in parables. In doing this, he was following an ancient and honoured tradition. This is a tradition that may be continued by modern teachers and preachers. Reid illustrates several ways in which parables serve to carry a message. They provide a way for Jesus to explain his experience of God and holiness without boxing it into academic or dogmatic statements. It helps connect the encounter with the holy with the common people and their daily lives. 'In his parables, Jesus always began with the familiar. The images and situations he painted in his stories were from the fabric of daily life of his audience.'
Of course, Jesus' parables were broad and inclusive - nothing was outside the scope of God's realm. While parables began with the familiar, they never lingered there. They served to recast 'common' creation in a new way - the realm of God. Of course, this then begs for interpretation, which is never as straightforward and simple as some preachers would have it seem. 'What catches up with the hearer is that Jesus' parables are usually open-ended; Jesus rarely interpreted these stories for his disciples.... Because they are told in figurative language, the parables are capable of conveying distinct message to different people in diverse circumstances.'
Other aspects of parables that are key to their meaning include that they are not neutral, but always have a slant or bias, often toward the more marginal in society. They are a communal endeavour, and not really meant for individualists (something that Western society tends to forget). Parables are short, which makes for easier recollection - they are small like seeds, from which much may grow. Also, the final aspect of parables is similar to that of preaching - they are meant to be heard and lived, not simply forgotten.
Understanding how to interpret parables involves several things Reid highlights. They involve understanding the gospels themselves, in their own setting. The nature of the gospels is important - what kind of writing is this, and what is its purpose? Parables fall within gospel literature, so yet another level of understanding is required. Reid gives a quick overview of different modes of interpretation, including allegorical, historical criticism, social science study, linguistic and literary approaches, as well as the new forms of liberation interpretation. Reid is quick to underscore that 'no one method provides the definitive key.' These methods are guides, but ultimately we are all charged with engaging the parables for ourselves and our communities.
As this text deals with the gospel of Mark, Reid continues with a chapter looking at the gospel of Mark, from issues of authorship, historical and social setting, documentary transmission and analysis, theological issues and overall purpose. The theological ideas of Christology, ecclesiology, and eschatology vary from gospel to gospel, as do some of the texts of the same stories. Reid highlights Mark as the earliest gospel, most likely the closest of the Jesus stories we can get to the actual time of Jesus.
The remainder of the book looks at particular parables, eight texts in all, as they appear sequentially in the liturgical year. There is a chapter devoted to each text pericope. These include parables both in the Sunday lectionary as well as the daily cycle of readings. Each section gives attention to major images, theological themes, narrative devsices, and a helpful list of preaching possibilities. This book does not provide set sermons, nor does it emphasise one theological approach exclusive to others.
Overall, this book is a very handy guide to anyone who reads the gospels, who is interested in preaching, or is interested in understanding more about one of the primary teaching/preaching devices of Jesus. Reid writes with clarity, sensitivity and care on her subjects. While she does tend toward a liberal interpretation of scripture, even evangelical and fundamentalists can find inspiration here, given that parables have never been meant to have literal interpretations placed upon them, and the multi-valent character of parables practically begs for as broad a range as possible for study. To that end, Reid has provided a generous bibliography for further research.


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