Interview of authors of Jewish Annotated New Testament

MARC BRETTLER AND AMY-JILL LEVINE, the authors of The Jewish Annotated New Testament, are interviewed by Jay Michaelson in The Forward: Jewish Roots of the New Testament: New Book Says Much of the Scripture is Jewish Literature. First question:

The JANT strikes me as a tour de force, and it fills much-needed gaps in our knowledge. But why is it important for Jews to read the New Testament?

First, much, if not all, of the New Testament is Jewish literature, and all of it is relevant for understanding Jewish history. The New Testament sheds important light on early Jewish life and literature, from the practice of Halacha relations with Rome to women’s social roles to the meaning of apocalyptic texts. Another rationale for Jews reading the N.T. is respect: If we Jews want Christians to respect Judaism, we owe the church the same respect, and that respect includes knowing what is in the Christian canon.

More on the book here and links.