Lentz, Crainte de Dieu

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Crainte de Dieu, Sagesse et Loi: Aspects théologiques à partir de Si 10,19-11,6
Katharina Lentz

$35.00 – $49.00

Series: Septuagint and Cognate Studies
Volume: 72

Publisher: SBL Press
Publication Date: 2020
ISBN: 9781628372564

Description

Few specific studies have been devoted to Ben Sira 10:19–11:6. Lentz examines the text in Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, and Latin, trying to identify the major differences between these versions and their respective fundamental orientations. In this pericope she reveals three important themes: the fear of God, wisdom, and the law. Taking as a point of departure the theme of the fear of God in Deuteronomy, Psalms, and Proverbs, Job, and Qoheleth, in addition to Ben Sira, Lentz examines the relationship of this theme with wisdom and the law. The close relationship between the fear of God, wisdom, and the law should lead scholars to ask if these do not represent three aspects of the same reality.

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Review of Paturel, Baalbek-Heliopolis, the Bekaa, and Berytus from 100 BCE to 400 CE

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Baalbek-Heliopolis, the Bekaa, and Berytus from 100 BCE to 400 CE: a landscape transformed.

Simone Eid Paturel, Baalbek-Heliopolis, the Bekaa, and Berytus from 100 BCE to 400 CE: a landscape transformed. Mnemosyne supplements. History and archaeology of classical antiquity, volume 426. Leiden: Brill, 2019. Pp. xiv, 343. ISBN 9789004400580 €160,00.

Review by
Winfried Held, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Archäologisches Seminar. heldw@uni-marburg.de

The book offers a valuable overview of the history and archaeology of Berytus (modern Beirut) and the northern Bekaa, which in the Roman imperial period formed the Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Berytus. ...

Herod the Great makes an appearance.

Cross-file under (Late) Phoenician Watch.

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Watson & Parkhouse, Telling the Christian Story Differently

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Telling the Christian Story Differently
Counter-Narratives from Nag Hammadi and Beyond

Editor(s): Francis Watson, Sarah Parkhouse

Published: 07-23-2020
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 208
ISBN: 9780567679529
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Reception of Jesus in the First Three Centuries
Volume: 4
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $115.00
Online price: $80.50
Save $34.50 (30%)

About Telling the Christian Story Differently

This volume examines the 'counter-narratives' of the core Christian story, proposed by texts from Nag Hammadi and elsewhere. A noteworthy body of highly respected scholars examine material that is sometimes difficult and often overlooked, contributing to the ongoing effort to integrate Nag Hammadi and related literature into the mainstream of New Testament and early Christian studies. By retracing the major elements of the Christian story in sequence, they are able to discuss how and why each aspect was disputed on inner-Christian grounds, and to reflect on the different accounts of Christian identity underlying these disputes.

Together the essays in this book address a central issue: towards the end of the second century, Irenaeus could claim that the overwhelming majority of Christians throughout the world were agreed on a version of the core Christian story which is still recognisable today. Yet, as Irenaeus concedes and as the Nag Hammadi texts have confirmed, there were many who wished to tell the core Christian story differently. Those who criticized and rejected the standard story did so not because they were adherents of another religion, 'Gnosticism', but because they were Christians who believed that the standard account was wrong at point after point. Ranging from the Gospels of Judas and Mary to Galatians and Ptolemy's Letter to Flora, this volume provides a fascinating analysis of how the Christian story as we know it today developed against counter-readings from other early Christian traditions.

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De Moor, Micah

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

Micah

SERIES:
Historical Commentary on the Old Testament AUTHOR:
De Moor J.C.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042943636
E-ISBN: 9789042943643
PAGES: XII-454 p.
PRICE: 76 euro

SUMMARY:
The book of Micah provides insight into the struggle of a prophet with his vocation in an extremely difficult time. The aggressive policies of Neo-Assyrian kings which involved large-scale destruction, deportation and resettlement upturned existing social structures everywhere. Kings of Judah like Ahaz and Hezekiah had to compromise with the enemy to retain their position. Micah denounced their overindulgence. Initially, the results of his efforts were disappointing and one may certainly say that Micah was a tragic figure who towards the end of his life felt he had been a failed prophet.

It is no coincidence that in the Hebrew Bible Micah 3:12 occupies the middle of the whole book of the Twelve “Minor” Prophets. In this verse Micah courageously announced the destruction of the temple on Zion because of Jerusalem’s sins - more than a hundred years before it actually happened. His contemporaries had ridiculed him because they did not believe God would ever allow the destruction of his holy abode. Whistleblowers are never popular and it is possible that Micah has had to pay with his life for his scathing criticism of the authorities. However, history proved him right and Micah’s impressive sermons inspired later generations to complement them with consoling messages of forgiveness and hope. Prophecy, also prophecy outside Israel, was always open to future expansion. In this way the book of Micah became a cherished source of messianic expectations among both Jews and Christians.

Modern research into the book of Micah denies him the authorship of more than half of the chapters attributed to him. On the basis of new textual and archaeological data from the entire Ancient Near East this commentary argues that much more can be regarded as actual fire-and-brimstone preaching of the historical prophet Micah. This conclusion was achieved among other things by collating more than a hundred Hebrew manuscripts of the book of Micah. The commentary devotes also much attention to geology, climate, flora, fauna, agriculture and art. Fifty illustrations elucidate these realia.

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Hays, The Origins of Isaiah 24–27

RECENT BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Origins of Isaiah 24–27
Josiah's Festival Scroll for the Fall of Assyria

AUTHOR: Christopher B. Hays, Fuller Theological Seminary, California
DATE PUBLISHED: August 2019
AVAILABILITY: In stock
FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN: 9781108471848

$ 99.99 (C)
Hardback

Description

Isaiah 24-27 has been an enduring mystery and a hotly contested text for biblical scholars. Early scholarship linked its references to the dead rising to the New Testament. These theories have remained influential even as common opinion moderated over the course of the twentieth century. In this volume, Christopher B. Hays situates Isaiah 24-27 within its historical and cultural contexts. He methodically demonstrates that it is not apocalyptic; that its imagery of divine feasting and conquering death have ancient cognates; and that its Hebrew language does not reflect a late composition date. He also shows how the passage celebrates the receding of Assyrian power from Judah, and especially from the citadel at Ramat Rahel near Jerusalem, in the late seventh century. This was the time of King Josiah and his scribes, who saw a political opportunity and issued a peace overture to the former northern kingdom. Using comparative, archaeological, linguistic, and literary tools, Hays' volume changes the study of Isaiah, arguing for a different historical setting than that of traditional scholarship.

• Demonstrates that Isaiah 24-27 it is not apocalyptic, that its imagery of divine feasting and conquering death have ancient cognates, and that its Hebrew language does not reflect a late composition date
• Uses comparative, archaeological, linguistic, and literary tools to argue for an alternative historical setting for the biblical passage
• Explores the context of King Josiah and his scribes, who saw a political opportunity and issued a peace overture to the former northern kingdom

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Samson, Jesus, Gilgamesh, and ... Superman?

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: Biblical Interpretation in the Age of Superheroes (Nicholaus Pumphrey). With reference to Professor Pumphrey's recent book: Superman and the Bible: How the Idea of Superheroes Affects the Reading of Scripture (McFarland, 2019).

For more on Professor Pumphrey's work see here. And follow the links from there for more on superhero Jesus.

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Why did Esau become a baddie?

DR. BARRY DOV WALFISH: The Denigration of Esau (TheTorah.com).

Why does Esau in Jewish tradition come to be known as עשו הרשע “Esau the Wicked”? The answer has to do with the history of Judea’s relationship with Esau’s eponymous descendants, the Edomites, and the connection Jews made between them, Rome, and Christianity. The negative view of Esau is expressed nowhere more forcefully than in Rashi’s commentary.

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Muraoka, Why Read the Bible in the Original Languages?

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

Why Read the Bible in the Original Languages?

AUTHOR:
Muraoka T.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042942004
E-ISBN: 9789042942011
PAGES: 111 p.
PRICE: 19 euro

SUMMARY:
A comparison of multiple translations of the Bible in any language shows that they differ at hundreds of places, pointing to the continuing disagreement among Bible scholars and translators in their analysis and understanding of those places. To learn Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the original languages of the Bible, is admittedly not everybody’s cup of tea. Knowledge of them does not necessarily provide a solution to these difficulties. However, there are not a few things in the biblical text which can be missed out if it is read only in translation. A range of linguistic issues touching on the three original languages are discussed in the light of actual examples. Matters of culture and rhetoric are also taken up. A special chapter is devoted to the Septuagint as a bridge between the two Testaments. The book is written in a non-technical style, hence easily readable by non-specialists, but specialists may also find things of interest. No Hebrew or Greek alphabet is used.

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Happy World Toilet Day!

COMMODE COMMEMORATION: Lifting the lid on Israel’s best ancient toilets. From a toilet found inside an ancient temple to Roman public latrines and Ottoman-era outhouses, Israel is awash with fascinating old loos. Join us on World Toilet Day, for a look (Naama Barak, Israel21c).

For the desecration toilet at Lachish, see here. The article missed the ancient toilet near Qumran.

For other PaleoJudaica posts on ancient latrines, see here and here. And I wrote about a Roman-era latrine at Hadrian's wall here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Covert religious innovation in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch?

THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:

Religious Innovation and Sacred Scriptures in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch

How did ancient Judaism resolve the conflict between the notion of divinely authored scriptures that are fixed in writing, on the one hand, and the inevitable need to adapt to new circumstances of the community, on the other? A good case study of religious revision in ancient Israel is afforded by the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE. Both 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch were written as the Jewish response to a national and religious crisis. Using pseudonyms of Israel’s past heroes from the destruction of the First Temple, both authors promulgated an eschatological vision as the solution, yet called for a return to the Mosaic Torah. In both apocalypses, religious innovation is carried out covertly rather than explicitly. The “new” is presented as a discovery of and return to the “old.”. There are, however, also differences: whereas in 2 Baruch innovation is through eschatological exegesis of the Deuteronomic tradition, in 4 Ezra it has to be through an expansion of divinely revealed scriptures.

See also: When Judaism Lost the Temple: Crisis and Response in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch. Studia Antiqua Australiensia 10 (Turnhout: Brepols, 2020).

By Lydia Gore-Jones
St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College
Sydney College of Divinity, Australia
November 2020

Cross-file under New Book.

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Ancient geography galore!

THE AWOL BLOG: Roundup of Resources on Ancient Geography. Something for everyone!

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Muraoka, A Syntax of Qumran Hebrew

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

A Syntax of Qumran Hebrew

AUTHOR:
Muraoka T.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042940253
E-ISBN: 9789042940260
PAGES: LX-387 p.
PRICE: 95 euro

SUMMARY:
This is the first, comprehensive description of the syntax of Qumran Hebrew, a language in which the Hebrew documents discovered in the eleven Qumran caves and at some sites in the Judaean desert are written. Features described include, for instance, the values and functions of the status constructus, tense, aspect and mood of the verb, the word order, the grammatical agreement or lack of it in gender and number, the concord or concatenation, the government of the verb. Comparison is constantly made with Biblical Hebrew and Mishnaic - Rabbinic Hebrew. This is important to see the position of Qumran Hebrew in the history of Hebrew. Copiously cited original texts are provided with an English translation by the author. That knowledge of the syntax of this Hebrew is important and has implications for textual criticism of these texts and other compartments such as orthography, phonology, morphology, lexicography, and stylistics is shown with concrete examples.

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Cool artifacts in the Bible Lands Museum

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: 10 Great Biblical Artifacts at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem. Artifacts and the Bible (David Moster). An impressive collection!

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Henning, Matthew’s Non-Messianic Mapping of Messianic Texts

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Matthew’s Non-Messianic Mapping of Messianic Texts

Evidences of a Broadly Eschatological Hermeneutic

Series: Biblical Interpretation Series, Volume: 188

Author: Bruce Henning

Scholars often explain Matthew’s practice of applying non-messianic texts to the messiah by postulating a Christological hermeneutic. In Matthew’s Non-Messianic Mapping of Messianic texts, Bruce Henning raises the question of how Matthew applies messianic texts to non-messianic figures. This neglected category challenges the popular view by stretching Matthew’s paradigm to a broadly eschatological one in which disciples share in the mission of Jesus so as to fulfill Scriptural hopes. Using Cognitive Linguistics, this volume explores four case studies to demonstrate Matthew’s non-messianic mapping scheme: the eschatological shepherd, the vineyard care-giver, temple construction imagery, and the Isaian herald. These reveal how Matthew’s theology of discipleship as participating in Jesus’ own vocation extends even to his hermeneutical paradigm of fulfillment.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €99.00 / $119.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44418-8
Publication Date: 16 Nov 2020

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44416-4
Publication Date: 19 Nov 2020

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Jenson, Graded Holiness

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Graded Holiness

A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World

By: Philip Peter Jenson

Published: 10-29-2020
Format: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 290
ISBN: 9780567697547
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $39.95
Online price: $27.96
Save $11.98 (30%)

About Graded Holiness

This wide-ranging investigation of the priestly cultic texts from Exodus 25 onwards explores the coherence and theology of the priestly writing, utilizing insights from anthropology and recent biblical scholarship. Through a carefully worked out set of laws and institutions, the priestly authors sought to order Israel's life before God in a sustainable and satisfying way. This is a valuable contribution to the growing number of studies concerned to understand and recover this neglected part of the Bible.

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McAllister (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature

NEW BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature

Part of Cambridge Companions to Religion

EDITOR: Colin McAllister, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
DATE PUBLISHED: April 2020
AVAILABILITY: In stock
FORMAT: Paperbakc
ISBN: 9781108436892

$ 29.99 (P)
Paperback

Description

Jewish and Christian apocalypses have captivated theologians, writers, artists, and the general public for centuries, and have had a profound influence on world history from their initial production by persecuted Jews during the second century BCE, to the birth of Christianity - through the demise of the Western Roman Empire and the medieval period, and continuing into modernity. Far from being an outlier concern, or an academic one that may be relegated to the dustbin of history, apocalyptic thinking is ubiquitous and continues to inform nearly all aspects of modern-day life. It addresses universal human concerns: the search for identity and belonging, speculation about the future, and (for some) a blueprint that provides meaning and structure to a seemingly chaotic world. The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature brings together a field of leading experts to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject.

• Brings together an international collective of leading experts who have written on various aspects of apocalyptic literature
• Covers apocalyptic literature from the second century BCE to the present, and includes discussions of the apocalypses themselves, reception history, politics, contemporary Islam, and how apocalypticism functions in contemporary society
• Incorporates issues much larger than just apocalytic literature, including the concept of time, music, visual art, geopolitics and popular culture

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How many magi?

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: The Three Magi. Were they bringing sacred gifts or simply medicine? 'Tis the Season already?!

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Matthew's magi and related matters, see here and links.

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Schumann, Gelübde im antiken Judentum und frühesten Christentum

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Gelübde im antiken Judentum und frühesten Christentum

Series: Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, Volume: 111
Author: Daniel Schumann

In Gelübde im antiken Judentum und frühesten Christentum Daniel Schumann aims to trace the earliest discourses on vows, as they are recorded in ancient Jewish and early Christian sources from the time of the Second Temple. He also shows how Judaism and Christianity have participated in ancient forms of vow-making since late antiquity and how they also have developed these discourses further. By presenting these discourses on the basis of a broad range of sources, he reveals how in Jewish as well as in Christian perception, voices of esteem but also of reservation have been raised throughout the centuries. After all, vows are a cult-practical exercise in which well-being and disaster are in closer proximity than in most other acts of devotion.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €132.00 / $159.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44183-5
Publication Date: 04 Nov 2020

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44184-2
Publication Date: 12 Nov 2020

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Taylor & Hay, Philo of Alexandria: On the Contemplative Life

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Philo of Alexandria: On the Contemplative Life

Introduction, Translation and Commentary

Series: Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series, Volume: 7

Authors: Joan E. Taylor and David M. Hay

On the Contemplative Life is known for its depiction of a philosophical group of Jewish men and women known as the ‘Therapeutae’. Yet the reasons for their depiction have been little understood. In the first commentary on the treatise in English for over 100 years, the social, cultural and political background of the times in which Philo lived are shown to be crucial in understanding Philo’s purposes. As Alexandrian Jews were vilified and attacked, Philo went to Rome to present the case for his community, faced with intense opposition. Side-stepping direct confrontation, Philo here cleverly presents the Therapeutae as the pinnacle of excellence, most especially in their communal meal, while ridiculing his accusers in a stinging parody of a festive banquet.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €155.00 / $187.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-43923-8
Publication Date: 09 Nov 2020

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-43814-9
Publication Date: 19 Nov 2020

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Burt, Encounters in the Dark

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Encounters in the Dark: Identity Formation in the Jacob Story
Noel Forlini Burt

$23.10 – $37.10

Series: Semeia Studies
Volume: 96

Publisher: SBL Press
Publication Date: 2020
ISBN: 9781628372847

Description

Encounters in the Dark: Identity Formation in the Jacob Story traces the many moments of darkness in the life of Jacob from the darkness of his mother’s womb to the triumphant scene of wrestling God by the Jabbok River. Through an exploration of key moments in Jacob’s story, Noel Forlini Burt follows his journey from home, to exile, and back home again. Jacob’s story symbolizes the larger story of the Israel’s own wrestling with God in the darkness of exile and return.

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