The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown by 
An Introduction to the New Testament by 
Introduction to the New Testament by 
The New Testament in Its World by 
The Historical Reliability of the New Testament by 
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by 
The New Testament in Antiquity by 
The World of the New Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts by 
An Introduction to Early Judaism by 
The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era by 
A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period (vol. 1) by 
Women in the World of the Earliest Christians by 
The New Testament and the People of God by 
Christobiography: memory, history, and the reliability of the Gospels by
Demonstrates the reliability of the canonical gospels by exploring the genre of ancient biography The canonical gospels are ancient biographies, narratives of Jesus's life. The authors of these gospels were intentional in how they handled historical information and sources. Building on recent work in the study of ancient biographies, Craig Keener argues that the writers of the canonical gospels followed the literary practices of other biographers in their day. In Christobiography he explores the character of ancient biography and urges students and scholars to appreciate the gospel writers' method and degree of accuracy in recounting the ministry of Jesus. Keener's Christobiography has far-reaching implications for the study of the canonical gospels and historical-Jesus research. Table of Contents: Introduction Part 1. Biographies about Jesus 2. Not a Novel Proposal 3. Examples and Development of Ancient Biography 4. What Sort of Biographies Are the Gospels? 5. What Did First-Century Audiences Expect of Biographies? Part 2 Biographies and History 6. Biographies and Historical Information 7. What Historical Interests Meant in Antiquity 8. Luke-Acts as Biohistory 9. Sources Close to the Events Part 3. Testing the Range of Deviation 10. Case Studies: Biographies of Recent Characters Use Prior Information 11. Flex Room: Literary Techniques in Ancient Biographies Part 4. Two Objections to Gospels as Historical Biographies 12. What about Miracles? 13. What about John? Part 5. Memories about Jesus: Memories before Memoirs 14. Memory Studies 15. Jesus Was a Teacher 16. Oral Tradition, Oral History 17. The Implications of This Study
The Gospel of Matthew and Its Readers by
The Gospel of Matthew and Its Readers is a biblical commentary with a difference. Howard Clarke first establishes contemporary scholarship's mainstream view of Matthew's Gospel, and then presents a sampling of the ways this text has been read, understood, and applied through two millennia. By referring forward to Matthew's readers (rather than back to the text's composers), the book exploits the tensions between what contemporary scholars understand to be the intent of the author of Matthew and the quite different, indeed often eccentric and bizarre ways this text has been understood, assimilated, and applied over the years. The commentary is a testament to the ambiguities and elasticity of the text and a cogent reminder that interpretations are not fixed, nor texts immutably relevant. And unlike other commentaries, this one gives space to those who have questioned, rejected, or even ridiculed Matthew's messages, since Bible-bashing, like Bible-thumping, is a historically significant part of the experience of reading the Bible.
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses by 
Jesus and the Gospels by 
Jesus According to Scripture by 
Jesus Remembered by 
PB Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus (4 Vols) by Christobiography by 
A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume IV by 
Jesus and the Victory of God by 
The Resurrection of the Son of God by 
The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History by 
Acts in Its Ancient Literary Context by 
From Pentecost to Patmos, 2nd Edition by 
The Book of Acts in Its Ancient Literary Setting by 
The First Urban Christians: the social world of the Apostle Paul by
In this classic work, Wayne A. Meeks analyzes the earliest extant documents of Christianity-the letters of Paul-to describe the tensions and the texture of life of the first urban Christians. In a new introduction, he describes the evolution of the field of New Testament scholarship over the past twenty years, including new developments in fields such as archaeology and social history. Praise for the earlier edition: ?Many readers are likely to join me in feeling that they have never been so close to their mixed and mixed-up spiritual ancestors as Meeks helps them to be. For those who are open to the possibility that they can find fresh angles on the familiar, this book is not only recommended; it is urged.?-Martin E. Marty, Christian Century ?A much-needed authoritative study.?-J. L. Houlden, Times Literary Supplement "Those with any historical bent will be intrigued by the way a story usually overlaid with thick layers of theological speculation is unraveled. . . . And those who simply have an interest in how groups form in any era . . . will be fascinated by this case study of one particular community that has ramifications for understanding all other communities."-Robert McAfee Brown, New York Times Book Review "Should fascinate any reader with an interest in the history of human thought."--Phoebe-Lou Adams, Atlantic Monthly
Paul and the Giants of Philosophy by 
Paul and the Faithfulness of God by 
Deliverance of God by The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era by
What was life like for first-century Christians?Imagine a modest-sized Roman home of a well-to-do Christian household wedged into a thickly settled quarter of Corinth. In the lingering light of a summer evening, men, women and children, merchants, working poor and slaves, a mix of races and backgrounds have assembled in the dimly lit main room are are spilling into the central courtyard. This odd assortment of gathered believers--some thirty in number--are attentive as the newly arrived and travel-weary emissary from Paul reads from the papyrus scroll he has brought from their apostolic mentor.But if you were to be transported to this scene you would perhaps be overwhelmed by a flood of unexpected difference. The voice of the reader recedes as through open windows the din and clamor of the city assault your ears. Hooves clunk and cart wheels grind and echo from the street while drivers shout, vendors call and neighbors gather and converse. And later, as you accompany a family through darkened and dangerous streets to their third-story tenement apartment, you might try to mask your shock at the cramped and unsafe conditions.In The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era James Jeffers provides an informative and scenic tour of daily life during the time of Jesus and the apostles. He affords "you-are-there" glimpses of everything from legal codes to dinner foods, from social hierarchy to apartment living, from education to family dynamics. His eye-opening book will advance your understanding of the New Testament and early Christianity and enrich your reading and application of the Bible.
Foreign but familiar gods : Greco-Romans read religion in Acts by
Through a close and informative reading of seven key texts in Acts, Kauppi analyses the appearances of Graeco-Roman religion, offering evidence of practices including divination and oracles, ruler cult and civic foundation myth.Foreign But Familiar Gods then uses a combination of these scriptural texts and other contemporary evidence (including archaeological and literary material) to suggest that one of Luke's subsidiary themes is to contrast Graeco-Roman and Christian religious conceptualizations and practices.
Christianity in the Greco-Roman World : a narrative introduction by
Background becomes foreground in Moyer Hubbard's creative introduction to the social and historical setting for the letters of the Apostle Paul to churches in Asia Minor and Europe. Hubbard begins each major section with a brief narrative featuring a fictional character in one of the great cities of that era. Then he elaborates on various aspects of the cultural setting related to each particular vignette, discussing the implications of those venues for understanding Paul's letters and applying their message to our lives today. Addressing a wide array of cultural and traditional issues, Hubbard discusses: - religion and superstition - education, philosophy, and oratory - urban society - households and family life in the Greco-Roman world This work is based on the premise that the better one understands the historical and social context in which the New Testament (and Paul's letters) was written, the better one will understand the writings of the New Testament themselves. Passages become clearer, metaphors deciphered, and images sharpened.
Ancient Libraries by
The circulation of books was the motor of classical civilization. However, books were both expensive and rare, and so libraries - private and public, royal and civic - played key roles in articulating intellectual life. This collection, written by an international team of scholars, presents a fundamental reassessment of how ancient libraries came into being, how they were organized and how they were used. Drawing on papyrology and archaeology, and on accounts written by those who read and wrote in them, it presents new research on reading cultures, on book collecting and on the origins of monumental library buildings. Many of the traditional stories told about ancient libraries are challenged. Few were really enormous, none were designed as research centres, and occasional conflagrations do not explain the loss of most ancient texts. But the central place of libraries in Greco-Roman culture emerges more clearly than ever.
Dictionary of New Testament Background by
2001 ECPA Gold Medallion (Reference Works)The Dictionary of New Testament Background joins the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters and the Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments as the fourth in a landmark series of reference works on the Bible. In a time when our knowledge of the ancient Mediterranean world has grown by leaps and bounds, this volume sets out for readers the wealth of Jewish and Greco-Roman background that should inform our reading and understanding of the New Testament and early Christianity.The Dictionary of New Testament Background takes full advantage of the flourishing study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and offers individual articles focused on the most important scrolls. In addition, the Dictionary encompasses the fullness of second-temple Jewish writings, whether pseudepigraphic, rabbinic, parables, proverbs, histories or inscriptions. Articles abound on aspects of Jewish life and thought, including family, purity, liturgy and messianism. The full scope of Greco-Roman culture is displayed in articles ranging across language and rhetoric, literacy and book culture, religion and cults, honor and shame, patronage and benefactors, travel and trade, intellectual movements and ideas, and ancient geographical perspectives.No other reference work presents so much in one place for students of the New Testament. Here an entire library of scholarship is made available in summary form. The Dictionary of New Testament Background can stand alone or work in concert with one or more of its companion volumes in the series. Written by acknowledged experts in their fields, this wealth of knowledge of the New Testament era is carefully aimed at the needs of contemporary students of the New Testament. And its full bibliographies and cross-references to other volumes in the series will make it the first book to reach for in any investigation of the New Testament in its ancient setting.
The Historical Reliability of the New Testament by
Questions about the reliability of the New Testament are commonly raised today both by biblical scholars and popular media. Drawing on decades of research, Craig Blomberg addresses all of the major objections to the historicity of the New Testament in one comprehensive volume. Topics addressed include the formation of the Gospels, the transmission of the text, the formation of the canon, alleged contradictions, the relationship between Jesus and Paul, supposed Pauline forgeries, other gospels, miracles, and many more. Historical corroborations of details from all parts of the New Testament are also presented throughout. The Historical Reliability of the New Testament marshals the latest scholarship in responding to New Testament objections, while remaining accessible to non-specialists.
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by 
The Lost Letters of Pergamum: a story from the New Testament world by
"The Lost Letters of Pergamum" introduces readers to the style of New Testament writings and the social and political world of Jesus and his first followers. Using the literary technique of correspondence through ancient letters, Longenecker mixes fact and fiction to paint an interesting and informative picture of the New Testament world and early Christianity.
The New Testament in Antiquity, 2nd Edition by
This completely revised and updated second edition of The New Testament in Antiquity skillfully develops how Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman cultures formed the essential environment in which the New Testament authors wrote their books and letters. Understanding of the land, history, and culture of the ancient world brings remarkable new insights into how we read the New Testament itself. Throughout the book, numerous features provide windows into the first-century world. Nearly 500 full color photos, charts, maps, and drawings have been carefully selected. Additional features include sidebars that integrate the book's material with issues of interpretation, discussion questions, and bibliographies.
Women in the World of the Earliest Christians by
Lynn Cohick provides an accurate and fulsome picture of the earliest Christian women by examining a wide variety of first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman documents that illuminate their lives. She organizes the book around three major spheres of life: family (daughter, wife, mother, widow), religious community (including both official and unofficial activities), and society in general (work, slavery, prostitution, benefaction). Cohick shows that although women during this period were active at all levels within their religious communities, their influence was not always identified by leadership titles nor did their gender always determine their level of participation.Women in the World of the Earliest Christianscorrects our understanding of early Christian women by offering an authentic and descriptive historical picture of their lives. The book includes black-and-white illustrations from the ancient world.
The World of the New Testament : Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts by 
Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies by
One of the daunting challenges facing the New Testament interpreter is achieving familiarity with the immense corpus of related literatures. Scholars and students alike must have a fundamental understanding of the content, provenance, and utility for New Testament interpretation of a wide range of pagan, Jewish, and diversely Christian documents. This thoroughly revised and significantly expanded edition of Noncanonical Writings and New Testament Interpretation examines a vast range of ancient literature, masterfully distilling details of date, language, text, and translation into an eminently usable handbook. Craig Evans evaluates the materials' relevance for interpreting the New Testament and provides essential biographies.
The Dead Sea Scrolls by
In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd literally stumbled upon a cave near the Dead Sea, a settlement now called Qumran, to the east of Jerusalem. This cave, along with the others located nearby, contained jars holding hundreds of scrolls and fragments of scrolls of texts both biblical and nonbiblical--in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The biblical scrolls would be the earliest evidence of the Hebrew Scriptures, or Old Testament, by hundreds of years; and the nonbiblical texts would shed dramatic light on one of the least-known periods of Jewish history--the Second Temple period. This find is, quite simply, the most important archaeological event in two thousand years of biblical studies. The scrolls provide information on nearly every aspect of biblical studies, including the Old Testament, text criticism, Second Temple Judaism, the New Testament, and Christian origins. It took more than fifty years for the scrolls to be completely and officially published, and there is no comparable brief, introductory resource. Core Biblical Studies fulfill the need for brief, substantive, yet highly accessible introductions to key subjects and themes in biblical studies. In the shifting tides of biblical interpretation, these books are designed to help students locate relevant meanings in conversation with the text. As a first step toward substantive and subsequent learning, the series draws on the best scholarship in order to provide foundational concepts and contextualized information on a broad scope of issues, methods, perspectives, and trends.
The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible by
From the dramatic find in the caves of Qumran, the world's most ancient version of the Bible allows us to read the scriptures as they were in the time of Jesus.
Introducing the Apocrypha by
This comprehensive, up-to-date introduction to the Old Testament apocryphal books summarizes their context, message, and significance. Now substantially revised and updated throughout.
Introducing the Pseudepigrapha of Second Temple Judaism by
2020 Center for Biblical Studies Book Award (Reference Works)This book introduces readers to a much-neglected and misunderstood assortment of Jewish writings from around the time of the New Testament. Dispelling mistaken notions of "falsely attributed writings" that are commonly inferred from the designation "pseudepigrapha," Daniel Gurtner demonstrates the rich indebtedness these works exhibit to the traditions and scriptures of Israel's past. In surveying many of the most important works, Introducing the Pseudepigrapha of Second Temple Judaism shows how the pseudepigrapha are best appreciated in their own varied contexts rather than as mere "background" to early Christianity or emerging rabbinic Judaism. Foreword by Loren T. Stuckenbruck.
An Introduction to Early Judaism by
Based on the best archaeological research, this volume explores the history of Judaism during the Second Temple period (516 BCE-70 CE), describing the body of Jewish literature written during these centuries and the most important groups, institutions, and practices of the time. Particularly interesting are VanderKam's depiction of events associated with Masada and, more briefly, the Bar Kokhba revolt--as well as his commentary on texts unearthed in places like Elephantine and Qumran. Now in its second edition, with additional material and updated throughout, this book remains the preeminent guide to early Judaism for anyone looking for a text that is concise and accessible while still comprehensive--and written by one of the foremost experts in the field.
Jewish Literature Between the Bible and the Mishnah by
In this fully revised and expanded edition, Nickelsburg introduces the reader to the broad range of Jewish literature that is not part of either the Bible or the standard rabbinic works. This includes especially the Apocrypha (such as 1 Maccabees), the Pseudepigrapha (such as 1 Enoch), the Dead Sea Scrolls, the works of Josephus, and the works of Philo. This new edition also has an enormously helpful CD-ROM, including biblical citation hyperlinks to the NRSV, web links to primary documents, chapter summaries, discussion questions, and about 100 images of related sites and artefacts.
Josephus and the New Testament by
Updated text and new maps bring this standard introduction up to date . . .Throughout Christian history, the works of Josephus have been mined for the light they shed on the world of the New Testament. Josephus tells us about the Herodian family, the temple, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. He mentions James the brother of Jesus, John the Baptist, and even Jesus himself. In Josephus and the New Testament, an internationally acknowledged authority on Josephus introduces this first-century Jewish historian to readers who want to begin to explore his witness to environment in which early Judaism and Christianity took shape.
The Library of Qumran, on the Essenes, Qumran, John the Baptist, and Jesus by 
The Scepter and the Star : the messiahs of the Dead Sea scrolls and other ancient literature by
Here are over two thousand clear and concise definitions in the areas of faith, worship, morals, theology, history and spirituality. Also reflects the changes in the revised Code of Canon Law
The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition by 
Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament by
Readers of the New Testament often encounter quotes or allusions to Old Testament stories and prophecies that are unfamiliar or obscure. In order to fully understand the teachings of Jesus and his followers, it is important to understand the large body of Scripture that preceded and informed their thinking. Leading evangelical scholars G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson have brought together a distinguished team to provide readers with a comprehensive commentary on Old Testament quotations, allusions, and echoes that appear from Matthew through Revelation. College and seminary students, pastors, scholars, and interested lay readers will want to add this unique commentary to their reference libraries. Contributors Craig L. Blomberg (Denver Seminary) on Matthew Rikk E. Watts (Regent College) on Mark David W. Pao (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) and Eckhard J. Schnabel (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on Luke Andreas J. K stenberger (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) on John I. Howard Marshall (University of Aberdeen) on Acts Mark A. Seifrid (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) on Romans Roy E. Ciampa (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) and Brian S. Rosner (Moore Theological College) on 1 Corinthians Peter Balla (K roli G sp r Reformed University, Budapest) on 2 Corinthians Mois s Silva (author of Philippians in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) on Galatians and Philippians Frank S. Thielman (Beeson Divinity School) on Ephesians G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) on Colossians Jeffrey A. D. Weima (Calvin Theological Seminary) on 1 and 2 Thessalonians Philip H. Towner (United Bible Societies) on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus George H. Guthrie (Union University) on Hebrews D. A. Carson (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on the General Epistles G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) and Sean M. McDonough (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) on Revelation
Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament by
This concise guide by a leading New Testament scholar helps readers understand how to better study the multitude of Old Testament references in the New Testament. G. K. Beale, coeditor of the bestselling Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, focuses on the "how to" of interpreting the New Testament use of the Old Testament, providing students and pastors with many of the insights and categories necessary for them to do their own exegesis. Brief enough to be accessible yet thorough enough to be useful, this handbook will be a trusted guide for all students of the Bible. "This handbook provides readers with a wonderful overview of key issues in and tools for the study of the use of the Old Testament in the New. I expect it to become a standard textbook for courses on the subject and the first book to which newcomers will be directed to help them navigate through these sometimes complex waters."--Roy E. Ciampa, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Invitation to the Septuagint by
This comprehensive yet user-friendly primer to the Septuagint acquaints readers with the Greek versions of the Old Testament.
Two Testaments, One Bible: the theological relationship between the Old and New Testaments by
Two Testaments, One Bible
Evoking Scripture: seeing the Old Testament in the New by
In clear and lucid prose Evoking Scripture explores the literary and theological frameworks that lie behind the various quotations from and allusions to the Old Testament in the New. Steve Moyise takes a series of case studies from Mark, Romans, Galatians, 1 Peter and Revelation to raise key questions about the author's hermeneutical stance as well as the methods and assumptions of those who study them. Engaging in debate with scholars such as Christopher Stanley, Richard Hays and Francis Watson, Evoking Scripture draws on the insights of both author-centered and reader-centered approaches, while also offering a critique of them. Each chapter focuses on a particular question. For example, is the opening quotation of Mark's Gospel intended to evoke a prophetic framework for understanding the rest of the book? Does Paul quote Habakkuk in order to evoke its 'theodicy' theme or as a summary of 'righteousness by faith'? Does the prophecy theory of 1 Peter 1:10-12 ('the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be made yours made careful search...') explain the author's actual uses of Scripture? The results are brought together in a final chapter which explores the literary and theological frameworks of the New Testament authors and of the scholars who study them.
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