Readers of all persuasions have a tendency to privilege simple interpretations over complex, unsettling, readings. The more fraught the issue, the more often we find in the history of interpretation that a simple reading has been generated that masks its complexity. 'Longing for Egypt and Other Unexpected Biblical Tales' explores seven cases of textual complexity masked by simple readings. One chapter uncovers a counter-intuitive longing for Egypt alongside the Exodus account of liberation from persecution. Another shows how what appears to be a critical attitude in the Bible towards other gods may reflect inner-Israelite tensions rather than some principled antipathy toward others. Yet another confronts the praise of God as a perfect king with the use of the language of divine kingship as a vehicle for constructive criticism. All seven chapters share a focus on the formation of identity. Arguably the Bible's most sensitive subject, for its authors and for present-day readers, this topic has generated a host of simple readings that conceal immense complexity.

Take a new journey through the Bible you thought you knew.

They may not be quite as you remember them, but each story in this ingenious collection some whimsical, some serious finds its roots in a close reading of the Bible and interpretations of it that originated centuries ago.

Take a look through God s telescope and see how it all really happened: What was it like to be in Joseph s sandals as his brothers sold him into Egyptian slavery? How did Esther use her pretty face as a tool to save the Hebrew people? And what in the name of well, you know who happened to the unicorns included on the ark s original passenger manifest?

Your guide will be a sassy angel named Gabriella. The territory you cover will be familiar. But the questions and insights that these clever, profound stories will prompt you to grapple with may surprise you.

Biblical characters explored include:

Adam Eve Cain Abel Noah Sarah Abraham Isaac Jacob Esau Joseph Moses Jonah Mordechai Haman Esther Ahasuerus Naomi Ruth Samson Delilah David

The first part of this collection is devoted to one of the key questions of the 'Synoptic Problem': the literary and christological relationship between Mark and Q. The second part deals with the 'Third Quest' for the historical Jesus, concentrating on his teaching and its cultural context. These interrelated themes each attract detailed analysis of their methodology as well as their impact on New Testament studies generally, providing a very useful introduction to the state of research in these important fields.

Although many scholars consider Luke 17:22-37 to be "the most important eschatological passage in Luke-Acts, " few agree on the precise meaning of the enigmatic proverb which forms its conclusion (Luke 17:37). Generally, Jesus' logion is taken to convey a macabre image of impending judgement. However, this study offers fresh literary, redactional, and historical evidence to suggest that Luke recast Jesus' saying in order to describe something much more glorious -- the deliverance of the elect. Examination of the material elsewhere in Luke-Acts corroborates Luke's expectation of an ethereal reunion, and suggests that this hope constitutes the most characteristic feature of Lukan eschatology.

In his commentary on the letter of James, Hartin offers a unique approach toward understanding a much-neglected writing. Refusing to read the letter of James through the lens ofPaul, Hartin approaches the letter in its own right. He takes seriously the address to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" (1:1) as directed to Jews who had embraced the message of Jesus and were living outside their homeland, Israel. At the same time, Hartin shows how this letter remains true to Jesus' heritage. Using recent studies on rhetorical culture, Hartin illustrates how James takes Jesus ' sayings and performs them again in his own way to speak to the hearers/readers of his own world.

Hartin examines the text, passage by passage, while providing essential notes and an extensive explanation of the theological meaning of each passage. The value of this commentary lies in its breadth of scholarship and its empathic approach to this writing. The reader will discover new and refreshing insights into the world of early Christianity as well as a teaching that is of perennial significance.

"Patrick J. Hartin was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. He studied at the Gregorian University in Rome and is an ordained priest of the Diocese of Spokane, Washington. He holds two doctorates in Theology: in Ethics and in the New Testament, both from the University of South Africa. Presently he teaches courses in the New Testament and in Classical Civilizations at Gonzaga University. He is the author of eleven books, including: "Apollos" (Paul's Social Network series), "James of Jerusalem "(Interfaces series), and"James, First Peter, Jude, Second Peter" (New Collegeville Bible Commentary series), al published by Liturgical Press.""

A story of a judge who sacrifices his virgin daughter is of course an issue both in ethics and in gender studies. Such is the biblical narrative of Jephthah. Sjoberg undertakes a comparative analysis of six different versions of the Jephthah narrative: the biblical tale in the book of Judges, the Jewish telling in Pseudo-Philo's Liber antiquitatum biblicarum (first century CE), Josephus's report in his Jewish Antiquities (also first century CE), Handel's oratorio Jephtha (1751), the British author E.L. Grant Watson's novel A Mighty Man of Valour (1939), set in Australia, and the short story by the Israeli novelist Amos Oz, 'Upon This Evil Earth' (1981). Five main interpretative strategies are uncovered in this remarkable analysis: condemnation, identification, glorification, alienation and censure. Each strategy affects in different ways the reader's assessment of power relations within the story and the reader's own willingness to change. In a final move, Sjoberg embarks on a critical discussion of the programmes of Elizabeth Schussler Fiorenza and Daniel Patte for an ethics of biblical interpretation. Sjoberg advocates an interpretative pluralism, arguing that biblical studies should stand in the service of the general public.

This book argues that literary features and ritual dynamics within the book of "Leviticus" enlighten each other. The first two chapters establish that one may read "Leviticus" as a coherent literary work and define the genre of "Leviticus" as 'narrativized ritual,' a complex blending of descriptive narrative and prescriptive ritual. In conversation with Catherine Bell, they present several aspects of the text that are ritualized and show how this ritualization implies a negotiation of power relations among participants.The third and fourth chapters examine the first half of "Leviticus", both the legal sections in Lev. 1-7 and 11-15 and the narratives in Lev. 8-10 and 16. These sections alternate between establishing the ritual system and exposing gaps and ambiguities in that system. Chapter 5 turns to the second half of Leviticus, traditionally called the Holiness Code. The ritual language found in this section is less formal and precise, mirroring the way in which the concept of holiness is expanded and extended to the whole people. As this material concludes the book, it relativizes and democratizes the strict ritual system contained in the first half.Over the last 30 years, this pioneering series has established an unrivalled reputation for cutting-edge international scholarship in Biblical Studies and has attracted leading authors and editors in the field. The series takes many original and creative approaches to its subjects, including innovative work from historical and theological perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and more recent developments in cultural studies and reception history.

God Meant It For Good traces the stages of Joseph's life as he matures from a young and impetuous man to one who is prepared to leave his own vindication with God. It presents a case study in total forgiveness exemplified by Joseph's reconciliation with his brothers and applies it to Christian living today. This classic book will challenge, provoke, transform and excite, as the God who taught Joseph to love, forgive and serve, is the God who meant it for good.

2 Maccabees is a Jewish work composed during the 2nd century BCE and preserved by the Church. Written in Hellenistic Greek and told from a Jewish-Hellenistic perspective, 2 Maccabees narrates and interprets the ups and downs of events that took place in Jerusalem prior to and during the Maccabean revolt: institutionalized Hellenization and the foundation of Jerusalem as a polis; the persecution of Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes, accompanied by famous martyrdoms; and the rebellion against Seleucid rule by Judas Maccabaeus. 2 Maccabees is an important source both for the events it describes and for the values and interests of the Judaism of the Hellenistic diaspora that it reflects - which are often quite different from those represented by its competitor, 1 Maccabees.

As discussed in The Da Vinci Code... Long buried and suppressed, the Gnostic Gospels contain the secret writings attributed to the followers of Jesus. In 1945 fifty-two papyrus texts, including gospels and other secret documents, were found concealed in an earthenware jar buried in the Egyptian desert. These so-called Gnostic writings were Coptic translations from the original Greek dating from the time of the New Testament. The material they embodied - poems, quasi-philosophical descriptions of the origins of the universe, myths, magic and instructions for mystic practice - were later declared heretical, as they offered a powerful alternative to the Orthodox Christian tradition. In a book that is as exciting as it is scholarly, Elaine Pagels examines these texts and the questions they pose and shows why Gnosticism was eventually stamped out by the increasingly organised and institutionalised Orthodox Church.

Ancient prophecy was not confined to Israel, yet the phenomenon of prophetic poetry as it developed there was unique. The impact of this poetry on civilization is incalculable, though its origins and motives largely remain mysterious. This book shows that this poetry is inseparable from the empires which determined the history of the ancient Near East and the fate of Israel and Judah from the late-8th century to the end of the 6th century BC - first Assyria, then Babylonia, and finally Persia. Each empire had its own characters and motives, and stimulated a distinct wave of prophecy, led in turn by Isaiah Ben Amos, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and the second Isaiah. The book is an historical interpretation and an anthology of prophetic poetry which uses recent research on imperialism and creativity to produce a radically new interpretation of the biblical prophets. More than three dozen outstanding poems and fragments in new translation from the Hebrew Bible are arranged in a running narrative, from the late-8th century BC until the late-6th century BC.

An inspiring, thematic approach to the Book of Acts. Each theme is applied directly to modern church life, and to the relationship between the church and today's world. Themes opened up include church planting, evangelistic preaching, guidance, leadership and effective communication of the gospel in message and life-style.

This volume which completes the internationally acclaimed three-volume commentary on St Matthew's Gospel includes a verse-by-verse and section-by-section commentary in which all linguistic, historical, and theological issues are discussed in detail. A complete index to all three volumes is included.

Tom Wright has completed a tremendous task: to provide comprehensive guides to all the books of the New Testament, and to furnish them with his own fresh translation of the entire text. Each short passage is followed by a highly readable commentary with helpful background information. The format makes it appropriate also for daily study.

The book of Proverbs is a collection of sayings, poems, and "life's little instructions." Wrestling with the values of things such as creation, livelihood, or moral character, Proverbs exhorts its readers to seek the higher ideals--knowledge, discipline, piety, and order--and offers guidance on how to live in harmony with God, others, and oneself.

Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching is a distinctive resource for those who interpret the Bible in the church. Planned and written specifically for teaching and preaching needs, this critically acclaimed biblical commentary is a major contribution to scholarship and ministry.

Combining three incredibly importantbooks for the teaching of the Church, The Goldsworthy Trilogy offers acomplete and comprehensive guide tounderstanding the gospel throughoutthe whole of Scripture. Hugely popular, this collection is being released in thisspecial format and will be an essentialguide to be used again and again forthose who seek to understand the Biblein the light of who Jesus is.Straightforward in his approach, Goldsworthy looks at how the Bible canonly be understood through the eyesof the gospel. This being the base ofhis interpretation, he studies the OldTestament and its application for today, Israels wisdom literature and its role inthe Christian life and the purpose andcontemporary relevance of the bookof Revelation. This trilogy follows theBible chronologically to give the readera complete overview of evangelicalbiblical interpretation forming anessential one-stop reference that willlast a lifetime.

Scholarly literature on Jesus has often attempted to relate his miracles to their Jewish context, but that context has not been surveyed in its own right. The present study supplies that lack by examining both the ideas on miracle in Second Temple literature (including Josephus, Philo, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha) and the evidence for contemporary Jewish miracle workers. The penultimate chapter explores insights from cultural anthropology to round out the picture obtained from the literary evidence, and the study concludes that Jesus is distinctive as a miracle-worker in his Jewish context while nevertheless fitting into it.

Traditional interpertations in both Judaism and Christianity argue that the Akedah presents not only an ethical question but also an ethical reply. But for the intervention of the angel, Abraham would have killed his son. Obedience to God take precedence over morality as humanly conceived. Yet, the angel of YHWH that appears to Abraham is a later addition to the text; thus, in the original narrative Abraham actually disobeys the divine command to slay his son, and sacrifices a ram instead. The first part of the book shows how the "original" version of the narrative did not contain the angelic figure. The second part of the book re-examines various religious interpretations of the text to show that exegetes such as Maimonides and his followers did point out Abraham's disobedience. According to these writers the esoteric layer of the story in fact declares that disobedience to God's command was Abraham's true affirmation of faith. In th ethird part of the book, Boehm re-opens the philosophical debate between Kant and Kierkegaard. Boehm concludes the book by contending that the monotheistic model of faith presented by Abraham was actually a model of disobedience.