The study of Ezra-Nehemiah has been revolutionized in recent years by a growing rejection of the long-established belief that it was composed as part of the ChroniclerGCOs work. That shift in scholarly paradigms has re-opened many questions of origin and purpose, and this thesis attempts to establish an answer to the most important of these: the question of authorship. Here, Kyungjin Min argues that Ezra-Nehemiah most likely originated in a Levitical group that received Persian backing during the late-fifth century BCE and that valued the ideologies of decentralization of power, unity and cooperation among social groups, and dissatisfaction with the religious status quo.

This commentary is written primarily for beginning students and enquiring lay people, though it will also prove useful to scholars, clergy and others involved in helping people to understand the Bible better. The commentary provides an introduction to the background, structure and message of each biblical book, followed by a running commentary on the text in which key words and phrases, as well as any contentious issues, are explained in more detail. Full bibliographies and indexes are also included.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.

This study not only carefully investigates the Jewish tradition of water and Spirit as the normative background of John 4, but also develops temple Christology by connecting these distinct traditions of water and the Spirit as eschatological life for John's use of Spirit as the source of new creational life. The aim of this thesis is to answer the following three crucial questions in order to sustain the development of the temple Christological theme in John 4: 1) What does the image of water represent?; 2) What does it mean to worship in Spirit and truth?, and 3) How do the disparate parts (water scene [4:6-15] and the Spirit scene [4:20-26]) function as a whole?

Did 1st century Mediterranean readers of the fourth Gospel have comparable literary examples to inform their comprehension of Moses as a character? In addressing this question, Harstine's study falls into two parts: the first is an analysis of the character Moses as utilized in the text of the fourth Gospel, and the second is an examination of other Hellenistic narrative texts, in which the character of Homer is also considered, as another important legendary figure with whom the readers of the fourth Gospel would have been familiar.

In the ancient world, crucifixion epitomized all that was shameful, servile and lowly. Jesus' death on a cross would have been a stumbling block for many. Luke recognized this prevailing attitude toward crucifixion, and sought to show that Jesus' death was noble and praiseworthy, even according to the Roman world's own standards. Scaer argues that Luke drew upon the Noble Death tradition, especially as found in Graeco-Roman rhetoric, in depicting Jesus as a man of courage and virtue. Luke also made use of Jewish-Hellenistic martyrological traditions to present Jesus' death as worthy not only of honour, but even of emulation. Most provocatively, Scaer contends that the third evangelist drew specific motifs from the Socrates story in order to show that the founder of the new Christian movement was a noble and just man, deserving of the utmost respect. In using these Graeco-Roman sources as he fashioned his narrative of Jesus' death, Luke reveals himself as a masterful author in the classical tradition, intent on portraying Christianity as a world class religion.

"Cats help me pray," says Herbert Brokering. This collection of whimsical, insightful psalms, or prayers, is based on Brokering's observations of cats he has known through his life - farm cats, house cats, alley cats. Each psalm expresses an observation about a cat's nature, written in the "voice" of the cat, followed by a prayer in which the human spirit speaks of its cat-like nature to God. Cat Psalms is for those who wish to pray more deeply, with more imagination and understanding, and offers fresh ways to see ourselves and new ways to pray.

This unique commentary allows the interpretation of Isaiah 1-39 to be guided by the final form of the book. It focuses on the theological aspect of the book of Isaiah, giving special attention to the role of literary context. Christopher Seitz explores structural and organizational concerns as clues to the editorial intention of the final form of the material, which he argues is both intelligible and an intended result of the efforts of those who gave shape to the present form of the book.

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.

Creative ways we can understand the psalms ... and use their power to enrich our lives.

What is the mysterious power of psalms, the power that has made them beloved for thousands of years? This inspiring introduction shows us not only how to read the psalms with understanding, but how we can bring them into our lives, in: Facing our enemies Dealing with anger Overcoming feeling let down or abandoned Coping with sickness in ourselves or those we love Expressing our thanks

A creative and personal firsthand approach to the Book of Psalms, it offers stories and examples that help us interpret and explore the unusual power of the psalms and use them to enrich our lives.

Love has been described in so many ways, but do we really understand what it means? This 30-day devotional in the Food for the Journey series drills down to what love really is, and how it is ultimately defined in and by God - a God who loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son to rescue us from sin and reconcile us to himself. Covering passages from across the Old and New Testaments, in this devotional some of the Keswick Convention's best preachers - including Vaughan Roberts, David Coffey and Rico Tice - mine the riches of the Bible's wisdom on love. In self-contained daily devotions they show us how we rest assured that God's love is everlasting, unconditional and breathtaking in its immensity. In a small, slim paperback format, Love: Food for the Journey is perfect for carrying around with you on the go. Like all the Food for the Journey books, its undated format means you can start and finish at any time of the year, and work through it at your own pace. Uplifting and encouraging, this short devotional invites us to bask in God's love, appreciate afresh its depth and richness, and warm our hearts, equipping and empowering us to love and serve him better.

From his earliest anointing in 1 Samuel 16 until his deathbed discourse in 1 Kings 2, David is surrounded by a remarkable cast of supporting characters -- an ensemble whose varying perspectives on him create some of the complexity of this royal character in the biblical narrative. David's older brother Eliab speaks only once to his younger sibling, but this conversation has significant implications for the larger narrative. The encounter with Ahimelech the priest in 1 Samuel 21-22 in many ways symbolizes the 'crossing fates' of David and Saul in the sanctuary at Nob. Abner is the rival general who wants to make a deal, but his actions are difficult to gauge: does he have his own set of royal ambitions? Joab is pre-eminently a man of action and a key commander of David's troops, but this military figure surprisingly turns out to be as well an innovative reader and royal exegete. Nathan the prophet has a tendency to surface at pivotal moments in the story, as a decisive influence on the spiritual and political affairs of the king. Ahithophel is a senior counsellor in the Davidic administration who becomes mysteriously embittered against David in the rebellion of Absalom; in narratives about him there is a confluence of tangled motives and prophetic words. Finally, Solomon is the younger son who accedes to the coveted Davidic throne, and curiously shares traits with his ancestor Jacob and has a swearing problem in 1 Kings 1-2.

The work of social theorist Anthony Giddens provides the basis for a critical discussion of current methods employed in sociological studies of the New Testament and for the presentation of a new approach. The focus of these studies is the Corinthian correspondence, including both the letters written by Paul and the letter known as 1 Clement, sent from Rome to Corinth around the end of the first century. This correspondence provides rich material for a study of the social ethos of early Christian teaching and its development. It allows an assessment of how Pauline Christianity shapes relationships within the Christian community and how the social ethos of the 'symbolic order' changes as it develops through time in a changing context. Throughout David Horrell also explores where and how the different teachings serve to legitimate or sustain the dominant social order and the interests and positions of the socially powerful.

Until recently Leviticus has been read, especially in Christian circles, as part of a 'priestly' work with a predominantly prescriptive and ritualistic agenda. In this volume of papers read at a colloquium held in honour of Mary Douglas at Lancaster University in 1995, experts in the Hebrew Bible, Jewish law, comparative law, classical literature and social anthropology raise challenging questions about the composition, context and purpose of the book. Can it be read as an autonomous literary unit? How significant are its unique ethical insights? Is it law or narrative? Does it reflect actual Second Temple Period practice? How is it related to the Mishnah?>

This book is about both the fear of gender reversal and its expression in the prophet Ezekiel's reworking of the marital metaphor. Kamionkowski argues that the abomination of "wife Jerusalem" is that she is attempting to pass for a male, thereby crossing gender boundaries and upsetting the world order. This story is therefore one of confused gender scripts, ensuing chaos and a re-ordering through the reinforcement of these strictly defined prescriptions of gendered behaviour.

Using socio-historical evidence and the existence of the literary motif of "men turning into women" as a framework, this book argues that Ezekiel 16, in particular, reflects the gender chaos which arises as an aftermath of social and theological crises.

Two fundamental experiences of Yahweh in the Old Testament are an encounter with the 'word' of Yahweh and an encounter with the 'spirit' or 'wind' or 'breath' (rva-) of Yahweh. This thesis explores 'word', rva-, and their relationship in the book of Ezekiel. According to the dominant paradigm for explaining the emphasis on rva- and its relation to Yahweh's word within the book of Ezekiel, the prophet Ezekiel is recovering from the pre-classical prophets, or even pioneering, an emphasis on rva- in prophecy that is conspicuously absent from the classical, writing prophets. This reading interprets the emphasis on rva- in Ezekiel in terms of the self-authentication of the ministry of the prophet. This book examines the relationship between rva- and prophecy in Ezekiel and in the rest of the Old Testament, and shows that the dominant paradigm requires modification. The emphasis on Yahweh's rva- in Ezekiel, even the 'prophetic spirit', is best understood in relation to the book's concern for the transformation of its addressees. The prophet Ezekiel's experience of Yahweh's rva- and his own obedience to Yahweh's call are clearly contrasted with the disobedience of the prophet's addressees in order to present Ezekiel as a model for the addressees of the book. His experience illuminates for them how the dramatic vision of the future can become a reality in their experience. Yahweh's rva- has a fundamental role in the envisaged obedient response to Yahweh's word, both of Ezekiel and of the book's addressees.

'Joshua and the Rhetoric of Violence' examines the book of Joshua as a construction of national identity. This pioneering New Historicist analysis shows how the Deuteronomist used war oracle language and epic historical lore to negotiate sociopolitical boundaries. It asserts that text and context interacted in a programme consolidating King Josiah's authority in the wake of Assyrian imperial collapse. The book argues that the conquest narrative is not simple 'us against them' propaganda but a complex web of negotiations defining identity and otherness. The analysis draws on Foucault's principle that power is something exercised rather than merely possessed.

This volume, the fruit of the sessions on the Book of Acts at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, in San Antonio, Texas, in November 2004, contains these papers: Robert C. Tannehill, 'Do the Ethics of Acts Include the Ethical Teaching in Luke?' C. Kavin Rowe, 'Authority and Community: Lukan Dominium in Acts' F. Scott Spencer, 'Wise Up, Young Man: The Moral Vision of Saul and Other "Neaniskoi" in Acts' Stanley E. Porter, 'The Genre of Acts and the Ethics of Discourse' Robert L. Brawley, 'Identity and the Aim of an Accomplished Life in Acts' Matthew L. Skinner, 'The Importance of Paul's Custody in Acts 21-28 for Determining Luke's Sociopolitical Vision' Thomas E. Phillips, 'Paul as Role Model in Acts' Richard Paul Thompson, '"What Do You Think You Are Doing, Paul?" Synagogues, Accusations, and Ethics in Paul's Ministry in Acts 16-21' Pamela Kinlaw, '"Devout and God-Fearing": Cornelius, Pacifism, and Just War'

The purpose of this volume is to honor the work of Edgar Conrad; it is therefore a festschrift. The essays focus on various aspects of Conrads work, especially the prophetic literature, the Bible as literature, canonical issues, and engaged readings. In developing these lines of scholarship, the authors pay tribute to Conrad and seek to take his work further. The contributions from Korean scholars are especially noteworthy, since Conrad has had significant influence on Korean biblical scholarship through students who studied under him at the University of Queensland.