Top Jesus scholars Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan join together to reveal a radical and little-known Jesus. As both authors reacted to and responded to questions about Mel Gibson's blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ," they discovered that many Christians are unclear on the details of events during the week leading up to Jesus's crucifixion.

Using the gospel of Mark as their guide, Borg and Crossan present a day-by-day account of Jesus's final week of life. They begin their story on Palm Sunday with two triumphal entries into Jerusalem. The first entry, that of Roman governor Pontius Pilate leading Roman soldiers into the city, symbolized military strength. The second heralded a new kind of moral hero who was praised by the people as he rode in on a humble donkey. The Jesus introduced by Borg and Crossan is this new moral hero, a more dangerous Jesus than the one enshrined in the church's traditional teachings.

"The Last Week" depicts Jesus giving up his life to protest power without justice and to condemn the rich who lack concern for the poor. In this vein, at the end of the week Jesus marches up Calvary, offering himself as a model for others to do the same when they are confronted by similar issues. Informed, challenged, and inspired, we not only meet the historical Jesus, but meet a new Jesus who engages us and invites us to follow him.

Provocative dramatic monologues allow Biblical women to tell their own stories as the author puts herself in the shoes of the Virgin Mary, Miriam, Mary Magdalene, Elizabeth, the Syrophoenician or Canaanite woman, Lydia, Ruth, Gomer, Michal, Tamar, and Peter's wife.

Contains study questions, journal meditations and group activities that encourage spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of God's word. This book focuses on the Gospel of Mark.

An interpretation of Leviticus 20, updated for publication. In addition to classical methods of exegesis, it also uses other approaches, particularly those from cultural anthropology. The study first clarifies the scholarly prerequisites for an interpretation of the text, working on the assumption that Leviticus 17-26 is an integral part of the Priestly Source ("P" text). The text itself is examined in both its synchronic and diachronic aspects and identified as a reader and sermon which reflects internal Jewish conflicts in the post-exile community. The whole of the formulaic content of the death sentences contained in Leviticus 20 is analysed thoroughly and discussed against the background of the thesis of "social death" (H.-P. Hasenfratz). Within the text complex of Leviticus 11-22, Leviticus 20 is concerned with irreversible impurity, which leads to exclusion from Israel, and the concluding interpretation of Israel as a people sacred to YHWH. The study closes with a theology of Leviticus 20 and a preview of the history of capital punishment in later Judaism.

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. InThe 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.

Book Description Of Greek and Hebrew, Hebrew strikes the most fear in the heart of the Bible student. The alphabet does not look anything like English. The vocabulary offers almost no points of contact with English. The verb system is utterly alien. And the lexicons, grammars and textbooks are wrapped up in a meta-language--spiked with Latin--that is daunting in itself. For those who feel that studying the English Old Testament is a challenge, the thought of reading it in Hebrew is extreme. Hebrew students need all the help they can get. If you are beginning your study of Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible, this pocket dictionary by Todd J. Murphy is for you. From ablative to zaqeph qaton, it defines the tangled terms that infest Hebrew textbooks, grammars and lexicons. Here is a book that will deliver you from the perils of the Piel and the thicket of metathesis. It is an indispensable glossary that will cut through that technical language--neither Hebrew nor English--that hovers like ground fog over the study and discussion of biblical Hebrew. Now you can devote more time to enjoying biblical Hebrew in all its richness.

Many books--many fine books--have been published on the fruits of the Spirit. But none are quite like Life on the Vine. Philip Kenneson combines in this book rich, theologically grounded reflection on Christian life and practice with stunning analysis of contemporary culture. After a probing introductory chapter on the necessity and complexity of cultural analysis, Kenneson takes up each of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. He explores what each fruit means in its biblical context, then investigates how key traits of late modern Western culture inhibit the development and ripening of each fruit. Life on the Vine is that rare book that will reward the reader on many levels. It may be read as a biblical and theological study, as an inspirational work on spirituality, as incisive cultural criticism and as a practical guide to Christian discipleship.

Bible Basics provides a quick reference to the people, places, events, and content of the books of the Bible. Assuming no previous biblical knowledge, this book is an ideal starting point for study. It can serve as a quick "refresher" for seminarians, study groups, and laity. Five multiple-choice quizzes (100 questions each) help test knowledge of biblical content. For students studying for their ordination exams, this book will be invaluable.

The Gospel of Thomas sheds new light on the origins of Christianity and portrays Jesus as a wisdom-loving sage. This collection of aphoristic sayings portrays the kingdom of God as a present fact about the world, rather than a future promise or future threat.

Through facing-page commentary this edition focuses on the meaning of the sayings as those teachings were preserved by an ancient source outside of the canonical New Testament, and brings to life the challenging and intriguing figure of Jesus in a new light. Now readers can approach this important spiritual text with no previous background knowledge in Christian history or thought.

These essays deal with the interaction between culture and politics during the period of the Austrian Corporate State, the five years preceding the Anschluss in 1938. The contributions show that no aspect of literary and cultural life remained unchanged by the National Socialist infiltration that took place in the 1930s. All Austrian writers, publishers, theater directors, and film makers had to decide whether to face economic penalty by opposing National Socialism and being blacklisted in Germany or to seek financial advantage by joining the Nazi movement. Jewish writers and political activists had no choice but were forced to flee into exile or face imprisonment in concentration camps after the Anschluss.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer teaches readers how to create change in their lives and truly receive God's blessings. Includes powerful Scriptures covering over 50 topics, such as patience, loneliness, and wisdom.

There have been many studies of the women in the Gospels, but this is a new kind of book on the subject. Rather than offering a general overview of the Gospel women or focusing on a single theme, Richard Bauckham studies in great depth both the individual women who appear in the Gospels and the specific passages in which they appear.

This unique approach reveals that there is much more to be known about such women than previous studies have assumed. Employing historical and literary readings of the biblical texts, Bauckham successfully captures the particularity of each woman he studies.

An opening look at the Old Testament book of Ruth introduces the possibilities of reading Scripture from a womans perspective. Other studies examine the women found in Matthews and Lukes genealogies, the prophet Anna, Mary of Clopas, Joanna, Salome, and the women featured in the Gospel resurrection narrative. A number of these women have never been the subject of deep theological enquiry.

Unlike most recent books, Bauckhams work is not dominated by a feminist agenda. It does not presume in advance that the Gospel texts support patriarchal oppression, but it does venture some of the new and surprising possibilities that arise when the texts are read from the perspective of their female characters.

Astute, sensitive to issues of gender, and written by one of todays leading theologians, "Gospel Women will be of interest to a wide range of readers.

The ESV Study Bible, Large Print includes nearly all the features of the award-winning ESV Study Bible in highly readable, large-print type. A new typesetting allows for increased readability while maintaining the same trim size of the original. All of the original's extensive articles, 20,000 study notes, 240 maps and illustrations, charts, timelines, and book introductions are included in a two-color interior. Those looking for the ESV Study Bible in a readable and reasonably sized format will enjoy this large print edition. Size: 6.5" x 9.25" 11-point type 3,008 pages Black letter text Double-column, paragraph format Cross-references Concordance Book introductions 20,000 study notes 240 two-color maps and illustrations Charts and timelines Free access to the ESV Online Study Bible

Good and evil, clean and unclean, rich and poor, self and other. The nature and function of such binary oppositions have long intrigued scholars in such fields as philosophy, linguistics, classics, and anthropology. From the opening chapters of Genesis, in which God separates day from night, and Adam and Eve partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, dyadic pairs proliferate throughout the Hebrew Bible. In this groundbreaking work melding critical exegesis and contemporary theory, Saul M. Olyan considers the prevalence of polarities in biblical discourse and expounds their significance for the social and religious institutions of ancient Israel. Extant biblical narrative and legal texts reveal a set of socially constructed and culturally privileged binary oppositions, Olyan argues, which instigate and perpetuate hierarchical social relations in ritual settings such as the sanctuary.

Focusing on four binary pairs--holy/common, Israelite/alien, clean/unclean, and whole/blemished--Olyan shows how these privileged oppositions were used to restrict access to cultic spaces, such as the temple or the Passover table. These ritual sites, therefore, became the primary contexts for creating and recreating unequal social relations. Olyan also uncovers a pattern of challenge to the established hierarchies by nonprivileged groups. Converging with contemporary issues of power, marginalization, and privileging, Olyan's painstaking yet lucid study abounds with implications for anthropology, classics, critical theory, and feminist studies.

How to Know What the Bible Teaches is a reliable guide for achieving a clear understanding of the Bible and beginning the discipline of systematic Bible study. Designed as a concise overview of what the Bible teaches, it is a simple introduction to the adventure of learning God's Word. Here is what the Bible says about: - The Word of God - The Trinity - God's relationship with the world - Sin and its remedies - The person and work of the Holy Spirit - The blessings of life in Christ - God - Creation and the Fall - The person and work of Christ - Faith and repentance - The Christian life The topics highlight a method for studying the Bible and growing as a Christian. Bible verses to commit to memory are included. Already a bestseller for many years, How to Know What the Bible Teaches was originally written by James Gray, a former president of the Moody Bible Institute. It has been updated by the staff of the Moody Bible Institute.

In this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), bestselling author Dr. David Jeremiah reminds us that the Christian life is to be lived looking forward and with our eyes fixed on the race in front of us—not looking back over at our shoulder at the other runners or the past. In the Bible, the apostle said as much when he wrote, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14 (NKJV).

Dr. Jeremiah draws on this key verse to show that while it is good at times to look back, we need to make sure that we don't go back and allow the past to dictate our future. We need to celebrate our good memories but also celebrate our bad memories with finality—thanking God for the lessons that He has taught us through the experience and committing to use those lesson to make positive changes in our lives. We then need to allow our past memories to cultivate our dreams—boldly stepping into the mission God has for us and allowing Him to continually transform us to be more like Christ.

Now is the time to step past our comfort and our failure. Now is the time to move forward in following God.

World-renowned Bible translator and commentator George M. Lamsa explains nearly one thousand crucial idioms that will enrich reading of the Old and New Testaments for students and general reader alike.

Lamsa, who was raised speaking Aramaic in a community that followed customs largely unchanged since the times of Christ, offers fresh, accurate translations of important idioms, metaphors, and figures of speech found in the Scripture--and provides clear explanations of their meaning of biblical context.

Just as Shakespeare, Milton, and Browning wrote in the vernacular for English-speaking people, Moses the prophets, and the apostles wrote for their own people in the plain language of their times, so that even the unlearned might understand God's Word. Over the centuries, inaccurate translations and misunderstandings of customs and concepts have led to difficulties in bringing the biblical message to contemporary English-speaking readers.

For example, when a man says to Jesus, "let me bury my father," Lamsa points out that this expression means, "Let me first take care of my father until he dies." Traditionally, scholars assumed that this man's father was dead and that Jesus was not interested in his burial. Lamsa's scholarship offers a more accurate understanding of the intent and spirit of this passage.

Idioms in the Bible Explained and a Key to the Original Gospels goes far in correcting such errors that have crept into Biblical scholarship. Obscure and difficult passages from both Old and New Testaments are listed and compared with the King James version (though it will be helpful when used with any English version). These make clear the original meaning of such ancient idioms and assure that our grasp of the biblical message is more sound and rewarding.

To further uncover the original teachings of Scripture, Idioms in the Bible Explained and a Key to the Original Gospels, Lamsa discusses at greater length such topics as "The Language of Jesus," "Aramaic Phraseology," "The Sayings of Jesus," "Early Translations," and more..

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) is known to be the definitive edition of the Hebrew Bible. It is widely regarded as a reliable edition of the Hebrew and Aramaic scriptures and is the most widely used original-language edition among scholars.
It is a revision of the third edition of the Biblia Hebraica edited by Rudolf Kittel, the first Bible to be based on the Leningrad Codex. The Leningrad Codex is the oldest complete Hebrew Bible still preserved. It originally appeared in installments, from 1968 to 1976, with the first one-volume edition in 1977; it has since been reprinted many times. The text is a nearly exact copy of the Masoretic Text as recorded in the Leningrad Codex. The Masoretic notes are completely revised.
Included is a foreword in German, English, French, Spanish and Latin as well as an English and German key to the Latin words, abbreviations and other symbols in the critical apparatus.
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) Wide Margin Edition is identical in content to the Standard Edition but is larger in size and priced lower. The Wide Margin Edition gives professors and students the opportunity to make notes in their Bible as they translate the Hebrew Scriptures.