The Scriptures of Ancient Judaism: A Secular Introduction provides students with a scholarly exploration of the literature and themes of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and cognate Near Eastern materials. The text features diverse interdisciplinary and methodological points of view from secular biblical scholars, offering readers a comprehensive, thoughtful, and accessible point of entry to the study of the ancient world and the religious heritage of Judaism. The text approaches the scriptures of ancient Judaism without religious bias or dogmatic intent. Rather, the book is designed to ignite interest in the history and literature of the ancient world and to present the latest scholarship related to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. Students are introduced to Israelite religious traditions, their unique worldviews, and offered a primer on how to read ancient texts. Later chapters examine the histories and cultures of the ancient Near East and Jewish historiography. Legal texts, prophetic texts, biblical poetry and wisdom literature, and apocalyptic writings found within the Hebrew Bible and other related texts are analyzed. Providing students a rich and complete introduction, The Scriptures of Ancient Judaism is an ideal text for courses in biblical studies.

The books of Ezekiel and Daniel are rich in imagery that is taken up afresh in the New Testament. Echoes of Ezekiel-with its words of doom and hope, vision of a new temple, and scroll-eating prophet-are especially apparent in the book of Revelation. Daniel is most notable in supplying terminology and imagery for Jesus of Nazareth's favored self-description as "Son of man," a phrase also found in Ezekiel. The four beasts of Daniel find their counterparts in the lion, ox, man, and eagle of Ezekiel and Revelation. It is no wonder these books, despite the difficulties in interpreting them, took hold on the imagination of the early church. In this Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture volume, over forty church fathers are cited in the commentary on Ezekiel, some of whom are here translated into English for the first time, but pride of place goes to four significant extant works: the homilies of Origen and Gregory the Great, and the commentaries of Jerome and Theodoret of Cyr, thus bridging East and West, North and South. A similar array of fathers are found within the commentary on Daniel. Extensive comments derive from the works of Theodoret of Cyr, Hippolytus, Jerome, and Isho'dad of Merv, providing a wealth of insight.

God Speaks! The Book of Numbers follows the journey of the Israelite people from the Exodus from Egypt until their entrance into the Promised Land. This book is deeply relevant for a wandering generation today who need to make their way back to God. The book points to Christ and provides important instruction for believers today. Discover how God speaks even in the wilderness!

Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:23) and Haftarah (Isaiah 6:1-7:6; 9:5-6): The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary shows teens in their own language how Torah addresses the issues in their world. The conversational tone is inviting and dignified, concise and substantial, direct and informative. Each pamphlet includes a general introduction, two model divrei Torah on the weekly Torah portion, and one model davar Torah on the weekly Haftarah portion. Jewish learning-for young people and adults-will never be the same. The complete set of weekly portions is available in Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin's book The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (JPS, 2017).

Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19) and Haftarah (1 Kings 5:26-6:13): The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary shows teens in their own language how Torah addresses the issues in their world. The conversational tone is inviting and dignified, concise and substantial, direct and informative. Each pamphlet includes a general introduction, two model divrei Torah on the weekly Torah portion, and one model davar Torah on the weekly Haftarah portion. Jewish learning-for young people and adults-will never be the same. The complete set of weekly portions is available in Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin's book The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (JPS, 2017).

Ki Tissa' (Exodus 30:11-34:35) and Haftarah (1 Kings 18:1-39): The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary shows teens in their own language how Torah addresses the issues in their world. The conversational tone is inviting and dignified, concise and substantial, direct and informative. Each pamphlet includes a general introduction, two model divrei Torah on the weekly Torah portion, and one model davar Torah on the weekly Haftarah portion. Jewish learning-for young people and adults-will never be the same. The complete set of weekly portions is available in Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin's book The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (JPS, 2017).

At one time, apocalyptic literature was relegated to the more obscure reaches of biblical scholarship, acceptable to occasionally refer to, but too thorny to delve into deeply. However, in recent decades it has moved to the forefront of research. The rich veins of wisdom to be mined therein are being rediscovered. Richard A. Taylor has crafted a handbook to explore those riches and uncover a way to understand apocalyptic literature more fully. Using the characteristic six-chapter structure of the Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis series, Taylor offers an introduction to the genre; covers the purpose, message, and primary themes; and then discusses critical questions and helpful works for study. He provides guidelines for interpretation of the text, and then lays out sample texts on which to practice those guidelines. Taylor does more than simply consider the history of the texts and those who have previously studied them; he uses these as a foundation for and springboard into the proclamation of apocalyptic literature.

Exodus shows how God delivers his people and makes it possible for him to dwell among them, so they might make him known among the nations. What does it mean to be liberated from slavery to serve God in our everyday contexts today? Antony Billington's six-session guide, with his astute mini-features, skillful questions, and timely notes, will help you explore how Exodus shapes our understanding of God, how he saves us, and the part we play in his purposes for the world. You'll gain fresh insight into its inspiring implications for all of life, Monday through Sunday. Session 1: Exodus 3:1-17 - Hearing God's Call Session 2: Exodus 12:1-13, 29-32 - Experiencing God's Deliverance Session 3: Exodus 16:1-26 - Trusting God's Provision Session 4: Exodus 19:1-6 and 20:1-17 - Becoming God's People Session 5: Exodus 25:1-9 and 31:1-11 - Building God's Dwelling-Place Session 6: Exodus 32:7-14 and 34:4-7 - Encountering God's Presence Perfect for on-your-own study or small groups, this is a beautiful, keep-able book, so everyone in your small group can have their own copy to make notes in, reflect further, and go deeper in study. Why not use Exodus as your next small group study? The Gateway Seven series offers a fresh encounter with God through seven biblical books, each representing a distinctive genre. Together they will deepen your understanding of the whole Bible and open a gateway to insights and implications that will have an impact on you and your life - seven days a week.

An introduction to the Old Testament prophetic book of Zechariah is followed by a verse-by-verse commentary on the text.

Notions of women as found in the Bible have had an incalculable impact on western cultures, influencing perspectives on marriage, kinship, legal practice, political status, and general attitudes. Women and Exilic Identity in the Hebrew Bible is drawn from three separate strands to address and analyse this phenomenon. The first examines how women were conceptualized and represented during the exilic period. The second focuses on methodological possibilities and drawbacks connected to investigating women and exile. The third reviews current prominent literature on the topic, with responses from authors. With chapters from a range of contributors, topics move from an analysis of Ruth as a woman returning to her homeland, and issues concerning the foreign presence who brings foreign family members into the midst of a community, and how this is dealt with, through the intermarriage crisis portrayed in Ezra 9-10, to an analysis of Judean constructions of gender in the exilic and early post-exilic periods. The contributions show an exciting range of the best scholarship on women and foreign identities, with important consequences for how the foreign/known is perceived, and what that has meant for women through the centuries.