"No scholar of this generation has had a greater fire in his bones for communicating the word of God than Walter Brueggemann. These essays on Jeremiah exemplify his insistence that criticism should lead to interpretation, and remind us again why prophets like Jeremiah still matter in the 21st century." - John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament, Yale "Like Fire in the Bones is a gift to the churches and to anyone interested in prophetic literature with its harsh rhetoric, blazing visions, and demanding yet merciful God. Jeremiah may have had fire in his bones, but Brueggemann sets fires with his pen. He shows how Jeremiah speaks into the abyss of historical catastrophe with speech that matches experience. He underlines the disputatious political character of theological speech. He reiterates Jeremiah's call to covenant loyalty even in the face of religious and government forces that suppress and silence words of life. He illuminates Jeremiah's bare-boned hope for a world in the thrall of empire and social amnesia. If ever there was need for imaginative rereading of Jeremiah and of the texts of common life, it is now. At this, Brueggemann is a master." - Kathleen M. O'Connor, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary "Jeremiah, the longest book in the Bible, is neglected much too often by preacher and teacher alike. That neglect is due, in significant part, to the prophet's often-sharp words that strike too close to home, in his own generation and in ours. It is telling that the prophet Jeremiah, the focus of these essays that span much of Walter Brueggemann's prophetic ministry, has been in his head and heart for such a long time. Again and again, Brueggemann's own words have mirrored Jeremiah to us, and the times in which we presently live could profit from hearing them again." - Terence E. Fretheim, Elva B. Lovell Professor of Old Testament, Luther Seminary

With An Introduction And Appendices. Eight Lectures Preached Before The University Of Oxford In The Year 1889 On The Foundation Of The Late Rev. John Bampton, Canon Of Salisbury.

Attempts to reconstruct the compositional history of the book of Isaiah confine themselves mainly to chapters 1-12 and 28-39, supposed to shroud the basic core of any early collection of Isaianic texts. Other investigations which verge on the group of prophecies concerning the nations in Isa 13-23 rarely delve into exegetical details to the extent that the reader of Isaiah would feel convinced to stand here on familiar grounds. Even others, overtly restricted to a small pericope inside Isa 13-23, often neglect the significance of this larger context. This book provides a thorough analysis of Isaiah 18-20, concerned with Egypt and Kush, from the earliest stages to their final contextualisation within the developing corpus of the Isaianic prophecies regarding the nations.

2011 Reprint of 1920 Seventh Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Levi H. Dowling (1844-1911), who originally published "The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ" under the sole name of Levi, was a Church of Christ pastor, a Civil War chaplain for the Union Army, a practitioner of homeopathic medicine, a New Thought lecturer, and a religious publisher. Levi maintained he had transcribed the text of the book from the Akashic records. In the later 20th century, it was adopted by New Age spiritual groups. The title is derived from the practice in astrology of naming time periods in terms of constellations and their dominant positions in the sky. In that system, the Age of Aquarius is approaching. The Aquarian Gospel makes the following claims, among others: The revelation of the Aquarian Gospel was prophesied 2000 years ago by Elihu, who conducted a school of the prophets in Zoan, Egypt. Jesus puts on the role of The Christ, but is not automatically Christ by nature. By making himself, through effort and prayer, a fit vessel, Jesus enabled The Christ to dwell within him. Christ is therefore used as a term for the perfect human being that Jesus exemplified, a human being that has been "Christened" (anointed) and therefore made holy. Jesus came to earth to show the way back to God via his lifestyle and teachings. He is the example we must model our own lives after, if we seek salvation. Reincarnation exists, and is the explanation for various seeming injustices. Reincarnation allows people to settle debts they have incurred in past lives. Humanity has forgotten God and is currently working its way back to fully remembering God. Time is separated into ages. These ages last approximately 2,000 years. We are now nearing the start of the Aquarian Age. All souls will eventually mature and become perfect, like Jesus, thus ending the cycle of reincarnation. No soul is ever abandoned by God.

Synopsis: Like the book of Romans in the New Testament, the book of Deuteronomy provides the most systematic and sustained presentation of theology in the Old Testament. And like the Gospel of John, it represents mature theological reflection on God's great acts of salvation, in this case associated with the exodus of Israel from Egypt. Unfortunately, for many Christians, Deuteronomy is a dead book, either because its contents are unknown or because its message is misunderstood. The essays in this collection arise from a larger project driven by a passion to recover for Christians the life-giving message of the Old Testament in general and the gospel according to Moses in particular. The "meditations" cover a wide range of topics, from explorations into the meaning of specific texts to considerations of the ethical and homiletical relevance of the book for Christians today. Endorsements: "Dan Block is a world-class scholar and dynamic Bible teacher who has a passion for helping the church understand the Old Testament. In this volume, which is the fruit of decades of careful study in the book of Deuteronomy, Dr. Block brings clarity to crucial issues in biblical interpretation and reveals the grace of God in the law of Moses." --Philip G. Ryken President, Wheaton College "Daniel Block makes a persuasive case for the critical importance of the book of Deuteronomy. It culminates the Pentateuch and throws a long shadow of influence on the rest of the Old Testament. One must understand Deuteronomy to understand the Old Testament. Through his erudition and his love for the word of God, Block powerfully unpacks this crucial book. His passion is contagious and his insight will transform how you read Deuteronomy." --Tremper Longman III Robert H. Gundry Professor of Old Testament Westmont College "Block writes with energy, passion, and clarity. He is at home both in teasing out linguistic details and in delineating large theological landscapes. Known as a first-rate teacher, Block's research is thorough, his arguments compelling (e.g., the Shema' text), and his graphs and tables helpful. This good menu of articles on worship, leadership, mission, the Decalogue, etc., is flavored with spicy ANE input, with challenging applications, and above all with scholarly acumen and spiritual fervor." --Elmer A. Martens President Emeritus and Professor of Old Testament Emeritus Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary Author Biography: Daniel I. Block is the Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois. He is the author of The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 1-24 (1997), The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 25-48 (1998), Judges and Ruth (1999), and Deuteronomy (NIVAC, forthcoming).

Since James Barr's work in the 1960s, the challenge for Hebrew scholars has been to continue to apply the insights of linguistic semantics to the study of biblical Hebrew. This book begins by describing a range of approaches to semantic and grammatical analysis, including structural semantics, cognitive linguistics and cognitive metaphors, frame semantics, and William Croft's Radical Construction Grammar. It then seeks to integrate these, formulating a dynamic approach to lexical semantic analysis based on conceptual frames, using corpus annotation. The model is applied to biblical Hebrew in a detailed study of a family of words related to "exploring," "searching," and "seeking." The results demonstrate the value and potential of cognitive, frame-based approaches to biblical Hebrew lexicology.

Job is a brief yet complete guide to the Hebrew Scriptures' Book of Job. In an accessible way, Whitfield invites readers to ponder such questions as: What is God really like?, why should we worship God?, why do the righteous suffer?, will our relationship with God improve if we are critical of traditional religious beliefs?, and is the "quid pro quo" idea of the God-human relationship still alive and healthy?Insights: Bible Studies for Growing Faith is a fresh and timely Bible study series. In these short-term, thematically based resources, individuals and groups are invited to find meaning and direction for their lives by exploring the Scriptures in a way that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking.

Though Christians believe themselves to be held in the care of the of the God of love and strength, yet they find that sufferings come their way. Moreover, whole communities, even whole nations, experience sufferings - all of which frequently raises the question, 'Where is the God of Justice?' This book explores this question.

Little known historical background and compelling humor combine to make this an unusual look at the role the Ten Commandments should play in the life of today's Christian. Reflection questions make it perfect for study groups and classes.

This is a new commentary volume looking at the theological and literary motivations of "Genesis" 1-11. Joseph Blenkinsopp provides a new commentary on "Genesis" 1-11, the so-called 'Primeval History' in which the account of creation is given. Blenkinsopp works with the conviction that, from a biblical point of view, creation cannot be restricted to a single event, nor to two versions of an event (as depicted in "Genesis" 1-3) but, rather, must take in the whole period of creation arranged in the sequence: creation - uncreation - recreation (as can be derived from "Genesis" 1-11). Through the course of the commentary, presented in continuous discussion rather than in a rigid verse-by-verse form, Blenkinsopp takes into account pre-modern interpretations of the texts, especially in the Jewish interpretative tradition, as well as modern, historical-critical interpretations. Blenkinsopp works from the perspective of acknowledging the text's literary integrity as an 'authored' work, rather than focusing simply on the its background in various sources (whilst of course paying due attention to those sources). This enables Blenkinsopp's engaging discussion to focus upon the literary and theological artistry of the material at hand.

The book of Jonah is arguably just as jarring for us as it was for the ancients. Ninevah's repentance, Jonah's estrangement from God and the book's bracing moral conclusion all pose unsettling questions for today's readers. For biblical theologians, Jonah also raises tough questions regarding mission and religious conversion. Here, Daniel Timmer embarks on a new reading of Jonah in order to secure its ongoing relevance for biblical theology. After an examination of the book's historical backgrounds (in both Israel and Assyria), Timmer discusses the biblical text in detail, paying special attention to redemptive history and its Christocentric orientation. Timmer then explores the relationship between Israel and the nations--including the question of mission--and the nature of religious conversion and spirituality in the Old Testament. This New Studies in Biblical Theology volume concludes with an injunction for scholars and lay readers to approach Jonah as a book written to facilitate spiritual change in the reader. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.

Severus of Antioch was the Patriarch of Antioch and a moderate Miaphysite. Sergius the Grammarian is a lesser-known figure, but the content of his letters demonstrates that he was a more extreme Miaphysite. The early 6th century correspondence between the two consists of a set of three letters apiece and an apology by Sergius. Made available in Syriac along with Torrance's translation, these letters are an important part of the working out of concerns associated with the Council of Chalecedon.

DJD XXXII presents the first full critical edition of the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa]a) and the Hebrew University Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa]b), which constitute almost 30% of all the preserved biblical material, in the styles of the DJD series. That is, whereas the photographs and transcriptions have been available since the 1950s, this volume provides a fresh transcription of all the known fragments, notes clarifying problematic readings, and the first comprehensive catalogue of the textual variants. It is not, and cannot be, a comprehensive analysis of all these highly influential manuscripts, on which innumerable studies have been published over the past half century. Part 1 contains the photographic plates (1QIsa]a in colour) with the transcriptions on facing pages for easy comparison. Part 2 contains the introductions, notes, and catalogue of variants. The main introduction narrates the discovery and early history of these two manuscripts.

The Qumran discoveries have demonstrated that much of the earliest interpretation of Hebrew Scripture was accomplished through rewriting: production of revised editions of biblical books, or composition of new works drawing heavily upon Scripture for their organization and content. This study advances our understanding of the nature and purpose of such rewriting of Scripture by examining the compositional methods and interpretive goals of the five Reworked Pentateuch manuscripts from Qumran Cave 4 (4Q158, 364 367). This analysis, along with a comparison of the 4QReworked Pentateuch manuscripts to the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Temple Scroll, provides a clearer picture of how early Jewish communities read, transmitted, and transformed their sacred textual traditions.

Walter Brueggemann has been one of the leading voices in Hebrew Bible interpretation for decades. His landmark works in Old Testament theology have inspired and informed a generation of students, scholars, and preachers. These chapters gather his recent addresses and essays, never published before, drawn from all three parts of the Hebrew Bible-Torah, prophets, and writings-and addressing the role of the Hebrew canon in the life of the church. Brueggemann turns his critical erudition to those practices-prophecy, lament, prayer, faithful imagination, and a holy economics-that alone may usher in a humane and peaceful future for our cities and our world, in defiance of the most ruthless aspects of capitalism, the arrogance of militarism, and the disciplines of the national security state.

"The Bible is the most important cultural and religious document in the Western world. Te three monotheistic faiths-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-have all grown out of the traditions that we find in the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible. The Bible therefore has a natural place in a liberal arts curriculum."

-from the introduction

So begins Barstad in this comprehensive, student-friendly introductory textbook outlining the contours of the Old Testament literature in simple and straightforward prose. This text is an excellent primer as well as an invaluable reference book to which students will turn throughout their education.

Working from the conviction that Genesis can be read as a coherent whole, this commentary foregrounds the sophistication of Hebrew narrative art, in particular its depiction of plot and character, and the interpretative possibilities raised by its intertextuality. Apparently simple and independent episodes emerge as complex and interconnected, constantly challenging readers to readjust their assessments of characters and expectations of plot development. Approaching the text predominantly from the perspective of a 'first-time reader', this commentary underscores the narrative's surprises, ironies and innovations.

The historiography of Ancient Israel is much debated. The various approaches are never void of ideology and some reckon more with the available evidence than others. This volume consists of a set of case-studies that reveal the difficulties that arise when trying to write a history as honestly as possible. This implies that both the archaeology of Ancient Palestine - the finds and their interrogation - as well as the Philosophy of History - their models and their implications - are discussed. The outcome is a variety of approaches that inform the reader of current views on the history of Ancient Israel.