This volume introduces ancient Israel's Scriptures, or the Hebrew Bible, commonly called the Old Testament. It also traces the legacy of monotheism first found in the pages of the Old Testament. Where pertinent to the message of the Old Testament, the book explores issues of history, comparative religions, and sociology, while striking a balance among these topics by focusing primarily on literary features of the text. In addition, frequent sidebar discussions introduce the reader to contemporary scholarship, especially the results of historical-critical research and archaeology. Along the way, the book explores how the Old Testament conceptualized and gave rise to monotheism, one of the most significant developments in history, giving this study a currency for twenty-first-century readers.

This translation of an Arabic commentary by Jephet ibn Ali (fl. late tenth century) was first published in 1889. Based on ten manuscripts, the text was carefully edited and rendered into English by David Samuel Margoliouth (1858 1940), Laudian Professor of Arabic at Oxford. Jephet was a leading Karaite scholar who wrote a number of biblical commentaries in his native Arabic. This was one of his mature works and perhaps the best example of his critical and exegetical powers. Based on the historical allusions in the commentary, Margoliouth estimated that it was composed between 990 and 1010. The work includes the Arabic text, with critical apparatus and a useful glossary of key words. Fiercely polemical against Islam, Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism, the commentary has greatly contributed to our understanding of tenth-century religious controversies. It remains an important work of Karaite literature.

Originally published in 1875, this is the first publication of a previously missing fragment of some seventy verses from the seventh chapter of the fourth book of Ezra in the Old Testament (sometimes known as 2 Esdras in the Apocrypha). The text is reproduced in the original language with copious notes by Bensly, a highly respected biblical scholar and a member of the committee that translated the English Revised Version of the Bible in the late nineteenth century, as well as with a brief history of the discovery of the lacuna and of the missing text. This book will be of value to any student of the Bible and to anyone interested in paleography or the history of biblical translations.

A painstaking compiler of catalogues and indexes, the biblical scholar and bibliographer Thomas Hartwell Horne (1780 1862) first published his most famous work in 1818, having begun his research for it many years earlier in 1801. Reissued here is the expanded four-volume tenth edition of 1856, which includes revisions by the scholars Samuel Davidson (c.1806 98) and Samuel Prideaux Tregelles (1813 75). This monumental and influential work of nineteenth-century biblical scholarship remains a valuable resource for modern researchers. Volume 2, the work of Davidson, addresses the Old Testament and has been split into two parts for this reissue. Influenced by contemporary German scholarship, Davidson's contribution caused controversy, particularly around prophetic authorship and the role of divine inspiration, resulting in his resignation from Lancashire Independent College. Part 2, Davidson's exegetical 'Brief Introduction to the Old Testament and Apocrypha', includes extensive references to contemporary scholarship as well as research on sources and interpretation of meaning."

A painstaking compiler of catalogues and indexes, the biblical scholar and bibliographer Thomas Hartwell Horne (1780 1862) first published his most famous work in 1818, having begun his research for it many years earlier in 1801. Reissued here is the expanded four-volume tenth edition of 1856, which includes revisions by the scholars Samuel Davidson (c.1806 98) and Samuel Prideaux Tregelles (1813 75). This monumental and influential work of nineteenth-century biblical scholarship remains a valuable resource for modern researchers. Volume 2, the work of Davidson, addresses the Old Testament and has been split into two parts for this reissue. Influenced by contemporary German scholarship, Davidson's contribution caused controversy, particularly around prophetic authorship and the role of divine inspiration, resulting in his resignation from Lancashire Independent College. Indeed, Horne distanced himself from this volume. Part 1 includes discussion of scriptural Hebrew, of Greek, Arabic, Latin and Syriac translations, and of textual history and interpretation."

Originally published in 1911, this book presents a comprehensive account of the Pentateuch, or Torah, and the book of Joshua, collectively known as the Hexateuch. The text gives a general account of critical problems concerning the Hexateuch as a whole. It is divided into two main parts: the first part provides a general introduction; the second part, which is much longer, is devoted to textual analysis. Numerous tables, appendices and notes are also included. This is a highly detailed book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Hebrew Bible and biblical theory.

First published in 1892, and intended for biblical scholars reading the text in the original languages, this book provides a detailed commentary on the Book of Daniel. Bevan accompanies his analysis with a discussion on the linguistic character of the book, as well as chronological tables of key events in the ancient Near East and an examination of the Palmyrene dialect of Hebrew. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of biblical studies or the Book of Daniel.

Join author and minister David Murray as he introduces you to Jesus through the lens of the Old Testament. When you think of a son trudging uphill, carrying wood for his own sacrifice because his father has decided to give him up to death, what biblical event does this bring to mind? Is it Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, or is it Christ's passion in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? The kinship between these two stories is deeper than mere coincidence, and the similarities don't end there. In fact, Murray argues that Christ isn't just present in the story of Abraham and Isaac--he's present on every page of the Old Testament. In Jesus on Every Page, Dr. Murray guides the reader down his own Road to Emmaus, describing how the Scriptures were opened to him, revealing Jesus from Genesis 1 all the way through Revelation 22. Dr. Murray shares his ten simple ways to seek and find Christ in the Old Testament, diving deep into: Christ's planet--discovering Jesus in the story of Creation Christ's people--discovering Jesus in the characters of the Old Testament Christ's promises--discovering Jesus in the covenants of the Old Testament Recognizing Jesus in the full breadth of scripture is important for every Christian. In this step-by-step guide to discovering Jesus in the Old Testament, Dr. Murray provides a framework that will help you start practicing this wonderful way of enjoying Jesus throughout the Bible. Whether you are preaching Jesus through Old Testament readings or just beginning to discover the reality of Christ in the Old Testament, Jesus on Every Page is an accessible guide to getting to know the Old Testament for what it truly is: full of Jesus.

Originally published in 1935, this book contains the text of the English Revised Edition translation of the book of Job. The text is presented with minimal notes and an introduction on the historical and theological background to the story of Job and his tribulations. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Bible and biblical history.

This volume contains selected papers from a 2006 symposium that complemented an exhibition of early Bible manuscripts at the Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery of Art. The book considers the manifestations of the holy books in Byzantine manuscript illustration, architecture, and government, as well as in Jewish Bible translations.

Die Beitrage in diesem Sammelband wollen dazu beitragen, aus christlich-theologischer Perspektive die Antwort auf die Frage zu prazisieren, wem das in den biblischen UEberlieferungen dem Bundesvolk Israel verheissene Land gehoert. Aus verschiedenen Blickwinkeln laden die Beitrage dazu ein, den theologischen Austausch hinsichtlich der "Landbesitzfrage" anzuregen und die Sinne fur die theologische Urteilsbildung zu scharfen. Die vierzehn verschiedenen Autoren stimmen konfessionell und theologisch nicht in allem miteinander uberein. Trotzdem liegt allen Beitragen die Absicht zugrunde, fachrelevante Untersuchungsergebnisse vorzulegen, die eine ausgewogene und begrundete Israellehre foerdern und die einen "theologischen Astigmatismus" in der "Landbesitzfrage" vermeiden wollen.

Originally published in 1908, this edition of 'The Interlinear Psalms' contains the authorised and revised versions, together with the marginal notes of the revised version. It will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Psalms and the development of Christianity.

Tucked away at the end of the Minor Prophets, the Books of Haggai and Zechariah offer messages of challenge and hope to residents of the small district of Yehud in the Persian Empire in the generations after the return from Babylonian exile. In this volume, Robert Foster focuses on the distinct theological message of each book. The Book of Haggai uses Israel's foundational event - God's salvation of Israel from Egypt - to exhort the people to finish building the Second Temple. The Book of Zechariah argues that the hopes the people had in the prophet Zechariah's days did not come true because the people failed to keep God's long-standing demand for justice, though hope still lies in the future because of God's character. Each chapter in this book closes with a substantive reflection of the ethics of the major sections of the Books of Haggai and Zechariah and their implications for contemporary readers.

Over twenty-five years in the making, this much-anticipated commentary promises to be the standard study of Proverbs for years to come. Written by eminent Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke, this two-volume commentary is unquestionably the most comprehensive work on Proverbs available.

Grounded in the new literary criticism that has so strengthened biblical interpretation of late, Waltkebs commentary on Proverbs demonstrates the profound, ongoing relevance of this Old Testament book for Christian faith and life. A thorough introduction addresses such issues as text and versions, structure, authorship, and theology. The detailed commentary itself explains and elucidates Proverbs as btheological literature.b Waltkebs highly readable style -- evident even in his original translation of the Hebrew text -- makes his scholarly work accessible to teachers, pastors, Bible students, and general readers alike.

Originally published in 1928, this volume gathers together seven essays on various aspects of the Old Testament. Through the rigorous textual analysis of hints and statements scattered over its several books, a composite picture of the development of the religion of Israel is developed. This reconstructive historical analysis is also informed by a refined knowledge of contemporary theological developments, and a list of the key authors consulted is provided at the end of the text. Additional material includes a detailed index of scriptural passages quoted or referred to. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in theology and religious history.

In the Book of Judges the narrator presents an image of the good parent YHWH whose enduring love and loyalty is offset by his wayward child Israel who defaults on the relationship repeatedly. Biblical scholars have largely concurred, demonstrating the many faults of Israel while siding with YHWH's privileged viewpoint. When object-relations theory (which examines how human beings relate to each other) is applied to Judges, a different story emerges. In its capacity to illuminate why and how relationships can be intense, problematic, rewarding, and enduring, object-relations theory reveals how both YHWH and Israel have attachment needs that are played out vividly in the story world. Deryn Guest reveals how its narrator engages in a variety of psychological strategies to mask suppressed rage as he engages in an intriguing but rather dysfunctional masochistic dance with a dominant deity who has reputation needs.

A neglected area of study of the letter to the Hebrews is the function of the Old Testament in the letter's logic. Compton addresses this neglect by looking at two other ideas that have themselves received too little attention, namely (1) the unique and fundamental semantic contribution of Hebrews' exposition (vis-a-vis its exhortation) and (2) the prominence of Ps 110 in the author's exposition. The conclusion becomes clear that Hebrews' exposition-its theological argument-turns, in large part, on successive inferences drawn from Ps 110:1 and 4. Compton observes that the author uses the text in the first part of his exposition to (1) interpret Jesus' resurrection as his messianic enthronement, (2) connect Jesus' enthronement with his fulfillment of Ps 8's vision for humanity and, thus, (3) begin to explain why Jesus was enthroned through suffering. In the second and third parts of his exposition, the author uses the text to corroborate the narrative initially sketched. Thus, he uses the text to (1) show that messiah was expected to be a superior priest and, moreover, (2) show that this messianic priest was expected to solve the human problem through death.

History and Hope examines the rhetorical function of Isaiah 28-35, a relatively overlooked series of six woe oracles, in relation to reading the book of Isaiah as a whole. These eight chapters rely on the language of agrarian wisdom to transport the reader from prior reflections on historical destruction into a vision of ultimate hope. Stulac's study, therefore, offers new insight into the book of Isaiah, but perhaps more importantly, it does so through two methodological innovations that promise to enhance biblical research at large. First, History and Hope develops an interpretive strategy based on ancient Israel's agro-ecological past. Through comparisons to the thought and practice of several contemporary agrarian thinkers (such as Wendell Berry), it draws attention to the holistic, traditional worldview of the people who created the Bible and develops an "agrarian hermeneutic" that is then used to examine the book of Isaiah. This interpretive strategy, which introduces a variety of observations consistent with ancient Israel's subsistence culture, offers a new lens on the Bible that is historically and phenomenologically appropriate to its premodern character. Second, the study applies modern narratology to the book of Isaiah in its final form, a move that allows for a careful delineation of the differences in knowledge that stand between the book's characters and its implied reader. When combined with an agrarian hermeneutic, narratological precision opens understanding of Isaiah's written rhetoric to the associative, soil-bound logic by which it is constructed. In the past, many scholars have regarded Isaiah 28-35 as little more than a fragmentary reiteration of ideas already found in prior parts of the book. Now, through exegetical analysis of Isaiah 28-35 from an agrarian perspective, these eight chapters are interpreted as a rhetorical key to the overall book's coherent vision of destruction and hope.

Middle school students are exposed to a lot of outside influences they don t necessarily understand. It s important to establish moral guidelines and role models early on, so they can grow with a strong understanding of Christian values. Where better to look for these role models than in the godly heroes of the Bible? The Talksheets series returns with another year of thought-provoking stories from the Old Testament to discuss with your youth group or bible studies. David Lynn shares discussion topics and questions written specifically with middle school students in mind, promoting meaningful and thought-provoking conversations. The stories in these pages highlight pure moral principles and practices for teenagers to learn about and emulate. Each of the 52 epic bible stories is easy to use and fit to your lesson plan, including hints and tips to facilitate conversation. These lessons also include optional activities, giving teenagers the opportunity to actively participate and have fun while they learn."

Ecclesiasticus is a religious work, written in Hebrew in the second century BCE by the Jewish scribe Jesus ben Sirach. Although it was not accepted into the Hebrew Bible and the original version is lost, its Greek translation is found in the Septuagint. The focus of this study by Cambridge scholar J. H. A. Hart (1876 1952) is on the Greek text of Ecclesiasticus from a fourteenth-century codex, written in a miniscule cursive hand. First published in 1909, the book contains the text in transcription, based on the work of Charles Taylor, who had previously published a study of the text. Hart next investigates its relationship to surviving fragments of the Hebrew version, and the results of his research are included in his textual commentary. He provides a thorough analysis of the Greek translator's prologue and compares variant Greek versions of the work. Hart's edition remains of use to biblical scholars today.

Thomas Henry Sprott (1856 1942) was an eminent Anglican priest who held the position of Bishop of Wellington, New Zealand, between 1911 and 1936. In this volume, which was originally published in 1909, Sprott explores the development of Old Testament criticism, reaching conclusions based upon the relationship between critical insight and divine inspiration. The Bible, it is argued, cannot be interpreted in the same way as other works because it contains fundamental elements of truth that cannot be changed, or derived, by the reader. From this perspective the fresh interpretations generated by modern criticism of the Old Testament are seen as resulting from 'a special operation of the spirit of God'. This is a concise and highly readable book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in biblical exegesis and theological history.

This book was first published in 1920. Its author, Thomas Wilfred Crafer, wrote extensively on Christianity and the Bible. Here, he focuses on two of the last books of the Old Testament, prophetic writings which are essentially interconnected. To study Haggai and Zechariah side by side is always fruitful, and this is certainly the case for this work. Crafer guides the reader through the books, presenting a short history of Haggai and Zechariah before addressing each book in turn. For each, Crafer writes extensively of the prophets' personalities, their theology and their language. The shared and individual visions of the prophets are also dissected. Originally, this commentary was intended for students and general readers looking to become better acquainted with the context and themes of these two companion books. Today, Crafer's lucid and accessible scholarship will continue to impress and educate.

The book of Isaiah is a composite work whose formation took place over a long period of time, incorporating the work of many different hands rather than the work of a single author. A crucial stage in this process came with the Jewish return from Babylonian exile, and the subsequent efforts at restoration. In this new context, how were the older Isaianic oracles to be seen? What did they say? Isaiah After Exile examines this question in depth from the point of view of the book's formation. Jacob Stromberg illuminates the textual hermeneutics embedded in the post-exilic shape of Isaiah, contributing to our understanding of the dynamics of scriptural formation in this influential period of Jewish history. The author of Third Isaiah is shown to have edited the book in line with his reading of it to project the old word into the new post-exilic situation.
Stromberg unfolds this argument in three parts. The first defines Third Isaiah's final form, finding the work of its author especially in its 'frame' (56.1-8; 65-66). The second part analyzes this 'frame' for references to earlier Isaianic oracles, uncovering allusions to older material from throughout the book. A portrait emerges of the author of Third Isaiah as a reader of the book, providing an important key to unlock the door on his work as a redactor - the premise being that his hermeneutics as a reader would inevitably reflect his hermeneutics as a redactor. Working in the light of this portrait, the third part examines the author of Third Isaiah as a redactor of the book, uncovering several examples throughout Isaiah where probability seems to favor this hand at work.

Methods for Exodus is a textbook on biblical methodology. The book introduces readers to six distinct methodologies that aid in the interpretation of the book of Exodus: literary and rhetorical, genre, source and redaction, liberation, feminist, and postcolonial criticisms. Describing each methodology, the volume also explores how the different methods relate to and complement one another. Each chapter includes a summary of the hermeneutical presuppositions of a particular method with a summary of the impact of the method on the interpretation of the book of Exodus. In addition, Exodus 1-2 and 19-20 are used to illustrate the application of each method to specific texts. The book is unique in offering a broad methodological discussion with all illustrations centered on the book of Exodus.