This commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews envisages the recipients of the letter as a community that has embraced the Christian message but is beginning to question its adequacy to meet their spiritual needs. They have given up the richness of Jewish ritual and cultic tradition for a way of life that lacks the venerable symbols and institutions they had previously valued. Gordon highlights the arguments and rhetorical strategies the author uses to counter this feeling of 'cultic deficit' as he draws attention to what they actually possess in consequence of their Christian commitment. The Letter to the Hebrews has particular contemporary relevance today because, in warning the community against 'going back', the author implies that Christianity has superseded their ancestral Jewish faith. That may seem a slight on the religion 'superseded', but Gordon points out that Judaism itself, as well as Christianity, represents a significant break with the religion of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Jewish-Christian dialogue would profit from being conducted in that light. For this Second Edition, the author has written an additional Introduction, and the pagination of this edition differs from that of the first.

In the course of along and noteworthy career, Dr Andrew Macintosh has trained a large number of students in the language and literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Some of these have gone on to achieve recognition as leading biblical scholars, while others have occupied positions of influence in education and religion. All have been shaped by the honorand's unquenchable enthusiasm for the Hebrew language and its employment in texts ancient, medieval, and modern. In addition to his own estimable scholarly publications, Dr Macintosh has been a valued and appreciated colleague to others in his field. A select number of those colleagues - some of whom learned Hebrew as the honorand's pupils - present cutting-edge essays on the language, literature, and context of the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament as a gesture of respect to their friend, mentor, and colleague. From drunken Noah to behind closed doors in the Davidic monarchy, from the biblical genesis of humanity to the biblical lexicon of wine-making, senior scholars here present discerning essays that address the wide range of biblical studies which characterizes the career and contribution of their colleague A.A.Macintosh.

Robert Gordon gathers together his most important essays on the Old Testament and on the ancient versions, adding an introduction which gives background comment and reflections on each essay. The Old Testament essays are divided into three groups: The Narrative Tradition', 'Prophecy from East to West', and 'Across, Behind and Beyond the Text'. The essays on the ancient versions are divided into two sections: 'The Text and the Versions' and 'The Targums, Chiefly to the Prophets'.

Robert Gordon gathers together his most important essays on the Old Testament and on the ancient versions, adding an introduction which gives background comment and reflections on each essay. The Old Testament essays are divided into three groups: The Narrative Tradition', 'Prophecy from East to West', and 'Across, Behind and Beyond the Text'. The essays on the ancient versions are divided into two sections: 'The Text and the Versions' and 'The Targums, Chiefly to the Prophets'.

In the ancient Near East the God of Israel stands unique; he is the central character of the Old Testament. The collection of essays in this volume presents the historical background against which belief in him developed and discusses aspects of the topic that remain unresolved or largely unaddressed. What was he like? How does he differ from other gods of the ancient world? And what difference does the worship of this god make, both in the world of the Bible and now? The papers presented contribute to the continuing discussion about the God of Israel and other deities in the ancient Near East, and the emergence of monotheistic belief and worship. A multifaceted approach is adopted in which comparative, theological, historical, literary-critical, cultural, narratological, canonical, exegetical and ethical issues feature prominently.

Bringing to life the world portrayed in the stories in Judges and Ruth, this commentary offers readers an "insider" perspective on the narratives. After establishing a cultural and literary context, Victor Matthews analyzes each episode separately and as a whole.

In this collection, an international group of specialists considers the nature of wisdom in relation to the thought world of the ancient Near East and its impact on the rest of the Old Testament. In addition to full coverage of the wisdom books and other literature most frequently thought to have been influenced by them, thematic studies also introduce the principal comparative sources among Israel's neighbors and discuss the place of wisdom in Israelite religion, theology and society.

Robert P. Gordon has provided us with a substantial commentary on the English text of the books of Samuel, concentrating on exegesis, but also paying attention to linguistic and textual problems. "I have not tried to "Christianize" 1 and 2 Samuel at every conceivable point. Often as I have sought to show in the brief introductory section comparison; and the only way to arrive at sensible conclusions in this matter is first to appreciate the Old Testament for its own sake- that is in its own literary, historical, cultural and theological contexts. That is principally what this commentary is about."

This commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews envisages the recipients of the letter as a community that has embraced the Christian message but is beginning to question its adequacy to meet their spiritual needs. They have given up the richness of Jewish ritual and cultic tradition for a way of life that lacks the venerable symbols and institutions they had previously valued. Gordon highlights the arguments and rhetorical strategies the author uses to counter this feeling of 'cultic deficit' as he draws attention to what they actually possess in consequence of their Christian commitment. The Letter to the Hebrews has particular contemporary relevance today because, in warning the community against 'going back', the author implies that Christianity has superseded their ancestral Jewish faith. That may seem a slight on the religion 'superseded', but Gordon points out that Judaism itself, as well as Christianity, represents a significant break with the religion of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Jewish-Christian dialogue would profit from being conducted in that light. For this Second Edition, the author has written an additional Introduction, and the pagination of this edition differs from that of the first.

Although the term minor prophets" is a familiar one in English Bible translations, it is not a felicitous one, since it applies as much to Hosea as to Haggai and to Amos as to Obadiah. The Targum offers no such pecking order. Nuggets of importance are as likely to be found in a Targumized "minor" prophet as a "major" one.

Included in this volume are the books of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The authors' apparatus in the introduction provides the translational characteristics, theology, life-setting, text and versions, language, rabbinic citations and parallels, dating, manuscripts, and bibliography. A series of indices is also included."

A comprehensive introduction to the critical issues raised by scholarship on both books of Samuel. The often intricate problems are dealt with clearly and engagingly; the chapters deal with the Deuteronomistic History, the Shiloh tradition, the Ark narrative, the rise of the monarchy, the reign of Saul, the story of David, the Davidic covenant, the Succession Narrative and the Samuel appendix. A first-rate guide for students, with annotated bibliographies and indexes.

In the course of a long and noteworthy career, Dr Andrew Macintosh has trained a large number of students in the language and literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Some of these have gone on to achieve recognition as leading biblical scholars, while others have occupied positions of influence in education and religion. All have been shaped by the honorand's unquenchable enthusiasm for the Hebrew language and its employment in texts ancient, medieval, and modern. In addition to his own estimable scholarly publications, Dr Macintosh has been a valued and appreciated colleague to others in his field. A select number of those colleagues-some of whom learned Hebrew as the honorand's pupils- present cutting-edge essays on the language, literature, and context of the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament as a gesture of respect to their friend, mentor, and colleague. From drunken Noah to behind closed doors in the Davidic monarchy, from the biblical genesis of humanity to the biblical lexicon of wine-making, senior scholars here present discerning essays that address the wide range of biblical studies which characterizes the career and contribution of their colleague A.A.Macintosh.

These seminal essays have been carefully selected to provide a comprehensive introduction to both the major interpretive issues and the major interpreters of biblical prophetic literature. The essays discuss: The Near Eastern Background; The Message of the Prophets; The Art of Prophecy; Prophecy and Society; The Developing Tradition; Prophecy after the Prophets; and Future Directions.