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Among the most enigmatic passages in the Bible are those featuring God's election of some and rejection of others. While many interpreters appeal to mystery or divine sovereignty as solutions to these difficult passages, intensive evaluation and sustained reflection on these passages and their implications can benefit both the church and the academy. In Divine Rejection, R. J. Balfour provides such evaluation and reflection on the notion of divine rejection in Christian theology through close readings of two paradigmatic biblical accounts of divine rejection, namely, the narratives of Esau and Saul.Balfour contributes to the scholarly understanding of these narratives in their received form while providing extensive Christian theological reflection on the notion of divine rejection. Balfour's reading is carried out in conversation with significant historic and contemporary interpreters in order to exemplify what sustained theological interpretation might look like. By adopting this structure, Balfour seeks to model a retrieval of historic theological interpretations that is sensitive to the concerns and interests of the contemporary academy.Balfour ultimately argues that these two narratives display differing accounts of divine decision-making. In the narrative of Saul's rejection, YHWH rejects Saul in an explicit fashion in response to his actions. By contrast, the grammatical ambiguity of the oracle at the outset of the Esau narrative (Gen 25:23), combined with the inversion of roles in the narrative's climax (Gen 32-33), prevents the reader from drawing strong conclusions as to the terms and nature of Esau's rejection. The book concludes with a series of reflections on how both aspects of divine decision-making have been incorporated into a Christian doctrine of election and how they might stimulate fresh Christian theological reflection on this important doctrine.

A hermeneutics of cispicion challenges cisnormative presuppositions that shape and, at times, occlude the variations in gender and sex exhibited by key characters in the ancestral narrative of Genesis 12–50. It charts the progression from Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutics of suspicion, through liberation, feminist and queer approaches. Focusing on Deryn Guest's queer and trans hermeneutics, Henderson-Merrygold then offers a new strategy for reading against fixed, binary gender assumptions, where a character's sex always matches that assigned at birth. The initial case study addresses Sarah, who is the proto-matriarch of the ancestral narratives in Genesis. Masculinities contrast with femininities, and Sarah's own agency makes the picture of a consistent gender hard to identify. By closely reading the text, different facets of Sarah's story emerge to emphasise how much the narrative directs the reader towards a cisnormative reading. However, Henderson-Merrygold shows it is not only the images of Sarah as feminine woman and mother that remain visible. The subject of the second case study, Esau, is regularly judged to be a hypermasculine character due to his bodily appearance, but repeatedly fails to fulfil the expectations related to that appearance. Though often condemned as a poor example of (hyper)masculinity, a cispicious reading identifies a richer and more nuanced figure. Attending to Esau's actions, his rejection of the gendered expectations appears intentional, allowing him to settle more comfortably into his own identity. This project advocates for, and demonstrates the value of, creative, interpretations of biblical texts that challenge both malestream and feminist gender assumptions.

God's Spirit unites believers to Christ, conforms them to his image, and equips them for witness and ministry. In The Giver of Life, J. V. Fesko reflects on the person and work of the Holy Spirit in the application of Christ's work for the salvation of sinners. Through a combination of biblical, historical, and theological study, Fesko illuminates the blessing of God's presence with his people. Written from a confessionally Reformed perspective in dialogue with the great creeds of the church, The Giver of Life provides a thorough and trustworthy guide to the Holy Spirit's role in salvation.

In the eye-opening exploration, How to Curb Climate Change?, readers embark on a remarkable voyage through time to uncover the astonishing transformation of the Sahara and the Middle East, evolving from fertile landscapes into unforgiving deserts within a mere seven centuries. This captivating book takes readers on an enlightening journey, revealing the pivotal role played by Neolithic societies in shaping the global climate. With the emergence of large-scale agriculture and animal husbandry, ancient civilizations flourished, seemingly unaware of the ecological consequences of their actions. As suspicions arise regarding the rapid desertification, this thought-provoking narrative investigates the interplay between exponential population growth, abusive land use, and the alarming shift towards aridity. The initial chapters transport readers to the heart of the Neolithic era, where they bear witness to the profound influence these early inhabitants wielded over the world's climate systems. By skilfully manipulating vegetation, they triggered permanent changes in the intensity and trajectory of prevailing moist winds, ultimately fuelling the expansion of deserts in the Northern Hemisphere. Building upon this revelatory premise, the subsequent sections of the book unveil a compelling proposal grounded in a deep understanding of Earth's climatic mechanisms. As the spectre of global warming looms ominously, the author outlines a visionary approach to harness the power of these ongoing climate changes for the betterment of our planet. This revolutionary method revolves around directing and redirecting the flow of humid winds, ingeniously channelling them deep into the heartlands of continents. The result? A remarkable renaissance, where the deserts of the Northern Hemisphere are revitalized and transformed into lush, green landscapes once more. Challenging conventional wisdom, How to Curb Climate Change provides a wide-ranging revaluation of our relationship with the environment and acknowledging the profound impact we have on Earth's delicate equilibrium. This remarkable book serves as an urgent call to action, reminding us of the transformative potential humanity possesses in curbing climate change and forging a sustainable future. Prepare to be inspired, enlightened, and equipped with the knowledge needed to embark on this critical journey towards global environmental restoration.

Hellenistic Influence and Twins in the Gospel of Mark: Fiery Angels examines Jesus'twin disciples James and John. Jesus gives them the name Boanerges, “Sons of Zeus” referring to the Dioscuri, mythological figures known for their saving action in times of human danger and distress. This book addresses various questions prompted by Jesus'naming of James and John. Is the author embracing Hellenistic myth and mythology as part of his story? Does he portray Jesus as one who himself is influenced by Hellenistic culture, and if so, to what extent? To gain insight into these questions, Jeffrey B. Pettis examines various sources—dioscuric figures in Second Maccabees 3, three visitors in Genesis 18-19, traces of dioscurism in the Markan boat stories. Major themes include fire and sacrifice, theophany, personal saviors, and old and new religion. Of particular interest is the extent to which myth and mythology grasp the hearer's attention and occur as something which makes an impression. Does the author of Mark make use of myth for just this reason—to capture attention and to make and awaken his community to a larger world?

Explores the cultural landscapes of the late antique Central Zagros and their long-term transformationsContextualises the socioeconomic milieu of the Sasanian Central Zagros in the late antique Near EastHighlights the role of nomadic and transhumant populations in the cultural formation processes of the Central Zagros, along with settled groups and urban societiesPresents an overview according to an interdisciplinary approach mainly based on material data of various sorts and evidence from primary sources, enriched by parallel attestations from secondary sourcesEngages in recent debates regarding the function of the Sasanian state and offers a new understanding of its economyRecent studies have demonstrated the diverse character of the socioeconomic dynamics behind the socio-political transformations and infrastructural developments in different territories of the Sasanian and Roman Empires. Notwithstanding its distinct environmental and socio-cultural settings, the cultural landscapes in the Sasanian realm are much less studied than those of the neighbouring empire to the west. Based on an inter-disciplinary approach, this monograph bridges this gap and highlights such diversity on a regional scale in the Central Zagros. Socioeconomic Transformation in the Sasanian Empire provides for a deeper understanding of the actual historical events and long-term cultural processes in the Central Zagros by disclosing the roles of various inter-related cultural and natural factors and the demographic and economic transitions that caused them. Ultimately, this work contributes to debates about the reconstruction of sociopolitical transitions in the late antique world.

Aron Freidenreich offers evidence of a dynamic stage of mutual influence and parallel growth during the Pentateuch's formation process when Priestly and non-Priestly scribes expanded their works in response to one another. His critical examination of five key cases in Genesis and Exodus shows each passage to have been supplemented onto its Priestly or non-Priestly context under the influence of the competing literature even as the two corpora still existed separately. These case studies provide insight into the practices of scribal communities in Persian period Yehud as tradents selectively incorporated elements of the alternative tradition into their own writings while simultaneously rebuffing ideas and beliefs that they opposed. Such scribal activity was pivotal in precipitating the most crucial moment in the Pentateuch's development: the combination of its Priestly and non-Priestly materials.

Several Bible characters travelled to other regions to sojourn there, either temporarily, or for the rest of their lives. Some of them left their place of birth because of famine, war, or conflicts with relatives, while others were deported. Not only the Bible but also other texts from the ancient Near East call attention to the plight of desperate foreigners and express the obligation to offer them help and asylum. The articles in this volume are devoted to the status of foreigners in ancient Israel and in the ancient Near East, as well as in Early Judaism and in the Early Church, and the influence of these foreigners on those who welcomed them. Special attention is given to contextual Bible reading, an approach that highlights the influence of readers'opinions on the interpretation of ancient texts, including texts about foreigners.

Often overlooked and regularly misunderstood, the Book of Numbers is a daunting prospect for scholars, preachers and students. It covers part of the Israelites'wilderness years between Egypt and the land of the promise - seemingly very different to and detached from our modern context. Yet, God's covenant love remains the same, and the book of Numbers remains extremely relevant for ecclesiology and for the church's life within the already-not yet of the present'wilderness'era.In his magisterial new commentary, Morales carefully demonstrates the ongoing relevance of Numbers, its positive vision for life and the surprising challenge it offers to contemporary Christians. This detailed and comprehensive commentary sheds fresh light on a part of the Bible often referenced, yet rarely preached and explained.Within this commentary on Numbers 20-36, form and structure sections examine the context, source-critical and form-critical issues and rhetorical devices of each passage. Comment sections offer thorough, detailed exegesis of the historical and theological meaning of each passage, and explanation sections offer a full exposition of the theological message within the framework of biblical theology and a commitment to the inspiration and authority of the Old Testament. Volume 2 covers chapters 20-36 and includes Morales'rigorous bibliography and extensive indices. An annotated Translation of the Hebrew text by L. Michael Morales forms the basis for his comments. The Apollos Old Testament Commentary aims to take with equal seriousness the divine and human aspects of Scripture. It expounds the books of the Old Testament in a scholarly manner, accessible to non-experts, and it shows the relevance of the Old Testament to modern readers. Written by an international team of scholars, these commentaries are intended to serve the needs of those who preach from the Old Testament, as well as scholars and all serious students of the Bible.

Being the first legal corpus in the biblical canon, Exodus 19–24 is a law collection that belonged to a people living under the shadow of empire. Using an integrated approach of postcolonial studies and historical-comparative analysis, this important study analyzes the relationship between the laws given to the Israelites on Mount Sinai and cuneiform law collections. Dr. Anna Lo skillfully integrates postcolonial understandings of the colonized people to explore how the similarities and differences reflect the imperialized authors'wrestling with the imperial legal metanarrative and subjugation of their time. This investigation into the dynamic of acceptance, ambivalence, and resistance invites attention to this selection of Scripture as a work of conservative revolutionists. Dr. Lo's thorough work provides an important way forward for scholars to consider responses of the imperialized to empires in the past as well as to reflect on their own response to hegemonic domination today.

This book examines the dynamics around the introduction and spread of helmets and body armour throughout Egypt during the 18th, 19th and 20th Dynasties. It argues that the word'introduction'is the best term to define this phenomenon because these types of military equipment were not in fact Egyptian technological innovations, but initially appeared at the end of the Bronze Age following the Hurrian expansion in the Middle East before being dispersed throughout the surrounding territories. The analysis focuses particularly on a survey of iconographic, archaeological and lexicographic attestations from a wide range of surviving material evidence and literary sources. On the basis of the collated data, it provides as accurate a perspective as possible on how the helmet and the cuirass were introduced and propagated, their impact on warfare and their possible role in ideology across the chronological span of the New Kingdom. Pollastrini also draws productive comparisons between the Egyptian data and contemporary attestations from the Middle East and the Aegean region in order to underpin the'international'dynamics at play. In doing so it both encourages a broader ancient-historical perspective that sets New Kingdom Egypt within its contemporary context, and sheds new light on developments in the military history and warfare of the period.

On the Day of Atonement, two goats were brought before the high priest at the temple. One was chosen as the goat for the Lord, a spotless sacrifice, and the other was set aside for Azazel, doomed to bear sins into the wilderness. Jewish Temple Theology and the Mystery of the Cross shows how a theological appreciation for the two movements of Yom Kippur makes it possible to identify the paradox at the heart of Christian soteriology: in his single atoning act, Jesus Christ fulfills the work of both goats, without confusion, without division. Appreciation for this paradox helps illuminate many of the doctrinal debates in the history of Christian soteriology and offers a compelling way forward. Jewish Temple Theology and the Mystery of the Cross begins with a survey of biblical geography: first, a rich theological pilgrimage to Mount Zion, the home of beauty, goodness, and truth, and then to the surrounding desert, the wilderness of sin and sorrow. To appreciate the Yom Kippur liturgy, and to understand the priestly word “atonement,” one must be oriented by this cosmic stage. Drawing on the best modern historical-critical scholarship, this volume reveals the wonders hidden in Leviticus and shows how a sophisticated theological interpretation of this book leads to breakthroughs in our understanding of Christ's saving work. Seeing the mystery of the cross from the perspective of the ancient Jewish scriptures has surprising results. For example, Richard Barry shows how Hans Urs von Balthasar's controversial theology of Holy Saturday is a compelling development of Azazel-goat soteriology; it is not only biblically licit but is in some ways mandated by the logic of Yom Kippur. At the same time, David Bentley Hart is celebrated for the way he powerfully advances modern YHWH-goat soteriology, yet obedience to the logic of Yom Kippur also necessitates a nuanced biblical critique of his muscular universalism. How can Christ fulfill the seemingly contradictory movements of both goats in a single saving work? Grappling with that question, Jewish Temple Theology and the Mystery of the Cross seeks to draw nearer to the heart of the mystery of salvation.

Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest gynaecological cancers. In most cases, it is detected as an advanced tumor, since early diagnosis is challenging for most forms of the disease. Surgery and platinum-based compounds have been the mainstay of therapy for many years. The prognosis for ovarian cancer depends on the type of surgery and on the response to chemotherapy. Other regimens have little effect if the disease does not respond to platinum. However, several new therapies are emerging including bevacizumab and PARP-inhibitors, among others. This book provides a detailed body of information important to an understanding of the clinical aspects and management of such a challenging disease. The authors strive to provide the physician with insights and illustrations as well as useful tips and tricks for the everyday clinical practice. Several world-known experts in the field participated in this fruitful effort offering their knowledge and everyday experience, as well as valuable and original photos from their personal archives as well as the most recent and up-to-date guidelines in the field.

In Ethics in the Hebrew Bible and Beyond, Susan Niditch takes soundings among those who have recently approached ethics in the Hebrew Scriptures, their methodological interests, their goals, and their definitions of'ethics'itself. By means of close exegesis of specific passages from the Hebrew Bible and a discussion of the interpretation and application of these ancient texts by post-biblical Jewish writers and other creative contributors from outside the Jewish tradition, this volume explores topics in religious ethics, social justice, political ethics, economic ethics, issues in ecology, gender and sexuality, killing and dying, and reproductive ethics. Certain goals inform all chapters: interest in tracing recurring themes concerning the definition of the good, and the various ways in which Jewish thinkers rely on the more ancient material, interpret, and appropriate it; the links between areas in ethics, for example, between gender and reproductive ethics or war-views and attitudes to political ethics and environmental ethics. Niditch carves out specific biblical texts and themes in order to explore them in depth with special interest in the meanings and messages that emerge from ancient Israelite writers'varied treatments of issues in ethics. Ethics in the Hebrew Bible and Beyond provides a thoughtful discussion of biblical composers'treatment of ethical issues and an engaging overview of the ways in which these texts have been appropriated, in particular by Jewish contributors. This volume serves to challenge readers'own assumptions about biblical ethics, the applicability and the various meanings and messages that might be derived from engagement with key biblical texts.

A Pact of Love with Criticism, A Pact of Blood with the World Building on the legacy of Fernando F. Segovia, the pioneering essays in this volume redefine the intersection of biblical studies and geopolitics. Through a thorough exploration of how ancient texts and modern readers influence and reflect geopolitical dynamics, each contributor reveals how biblical narratives have shaped and been shaped by historical power structures, territorial conflicts and climate changes, and cultural exchanges. Essays employ contemporary geopolitical concepts that move beyond traditional readings to offer fresh insights into the strategic and ideological forces behind scriptural texts. An annotated interview with Fernando F. Segovia traces his immigration journey as an adolescent and its indelible imprint on his scholarship as a postcolonial critic. Contributors include Efraín Agosto, Amy Lindeman Allen, Reimund Bieringer, Mark G. Brett, Ahida Calderón Pilarski, Greg Carey, Jorge E. Castillo Guerra, Jin Young Choi, Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder, Gregory L. Cuéllar, Musa W. Dube, Neil Elliott, Eleazar S. Fernandez, Bridgett A. Green, Leticia A. Guardiola-Sáenz, Jacqueline M. Hidalgo, Knut Holter, Ma. Maricel S. Ibita, Ma. Marilou S. Ibita, John F. Kutsko, Sung Uk Lim, Francisco Lozada Jr., Luis Menéndez-Antuña, Rubén Muñoz-Larrondo, Robert Myles, Wongi Park, Mitri Raheb, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Fernando F. Segovia, Yak-hwee Tan, Ekaputra Tupamahu, Gerald O. West, Hans (J. H.) de Wit, and H. Daniel Zacharias.

The first volume of a groundbreaking two-part commentary on the book of Genesis by leading biblical scholar Ronald Hendel The first eleven chapters of Genesis narrate the origin of the universe; the creation of the first human beings; the beginnings of moral reasoning, society, and culture; and the cataclysmic global flood. By showing how life and civilization came into being, Genesis 1–11 offers a richly drawn map for understanding the world as a meaningful cosmos and an ethical guide for human purpose and responsibility within it. The culmination of over thirty years of research, this long-awaited study by leading Genesis scholar Ronald Hendel is the first comprehensive scholarly commentary on Genesis 1–11 in a generation. Drawing on archaeological discoveries from Israel and the ancient Near East as well as contemporary methods of scholarship, it presents a multilayered view of the classic text. The extensive introduction, notes, and comments explore ancient textual versions and editions, historical contexts, literary style and design, compositional history, cosmology, ethics, and the book's interpretive life in Judaism and Christianity. Featuring numerous illustrations, this engagingly written commentary is an indispensable, field-defining guide to the first eleven chapters of the Bible.

The purpose of this book is to introduce the Pentateuch to (under)graduate students by approaching it from the perspective of five theological polarities: chaos-creation (Genesis), slavery-freedom (Exodus), defilement-holiness (Leviticus), wilderness-homeland (Numbers), and conflict-covenant (Deuteronomy). It examines these polarities in light of other great texts from the ancient Near East (and Qur'an) in the hope of ushering the reader into a deeper understanding of the one God revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

The collection of essays in this book represents more than twenty years of research on the history and archeology of Judah, as well as the study of the Biblical literature written in and about the period that might be called the “Age of Empires”. This 600-year-long period, when Judah was a vassal Assyrian, Egyptian and Babylonian kingdom and then a province under the consecutive rule of the Babylonian, Persian, Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires, was the longest and the most influential in Judean history and historiography. The administration that was shaped and developed during this period, the rural economy, the settlement pattern and the place of Jerusalem as a small temple, surrounded by a small settlement of (mainly) priests, Levites and other temple servants, characterize Judah during most of its history.This is the formative period when most of the Hebrew Bible was written and edited, when the main features of Judaism were shaped and when Judean cult and theology were created and developed.The 36 papers contained in this book present a broad picture of the Hebrew Bible against the background of the Biblical history and the archeology of Judah throughout the six centuries of the “Age of Empires”.

This books traces the rise to prominence in the twentieth-century of a sub-genre of gothic fiction that is, emphatically, a horror of enlightenment rationality rather than gothic darkness, examining post-modern revisions of Modernist “Promethean” tropes in an eclectic range of gothic, fantasy and SF writing. Whether the subject be terror of London's churches in the psychogeographical fiction of Iain Sinclair and Alan Moore, the Orcs in the linguistic fantasies of J.R.R. Tolkien, King Kong, killer-computers, or demon-children in post-war British science-fiction, A Book of Monsters offers illuminating perspectives on the darker recesses of the post-modern imagination, setting out a compelling, and comprehensive, overview on our contemporary unconscious.

In this refreshing exploration of Judah's identity formation, the emphasis is placed on the psychological underpinnings of Judah's sentiments towards Israel, aiming to illuminate the significance of Judah's appropriation of Israel. Richly contextual, this book draws parallels observed in Asian contexts, notably those of North and South Korea, and China with its marginal Others. Central to the thesis is that Judah's perceived inferiority to Israel played a crucial role in its quest to appropriate Israel's legacy and identity. Adopting a functionalist lens, Judah's rewriting of Israel's ancestral past is examined. The Abraham and Jacob traditions are understood as competing'identity narratives,'serving as critical discursive tools to construct their pasts. The study scrutinizes how the southern Abraham tradition fundamentally reoriented the Jacob tradition, North Israel's standalone ancestral myth. Set against the broader canvas of continued efforts to redefine and embody'Israel'within the history of Judeo-Christian religions, this exploration underscores how Judah's pivotal appropriation of Israel has established a paradigm for all future endeavors of'becoming Israel.'

'But just as then the child born as a result of the flesh persecuted the one born as a result of the Spirit, so also now'(Gal 4:29 CSB). Why do God's people suffer? In Galatians, Paul makes an argument from persecution for the authenticity of his gospel. Persecution demonstrates that Paul and the Galatians belong to God and have believed in the divinely revealed gospel. While Paul does not offer an explicit theodicy in Galatians, his argument from persecution requires an implicit one. Paul's theodicy can primarily be understood through his interpretation of earlier Scripture, especially the story of Isaac and Ishmael in Genesis. In Persecution and Cosmic Conflict, Joshua Caleb Hutchens examines the theme of persecution in Galatians and Paul's theological context in earlier Scriptures and early Judaism. Hutchens argues that Paul sees persecution as a manifestation of the cosmic conflict between God in Christ and the present evil age. Paul argues for this by appealing to earlier Scripture in Genesis. Hutchens offers a biblical-theological reading of Genesis that makes sense of Paul's usage of the book in Galatians.

Ezidi people (Yezidi/Yazidi) and their culture suffered greatly at the hands of Daesh before, during, and after the 2014 Sinjar (Shingal) Genocide. Since the resulting forced migration, the Ezidi ­community as one of the most marginalised societies in the Middle East has undergone a significant amount of society-wide transformation. New avenues for agency have opened, and Shingali Ezidi women have taken these opportunities to express transformed identities, filling spaces previously unavailable, and altering “traditional” gender roles. This first extensive ethnographic work ever conducted with Ezidi women examines origins and developments of transformations in their female identity and agency. The analysis of their expressions and performances is particularly notable because of the subaltern position under numerous layers of minority, e.g. ethnicity, geography, religion, politics, culture, language, as well as gender. The aim of this study is to investigate the utilisation of subaltern identity to actualise agency among women after genocide.

Early English culture depended on a Judaism translated away from Jews. Revealing the importance of Jewish law to the workings of early Christian England, Nothing Pure presents a Jewish revision of the history of English Bible translation. The book illuminates the paradoxical process by which the abjection and dehumanization of Jews, a bitter milestone in the history of European racism, was first articulated in the cultural translation of Jewish literature. It locates Old English Bible translation within the history of cultural translation, so that instead of appearing as the romantically liberated fragments of a suppressed mode of literacy, these authorized and semi-authorized vernacular works can be seen as privileged texts appropriating a Jewish source culture into an English Christian host culture. Mo Pareles proposes a theory of translation called supersessionary translation to explain the aesthetics of these texts: while at first glance they appear to dismiss irrelevant Jewish laws according to an arbitrary pattern, closer analysis reveals that they are masterful attempts to subject the legacy of Judaism, through translation, to the control of a system that has purportedly superseded and replaced it. Ultimately, Nothing Pure demonstrates the surprisingly central role of Jewish law in translation to Christian identity in late Old English ecclesiastical and monastic writings.

An examination of MT Esther's relationship to the Joseph story, this study employs recent advances in author-oriented biblical intertextuality to address the debate concerning the religious purpose of the Scroll. While previous scholarship has seen Esther's divine silence indicating God's hidden hand, the characters'or readers'quiet faiths, or the secular concerns of an ancient Jewish nationalism, key aspects of Esther's allusive character illustrate how the book purposefully constructs a theology of divine absence. As good-looking Israelites continue to rise in foreign courts to deliver themselves and their people from imminent dangers, the patterns God initiated in the Egyptian past are shown to extend into the Persian present even when the divine remains out of sight. Since this diachronically-oriented analysis suggests this theological interest was developed by Esther's authors, it engages with Esther's ancient Greek witnesses to demonstrate that the MT redactors altered an earlier version of the Scroll to position the Hebrew Megillah alongside Joseph's instructive backdrop. By attending to these historical and interpretive issues, this work thus speaks to both Scroll scholarship and the study of inner-biblical allusions.

In The Pentateuch: Life in the Presence of God, J. Daniel Hays surveys the narrative history of the Pentateuch—the first five books of Scripture and invites readers to know the God who covenanted with Israel to rescue them and live in his presence. This book will encourage and equip pastors, students, and laypersons as they encounter the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As part of the Scripture Connections series, The Pentateuch includes helpful sidebars with ancient, biblical, gospel, and life connections. Written in an accessible manner, this book will help readers engage more deeply with the stories of God's chosen people. The Scripture Connections series is a concise and accessible guide to the Bible that focuses on Scripture's natural unity. Each volume covers a particular set of biblical books, providing a thorough overview of the content and background in a shorter page count than a traditional textbook. The authors bring forward connections between Scripture and the ancient world, other biblical texts, the good news of the gospel, and everyday life, inviting readers to engage more deeply with God's Word.

This book begins by exploring the mysterious origins of an institution so familiar that most of us never wonder where it came from—the seven-day week. Jon D. Levenson then focuses on the historical development of the Jewish Sabbath and the rich range of theological and ethical meanings it has acquired over the centuries.Levenson evaluates the theory that the Hebrew word šabbāt derives from Akkadian and that the Sabbath may have begun as a day of ill omen, only later to be reinterpreted as the joyous festival that consummates the seven-day week. He explores the quasi-magical character of the number seven in ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean compositions and examines the revealing variation of the Sabbath commandment between the two biblical versions of the Decalogue in Exodus and Deuteronomy. He also treats sabbatical law in the Second Temple and rabbinic periods, critiquing contemporary efforts to extract a spirituality from the Sabbath that is divorced from larger questions of communal identity, normative practice, and religious affirmation. Levenson concludes by discussing modern challenges to Sabbath observance and the surprising prospects for its continuation.Written by an eminent scholar in the field, this sophisticated inquiry bridges the gap between studies that explore the spiritual meaning of Jewish Sabbath observance and those that focus strictly on the history of the tradition. It will appeal to a wide audience of academics and lay readers.

Tell el-Hesi is located near the modern city of Qiryat Gat in the Southern District of Israel, 23 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea. The site, which covers 35–40 acres, includes both an acropolis and a lower city. Occupation of the site began as early as the Neolithic period, and the city grew significantly during the Early Bronze Age before being abandoned until the Late Bronze Age. The latest phase of occupation occurred during the Hellenistic period. The acropolis was in use for almost two thousand years. This volume is the first in a new iteration of the Joint Archaeological Expedition to Tell el-Hesi series that builds on previously published volumes. It publishes a final report for part of one of Tell el-Hesi's excavation fields; a reevaluation of the stratigraphic findings of the original 1891–1892 excavations on Tell el-Hesi, based on excavation work from the 1970s and 1980s; in-depth studies of groups of small finds from the tell; and zooarchaeological analyses that widen the investigative perspective to include the region around the tell.Paying tribute to the long excavation history at Tell el-Hesi, the contributors to this volume employ state-of-the-art scientific methods that honor the careful work and findings of a century of excavations. Hesi After 50 Years and 130 Years will be an important reference for scholars researching the history and culture of southern Palestine.

The importance and primary role of the site of Tell Fekheriye (Syria) has always been emphasized in the research history of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology. As known from excavations and written sources, the site was an important centre in the Mittani and the Middle Assyrian periods. However, a systematic study and analysis of the pottery has never been accomplished, although the material offers a local and regional perspective on the ceramic production of a Late Bronze Age urban centre. This book fills this gap, offering an insight into the pottery from the site. The material provides a crucial set of data from Northern Mesopotamia, shedding new light on the Late Bronze Age, and in the phase of power alternation between the Mittani Kingdom and the Middle Assyrian state. This work illustrates the chrono-typological changes in the ceramic assemblages and provides an analysis of the functions related to the ceramic vessels, in context with other findings (sealings). In the end, the analysis of ceramic material as a starting point leads the reader to the investigation of topics related to society and social behaviours, economy, and political assets and administration in this urban centre for roughly 300 years of its history.

The U.S. Declaration of Independence of 1776 decreed that all men were created equal and were endowed by their Creator with “certain unalienable Rights.” Yet, U.S.-born free and enslaved Black people were not recognized as citizens with “equal protections under the law” until the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment. Even then, White supremacists impeded the equal rights of Black people as citizens due to their beliefs in the inferiority of Black people and that America was a nation for White people. White supremacists turned to biblical passages to lend divine justification for their views. A Womanist Reading of Hebrew Bible Narratives as the Politics of Belonging from an Outsider Within analyzes select biblical narratives, including Noah's curse in Genesis 9; Sarah and Hagar in Genesis 16 and 21; Mother in Israel in Judges 5; and Jezebel, Phoenician Princess and Queen of Israel in 1 and 2 Kings. This analysis demonstrates how these narratives were first used by ancient biblical writers to include some and exclude others as members of the nation of Israel and then appropriated by White supremacists in the antebellum era and the early twentieth century to do the same in America. The book analyzes the simultaneously intersecting and interconnecting dynamics among race, gender, class, and sexuality and biblical narratives to construct boundaries between “us versus them,” particularly the politicization of motherhood to deny certain groups'inclusion.

The Oxford Handbook of Hosea is a collection of essays that provide resources for the interpretation of the book of Hosea. The volume examines interpretive elements and approaches that are deemed essential for interpretation or that are representative of significant trends in present and future study. Each essay addresses one particular element or approach and will critically survey prior scholarship before presenting current and prospective approaches. In many ways, research on the book of Hosea is representative of the developments and current trends in prophetic study as a whole. Hence, while dedicated to the book of Hosea, the collection of essays in this volume provides a snapshot of what today's fully orbed scholarship on a prophetic book should look like. The collection begins with background-oriented essays that discuss the history, text, and compositional growth of Hosea. The volume includes a section of essays that survey established and emerging perspectives on key representative texts from the book. The essays then treat the book of Hosea's major theological and literary elements, themes, and motifs before moving on to examine diverse interpretive theories, contexts, and approaches. The final group of essays in the volume investigates major trends in the reception history of Hosea, including the book's use in popular movies and novels, as well as Asian and African American interpretation. The Handbook provides state-of-the-art essays for graduate students and scholars on a wide variety of key subject areas relating to the interpretation of the book of Hosea.

This book puts a creative new reading of Hans-Georg Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics and literary genre theory to work on the problem of Scripture. Reading texts as Scripture brings two hermeneutical assumptions into tension: that the text will continually say something new and relevant to the present situation, and that the text has stability and authority over readers. Given how contested the Bible's meaning is, how is it possible to ‘read Scripture'as authoritative and relevant? Rather than anchor meaning in author, text or reader, Gadamer's phenomenological model of hermeneutical experience as Spiel (‘play') offers a dynamic, intersubjective account of how understanding happens, avoiding the dead end of the subjective–objective dichotomy. Modern genre theory addresses some of the criticisms of Gadamer, accounting for the different roles played by readers in different genres using the new term Lesespiel (‘reading game'). This is tested in three case studies of contested texts: the recontextualization of psalms in the book of Acts, the use of Hagar's story (Genesis 16) in nineteenth-century debates over slavery and the troubling reception history of the rape and murder in Gibeah (Judges 19). In each study, the application of ancient text to contemporary situation is neither arbitrary, nor slavishly bound to tradition, but playful.