James K. Aitken - Böcker

To understand the New Testament well, it is important to study the larger world surrounding it, and one of the primary avenues for this exploration is through reading related ancient texts, a daunting task for scholars and novices alike given the sheer size of the ancient literary corpora. The ALNTS series aims to bridge this gap by introducing the key ancient texts that form the cultural, historical, and literary context for the study of the New Testament.This volume explores two vital strands of ancient Jewish literature: (1) the Jewish apocrypha and (2) the Septuagint (the Old Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible). These text-collections reveal the rich and dynamic Jewish environments in which early devotion to Jesus Christ first emerged. Intriguing on their own, these text-collections also backlight the life of Jesus and the faith of his earliest followers, adding contours of depth to the writings of the New Testament in relation to the Jewish matrix of their time.Contributors: Samuel L. Adams, Loveday Alexander, Philip Alexander, Joshua Alfaro, Sonja Ammann, Anna Angelini, John Barton, Katell Berthelot, Francis Borchardt, Miryam T. Brand, Alma Brodersen, Nuria Calduch-Benages, Adela Yarbro Collins, John J. Collins, Lindsey A. Davidson, David A. deSilva, Susan Docherty, Joseph R. Dodson, Michael W. Duggan, Craig A. Evans, Lisbeth S. Fried, Edmon L. Gallagher, Pieter B. Hartog, Tuukka Kauhanen, Olivia Stewart Lester, David Lincicum, William Loader, Francis M. Macatangay, Jean Maurais, Jill Middlemas, Gerbern S. Oegema, Mika S. Pajunen, Nicholas Perrin, Barbara Schmitz, Marco Settembrini, Shayna Sheinfeld, Jan A. Sigvartsen, Malka Simkovich, Gert J. Steyn, Markus Witte, and Benjamin G. Wright III.

The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible and the scriptures read by early Christians. Septuagint studies have been a growth field in the past twenty years. It has become an area of interest not only for textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible but as a product of Judaism in the Graeco-Roman world. It is even being utilized occasionally by scholars of Greek religion. At the same time renewed interest in the daughter versions (Syriac, Vulgate, Ethiopic, Coptic etc.) has thrown new attention onto the Septuagint. This Companion provides a cutting-edge survey of scholarly opinion on the Septuagint text of each biblical book. It covers the characteristics of each Septuagint book, its translation features, origins, text-critical problems and history. As such it provides a comprehensive companion to the Septuagint, featuring contributions from experts in the field.

These essays explore the idea of the city in the Hebrew Bible by means of thematic and textual studies. The essays are united by their portrayal of how the city is envisaged in the Hebrew Bible and how the city shapes the writing of the literature considered. In its conceptual framework the volume draws upon a number of other disciplines, including literary studies, urban geography and psycho-linguistics, to present chapters that stimulate further discussion on the role of urbanism in the biblical text.The introduction examines how cities can be conceived and portrayed, before surveying recent studies on the city and the Hebrew Bible. Chapters then address such issues as the use of the Hebrew term for ‘city’, the rhythm of the city throughout the biblical text, as well as reflections on textual geography and the work of urban theorists in relation to the Song of Songs. Issues both ancient and modern, historical and literary, are addressed in this fascinating collection, which provides readers with a multi-faceted and interdisciplinary view of the city in the Hebrew Bible.

This book compares and contrasts several parallel passages in the Hebrew Bible that relate to the David narratives. Lydie Kucová analyses various ancient versions of the books of Samuel-Kings and Chronicles, showing how the David story is told differently across these textual witnesses.Beginning with a review of the previous scholarly synopses of these passages, Kucová outlines the main characteristics of the particular ancient versions that are significant for her study (Masoretic text, Dead Sea scrolls, Septuagint, Targums and Peshitta related to the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles). She then proceeds to compare elements of the two separate accounts of David’s reign, such as Saul’s death, the Philistine campaigns and the transfer of the Ark. Rather than imply any correlation between the texts, Kucová instead provides a parallel of David narratives for more convenient in-depth study

These essays explore the idea of the city in the Hebrew Bible by means of thematic and textual studies. The essays are united by their portrayal of how the city is envisaged in the Hebrew Bible and how the city shapes the writing of the literature considered. In its conceptual framework the volume draws upon a number of other disciplines, including literary studies, urban geography and psycho-linguistics, to present chapters that stimulate further discussion on the role of urbanism in the biblical text.The introduction examines how cities can be conceived and portrayed, before surveying recent studies on the city and the Hebrew Bible. Chapters then address such issues as the use of the Hebrew term for ‘city’, the rhythm of the city throughout the biblical text, as well as reflections on textual geography and the work of urban theorists in relation to the Song of Songs. Issues both ancient and modern, historical and literary, are addressed in this fascinating collection, which provides readers with a multi-faceted and interdisciplinary view of the city in the Hebrew Bible.

The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible and the scriptures read by early Christians. Septuagint studies have been a growth field in the past twenty years. It has become an area of interest not only for textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible but as a product of Judaism in the Graeco-Roman world. It is even being utilized occasionally by scholars of Greek religion. At the same time renewed interest in the daughter versions (Syriac, Vulgate, Ethiopic, Coptic etc.) has thrown new attention onto the Septuagint. This Companion provides a cutting-edge survey of scholarly opinion on the Septuagint text of each biblical book. It covers the characteristics of each Septuagint book, its translation features, origins, text-critical problems and history. As such it provides a comprehensive companion to the Septuagint, featuring contributions from experts in the field.

The Jewish-Greek tradition represents an arguably distinctive strand of Judaism characterized by use of the Greek language and interest in Hellenism. This volume traces the Jewish encounter with Greek culture from the earliest points of contact in antiquity to the end of the Byzantine Empire. It honors Nicholas de Lange, whose distinguished work brought recognition to an undeservedly neglected field, in part by dispelling the common belief that Jewish-Greek culture largely disappeared after 100 CE. The authors examine literature, archaeology, and biblical translations, such as the Septuagint, in order to illustrate the substantial exchange of language and ideas. The Jewish-Greek Tradition in Antiquity and the Byzantine Empire demonstrates the enduring significance of the tradition and will be an essential handbook for anyone interested in Jewish studies, biblical studies, ancient and Byzantine history, or the Greek language.

For understanding biblical Greek in context, the importance of the discoveries of papyri was recognized early in the twentieth century, while inscriptions by comparison were left unexplored. Those scholars who had intended to turn their attention to the inscriptions were delayed by their work on the papyri and by the conviction that the greater results would come from these. As a result, undue focus has been placed on papyri, and biblical Greek words have been viewed only through their lens, leading to the inference that the Greek is specifically Egyptian and vernacular. This volume widens the focus on Septuagint words by demonstrating how the inscriptions, coming from a broader geographical region than papyri and containing a wider range of registers, are a source that should not remain untouched.This work explains the current state of the study of Septuagint vocabulary and outlines the competing roles of papyri and inscriptions in its interpretation, including the limitations of focussing solely on papyri. The practical issues for a biblical scholar in dealing with inscriptions are presented and some guidance is given for those wishing to explore the resources further. Finally, examples are drawn together of how inscriptions can illuminate our understanding of Septuagint vocabulary, and thereby inform the socio-historical position of the Septuagint. The origins of apparently new words in the Septuagint, the semantic and grammatical function of words, and the geographical distribution and register all demonstrate the need for further investigation into this field.

The volume On Stone and Scroll addresses biblical exegesis from the historical, archaeological, theological, and linguistic perspectives, and discusses many of the issues central to the interpretation of the Bible. It is written by colleagues and former students of Graham Davies in his honour on his retirement. It covers three main areas central to his work: inscriptional and archaeological, including socio-historical, studies; theological and exegetical studies, especially of Exodus and the Prophets; and semantic studies. A lasting focus of Graham’s work has been the combination of sources that he has utilised in the interpretation of the biblical text. His approach has been distinctive in biblical studies in his combining of archaeological, inscriptional, linguistic and theological evidence for a deeper understanding of text. His work has ranged from archaeological studies, through an edition of Hebrew inscriptions, contributions to Hebrew semantics and biblical theology, to exegesis of the Pentateuch and Prophets. The essays in this volume reflect that broad view of Old Testament study.