Bridging The Testaments

An accessible introduction to the historical and theological developments between the Old and New Testament. Bridging the end of the Old Testament period and the beginning of the New Testament period, this book surveys the history and theological developments of four significant eras in Israel's post-exilic history: the Late Persian Era (465-331 BC), the Hellenistic Era (332-167 BC), the Hasmonean Era (167-63 BC), and the Roman Era (63-4 BC). In doing so, it does away with the notion that there were four hundred years of prophetic silence before Jesus. Bridging the Testaments outlines the political and social developments of these four periods, with particular focus on their impact upon Judeans and Samarians. Using a wide range of biblical and extra-biblical sources, George Athas reconstructs what can be known about the history of Judah and Samaria in these eras, providing the framework for understanding the history of God's covenant people, and the theological developments that occurred at the end of the Old Testament period, leading into the New Testament. In doing so, Athas shows that the notion of a supposed period of four hundred years of prophetic silence is not supported by the biblical or historical evidence. Finally, an epilogue sketches the historical and theological situation prevailing at the death of Herod in 4 BC, providing important context for the New Testament writings. In this way, the book bridges the Old and New Testaments by providing a historical and theological understanding of the five centuries leading up to the birth of Jesus, tracking a biblical theology through them, and abolishing the notion of a four-century prophetic silence.

In most Bibles the period between the Old and the New Testaments is represented by a single blank page which, perhaps, has symbolic significance. 'From Malachi to Matthew' has for long remained vague and unfamiliar to many readers of the Scriptures. Many mysteries remain, but in recent times much light has been cast on this whole period. Exciting new insights have been provided by the writings of numbers of scholars and by some remarkable archaeological discoveries. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls caught the popular imagination and engaged the attention of worldwide scholarship. In this small volume an attempt is made to review these years in the light of recent study and discoveries and in particular to assess the religious contribution made by that rather strange company of men known as 'the apocalyptists'. The purpose of this book is selective rather than exhaustive, indicating the part which the apocalyptists had to play within the religious development of Judaism and in the preparation of men's minds for the coming of Christianity.

This volume explores the themes of theodicy and hope in both individual portions of the Twelve (books and sub-sections) and in the Book of the Twelve as a whole, as the contributors use a diversity of approaches to the text(s) with a particular interest in synchronic perspectives. While these essays regularly engage the mostly redactional scholarship surrounding the Book of Twelve, there is also an examination of various forms of literary analysis of final text forms, and engagement in descriptions of the thematic and theological perspectives of the individual books and of the collection as a whole. The synchronic work in these essays is thus in regular conversation with diachronic research, and as a general rule they take various conclusions of redactional research as a point of departure. The specific themes, theodicy and hope, are key ideas that have provided the opportunity for contributors to explore individual books or sub-sections within the Twelve, and the overarching development (in both historical and literary terms) and deployment of these themes in the collection.

How can we make sense of the seismic shift between the Old and New Testament? From the early centuries of Christianity until today, many have wrestled with the complex changes between the Testaments, and how to make sense of them. The discussion and debate is spilling over into new areas today, and shows no sign of slowing down. In this fresh approach, the land, the sword, and the temple are traced from Old to New Testament, in order to find the central reasons for the tremendous changes that took place, and are still impacting the world today. Freely gathered communities of faith in Christ, as seen in their original setting, provide a key focal point for unlocking the radical changes that took place.

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The time between the historical end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament was approximately 420 years. Bible-study classes rarely cover this "forgotten" time, yet understanding this history is critical to our comprehension and appreciation of the New Testament. Furthermore, it was the inter-testament period that gave birth to who we are today--our politics, laws, science, mathematics, institutions, and even the values and philosophies we hold dear. Western civilization undoubtedly would be different today if not for the Jews, Greeks, and Romans and their contributions to society. What happened "between the testaments," before the birth of Jesus, and what is the back-story of his world? Who was Herod the Great, and what influence did he have during this time? What events gave birth to the sects of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Which empires and rulers controlled Judea during this period? Answers to these questions and more are in The Bridge to the New Testament. Discover the following topics in-depth: - Old Testament Survey - Alexander the Great and His Successors - The Roman Republic and Its Notable Leaders - The Greek, Ptolemaic, and Seleucid Empires - The Maccabean and Hasmonean Dynasties - The Prefects, Procurators, Kings, Governors, and Legates of Judea - Herod the Great and the Herodian Dynasty - Jewish and Roman Calendars & Timekeeping - Science and Engineering of the Period - The Roman Empire, Its Military, and Its Emperors - The Three Jewish Temples and Temple Mounts - Apocryphal and Religious Writings of the Period - The Money of the Inter-Testament and New Testament - The Sects, Politics, and Institutions of the Jews - Jewish High Priests - The Genealogies of Jesus - The Roman Conquest of Jerusalem and Masada - Life in Ancient Times - The Spread of the Gospel by the Apostles Have you examined the front cover carefully? If you look closely, you will see we have added eight words to the picture--a few institutions, people, sects, and nations that helped build the bridge to the New Testament. Where to find these hidden words, answer books, PowerPoint slides, a detailed history of the period, book excerpts, ancient money calculators, and much more are available on TheBridgeToTheNewTestament.com.

Did God condone genocide in the Old Testament? How do Christians harmonize the warrior God of Israel with the God of love incarnate in Jesus? Christians are often shocked to read that Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, commanded the total destruction--all men, women, and children--of the ethnic group known as the Canaanites. This seems to contradict Jesus' command in the New Testament to love your enemies and do good to all people. How can Yahweh be the same God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? What does genocide in the Bible have to do with the politics of the 21st century? Show Them No Mercy explores the Old Testament command of God to exterminate the Canaanite population and what that implies about continuity between the Old and New Testaments. The four views presented are: Strong Discontinuity – emphasizes the strong tension, regarding violence, between the two main texts of the Bible (C.S. Cowles) Moderate Discontinuity – provides a justification of God’s actions in the Old Testament with strong emphasis on exegesis (Eugene H. Merrill) Eschatological Continuity – a reading of the warfare narratives that ties them contextually to the book of Revelation and the Second Coming (Daniel L. Gard) Spiritual Continuity – incorporates the genocidal account into the full picture of the Old and New Testaments (Tremper Longman III) The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.