Reclaiming The Hebrew Bible

The 19th century saw the rise of Biblical Criticism in German universities, culminating in Wellhausen's radical revision of the history of biblical times and religion. For German-Jewish intellectuals, the academic discipline promised emancipation from traditional Christian readings of Scripture - but at the same time suffered from what was perceived as anti-Jewish bias, this time in scholarly robes. "Reclaiming the Hebrew Bible" describes the German-Jewish strategies to cope with Biblical Criticism - varying from an enthusiastic welcome in the early decades, through modified adoption in Jewish Reform circles, to resolute rejection in the Orthodox camp. The study surveys the awareness and attitudes towards Biblical Criticism in the popular German-Jewish periodicals, and analyzes in depth the works of the first modern Jewish historian I. M. Jost (1793-1860), of the theologian S. L. Steinheim (1789-1866), and of the Reform activist Siegmund Maybaum (1844-1919).

Poetic imagination, intertextuality, and life in a symbolic world / Roy F. Melugin -- Persistent vegetative states: people as plants and plants as people -- In Isaiah / Patricia K. Tull -- Like a mother I have comforted you: the function of figurative -- Language in Isaiah 1:7-26 and 66:7-14 / Chris A. Franke -- A bitter memory: Isaiah's commission in Isaiah 6:1-13 / A. Joseph Everson -- Poetic vision in Isaiah 7:18-25 / H.G.M. Williamson -- YHWH's sovereign rule and his adoration on Mount Zion: a -- Comparison of poetic visions in Isaiah 24-27, 52, and 66 / Willem A.M. Beuken -- The legacy of Josiah in Isaiah 40-55 / Marvin A. Sweeney -- Spectrality in the prologue to Deutero-Isaiah / Francis Landy -- The spider-poet: signs and symbols in Isaiah 41 / Hyun Chul Paul Kim -- Consider the source: a reading of the servant's identity and task in Isaiah 42:1-9 / James M. Kennedy -- "They all gather, they come to you": history, utopia, and the reading of Isaiah 49:18-26 and 60:4-16" / Roy D. Wells -- From desolation to delight: the transformative vision of Isaiah 60-62 / Carol J. Dempsey -- The nations' journey to Zion: pilgrimage and tribute as metaphor in the book of Isaiah / Gary Stansell.

* A landmark textbook made accessible for the beginning college student * Thoroughly updated charts and graphs, reflection guides, and study questions * Richly illustrated with maps and photographs * Companion Web site features professor - and student-friendly resources

“This festschrift honors one of the most important Old Testament scholars in the modern Mennonite tradition, and the essays produced by colleagues and former students reflect Janzen's influence and productivity as both a scholar and a teacher.” —Daniel L. Smith-Christopher, Loyola Marymount University

In April of 2001, the headline in the Los Angeles Times read, “Doubting the Story of the Exodus.” It covered a sermon that had been delivered by the rabbi of a prominent local congregation over the holiday of Passover. In it, he said, “The truth is that virtually every modern archeologist who has investigated the story of the exodus, with very few exceptions, agrees that the way the Bible describes the exodus is not the way it happened, if it happened at all.” This seeming challenge to the biblical story captivated the local public. Yet as the rabbi himself acknowledged, his sermon contained nothing new. The theories that he described had been common knowledge among biblical scholars for over thirty years, though few people outside of the profession know their relevance. New understandings concerning the Bible have not filtered down beyond specialists in university settings. There is a need to communicate this research to a wider public of students and educated readers outside of the academy. This volume seeks to meet this need, with accessible and engaging chapters describing how archeology, theology, ancient studies, literary studies, feminist studies, and other disciplines now understand the Bible.

This volume provides an introduction and essays on the four key sections of the Hebrew Scriptures from the perspective of top female biblical scholars: Part One: Torah/Pentateuch Part Two: Deuteronomistic History (Joshua–2 Kings) Part Three: Prophets and Prophecy Part Four: Writings and the Book of Daniel This volume highlights key issues in the Hebrew Scriptures from the perspective of top female biblical scholars. This includes historical critical and literary textual analysis and exegesis, particularly as viewed through feminist and intersectional interpretive lenses. Intersectional lenses include the racial/ethnic, class, Global South, postcolonial, and so forth, and their interconnections with gender. The introduction to the volume by the editor introduces feminist intersectional biblical scholarship, making the case that this scholarship addresses perspectives that are often missing from even very thorough survey texts: feminist and intersectional issues regarding the women characters, sexual assumptions, sexual and domestic violence, symbolization of women, class and race relations, and so forth. The essays have been created for students who may be encountering feminist biblical and intersectional scholarship for the first time. Other contributors to this volume include Carolyn J. Sharp, Vanessa Lynn Lovelace, Corrine L. Carvalho, Melody Knowles, and Judy Fentriss-Williams.

In Texts, Rocks, and Talk biblical scholar and teacher John Lanci suggests that many have lost the ability to focus on the essentials, to experience a Jesus Christ alive and powerful in our midst. He responds by inviting readers on a journey back to the Bible. Lanci conveys the experience of interpreting the Bible, inviting readers to witness the interpretation of one particular passage from the Hebrew Bible and one from the New Testment from start to finish. Along the way he covers some of the same ground that biblical introductions present, as he explains what interpreters do and why they do it. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the need to interpret texts and greater confidence in their ability to enter into the conversation that sacred texts provide. They will also have a greater confidence in the possibility that their Christian community can open itself up to that divine conversation. Texts, Rocks, and Talk can serve as an introduction to the Bible textbook for college undergraduates, parish discussion groups, or individuals who do not have a lot of theological background but are interested in finding their way into the Bible. The chapters are relatively short and clearly written, with questions for reflection and discussion. Chapters in Preliminaries are "Why Take It on the Road?" "What the Bible Is Not, " and "A Preview of Coming Attractions: What the Bible Is." Chapters in The Song of Songs are "Sex on the Page, " "Healthy Suspicion: A Walking Staff for Our Journey, " "What is the Book?" "Lo and the Rocks, " "Lifestyles of the Dead and Buried: What Archaeology Is and What It Is Not, " "Making the Heart Forget: The Love Songs of Ancient Egypt, " and "The Egyptian LoveSongs and the Song of Songs." The chapter in An Interlude is "An Interlude with Jesus and Christ." Chapters in First Corinthians are "Our Brother Paul, " "We Raise an Eyebrow in Surprise: Paul, the Corinthians, and a Letter, " "The Rhetoric of a Text, " "What Kind of Fool Is God?" "A Little History, a Little Wisdom, a Little Mystery, " "The Rigamorale of Roman Power and Corinthian Rocks, " "The No-Relax Tour Continues into Darker Realms, " and "The Great Reversal." Chapters in Talk: Counterimagining the Wor are "Three Umbrellas and a Sea Change, " "Counterimagining the World, " "We Confront the Passion of God, " "In Praise of Christian Flesh, " and "The Journey, Not the Arrival, Matters." Includes an Introduction, Epilogue, and Notes, Citations, Suggestions for Further Readings.

Controversy has surrounded the Dead Sea Scrolls ever since they were first discovered in caves bordering the Dead Sea. what is their true meaning? What revelations do they hold about Judaism and about the origins of Christianity? In this bestseller Schiffman lifts the shroud of mystery and conspiracy that has obscured their true meaning, proving that many of the scrolls have been incorrectly translated and misinterpreted.