The Bible and the Ancient Near East

The Bible and the Ancient Near East
Author: Cyrus Herzl Gordon
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 360
Release: 1997
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780393316896

Explores the diverse origins of such stories as the creation and the flood in the cultures of the ancient Near East. This up-to-date revision of a classic work draws on the latest archaeological and linguistic research to fill in the historical realities behind the great stories of the Bible. Shows striking parallels in the foundational stories told in the Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Hebrew cultures of the time.

The Church's Book

The Church's Book
Author: Brad East
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 495
Release: 2022-04-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1467464961

What role do varied understandings of the church play in the doctrine and interpretation of Scripture? In The Church’s Book, Brad East explores recent accounts of the Bible and its exegesis in modern theology and traces the differences made by divergent, and sometimes opposed, theological accounts of the church. Surveying first the work of Karl Barth, then that of John Webster, Robert Jenson, and John Howard Yoder (following an excursus on interpreting Yoder’s work in light of his abuse), East delineates the distinct understandings of Scripture embedded in the different traditions that these notable scholars represent. In doing so, he offers new insight into the current impasse between Christians in their understandings of Scripture—one determined far less by hermeneutical approaches than by ecclesiological disagreements. East’s study is especially significant amid the current prominence of the theological interpretation of Scripture, which broadly assumes that the Bible ought to be read in a way that foregrounds confessional convictions and interests. As East discusses in the introduction to his book, that approach to Scripture cannot be separated from questions of ecclesiology—in other words, how we interpret the Bible theologically is dependent upon the context in which we interpret it.

Sovereign Authority and the Elaboration of Law in the Bible and the Ancient Near East

Sovereign Authority and the Elaboration of Law in the Bible and the Ancient Near East
Author: Dylan R. Johnson
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Total Pages: 383
Release: 2020-08-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3161595092

Five Pentateuchal texts (Lev 24:10-23; Num 9:6-14; Num 15:32-36; Num 27:1-11; Num 36:1-12) offer unique visions of the elaboration of law in Israel's formative past. In response to individual legal cases, Yahweh enacts impersonal and general statutes reminiscent of biblical and ancient Near Eastern law collections. From the perspective of comparative law, Dylan R. Johnson proposes a new understanding of these texts as biblical rescripts: a legislative technique that enabled sovereigns to enact general laws on the basis of particular legal cases. Typological parallels drawn from cuneiform and Roman law illustrate the complex ideology informing the content and the form of these five cases. The author explores how latent conceptions of law, justice, and legislative sovereignty shaped these texts, and how the Priestly vision of law interacted with and transformed earlier legal traditions.

Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament

Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament
Author: John H. Walton
Publisher: Baker Academic
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2018-05-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493414364

Leading evangelical scholar John Walton surveys the cultural context of the ancient Near East, bringing insight to the interpretation of specific Old Testament passages. This new edition of a top-selling textbook has been thoroughly updated and revised throughout to reflect the refined thinking of a mature scholar. It includes over 30 illustrations. Students and pastors who want to deepen their understanding of the Old Testament will find this a helpful and instructive study.

Israel, the Church, and the Middle East

Israel, the Church, and the Middle East
Author: Darrelll L. Bock
Publisher: Kregel Academic
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2018-04-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0825445779

The relationship between the church and Israel has been the source of passionate debate among Christians throughout much of church history. In recent years the traditional pro-Israel stance of evangelicals has come under fire by those who support the Palestinian cause, calling for a new perspective and more nuanced approach by Christians who believe that the land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people by virtue of God’s covenants and promises. Israel, the Church, and the Middle East challenges the supersessionist drift of the modern church, showing that God retains a plan and purpose for the Jewish people while also addressing a number of the divisive issues raised by authors critical both of Israel and of those who affirm Israel's right to the land. The book explores the hermeneutics and wider effects of the conflict, such as the growing antipathy within the church toward the evangelization of the Jewish people. It provides readers with an objective and interdisciplinary treatment, which is irenic and respectful in tone. The book is directed toward pastors, global Christian leaders, theological students, and well-read lay Christians who are actively seeking guidance and resources regarding the Middle East conflict. The contributors represent a broad evangelical spectrum.

Readings from the Ancient Near East

Readings from the Ancient Near East
Author: Bill T. Arnold
Publisher: Baker Academic
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2002-09
Genre: History
ISBN: 0801022924

Comprehensive, up-to-date collection of primary source documents (creation accounts, epic literature, etc.) gives insight into the Ancient Near East and the Old Testament.

The Middle East in Bible Prophecy

The Middle East in Bible Prophecy
Author: United Church of God
Publisher: United Church of God
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2010-08-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 055762147X

The Arab Spring, the continuing Israel - Palestine conflict... why does the Middle East dominate the news headlines so often? One obvious answer is oil, the lifeblood of our modern world. The crucial importance of oil alone ensures that the Middle East will remain in the headlines for years. The Middle East is also the birthplace of the world's three great monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It has also been the battlefield for each religion—trying to control the territory they consider holy. Nowhere are these conflicts more obvious than in Israel, and specifically in Jerusalem. Whether you understand it or not, events in the Middle East are destined to affect the lives of every person on earth! Bible prophecy gives us the clues to understand what will happen. This ebook, "The Middle East in Bible Prophecy", will help you better understand the troubled history of the Middle East—and its tumultuous future. Chapters in this ebook: -- Introduction: Worlds in Turmoil -- The Middle East: Worlds in Collision -- The Sons of Abraham -- The Rise and Fall of Ancient Israel -- The Four Empires of Daniel's Prophecies -- The Coming of Islam -- The Jews: From the Dispersion to the Modern Israeli State -- The Creation of the Modern Middle East -- A Rising Tide of Arab Nationalism -- Fundamentalist Islam Resurges -- Anger Mounts Following Gulf War -- Not Enemies Forever -- "Why Do People Hate Us So Much?" -- War and Peace in the Middle East -- What Is the "Abomination of Desolation"? -- Prophecy of an Arab Confederation -- What Should You Do? Inside this Bible Study Aid ebook: "It’s impossible to understand the present Middle East without a knowledge of the three great religions that emanate from the area—Judaism, Christianity and Islam. These three faiths all trace their spiritual roots back to the same individual, Abraham." "However, conflict between Christians and Muslims has been a constant theme of history for 14 centuries." "Many other factors have contributed to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and subsequent terrorism, including the Israeli-Palestinian problem and the domination of American culture." "After so much death and destruction, and centuries of war and unrest in the Middle East, imagine what a difference the second coming of Jesus Christ will make."

Greek Religion and Culture, the Bible, and the Ancient Near East

Greek Religion and Culture, the Bible, and the Ancient Near East
Author: Jan N. Bremmer
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 445
Release: 2008
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9004164731

This book greatly enhances our knowledge of the interrelationship of Greek religion & culture and the Ancient Near East by offering important analyses of Greek myths, divinities and terms like a ~magica (TM) and 'paradise', but also of the Greek contribution to the Christian notion of atonement.