The Old Testament Miracle-workers in Early Judaism

The Old Testament Miracle-workers in Early Judaism
Author: Erkki Koskenniemi
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Total Pages: 380
Release: 2005
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9783161486043

"Erkki Koskenniemi analyzes the most important early Jewish texts, which attribute miracles to people mentioned in the Old Testament. His study is relevant for everyone investigating the miracles in early Judaism or early Christianity."--BOOK JACKET.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament

The Jewish Annotated New Testament
Author: Amy-Jill Levine
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 1268
Release: 2011-11-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0199927065

Although major New Testament figures--Jesus and Paul, Peter and James, Jesus' mother Mary and Mary Magdalene--were Jews, living in a culture steeped in Jewish history, beliefs, and practices, there has never been an edition of the New Testament that addresses its Jewish background and the culture from which it grew--until now. In The Jewish Annotated New Testament, eminent experts under the general editorship of Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler put these writings back into the context of their original authors and audiences. And they explain how these writings have affected the relations of Jews and Christians over the past two thousand years. An international team of scholars introduces and annotates the Gospels, Acts, Letters, and Revelation from Jewish perspectives, in the New Revised Standard Version translation. They show how Jewish practices and writings, particularly the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, influenced the New Testament writers. From this perspective, readers gain new insight into the New Testament's meaning and significance. In addition, thirty essays on historical and religious topics--Divine Beings, Jesus in Jewish thought, Parables and Midrash, Mysticism, Jewish Family Life, Messianic Movements, Dead Sea Scrolls, questions of the New Testament and anti-Judaism, and others--bring the Jewish context of the New Testament to the fore, enabling all readers to see these writings both in their original contexts and in the history of interpretation. For readers unfamiliar with Christian language and customs, there are explanations of such matters as the Eucharist, the significance of baptism, and "original sin." For non-Jewish readers interested in the Jewish roots of Christianity and for Jewish readers who want a New Testament that neither proselytizes for Christianity nor denigrates Judaism, The Jewish Annotated New Testament is an essential volume that places these writings in a context that will enlighten students, professionals, and general readers.

The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism

The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism
Author: John J. Collins
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 2790
Release: 2010-11-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1467466093

The Dictionary of Early Judaism is the first reference work devoted exclusively to Second Temple Judaism (fourth century b.c.e. through second century c.e.). The first section of this substantive and incredible work contains thirteen major essays that attempt to synthesize major aspects of Judaism in the period between Alexander and Hadrian. The second — and significantly longer — section offers 520 entries arranged alphabetically. Many of these entries have cross-references and all have select bibliographies. Equal attention is given to literary and nonliterary (i.e. archaeological and epigraphic) evidence and New Testament writings are included as evidence for Judaism in the first century c.e. Several entries also give pertinent information on the Hebrew Bible. The Dictionary of Early Judaism is intended to not only meet the needs of scholars and students — at which it succeeds admirably — but also to provide accessible information for the general reader. It is ecumenical and international in character, bringing together nearly 270 authors from as many as twenty countries and including Jews, Christians, and scholars of no religious affiliation.

A Companion to Biblical Interpretation in Early Judaism

A Companion to Biblical Interpretation in Early Judaism
Author: Matthias Henze
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 585
Release: 2012-01-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0802803881

Presents eighteen commissioned articles on biblical exegesis in early Judaism, covering the period after the Hebrew Bible was written and before the beginning of rabbinic Judaism. -- from publisher description

Miracles

Miracles
Author: J. Harold Ellens
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 977
Release: 2008-07-30
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0275997235

Can science, psychology, and biology explain miracles? This three-volume set attempts to answer that question, presenting the latest, as well as classic, thinking and research regarding miracles from fields that include psychology, psychiatry, theology, biology, and history. We have all heard of what seem miraculous events, which have surfaced across history. They range from stigmata and bleeding icons to deadly tumors that disappear and healers who succeed just by laying hands on the afflicted; from people who can predict unexpected events to so-called mediums and those who can allegedly see and speak with the dead. These books, led by an eminent scholar who serves as series editor for the Praeger series Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality, examine miracles of body, mind, and spirit, presenting the most recent research and writing on these uncommon events, aiming to bring hard science to some of the most persistent and peculiar phenomena associated with the human race. Can science, psychology, and biology explain miracles? This three-volume set attempts to answer that question, presenting the latest, as well as classic, thinking and research regarding miracles from fields that include psychology, psychiatry, theology, biology, and history. From news of a crippled woman who left her wheelchair and walked after an evangelist prayed over her, to stories of people who died on the operating table only to be revived to tell of bright lights and the pathway to the afterlife, we've all heard of what seem miraculous events. They have surfaced across history. They range from stigmata and bleeding icons to deadly tumors that disappear, and healers who succeed just by laying hands on the afflicted; from people who can predict unexpected events to so-called mediums and those who can allegedly see and speak with the dead. Some miracles are intricately tied to religious beliefs, but there are millions of people who ascribe to no particular religion, yet still believe that things happen that defy all laws of nature, and thus defy scientific explanation. In these books, eminent scholar J. Harold Ellens and his team of expert contributors examine miracles of body, mind, and spirit, presenting the most recent research and writing on these uncommon events as they aim to bring hard science to some of the most persistent—and peculiar—phenomena associated with the human race.

The Messenger of the Lord in Early Jewish Interpretations of Genesis

The Messenger of the Lord in Early Jewish Interpretations of Genesis
Author: Camilla Hélena von Heijne
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Total Pages: 436
Release: 2010-09-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3110226855

The focus of this book is on early Jewish interpretations of the ambiguous relationship between God and ‛the angel of the Lord/God’ in texts like Genesis 16, 22 and 31. Genesis 32 is included since it exhibits the same ambiguity and constitutes an inseparable part of the Jacob saga. The study is set in the wider context of the development of angelology and concepts of God in various forms of early Judaism. When identifying patterns of interpretation in Jewish texts, their chronological setting is less important than the nature of the biblical source texts. For example, a common pattern is the avoidance of anthropomorphism. In Genesis ‛the angel of the Lord’ generally seems to be a kind of impersonal extension of God, while later Jewish writings are characterized by a more individualized angelology, but the ambivalence between God and his angel remains in many interpretations. In Philo's works and Wisdom of Solomon, the ‛Logos’ and ‛Lady Wisdom’ respectively have assumed the role of the biblical ‛angel of the Lord’. Although the angelology of Second Temple Judaism had developed in the direction of seeing angels as distinct personalities, Judaism still had room for the idea of divine hypostases.

The Jewish Context of Jesus' Miracles

The Jewish Context of Jesus' Miracles
Author: Eric Eve
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 441
Release: 2002-08-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1841273155

Scholarly literature on Jesus has often attempted to relate his miracles to their Jewish context, but that context has not been surveyed in its own right. This volume fills that gap by examining both the ideas on miracle in Second Temple literature (including Josephus, Philo, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha) and the evidence for contemporary Jewish miracle workers. The penultimate chapter explores insights from cultural anthropology to round out the picture obtained from the literary evidence, and the study concludes that Jesus is distinctive as a miracle-worker in his Jewish context while nevertheless fitting into it.

Herodian Judaism and New Testament Study

Herodian Judaism and New Testament Study
Author: William Horbury
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2006
Genre: History
ISBN: 9783161488771

This book presents a selection of William Horbury's recent essays. Those collected in Part I seek to trace the profile of Herodian Jewish piety, its Greek and Roman setting, and its reflection in Christianity. Monotheism, mysticism, perceptions of Moses and the Temple are all considered in this way, and a Jewish context for the term 'gospel' and the institution of 'the Lord's Supper' is suggested. Part II treats modern New Testament study, with special attention to its links with study of the classical and Jewish traditions, and a survey on British study in its international setting.

Luke-Acts and Jewish Historiography

Luke-Acts and Jewish Historiography
Author: Samson Uytanlet
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Total Pages: 364
Release: 2014-05-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9783161530906

In this book, Samson Uytanlet states his observation that there is an unnecessary disjunction between Luke's theology and literature in previous studies on Luke-Acts: Luke's theology is typically studied in light of Jewish writings while Luke's literature is studied in relation with Greco-Roman works. The author shows that there are theological, literary, and ideological elements that ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish writings share which are also present in Luke's work. In areas where they diverge, however, Luke-Acts shows closer affinity to Jewish writings.

The Christological Witness Function of the Old Testament Characters in the Gospel of John

The Christological Witness Function of the Old Testament Characters in the Gospel of John
Author: Sanghee M. Ahn
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 441
Release: 2014-06-16
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1498200796

This book investigates the narrative function of the Old Testament characters in the Gospel of John. The intriguing thesis is that the Hebrew characters in John's narrative uniformly function as a witness for the messianic identity of Jesus. The Jewish scriptural traditions (Hebrew and intertestamental ones) are compared to shed light on John's indebtedness for its formation of his Christology. A compelling argument ensues that informs our understanding, not only of the Gospel itself, but also of Jesus Christ revealed in the Gospel.