Oct 13, 2018

All Those Books You’ve Bought but Haven’t Read

For all of you bibliophiles out there,there is a good essay in The New York Times about the possible benefit of having books that you haven't read (yet?).

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member. 

William G. Dever, Beyond the Texts: An Archaeological Portrait of Ancient Israel and Judah
Reviewed by Avraham Faust

Philip F. Esler, ed., The Early Christian World
Reviewed by Steven Shisley

Caleb T. Friedman, ed., Listen, Understand, Obey: Essays on Hebrews in Honor of Gareth Lee Cockerill
Reviewed by Madison N. Pierce

Carol A. Hebron, Judas Iscariot: Damned or Redeemed; A Critical Examination of the Portrayal of Judas in Jesus Films (1902–2014)
Reviewed by Richard Walsh

Susanne Luther, Sprachethik im Neuen Testament: Eine Analyse des frühchristlichen Diskurses im Matthäusevangelium, im Jakobusbrief und im 1. Petrusbrief
Reviewed by Peter H. Davids

Luke Macnamara, My Chosen Instrument: The Characterisation of Paul in Acts 7:58–15:41
Reviewed by Steve Walton

Mira Morganstern, Reframing Politics in the Hebrew Bible: A New Introduction with Readings
Reviewed by Leslie J. Hoppe, OFM

Alexander Samely, with Philip Alexander, Rocco Bernasconi, and Robert Hayward, Profiling Jewish Literature in Antiquity: An Inventory, from Second Temple Texts to the Talmuds
Reviewed by Joshua Schwartz

Loren T. Stuckenbruck and Gabriele Boccaccini, eds., Enoch and the Synoptic Gospels: Reminiscences, Allusions, Intertextuality
Reviewed by Thomas P. Nelligan

Ben Witherington III and Todd D. Still, eds., with Jeanette M. Hagen, The Epistles of 2 Corinthians and 1 Peter: Newly Discovered Commentaries
Reviewed by Clifford Barbarick

Oct 12, 2018

Translating Genesis 1:1

Although this article does not really raise any new issues regarding the best way to render Genesis 1:1, it may be a good read for some who are less acquainted with the different approaches to the verse. For me, Victor Hamilton's discussion in his commentary on Genesis 1-17 does a better job of laying out the issues but this article does present some of the discussion from a Jewish perspective. 

Oct 11, 2018

Pronouncing the Tetragrammaton

During my Bible college and seminary experience, some of my professors would  pronounce the Tetragrammaton (transliterated YHWH) as Yahweh and others would use Adonai or Lord. And during one written project in my doctoral studies I deliberately tried to  avoid the controversy by using only the Tetragrammaton but still got dinged for it. Haaretz has a pretty good article here on the the issue from a Jewish perspective. (Please note that Haaretz sometimes restricts access to their articles but I was able to access it.)

Oct 10, 2018

Yosef Garfinkel: Searching for the Historical King David Video

Here is Yosef Garfinkel's recent presentation, "Searching for the Historical King David: Excavating Kh. Qeiyafa and Kh. al-Ra'i," that he made at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on September 11.

Oct 9, 2018

Imprecatory Psalms, Again

Here is another post trying to address the difficulties posed by imprecatory psalms, or as I prefer to say, psalms containing imprecations. The "guidelines" presented by the author are not really novel but are worth keeping in mind nonetheless.

Oct 8, 2018

The Significance of the Bathsheba Story

Peter Tarlow, rabbi emeritus at Texas A&M Hillel Foundation in College Station, addresses the question, "What does the story of Bathsheba mean today?" (Note: I would prefer to talk about the significance rather than meaning for today.)

Oct 7, 2018

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member. 

Jean-Noël Aletti, Justification by Faith in the Letters of Saint Paul: Keys to Interpretation
Reviewed by Jeffrey L. Cockrell

Paul N. Anderson, Felix Just, S.J., and Tom Thatcher, eds., John, Jesus, and History, Volume 3: Glimpses of Jesus through the Johannine Lens
Reviewed by Andrew T. Lincoln

Tony Burke, ed., Fakes, Forgeries, and Fictions: Writing Ancient and Modern Christian Apocrypha: Proceedings from the 2015 York University Christian Apocrypha Symposium
Reviewed by Joseph Azize

Mayer I. Gruber, Hosea: A Textual Commentary
Reviewed by Susan E. Haddox

Thomas J. Mosbø, Luke the Composer: Exploring the Evangelist’s Use of Matthew
Reviewed by David J. Neville

Kaisa-Maria Pihlava, Forgotten Women Leaders: The Authority of Women Hosts of Early Christian Gatherings in the First and Second Centuries C.E.
Reviewed by Carolyn Osiek

Christopher R. Seitz, Joel
Reviewed by Joel Barker

Margaret G. Sim, A Relevant Way to Read: A New Approach to Exegesis and Communication
Reviewed by Stephan Witetschek

Abraham Smith, Mark: Shaping the Life and Legacy of Jesus
Reviewed by Abson Joseph

K. Lawson Younger Jr., A Political History of the Arameans: From Their Origins to the End of Their Polities
Reviewed by Carl S. Ehrlich