May 18, 2019

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.

Lori Baron, Jill Hicks-Keeton, and Matthew Thiessen, eds., The Ways That Often Parted: Essays in Honor of Joel Marcus
Reviewed by Adele Reinhartz

George Bristow, Sharing Abraham? Narrative Worldview, Biblical and Qur’anic Interpretation and Comparative Theology in Turkey
Reviewed by John W. Fadden

Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch, ed., The Bible in Motion: A Handbook of the Bible and Its Reception in Film (Part 1 and 2)
Reviewed by Laura Copier

Michael Carasik, ed., The Commentator’s Bible: Genesis: The Rubin JPS Miqra‘ot Gedolot
Reviewed by S. David Sperling

Juan David Figueroa Flórez, “Con la diestra en la espalda”: Estudio sobre las imagenes de Dios y su actuar en Lamentaciones
Reviewed by Claude F. Mariottini

Louise J. Lawrence, Bible and Bedlam: Madness, Sanism, and New Testament Interpretation
Reviewed by Robert J. Myles

Scott D. Mackie, ed., The Letter to the Hebrews: Critical Readings
Reviewed by Madison N. Pierce

Charles L. Quarles, Matthew
Reviewed by Akiva Cohen

Benjamin E. Reynolds, ed., The Son of Man Problem: Critical Readings
Reviewed by Russell Morton

Matthew J. Suriano, A History of Death in the Hebrew Bible
Reviewed by Philip S. Johnston

Eric J. Tully, Hosea: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text
Reviewed by Barry A. Jones

Jacques Vermeylen, Métamorphoses: Les rédactions successives du livre de Job
Reviewed by Philippe Guillaume

May 17, 2019

Hosea's Marriage to Gomer

Derek Bass asks and answers the question, "Why did God command Hosea to marry an immoral woman?" here. This post assumes that Gomer was immoral rather than idolatrous as some like Douglas Stuart argue.

May 15, 2019

Picturing Daniel

I have spent a fair amount of time teaching the book of Daniel. Finding pictures and artwork is fairly easy whether it involves paintings of Daniel in the lion's den or Daniel 2's  statue as empires. It seems that this book has captured the imagination of not a few artists. But if you are looking for photos related to the archaeological backgrounds the options are more limited. 

So this is one reason I am very excited about the new Photo Companion to the Bible on the Book of Daniel. This resource contains over 1,000 images related to the book. These images are annotated and available on PowerPoint presentations arranged by chapter and verse. This makes it really easy to use. My PowerPoint on Daniel has over 400 slides but it will be getting bigger as I add some of this material. There really is nothing else like this anywhere else.

So check out this wonderful resource on Daniel here. It looks like it is even on sale for over 40%-off at $39.

May 14, 2019

The Big Debate over the Big Idea

Last year Abraham Kuruvilla proposed last year that it might be time to kill the "big idea" approach that is so commonly taught and utilized in preaching (e.g., Haddon Robinson, Don Sunukjian, et al.). Now, Steven Mathewson is proposing that we ought to let the "big idea" live. You can read Mathewson's proposal in the Journal of the Evangelical Homiletical Society here. Unfortunately, Kuruvilla's article in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 61:4 (2018) is not yet available for free to non-members.

May 13, 2019

Linguistics & New Testament Greek Conference Video

Video for the 2019 Linguistics & New Testament Greek: Key Issues in the Current Debate Conference is available here.

HT: Dave Black

May 12, 2019

Ancient Israelite Cosmology

Justin Taylor discusses here Vern Poythress's recent book on Genesis 1–3, in particular how it challenges some widely-held views of ancient Israelite cosmology. It sounds like this is some much needed push back on some aspects concerning ancient cosmology that needs to be reexamined and not just reiterated.