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.

Allison Glazebrook and Barbara Tsakirgis, eds., Houses of Ill Repute: The Archaeology of Brothels, Houses, and Taverns in the Greek World
Reviewed by Allen Kerkeslager

John Goldingay, Reading Jesus’s Bible: How the New Testament Helps Us Understand the Old Testament
Reviewed by Nathan Bills

Edward Allen Jones III, Reading Ruth in the Restoration Period: A Call for Inclusion
Reviewed by Brandon R. Grafius

Gloria London, Ancient Cookware from the Levant: An Ethnoarchaeological Perspective
Reviewed by Ralph K. Hawkins

Lidia D. Matassa, Invention of the First-Century Synagogue
Reviewed by Chad Spigel

John L. McLaughlin, An Introduction to Israel’s Wisdom Traditions
Reviewed by David Penchansky

David J. Neville, The Vehement Jesus: Grappling with Troubling Gospel Texts
Reviewed by Hector Avalos

Alexandra Robinson, Jude on the Attack: A Comparative Analysis of the Epistle of Jude, Jewish Judgement Oracles, and Greco-Roman Invective
Reviewed by Peter H. Davids

Kimberly D. Russaw, Daughters in the Hebrew Bible
Reviewed by Laura Quick

Ze’ev Safrai, Seeking Out the Land: Land of Israel Traditions in Ancient Jewish, Christian and Samaritan Literature (200 BCE–400 CE)
Reviewed by Benjamin D. Gordon

Mark Scarlata, The Abiding Presence: A Theological Commentary on Exodus
Reviewed by Justin Young

Sissel Undheim, Borderline Virginities: Sacred and Secular Virgins in Late Antiquity 
Reviewed by Susan E. Hylen

Translations and Treaties

Here is an interesting article highlighting the problems inherent in translation, in this case, treaties between two nations. But this text does illustrate some of the challenges also inherent in Bible translation.

Mariottini on the Psalms

Claude Mariottini discusses the book of Psalms generally and provides links to his discussion of specific psalms and psalm related topics here.

Making Sermon Illustrations Memorable

Scott Maze in this article at Preaching.com makes the following three suggestions (do read the article for the explanation). 

1. Recognize the purpose of your illustration.
2. Remember to vary the form of your illustration.
3. Weigh the balance of your message in terms of exposition, application, and illustration.

Developing Sermon Outlines

David Allen has a good discussion here on how to develop a sermon outline using Acts 2:41-47.

Proverbs and Books

The Chronicle of Higher Education has an interesting article here about a scholar who specialized in studying proverbs and his accumulation of books on the topic. While the article does not directly relate to the Bible's wisdom literature, the story does highlight the universal nature of proverbial literature and has illustrative value.

Interview with Richard Bauckham

Richard Bauckham is interviewed by Brandon Smith here. I find Richard Bauckham to be helpful and interesting writer and speaker.

Preaching Biblical Chiasms

Chad Ashby provides some good advice here.

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.

Eva Marta Baillie, Facing the Fiend: Satan as a Literary Character
Reviewed by Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte

Roland Boer and Christina Petterson, Time of Troubles: A New Economic Framework for Early Christianity
Reviewed by Mark A. Matson

Philip Church, Hebrews and the Temple: Attitudes to the Temple in Second Temple Judaism and in Hebrews
Reviewed by Max Botner

Eckhart Frahm, ed., A Companion to Assyria
Reviewed by Yoram Cohen

Tiffany Houck-Loomis, History through Trauma: History and Counter-history in the Hebrew Bible
Reviewed by Elizabeth Boase

Ulrich Hübler and Herbert Niehr, eds., Sprachen in Palastina im 2. und 1. Jahrtausend v. Chr.: Kolloquium des Deutschen Vereins zur Erforschung Palastinas, 02.–04.11.2012, Mainz
Reviewed by Dennis Pardee

Mark J. Keown, Jesus in a World of Colliding Empires: Mark’s Jesus from the Perspective of Power and Expectations
Reviewed by Adam Winn

Roland Meynet, Le Psautier: Premier Livre (Ps 1–41)
Reviewed by Marc Girard

Françoise Mirguet, An Early History of Compassion: Emotion and Imagination in Hellenistic Judaism
Reviewed by Tyler Smith

Asher Ovadiah and Rosario Pierri, Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and Its Inscriptions
Reviewed by Christopher Ryan Jones

Eric Weidner, Strategien zur Leidbewältigung im 2. Korintherbrief
Reviewed by Gudrun Nassauer

Florian Wilk and Markus Öhler, eds., Paulinische Schriftrezeption: Grundlagen – Auspragungen – Wirkungen – Wertungen
Reviewed by Steven Edward Harris

Raiders of the Lost Ark and Biblical Interpretation

This blog post explains what these two have in common.

Six Reasons to Read Galatians Again

Jeff Robinson discusses them here.

Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament

David Turner interviews Jonathan Greer and John Hilber here about a recent book they edited, Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament.

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.

Rachel E. Adelman, The Female Ruse: Women’s Deception and Divine Sanction in the Hebrew Bible
Reviewed by Diana Abernethy

James K. Aitken and Hilary F. Marlow, eds., The City in the Hebrew Bible: Critical, Literary, and Exegetical Approaches
Reviewed by Victor H. Matthews

Karl Barth; R. David Nelson, ed., The Epistle to the Ephesians
Reviewed by Eric Covington

Matthew E. Gordley, New Testament Christological Hymns: Exploring Texts, Contexts, and Significance
Reviewed by Chris Kugler

Wolfgang Gründstäudl, Uta Poplutz, and Tobias Nicklas, eds., Der zweite Petrusbrief und das Neue Testament
Reviewed by Terrance Callan

Rahel Halabé, Hinneh: Biblical Hebrew the Practical Way
Reviewed by Michael Graves

Trevor S. Luke, Ushering in a New Republic: Theologies of Arrival at Rome in the First Century BCE
Reviewed by Patrick Stange

Thomas P. Nelligan, The Quest for Mark’s Sources: An Exploration of the Case for Mark’s Use of First Corinthians
Reviewed by Jin Hwan Lee

Johannes Unsok Ro, Poverty, Law, and Divine Justice in Persian and Hellenistic Judah
Reviewed by Brandon R. Grafius

Roger Tomes; Walter J. Houston and Adrian H. W. Curtis, eds., Interpreting the Text: Essays on the Old Testament, Its Reception and Its Study
Reviewed by Jeffrey G. Audirsch

Carey Walsh and Mark W. Elliott, eds., Biblical Theology: Past, Present, and Future
Reviewed by David S. Ritsema

Ola Wikander, Unburning Fame: Horses, Dragons, Beings of Smoke, and Other Indo-European Motifs in Ugarit and the Hebrew Bible 
Reviewed by Joanna Töyräänvuori

Ceramic Pomegranate from Tel Shiloh

A couple of my colleagues from the Tel Shiloh dig have published an article available here on a ceramic pomegranate, one of the more important finds from the 2018 season.

The Dangers of Academized Christianity

All those involved in theological education either as a professor or as a student should read this.