Download or read book Septuagint Jonah written by Scriptural Research Institute and published by Scriptural Research Institute. This book was released on 2020-08-02 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Book of Jonah is generally considered by scholars to be fictional tale written in the Persian era, however, the version in the Septuagint indicated the story likely dates back to the Assyrian era, between 720 and 612 BC. There are several reasons why Jewish, Christian, and secular scholars have questioned the book's origin, not the least of which is the fact that Jonah spent several days inside some sea creature, and survived. As such, it reads more like a fictional tale, such as the Words of Ahikar, and the book of Tobit which was connected to Ahikar by its author. The concept of free will is central to all Judeo-Christian religions. Although refusal to follow God's directions will lead to some kind of negative consequences, the right nevertheless exists. However, in the book of Jonah, Jonah had no free will and was forced to go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, to tell the Assyrians that the Jewish God was going to destroy their city, three days after the prophecy. Naturally, no one would be enthusiastic about being told to do that, however, in the Greek translation, the issue is compounded by the fact that Jonah is a slave. In the Masoretic Texts, the expression 'Slave of a master I am' was replaced with 'Hebrew I am,' which makes no sense, as he was talking to the sailors of the ship he boarded in Jaffa, who would have known he was a Hebrew. Furthermore, the reaction of the Assyrians when Jonah reached Nineveh is contrary to all recorded and archeological evidence about the Assyrians. The Assyrians considered the god of the people they conquered to also be conquered by their God Ashur. Unless Jonah was a prophet of Ashur, they simply wouldn't have cared at all about what he had to say, and as he was Samaritan, they would have likely captured him as a runaway slave. However, the Book of Jonah reports that they immediately accepted the prophecy and fasted, even forbidding their animals from eating. This fasting made Jonah's god change his mind, and so the city was not destroyed after three days. This issue of why the Assyrians would have cared about Jonah's prophecy has driven much of the debate about the historical dating of the texts, and as it appears in the Masoretic Text, it is clearly a much later fictional tale added to the other 11 minor prophets for some reason. The earlier Greek translation indicates that Jonah's god was not Yahweh, the Hasmonean national god, but the Canaanite god Shamayim, whose name is still retained in the Masoretic texts, but misinterpreted as meaning the 'skies' as in the Masoretic Jonah, his god has already been identified as the geographically challenged Yahweh. The fact is, if Jonah went to Nineveh and stated he was a prophet of Shamayim, everyone, including the king would have paid attention, as described in the Book of Jonah, as the national god of Assyria, Asshur, had been transformed into Ansar, meaning 'whole sky,' around the time that Samaria had been conquered. As Jonah repeatedly claimed to be worshiping his master's god, and his master would have been an Assyrian, it is clear that he was referring to Ansar (Ashur) when he said Shamayim, the Canaanite equivalent.
Download or read book Jonah written by Amy Erickson and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2021-05-18 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The dominant reading of the book of Jonah—that the hapless prophet Jonah is a lesson in not trying to run away from God—oversimplifies a profoundly literary biblical text, argues Amy Erickson. Likewise, the more recent understanding of Jonah as satire is problematic in its own right, laden as it is with anti-Jewish undertones and the superimposition of a Christian worldview onto a Jewish text. How can we move away from these stale interpretations to recover the richness of meaning that belongs to this short but noteworthy book of the Bible? This Illuminations commentary delves into Jonah’s reception history in Christian, Jewish, and Islamic contexts while also exploring its representations in visual arts, music, literature, and pop culture. After this thorough contextualization, Erickson provides a fresh translation and exegesis, paving the way for pastors and scholars to read and utilize the book of Jonah as the provocative, richly allusive, and theologically robust text that it is.
Download or read book Jonah written by James Limburg and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 1993-01-01 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Careful examination of the text, pointing out the significance of this old story for our own time. An extensive appendix provides highlights from the interpretation of Jonah in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Download or read book Jonah Through the Centuries written by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-09-14 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A meticulous exploration of the reception history of Jonah in all its facets Jonah through the Centuries is a systematic examination of the reception history of the book of Jonah, long-recognized for its numerous theological implications and diverse interpretations. The first book of its kind written in English, this singular volume provides a lucid and coherent commentary on the most influential re-readings of Jonah in Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and secular traditions. Author Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer progresses slowly through the book of Jonah verse-by-verse—even word-by-word through key verses such as Jonah 1:1 and 2:1—to offer readers deep insight into the many and multifaceted interpretations of Jonah from early Jewish readings to modern literary retellings. Structured thematically rather than strictly chronologically, the text begins with the earliest interpretation and follows its trendline all the way through to modern times before turning to the next-oldest interpretation. The commentary covers a broad range of retellings in many languages and in various media including commentaries, sermons, prose, poetry, theatrical drama, art, and music. Throughout the text, the author demonstrates how all these retellings ultimately originate within the biblical text itself and highlights how many of the interpretations are fueled and influenced by the interpreter's religious background, cultural assumptions, and their preconceived notions of what the text should say. Discusses how retellings of Jonah ultimately originate within the text's theological or literary ambiguities, choice of words, or syntactical construction Explains how cross-cultural interchanges between Jews, Christians, and Muslims at different points throughout the centuries influenced the reception of Jonah Highlights how several retellings form clusters according to the interpreters' religious affiliations Covers various interpretations of both often-cited and lesser-known verses from the book of Jonah Interacts with an international range of literary retellings of the book of Jonah, offered in English translation Jonah through the Centuries is an invaluable resource for educated clergy, undergraduate and graduate students in both seminaries and universities, scholars and academics, and general readers with interest in the reception of biblical texts in literature, art, and music.
Download or read book The Text Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research written by Emanuel Tov and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2015-06-13 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This handbook provides a practical guide for the student and scholar alike who wishes to use the Septuagint (LXX) in the text-critical analysis of the Hebrew Bible. It does not serve as another theoretical introduction to the LXX, but it provides all the practical background information needed for the integration of the LXX in biblical studies. The LXX, together with the Masoretic Text and several Qumran scrolls, remains the most significant source of information for the study of ancient Scripture, but it is written in Greek, and many technical details need to be taken into consideration when using this tool. Therefore, a practical handbook such as this is needed for the integration of the Greek translation in the study of the Hebrew Bible. The Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research is based on much background information, intuition and experience, clear thinking, and a solid description of the procedures followed. The author presents his handbook after half a century of study of the Septuagint, four decades of specialized teaching experience, and involvement in several research projects focusing on the relation between the Hebrew and Greek Bibles. The first two editions of this handbook, published by Simor of Jerusalem (Jerusalem Biblical Studies 3 [1981] and 8 [1997]), received much praise but have been out of print for a considerable period. This, the third, edition presents a completely revised version of the previous editions based on the many developments that took place in the analysis of the Septuagint, the Hebrew Bible and the Qumran Scrolls. Much new information has also been added. Eisenbrauns has been involved in the marketing of the previous two editions and is proud to offer now its own completely novel edition. A must for students of the Hebrew Bible, textual criticism, the Septuagint and the other ancient translations, Dead Sea Scrolls, and Jewish Hellenism.
Download or read book Discovering the Septuagint written by Karen Jobes and published by Kregel Academic. This book was released on 2016 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Analytical Literal Translation of the Old Testament Septuagint Volume Four The Prophetic Books written by Gary F. Zeolla and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2014-10-23 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Analytical-Literal Translation of Bible (ALT) is translated by Gary F. Zeolla. The ALT is contained in seven volumes. They are: Volume I - The Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy) Volume II - The Historical Books (Joshua to Esther) Volume III - The Poetic Books (Job to Song of Solomon) Volume IV - The Prophetic Books (Isaiah to Malachi) Volume V - The Apocryphal/ Deuterocanonical Books Volume VI - The New Testament Volume VII - The Apostolic Fathers The purpose of the ALT is to provide a translation of all of these books that will enable the English reader to come as close to the Greek texts as possible without having to be proficient in Greek. And the name of the ALT reflects this purpose. "Literal" refers to the fact that the ALT is a word for word translation. All words in the original text are translated-nothing is omitted. The original grammar of the text is retained as much as possible. Any words added for clarity are bracketed, so nothing is added without it being indicated as such. "Analytical" refers to the detailed "analysis" done on the grammar of the text. The grammar is then translated in a way which brings out "nuances" of the original text that are often missed in traditional translations. In addition, "analytical" refers to the aids that are included within the text which enable the reader to "analyze" and understand the text. Such information is bracketed. It includes the following: 1. Alternative translations for words and phrases. 2. Possible figurative meanings or paraphrases of words and phrases. 3. Modern-day equivalents for measurement and monetary units and time designations. 4. Explanatory notes. 5. Cross references. "Translation" refers to the conversion of the original Greek text into English. Modern-day English is used, and despite its literalness, the ALT is a relatively easy to read and understand. Versions Notes: The version of the ALT: OT published in 2023 is a corrected text, not a full new edition. Only minor corrections have been made, plus the cover and appendixes have been updated. The "Regular" paperback and hardback versions of the ALT: OT are printed on 8-1/2"x11" pages in double columns using Times New Roman 10-point font. But a Personal Size Version is also available . It is printed on 6" x 9" pages in single columns using the same font size. Many requested this smaller page size, so I am making it available. However, due to the smaller page size, the number of pages and thus the cost of the book is greater.
Download or read book The Use of the Septuagint in New Testament Research written by Tim McLay and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2003 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Too often the Septuagint is misunderstood or, worse, ignored in New Testament studies. In this book R. Timothy McLay makes a sustained argument for the influence of the Greek Jewish Scriptures on the New Testament and offers basic principles for bridging the research gap between these two critical texts. McLay explains the use of the Septuagint in the New Testament by looking in depth at actual New Testament citations of the Jewish Scriptures. This work reveals the true extent of the Septuagint s impact on the text and theology of the New Testament. Indeed, given the textual diversity that existed during the first century, the Jewish Scriptures as they were known, read, and interpreted in the Greek language provided the basis for much, if not most, of the interpretive context of the New Testament writers. Complete with English translations, a glossary of terms, an extensive bibliography, and helpful indexes, this book will give readers a new appreciation of the Septuagint as an important tool for interpreting the New Testament.
Download or read book The Computer Bible Septuagint Jonah written by and published by . This book was released on 1971 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book JONAH IN THE SYNOPTIC TRADITION written by Isaac Agbenohevi and published by Fulton Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2024-02-28 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the fruit of a dissertation which seeks to get beyond the impasse in the modern interpretation of the "Sign-Jonah" Traditions by building upon the achieved results of previous studies (both diachronic and synchronic) examining some Jewish Writings from Second Temple Judaism (the historical ambience of the Synoptic tradition), engaging recently refined concepts and methods of literary-narrative analyses such as the use of synkrisis and utilizing the revised understanding of typology in examining the specific role of Jonah in Luke's Christology. Applying the redactional-critical approach, typological exegesis, and literary (narrative) analysis, it examines three specific questions: (1) what the appropriate "image" of Jonah in Second Temple Judaism (historical) is, (2) what the specific form of the "Sign-Jonah" saying in the gospel narratives (literary) is, and (3) how Jonah's figure contribute to Lucan Christology (theological). The entire study concludes with some revealing elements which shed light on the questions which underpin the dissertation: (1) Jonah's figure was replete and frequently invoked in Second Temple Judaism (his fish ordeal, preaching in Nineveh, death experience, considered as sign, commonplace recourse in crisis situation); and (2) "Sign-Jonah" and "Solomon-Queen" traditions (pieced together with the Beelzebul controversy) are interwoven in narration to make a syncretic-typological correlation between Jesus and Jonah (prophetic character in person and activity) and bring a clear definition to the enigmatic logion to semeion Iona; 3). Jonah's figure, in the context of Luke's Christology, serves as an element of both continuity (consistency with OT tradition) and discontinuity (redefinition--Jesus is the fulfillment and plenitude of OT tradition).
Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Septuagint written by Alison G. Salvesen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-01-26 with total page 776 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Septuagint is the term commonly used to refer to the corpus of early Greek versions of Hebrew Scriptures. The collection is of immense importance in the history of both Judaism and Christianity. The renderings of individual books attest to the religious interests of the substantial Jewish population of Egypt during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, and to the development of the Greek language in its Koine phase. The narrative ascribing the Septuagint's origins to the work of seventy translators in Alexandria attained legendary status among both Jews and Christians. The Septuagint was the version of Scripture most familiar to the writers of the New Testament, and became the authoritative Old Testament of the Greek and Latin Churches. In the early centuries of Christianity it was itself translated into several other languages, and it has had a continuing influence on the style and content of biblical translations. The Oxford Handbook of the Septuagint features contributions from leading experts in the field considering the history and manuscript transmission of the version, and the study of translation technique and textual criticism. The collection provides surveys of previous and current research on individual books of the Septuagint corpus, on alternative Jewish Greek versions, the Christian 'daughter' translations, and reception in early Jewish and Christian writers. The Handbook also includes several conversations with related fields of interest such as New Testament studies, liturgy, and art history.
Download or read book Septuagint s Solomon and the Testament of Solomon written by Scriptural Research Institute and published by Scriptural Research Institute. This book was released on 2020-07-07 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: King Solomon is arguably the most famous of all ancient Israelite kings, with several books in the Septuagint dedicated to him, or about him, or even by him, yet, to date, no archeological evidence for his life has been found. Additionally, the Testament of Solomon has survived from the Second Temple era which displays another side of King Solomon. The lifetime of King Solomon falls during the Third Intermediate Period (dark age) in Egyptian history, and therefore are no records of Solomon within the very limited Egyptian records from the time. Egyptologists believe the Kingdom of Egypt collapsed at the beginning of the time period, and by the time that Solomon would have lived, in the early-9th century BC, the king of Egypt only controlled the northern region, while the rest of Egypt was under the rule of the High Priest of Amen (Amun). The various books associated with Solomon that made it into the Septuagint, include 3rd Kingdoms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom of Solomon, and Psalms of Solomon, als of which have been retranslated into modern English. The first book in this collection is 3rd Kingdoms, which tells the life of Solomon, likely from Ezra the Scribe's perspective, 500 years later. The book likely dates to before the reign of King Josiah, circa 700 BC, but is believed to have been redacted by Ezra the Scribe, or someone else in his era. The second book, Proverbs, also called Proverbs of Solomon, is generally attributed to King Solomon, who is explicitly referred to as the author of some of the proverbs. A number proverbs are known to have been copied from older collections of proverbs, most notably the Wisdom of Amenemope, which was apparently written by Amenemope son of Kanakht sometime before Pharaoh Akhenaten, circa 1350 BC. The third book, Ecclesiastes is generally also attributed to King Solomon, however, he is not mentioned anywhere by name. The idea that King Solomon was the author, is found in the introduction to the text. At some point before the Greek translation was made, someone added an introduction and conclusion to the text, in which the author is described as being the 'son of David,' and a 'King in Jerusalem.' The fourth book, Song of Songs, also called the Song of Solomon, is a song about King Solomon theoretically written in his time, circa 950 BC. The book does not list its author, but it was clearly written by a woman in love with Solomon. She is believed to have been referring to herself as a Shulamite in chapter 7, which suggests she was Abishag the Shulamite, King David's youngest concubine. The fifth book, Wisdom of Solomon was added to the Septuagint sometime between 250 and 132 BC, and while it was traditionally attributed to King Solomon, today scholars generally believed to have been composed in Greek, shortly before it was added to the Septuagint. The Wisdom of Solomon itself appears to have been redacted before the Greek translation, as the first half is about the spirit of wisdom, Sophia in Greek, who is credited with actually doing most of what the Lord (Iaw/Yahweh) was credited with doing in the Septuagint and Masoretic Texts, however, this changes abruptly to crediting the Lord in chapter 11, and Sophia disappeared entirely from the rest of the book. The sixth book, Psalms of Solomon, is also called Psalms of Salomon in many of the surviving manuscripts, although it is not clear why. At this time, it is universally agreed that the Psalms of Solomon is a pre-Christian work, as early Christian writers referred to it even though it is clearly not about the life of Jesus as described in the gospels. The seventh book, Testament of Solomon, was widely used by Christian and Gnostic astrologers in the first few centuries of the Christian era.
Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets written by Julia M. O'Brien and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-01-29 with total page 640 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets provides a clear and engaging one-volume guide to the major interpretative questions currently engaging scholars of the twelve Minor Prophets by collecting 40 essays by both established and emerging scholars who explore a wide range of methodological perspectives. Divided into four sections, the first group of essays is devoted to historical studies which consider the manuscript evidence for these books and overview debates about how, when, and by whom they were composed. Essays dealing with literary explorations consider the genres and rhetorical style of the material, key themes, and intertextual connections with other sections of the Jewish and Christian canons. A large section on the history of interpretation traces the ways in which past and present confessional communities, scholars, and artists have understood the Minor Prophets. In the final section, essays on individual books of the twelve Minor Prophets explore the structure, themes, and contested issues of each book.
Download or read book Dodeka Book of the Prophets written by Scriptural Research Institute and published by Scriptural Research Institute. This book was released on 1901 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the mid-3rd century BC, King Ptolemy II Philadelphus of Egypt ordered a translation of the ancient Hebrew scriptures for the Library of Alexandria, which resulted in the creation of the Septuagint, as well as several other books of Jewish and Samaritan scriptures, including the Book of Enoch, Book of Job, Testaments of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the Dodeka. The Dodeka was not part of the collection of texts the Jews fleeing Egypt carried with them from the Jewish Temple in Elephantine, and is therefore believed to have been translated into Greek later, circa 180 BC. It would eventually be added to the Septuagint as the Book of Dodeka circa 140 BC, and then much later be divided into its twelve constituent books by the early Christians in the 3rd-century AD, subsequently called the twelve minor prophets. The books comprising the Dodeka all date from between 900 and 500 BC, and represent the works of twelve ancient prophets, which in the original Greek translation, represented several different gods. These were not Jewish prophets, but Israelite prophets, mostly living the age before King Josiah banned the old gods, in approximately 625 BC. Most of the books in the Dodeka were written before King Josiah's reforms. The books of Hosea, Amos, and Micah are set during the 8th-century BC, when the kingdom of Samaria fought a series of wars against its more powerful northern neighbor Assyria, ultimately being conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire circa 722 BC. The books of Joel, Obadiah, and Jonah follow, although their exact settings are not clear. The books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah follow, set in the 7th-century BC, as the Kingdom of Judea struggled for its survival between the powers of the time, Assyria to the north, Egypt to the south, and Babylon to the east, ultimately falling to the Neo-Babylonian Empire circa 586 BC. There is a gap in the prophets during the era when Babylon ruled Judea, and they continue with the books of Haggai, and the first half of Zachariah, set in the late-6th-century, after the Persians have conquered the Babylonian Empire. Combining the various Elohim that are appear to have been the text the Greeks translated, including Shaddai (Shaddayin), On (Aven), Dagon, Tirath (Tirosh), Yitzhar, Reshef (Blight), Mot, Hades (Sheol), and Abaddon (Destruction), Ba'al Hadad, Ba'al Hammon, Qetesh Asherah, Sydyk, and Shemesh, it strongly suggests that the text was heavily edited in the Hasmonean era when Yahweh Sabaoth replaced Lord El. Unfortunately, the existing Dead Sea Scrolls shed little light on the situation as they date to the era the edits would have taken place, but are in the script that should only show the edited version. Nevertheless, they are so damaged almost none of the questions about the differences between the Dodeka and Masoretic Texts could be resolved, even if they were in the Canaanite script.
Download or read book Revelation of Metatron written by Scriptural Research Institute and published by Scriptural Research Institute. This book was released on 1901 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Revelation of Metatron is a medieval Jewish work, that claims to have been written in the late-2nd century AD by Rabbi Ishmael 'the High Priest.' It is known by various names, including the Sepher Hekhalot (Book of the Palaces), the 3rd Book of Enoch, and the Book of Rabbi Ishmael the High Priest, although its most common name, is the Revelation of Metatron. The earliest name for the work was likely the Sepher Hekhalot (Book of the Palaces), however, all copies have been so reworked that it cannot be known for sure. It is clear that Rabbi Ishmael did not write it, and his name, which is in almost every verse, was inserted to replace another name that the medieval publisher did not want associated with the book. Rabbi Ishmael was the author of the book called Hekhalot Rabbati (Greater Palaces) sometime between 100 and 130 AD, and his name was late used as a pseudonym by many authors of Merkabah literature between 200 and 1000 AD. Hekhalot (Palaces) and Merkabah (Flying-chariot) are two related forms of Jewish literature that developed from the visions from in the prophetic books, such as Ezekiel, apocalyptic books, such as Isaiah, and the Enochian tradition. Hekhalot literature, which includes books that focus on Merkabah, such as Maaseh Merkabah (Working of the Flying-Chariot), is the term used for works written during the Second Temple era. During the Second Jewish-Roman War, Merkabah literature was prohibited, largely it seems, due to the teachings of Rabbi Elisha ben Abujah, more commonly referred to as 'Aher,' meaning 'the other.' After the literature was banned, it went 'underground' and continued to be used in secret, resulting in the Merkabah (Flying-chariot) literature, which itself later gave rise to the Kabbalah school of Judaism. At each stage the literature became more metaphysical and spiritual, resulting in stranger and stranger texts for the uninitiated, much of which can be seen in the various additions and redactions to the Revelation of Metatron. The contents of the chapters of the Ascension of Moses that have survived to the present show that the Ascension is an earlier version of the Revelation of Metatron, and the original protagonist of the story, later redacted to Rabbi Ishmael. There are several parallels between the stories of Moses and Metatron in the Ascension, and the stories of Ishmael and Metatron in the Revelation, however, the Revelation includes several heretical concepts that the original redactor and author of Chapter 16 did not want to ascribe to Moses and therefore used the popular Merkabah pseudonym Ishmael. The date of the original redaction is also difficult to determine, as Aher is a heretic in the Talmuds and Tosefta, and so the derogatory nick-name could have been adopted from the Talmud or Tosefta at any point. Nevertheless, if the original work was Rabbi Elisha's (Aher's) Sepher Hekhalot, it would have likely been redacted before the Babylonian Talmud's version of the story, which did not bother to name him. By that point, the text would have been by a generally unknown author, and there would have been no reason to redact his name from it. This would place the original redaction sometime before 450 AD, and likely in Byzantine Palestine.
Download or read book Gospel Fictions written by Randel Helms and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2009-12-02 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are the four canonical Gospels actual historical accounts or are they imaginative literature produced by influential literary artists to serve a theological vision? In this study of the Gospels based upon a demonstrable literary theory, Randel Helms presents the work of the four evangelists as the "supreme fictions" of our culture, self-conscious works of art deliberately composed as the culmination of a long literary and oral tradition.Helms analyzes the best-known and the most powerful of these fictions: the stories of Christ's birth, his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, his betrayal by Judas, his crucifixion, death and resurrection. In Helms' exegesis of the Gospel miracle stories, he traces the greatest of these - the resurrection of Lazarus four days after his death - to the Egyptian myth of the resurrection of Osiris by the god Horus.Helms maintains that the Gospels are self-reflexive; they are not about Jesus so much as they are about the writers' attitudes concerning Jesus. Helms examines each of the narratives - the language, the sources, the similarities and differences - and shows that their purpose was not so much to describe the past as to affect the present.This scholarly yet readable work demonstrates how the Gospels surpassed the expectations of their authors, influencing countless generations by creating a life-enhancing understanding of the nature of Jesus of Nazareth.
Download or read book Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah written by David Gunn and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2019-06-18 with total page 1672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This extract from the Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible provides Gunn, Rogerson, and Gelston's introduction to and concise commentary on Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephania. The Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible presents, in nontechnical language, the best of modern scholarship on each book of the Bible, including the Apocrypha. Reader-friendly commentary complements succinct summaries of each section of the text and will be valuable to scholars, students, and general readers. Rather than attempt a verse-by-verse analysis, these volumes work from larger sense units, highlighting the place of each passage within the overarching biblical story. Commentators focus on the genre of each text—parable, prophetic oracle, legal code, and so on—interpreting within the historical and literary context. The volumes also address major issues within each biblical book—including the range of possible interpretations—and refer readers to the best resources for further discussions.
