The Old Testament displays a remarkable literary and theological unity through a variety of genres. But applying a single, one-size-fits-all method of exegesis can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. A valuable reference tool for students and pastors, the Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis (HOTE) series provides readers with an enhanced understanding of different Old Testament genres and strategies for interpretation. The inaugural volume in the HOTE series, Interpreting the Historical Books begins by exploring the components of narrative-setting, characterization, and plot-and then develops the major theological themes in each of the Old Testament historical books (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther). As readers work through Interpreting the Historical Books, they will begin to see and interpret the narrative writings as the writings were intended to be understood. A glossary defining technical words and samples of moving from exegesis to proclamation make this handbook practical and user-friendly. All written by accomplished teacher-scholars at leading evangelical schools, forthcoming handbooks include the following: Interpreting the Psalms Mark D. Futato (Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando) Interpreting the Prophets Michael A. Grisanti (The Master's Seminary) Interpreting the Wisdom Literature Richard L. Schultz (Wheaton College) Interpreting Apocalyptic Literature Richard A. Taylor (Dallas Theological Seminary) Interpreting the Pentateuch Peter T. Vogt (Bethel Seminary)

«Rara vez encontramos eruditos que sean capaces de destilar la esencia de nociones complejas y refundirlas en formas que sean accesibles y convincentes para los lectores laicos. Las habilidades de Carmen Imes en este sentido son extraordinarias. En la academia, las personas que han leído su monografía técnica publicada sobre llevar el nombre de Dios se han apresurado a celebrar la calidad estelar de su trabajo. En este volumen, Carmen presenta a los lectores laicos y a los estudiantes serios de las Escrituras sus principales descubrimientos mediante una prosa atractiva y persuasiva, con muchas ideas para su aplicación. Para los lectores que anhelan recuperar el mensaje vivificante de la gracia en la Torá, este libro será un gran punto de partida».Daniel I. Block, Profesor Emérito Gunther H. Knoedlerdel Antiguo Testamento, Wheaton College

From the tumbling walls of Jericho to a Jewish girl who became the queen of Persia, the historical books of the Bible are intriguing and unquestionably fascinating. In this comprehensive introduction, veteran Old Testament professor Victor Hamilton demonstrates the significance of the messages contained in these biblical books by carefully examining content, structure, and theology. He details the events and implications of each book chapter by chapter, providing useful commentary on overarching themes and the connections and parallels between Old Testament texts. Now in paper.

Rich rewards await readers who dig deep into the historical books of the Old Testament. Incredible events, amazing love stories, larger-than-life personalities, and deep theological themes are just some of the treasures found in Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.These books tell the story of the nation of Israel and the God who loves her, punishes her, and always brings this recalcitrant people back to Himself. It is really the story of all of us.David M. Howard Jr. provides an in-depth introduction to the Old Testament historical books, focusing first on the overarching themes of historical narrative in general. He then turns his attention to each book, considering topics like: Authorship and date Place in the canon Historical and cultural context Theology of the book Special issues pertaining to the bookFrom the conquest of Canaan to the fall of Jerusalem, from war to peace and back to war, from kings and queens to farmers and housewives—David Howard covers it all in this invaluable introduction to the Old Testament historical books.

The Psalms teach us how to pray. Many saints over the past three millennia have come near to God by praying the Psalms, and this volume introduces us to some of their greatest thoughts on them.Covering all 150 psalms, this companion to the "Prayerbook of the Bible" contains key devotional readings from the Great Tradition as well as space for journaling our own prayers. This book will help us learn to pray as Jesus prayed—after all, He quoted from the Psalms more often than any other book.

Built upon the flourishing study of costume, this book analyses sartorial evidence provided both by texts of the ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible. The essays within lend clarity to the link between material and ideological, examining the tradition of dress, the different types of literature that reference the tradition of garments, and the people for whom such literature was written.The contributors explore sources that illuminate the social, psychological, aesthetic, ideological and symbolic meanings of clothing. The topics covered range from the relationship between clothing, kingship and power, to the symbolic significance of the high priestly regalia and the concept of garments as deception and defiance, while also considering the tendency to omit or ignore descriptions of YHWH's clothing. Following a historical sequence, the essays cross-reference with each other to create a milestone in biblical sartorial study.

A History of Israel, Revised Edition provides a comprehensive introduction to the history of ancient Israel—from the creation account to the events just prior to the New Testament era. This thoroughly revised edition focuses on Old Testament texts as well as ancient Near Eastern literary and archaeological sources to highlight the important modern controversies surrounding this portion of Scripture. Topics treated include current approaches to the study of Israel’s history, common fallacies in modern, secular biblical studies, and the evidence for the historical authenticity of the Old Testament accounts. Kaiser and Wegner thus present an up-to-date, conservative position on matters relating to ancient Israel’s past. The volume also includes over 600 photos, charts, and maps that serve as visual aids.

This fifth volume in the Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation series is an exploration of both the historical nature of the Bible and the character of biblical history writing. In view of recent trends in biblical studies, the age-old question of the relationship between history and faith must again take center stage in hermeneutical discussion. The Art of Biblical History seeks to address basic questions that all Bible readers might ask: Is the Bible a history book? What do we mean by "history" anyway? In what sense is biblical historicity important for faith? Are there guidelines for discovering what historical truth claims a particular passage may be making? The discussions take account of both current thinking among biblical scholars and the best insights of secular historians. The result is an attempt to describe biblical history writing as a kind of representational art and to commend a hermeneutical approach that does justice not merely to the historical or literary or theological character of the Bible, but to all three at once.

Illustrated Exodus in Hebrew belongs to the series GlossaHouse Illustrated Biblical Texts (GIBT) that presents the books of the Bible in their original languages, embedded scene by scene in the context of Keith Neely’s evocative, full-color illustrations. These innovative resources will accelerate your comprehension by helping you distinguish narrative from dialogue at a glance. The illustrations provide visual cues for action, tension, and emotion, inviting an immersive reading experience in the ancient languages. While the books are supported by an original English translation on each page, the graphic approach of the GIBT series pushes against a tendency in biblical language learning to make translation the end goal. On the contrary, we hope that these books will help you begin to think in the biblical language—to hear echoes of the authors’ own voices, thick with the accents of their ancient dialects. Whether you are a beginning student of biblical languages, or an accomplished scholar, our hope is that this fresh presentation of the ancient texts will ignite your imagination and turn the world of these words into an expansive, multicolored landscape in your mind’s eye.

Quick access to Septuagint vocabulary and syntax for students with two years of biblical GreekInterest in the Septuagint today continues to grow stronger. Despite that interest, students have lacked a guidebook to the text similar to the readers and handbooks that exist for the Greek New Testament. Discovering the Septuagint: A Guided Reader fills that need. Created by an expert on the Septuagint, this groundbreaking resource draws on Jobes's experience as an educator in order to help upper—level college, seminary, and graduate students cultivate skill in reading the Greek Old Testament.This reader presents, in Septuagint canonical order, ten Greek texts from the Rahlfs—Hanhart Septuaginta critical edition. It explains the syntax, grammar, and vocabulary of more than 700 verses from select Old Testament texts representing a variety of genres, including the Psalms, the Prophets, and more.The texts selected for this volume were chosen to fit into a typical semester. Each text (1) is an example of distinctive Septuagint syntax or word usage; (2) exemplifies the amplification of certain theological themes or motifs by the Septuagint translators within their Jewish Hellenistic culture; and/or (3) is used significantly by New Testament writers.

In this much-anticipated textbook, three respected biblical scholars have written a history of ancient Israel that takes the biblical text seriously as an historical document. While also considering nonbiblical sources and being attentive to what disciplines like archaeology, anthropology, and sociology suggest about the past, the authors do so within the context and paradigm of the Old Testament canon, which is held as the primary document for reconstructing Israel's history. In Part One, the authors set the volume in context and review past and current scholarly debate about learning Israel's history, negating arguments against using the Bible as the central source. In Part Two, they seek to retell the history itself with an eye to all the factors explored in Part One.

How to Understand Islam looks at Muslim religious experience as it rises out of practices required by the law or followed out of devotion. The book examines Muslim belief, religious observance, ethics, and mystical literature. It also outlines the history of Islam from its first appearance.