The book of Acts has traditionally been situated within a first-century setting, offering an apparently straightforward account of the origins and spread of Christianity. Engaging Early Christian History presents a significant departure for Christian origins studies by setting aside the explicitly historical questions commonly asked of the Acts of the Apostles and, instead, situating the text within the context of second-century history and culture. The volume extends scholarly debate beyond the analysis of pure historical debates and concerns to focus on the associations between Acts and the diverse contemporaneous texts, writers, and broader cultural phenomena in the second-century world of Christians, Romans, Greeks, and Jews. Examining the reception of Acts - and of Christian myth-making more generally - the volume explores the second century as a formative epoch for Christian storytelling, historical reimaginings, and reconfigurations of religious and social identities.

The cognitive science of religion that has emerged over the last twenty years is a multidisciplinary field that often challenges established theories in anthropology and comparative religion. This new approach raises many questions for biblical studies as well. What are the cross-cultural cognitive mechanisms which explain the transmission of biblical texts? How did the local and particular cultural traditions of ancient Israel and early Christianity develop? What does the embodied and socially embedded nature of the human mind imply for the exegesis of biblical texts? Mind, Morality and Magic draws on a range of approaches to the study of the human mind - including memory studies, computer modeling, cognitive theories of ritual, social cognition, evolutionary psychology, biology of emotions, and research on religious experience. The volume explores how cognitive approaches to religion can shed light on classical concerns in biblical scholarship - such as the transmission of traditions, ritual and magic, and ethics - as well as uncover new questions and offer new methodologies.

This study deals with the most important king of the Aramaean kingdom of Damascus, Hazael, and the impact he had on biblical literature. The extra-biblical sources reveal that Hazael managed to create a large kingdom and to expand his authority over the whole of Syria-Palestine, including the Kingdom of Israel and the House of David, during the second half of the ninth century BCE. The Bible presents Hazael as an oppressor, yet the biblical writers elaborated a much more nuanced portrait of Hazael than first meets the eye. In the Elijah-Elisha cycles, Hazael provides a theological interpretative paradigm, the Elisha-Hazael paradigm, which, in the Book of Kings and in the Book of the Twelve, provides the key to explaining God's mysterious dealings with Israel and Israel's enemies. Hazael is presented as a faithful agent of YHWH, who fulfils the divine plan. Beyond the power Hazael yielded across the Levant in his lifetime, the Elisha-Hazael paradigm reveals his enduring influence in Judah and in biblical literature.

For many years it has been recognized that the key to explaining the production of the Bible lies in understanding the profession, the practice and the mentality of scribes in the ancient Near East, classical Greece and the Greco-Roman world. In many ways, however, the production of the Jewish literary canon, while reflecting wider practice, constitutes an exception because of its religious function as the written 'word of God', leading in turn to the veneration of scrolls as sacred and even cultic objects in themselves. Writing the Bible brings together the wide-ranging study of all major aspects of ancient writing and writers. The essays cover the dissemination of texts, book and canon formation, and the social and political effects of writing and of textual knowledge. Central issues discussed include the status of the scribe, the nature of 'authorship', the relationship between copying and redacting, and the relative status of oral and written knowledge. The writers examined include Ilimilku of Ugarit, the scribes of ancient Greece, Ben Sira, Galen, Origen and the author of Pseudo-Clement.

Throughout the history of European imperialism the grand narratives of the Bible have been used to justify settler-colonialism. The Zionist Bible explores the ways in which modern political Zionism and Israeli militarism have used the Bible - notably the Book of Joshua and its description of the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land - as an agent of oppression and to support settler-colonialism in Palestine. The rise of messianic Zionism in the late 1960s saw the beginnings of a Jewish theology of zealotocracy, based on the militant land traditions of the Bible and justifying the destruction of the previous inhabitants. The Zionist Bible examines how the birth and growth of the State of Israel has been shaped by this Zionist reading of the Bible, how it has refashioned Israeli-Jewish collective memory, erased and renamed Palestinian topography, and how critical responses to this reading have challenged both Jewish and Palestinian nationalism.

Were David and Jonathan "gay" lovers? This very modern question lies behind the recent explosion of studies of the David and Jonathan narrative. Interpreters differ in their assessment of whether 1 and 2 Samuel offer a positive portrayal of a homosexual relationship. Beneath the conflict of interpretations lies an ambiguous biblical text which has drawn generations of readers - from the redactors of the Hebrew text and the early translators to modern biblical scholars - to the task of resolving its possible meanings. What has not yet been fully explored is the place of David and Jonathan in the evolution of modern, Western understandings of same-sex relationships, in particular how the story of their relationship was read alongside classical narratives, such as those of Achilles and Patroclus, or Orestes and Pylades. The Love of David and Jonathan explores this context in detail to argue that the story of David and Jonathan was part of the process by which the modern idea of homosexuality itself emerged.

Transforming Literature into Scripture examines how the early textual traditions of ancient Israel - stories, laws, and rituals - were transformed into sacred writings. By comparing evidence from two key collections from antiquity - the royal library at Nineveh and the biblical manuscripts from the Dead Sea Scrolls - the book traces the stabilization of textual traditions in the ancient Near East towards fixed literary prototypes. The study presents a new methodology which enables the quantification, categorisation and statistical analysis of texts from different languages, writing systems, and media. The methodology is tested on a wide range of text genres from the cuneiform and biblical traditions in order to determine which texts tend towards stabilized forms. Transforming Literature into Scripture reveals how authoritative literary collections metamorphosed into fixed ritualized texts and will be of interest to scholars across biblical, Judaic and literary studies.

The study of food in the Hebrew Bible and Syro-Palestinian archaeology has tended to focus on kosher dietary laws, the sacrificial system, and feasting in elite contexts. More everyday ritual and practice - the preparation of food in the home - has been overlooked. Food in Ancient Judah explores both the archaeological remains and ancient Near Eastern sources to see what they reveal about the domestic gastronomical daily life of ancient Judahites within the narratives of the Hebrew Bible. Beyond the findings, the methodology of the study is in itself innovative. Biblical passages that deal with domestic food preparation are translated and analysed. Archaeological findings and relevant secondary resources are then applied to inform these passages. Food in Ancient Judah reflects both the shift towards the study of everyday life in biblical studies and archaeology and the huge expansion of interest in food history - it will be of interest to scholars in all these fields.

Early Christian apocryphal and conical documents present us with grotesque images of the human body, often combining the playful and humorous with the repulsive, and fearful. First to third century Christian literature was shaped by the discourse around and imagery of the human body. This study analyses how the iconography of bodily cruelty and visceral morality was produced and refined from the very start of Christian history. The sources range across Greek comedy, Roman and Jewish demonology, and metamorphosis traditions. The study reveals how these images originated, were adopted, and were shaped to the service of a doctrinally and psychologically persuasive Christian message.

Kierkegaard has often been regarded as a gloomy thinker yet, as an evangelist, his aim was to discover the joy of the truth of Christianity. Both Kierkegaard's belief and his doubt in his own work were the result of his attempt to comprehend the exceptional experiences of biblical characters and to examine what he found most puzzling or offensive. The Joy of Kierkegaard brings together the writings of one of the most influential of Kierkegaard scholars. These essays argue that Kierkegaard's most original thought arises from his struggle with biblical passages and that joy underpins his profound exploration of spiritual alienation.

Jesus in an Age of Neoliberalism analyses the ideology underpinning contemporary scholarly and popular quests for the historical Jesus. Focusing on cultural and political issues, the book examines postmodernism, multiculturalism and the liberal masking of power. The study ranges across diverse topics: the dubious periodisation of the quest for the historical Jesus; 'biblioblogging'; Jesus the 'Great Man' and western individualism; image-conscious Jesus scholarship; the 'Jewishness' of Jesus and the multicultural Other; evangelical and 'mythical' Jesuses; and the contradictions between personal beliefs and dominant ideological trends in the construction of historical Jesuses. Jesus in an Age of Neoliberalism offers readers a radical revisioning of contemporary biblical studies.

Power and Responsibility in Biblical Interpretation addresses the interpretive challenges now facing much biblical interpretation. Incorporating the methodologies of poststructuralism, postcolonialism, and liberation theology, the study presents a possible methodology which integrates scholarly and vernacular hermeneutics. The approach is based on the theories of Edward Said, adapting his concept of contrapuntal reading to the interpretation of Job. The book sets this study in the broader context of a survey of current work in the field. The analysis of Job examines the possibilities for dialogue between those interpretations that view suffering as a key theme in the book and those that do not. Interpretations of the Book of Job are then compared to the psychology of suffering as experienced in various contexts today. The conclusion argues for pedagogical reform based upon the ethical and interpretive insights of contrapuntal hermeneutics.

The Fantastic in Religious Narrative from Exodus to Elisha examines the astonishing array of marvels, monsters, and magic depicted in the Hebrew Bible. These stories - with the Exodus narrative at their centre - offer ambiguity and uncertainty, encouraging reflection and doubt as much as belief and meaningfulness. Aiming to discover - rather than explain away - the power of these stories, the book argues for the need to incorporate destabilization, disorientation, and ambiguity more strongly into theories of what religious narrative is and does.

The Bible is one of the most influential and profound texts in human history - it is disturbing, unconventional, and never content with the world as it is. This classic introduction presents a concise and accessible guide to all aspects of biblical study: the nature and purpose of the Bible; how biblical writers wrote; the making of both Old and New Testaments; the making of the Apocrypha; what was left out and what kept in the Bible and why; and how the Bible has been shaped by and continues to shape religion, culture and politics. Completely revised and updated - and considerably extended with much more material on the making of the Old and New Testaments - this third edition takes full account of recent developments in scholarship. It includes maps and a glossary of key terms.

Opening the Books of Moses presents an introduction to the first five books of the Bible. It is written for any student engaged in the scholarly study of these most central of biblical texts. The aim throughout is to examine the books with a view to illuminating the ideas, beliefs and experiences of the time. This broad overview provides: a survey of the current state of Pentateuchal research; an analysis of how the texts were shaped by their time and audience; an outline of Jewish areas in the Persian period; the study concludes with an analysis of key concerns in the study of the Pentateuch, notably the Torah, geography, ethnicity, the nature of Yahweh and other deities, theories of cult, treaties and oaths, and Moses himself.

Land, Credit and Crisis presents a new understanding of the financial culture of the Bible. Biblical Palestine was characterized by an over-abundance of arable land combined with a chronic lack of manpower and agricultural credit - circumstances which lead to much prophetic fulminating against merchants and the rich. The book reveals how the financial instruments and institutions of the time reflected a tough economic realism and argues that the image of the biblical prophet as a champion of social justice must be revised.

The Bible contains many stories of prostitution. Feminist and liberation readings of these biblical narratives have often made sex workers invisible. Sex Working and the Bible examines stories of biblical prostitution through the experiences and understanding of sex workers today. The Bible narratives - ranging across Rahab in the Book of Joshua, the story of Solomon and the two prostitutes, the anointing women traditions, and the apocalyptic vision of the whore of Babylon in Revelation - are set within both a practical and theoretical framework. This radical book offers a new, more inclusive way of approaching issues of gender, sexuality and prostitution in the Bible.

A Compendium of Musical Instruments and Instrumental Terminology in the Bible draws on extensive historical research, comparative linguistic analysis and musical study to offer the first compilation of its kind. The volume examines the entire range of musical instruments in the Bible - stringed, wind and percussion - drawing on ancient and modern translations of the Bible and the works of rabbinic teachers, Church Fathers and medieval, renaissance and contemporary scholars. The book offers a historical survey of Hebrew instrumental music - its origins and links with neighbouring cultures, the role of instruments in the religious, social, public and private life of ancient Israel, and the system of musical education - and explores the understanding of Hebrew musical instruments in post-biblical times. This comprehensive volume will be invaluable to musicologists, archaeologists, theologians, historians, philologists and Bible translators, as well as general readers in the subject.

Is it possible to apply teachings from the Bible to our world today, given the vast differences between biblical times and ours? Biblical passages are often taken out of context and interpreted to support a particular viewpoint or justify a particular action. The Bible Says So! examines the origins of well-known biblical stories - from Adam and Eve, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel, to the birth of Jesus, his resurrection and the writings of St Paul. The book argues that the meaning of these stories becomes apparent when we read between the lines, using the techniques of biblical scholars. The Bible Says So! explores the original intentions of the biblical writers in their particular context and examines key biblical values. The book does justice to the origins of the biblical text, whilst also affirming the relevance of the Bible today.

New Testament and Christian origins scholarship have historically been influenced by their political and social context. Jesus in an Age of Terror applies the work of critical and media theorists to contemporary Christian origins and New Testament scholarship. Part one examines the influence of the mass media on the writing of contemporary biblical scholars, whose political views - as demonstrated in their 'biblio-blogging' - are shown to have striking similarity to the media's depiction of the 'war on terror' and conflict in the Middle East. Part two argues that the Anglo-American cultural mis-representation of Islam as the 'great enemy' has led New Testament and Christian origins scholarship to collude with intellectual defences of the war in Iraq. Part three examines the influence of the media's approach to Palestine and Israel on biblical studies, exploring the shift towards widespread support for Israel in contemporary scholarship.