Howard Clark KeeBesprekingen

The book provides in-depth information about the changing historical, social and cultural contexts in which the biblical writers and their original readers lived. The authors of the Companion were chosen for their internationally recognized expertise in their respective fields: the history and literature of Israel; post-biblical Judaism; biblical archaeology; and the origins and early literature of Christianity. The Companion deals not only with the canonical writings but also with the apocryphal works produced by Jewish and Christian writers. The historical setting for the entire range of these biblical writings is depicted and analyzed in this volume, with abundant illustrations and maps to assist the reader in visualizing the world of the Bible.

By combining analyses of the historical, cultural and literary features of Judaism and of the Greco-Roman world with careful examination of the writings that became known as the New Testament, this book offers direct insights into the origins of Christianity.

"The Cambridge Companion to the Bible was a remarkable contribution when it was first released in 1997, which only makes the achievements of this thoroughly updated Second Edition all the more impressive. The abundance of stunning new photos from Todd Bolen, the additional sidebars of useful, contextualized information, the new maps in each section, and the revised bibliographies and main text all make the Second Edition an essential book for serious students, clergy, and general readers alike." --Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town

'This resource book offered by Cambridge University Press is a rich, accessible, and reliable reference. It provides state-of-the-art scholarship that connects each of the Biblical books to its socio-historical context. Its offer of 'social history' is broad and deep. Such a perspective is crucial in the current 'battle for the Bible,' and the work here is exceedingly well done. Its publication will immediately make it a primary reference for serious students of the Bible." ---Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary

"A clear, up-to-date and authoritative account of the Bible by the leaders of the field, the new edition of the Cambridge Companion defines the context in which the Bible is read for history, literature, religion and theology, the best path into Scripture now in print." --Jacob Neusner, Bard College

"An excellent update of a masterful work! The Cambridge Companion to the Bible, Second Edition is packed with indispensable information for understanding the world's best-selling and most influential book. It somehow manages to be both studious and exhilarating, thorough yet remarkably concise. No other Bible companion is as competently informed by modern archaeological research or by historical analysis of the societies for which the biblical writings were produced. The main text, trustworthy and illuminating in its own right, is supplemented by more than 250 sidebars that render the volume ripe for browsing and provide a wealth of information on intriguing topics. As a bonus, the Companion also treats the significant apocryphal works that did not come to be numbered among the "sacred sixty-six" books of the Christian canon but that are revealing of Jewish and Christian religion nevertheless." --Mark Allan Powell, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, author of Loving Jesus

"... within the paradigm of critical scholarship on the Bible adopted by the editors, this work constitutes a high water mark." --Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"...this revised edition is a magnificent teaching and learning tool, one of the best introductory companions to the Bible on the market." --Casimir Bernas, Holy Trinity Abbey: Religious Studies Review

"In two widely different types of prose produced in the period from the end of the Roman republic [27 B.C. Octavian emperor] until the end of the Antonine [138–193] period miracles figure prominently. These are histories and romances" (p. 174).

"Among Roman writers, the oldest reference to Jesus that has survived is found in one of the letters that Pliny the Younger (A.D. 62-113) wrote to Emperor Trajan. . . . The Roman historian Suetonius, a contemporary of Pliny, mentions in his Lives of the Twelve Caesars that under the reign of Claudius (A.D. 41-54), there was a disturbance among the Jews that reached such a peak of intensity that they had to be expelled from the city. . . . [from] some one named Chrestos" (pp. 45-46)."

This text is a study of the historical Jesus. Specific literary sources are referenced - Roman and Jewish historians, the individual gospels, and other early Christian sources.

NO OF PAGES: 140 SUB CAT I: Jewish - Christian Relations SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: The essays which appear in this volume are of two types: (1) those in the first section which address the historical and interpretive issues and assumptions which have fostered anti-Judaism (2) examples of sermons which address the issue.NOTES: SUBTITLE:

NO OF PAGES: 183 SUB CAT I: Synagogues SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: Nine prominent scholars and researchers into rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity here investigate the literary and archaeological evidence by which the evolution of the synagogue can be traced. This research project began as the theme of the Philadelphia Seminar on Christian origins at the University of Pennsylvania during the academic year 1993/ 1994, chaired by Howard C. Kee and Lynn Cohick. In addition to papers presented at the Seminar, outstanding scholars who have analyzed the relevant literature and/or the archaeological evidence from ancient synagogue sites over the early centuries of the Common Era were invited to contribute essays as well.

The various contributions to this volume are presented in two groupings: (1) those concerned with the development of the synagogue in the land of ancient Israel and (2) analyses of the diverse and abundant evidence from synagogues in the dispersion, especially Syria and Asia Minor. Also included is an examination of the literary and traditional evidence from historical, rabbinic, and early Christian sources.

In addition to the editor, contributors include James F. Strange, University of South Florida; Richard A. Horsley, University of Massachusetts; Joseph Gutman, Wayne State University; Shaye J. D. Cohen, Brown University; Marianne Bonz, Harvard Divinity School; Lynn H. Cohick, Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology; J. Andrew Overman, Macalester College; and Douglas R. Edwards, University of Puget Sound.

Howard Clark Kee is Aurelio Professor of Biblical Studies Emeritus at Boston University and Visiting Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania.NOTES: Donated by Tim Hegg. SUBTITLE:

*** Top shelf

Group S

NO OF PAGES: 280 SUB CAT I: Community SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: In this provocative book, an eminent scholar examines the complex sociocultural factors that shaped Judaism and early Christianity, analyzing cardinal Judaic and Christian texts and the cultural communities in which they were written.NOTES: Purchased from CBD. SUBTITLE: Early Christian Models of Community

Gift of Janice Chappie in memory of her son, Damon.