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Lexham Bible Dictionary now includes among its entries my contributions on “Aquila,” “Emesa,” “Israel, Place,” and “Law in Second Temple Judaism.”

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include: Alex Damm, Ancient Rhetoric and the Synoptic Problem: Clarifying Markan Priority, reviewed by C. Clifton Black Michael Fieger, Jutta Krispenz, and Jörg Lanckau, eds., Wörterbuch alttestamentlicher Motive, reviewed by Trent Butler John Harrison and James D. Dvorak, eds., The New Testament Church: The Challenge of Developing Ecclesiologies, reviewed by Robert Matthew Calhoun Knut Martin Heim, Poetic Imagination in Proverbs: Variant Repetitions and the Nature of Poetry, reviewed by Bálint Károly Zabán Rüdiger Jungbluth, Im Himmel und auf Erden: Dimensionen von Königsherrschaft im Alten Testament, reviewed by Sven Petry Ian Christopher Levy, Philip D. W. Krey, and Thomas Ryan, eds., The Letter to the Romans, reviewed by Anders Runesson Herbert Marks, ed., The English Bible, King James Version: The Old Testament, reviewed by David G. Burke Francis J. Moloney, SDB, Love in the Gospel of John: An Exegetical, Theological, and Literary Study, reviewed by Catrin H. Williams JoAnn Scurlock and Richard H. Beal, eds., Creation and Chaos: A Reconsideration of Hermann Gunkel’s Chaoskampf Hypothesis, reviewed by Craig W. Tyson Christopher R. Seitz, The Character of Christian Scripture: The Significance of a Two-Testament Bible, reviewed by Stephen J. Andrews Anna Rebecca Solevåg, Birthing Salvation: Gender and Class in Early Christian Childbearing Discourse, reviewed by Sarah E. Rollens Michael D. Swartz, The Signifying Creator: Nontextual Sources of Meaning in Ancient Judaism, reviewed by Joshua Schwartz Abraham Terian, trans., Magnalia Dei: Biblical History in Epic Verse by Grigor Magistros, reviewed by Adam Carter McCollum Benyamim Tsedaka and Sharon Sullivan, eds., The Israelite Samaritan Version of the Torah: First English Translation Compared with the Masoretic Version, reviewed by James R. Blankenship J. Ross Wagner, Reading the Sealed Book: Old Greek Isaiah and the Problem of Septuagint Hermeneutics, reviewed by Johann Cook

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include: Robert B. Chisholm Jr., A Commentary on Judges and Ruth, reviewed by Mark E. Biddle John W. Daniels Jr., Gossiping Jesus: The Oral Processing of Jesus in John’s Gospel, reviewed by Peter J. Judge John Goldingay, Isaiah 56-66: Introduction, Text, and Commentary, reviewed by Johanna Erzberger Steven A. Hunt, D. Francois Tolmie, and Ruben Zimmermann, eds., Character Studies in the Fourth Gospel: Narrative Approaches to Seventy Figures in John, reviewed by Craig R. Koester Demetrios S. Katos, Palladius of Helenopolis: The Origenist Advocate, reviewed by Jon F. Dechow Phillip J. Long, Jesus the Bridegroom: The Origin of the Eschatological Feast as a Wedding Banquet in the Synoptic Gospels, reviewed by Marianne Blickenstaff Roberto Martínez, The Question of John the Baptist and Jesus’ Indictment of the Religious Leaders: A Critical Analysis of Luke 7:18–35, reviewed by Brian C. Dennert and by Bart J. Koet Benjamin J. Segal, A New Psalm: The Psalms as Literature, reviewed by Hallvard Hagelia N. T. Wright, Pauline Perspectives: Essays on Paul, 1978–2013, reviewed by Russell Morton

The latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Literature includes: Athalya Brenner-Idan, “Introduction to the Presidential Address” Fernando F. Segovia, “Presidential Address: Criticism in Critical Times: Reflections on Vision and Task” Duane E. Smith, “The Divining Snake: Reading Genesis 3 in the Context of Mesopotamian Ophiomancy” David E. S. Stein, “A Rejoinder concerning Genesis 3:6 and the NJPS Translation” Murray H. Lichtenstein, “The Fearsome Sword of Genesis 3:24” Kerry D. Lee, “Two Translations of HSS V 67 and Their Significance for Genesis 16, 21, and 30” Ken Brown, “Vengeance and Vindication in Numbers 31” Orly Keren and Hagit Taragan, “Merab, Saul’s Mute and Muffled Daughter” Joshua Bermanz, “The Legal Blend in Biblical Narrative (Joshua 20:1–9, Judges 6:25–31, 1 Samuel 15:2, 28:3–25, 2 Kings 4:1–7, Jeremiah 34:12–17, Nehemiah 5:1–12)” John B. Whitley, “עיפה in Amos 4:13: New Evidence for the Yahwistic Incorporation of Ancient Near Eastern Solar Imagery” Warren Carter, “Cross-Gendered Romans and Mark’s Jesus: Legion Enters the Pigs (Mark 5:1–20)” David Lertis Matson, “Pacifist Jesus? The (Mis)Translation of ἐᾶτε ἓως τούτου in Luke 22:51” Daniel Lynwood Smith, “Interrupted Speech in Luke-Acts” Ryan S. Schellenberg, “The First Pauline Chronologist? Paul’s Itinerary in the Letters and in Acts” Jennifer A. Glancy, “The Sexual Use of Slaves: A Response to Kyle Harper on Jewish and Christian Porneia”

The 9 March 2015 newsletter for the Review of Biblical Literature noted reviews of several noteworthy volumes.

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include: Angelika Berlejung and Michael P. Streck, eds., Arameans, Chaldeans, and Arabs in Babylonia and Palestine in the First Millennium B.C., reviewed by Aren M. Maeir Matthew J. Goff, 4QInstruction, reviewed by Kenneth Atkinson and by Jeffrey P. Garcia T. Michael W. Halcomb, Entering the Fray: A Primer on New Testament Issues for the Church and Academy, reviewed by C. Jason Borders Andrew T. Lincoln, Born of a Virgin? Reconceiving Jesus in the Bible, Tradition, and Theology, reviewed by Marianne Blickenstaff Mark McEntire, Portraits of a Mature God: Choices in Old Testament Theology, reviewed by Ginny Brewer-Boydston Bert Newton, Subversive Wisdom: Sociopolitical Dimensions of John’s Gospel, reviewed by Benjamin Reynolds Chantal Reynier, Pour lire la lettre de Saint Paul aux Romains, reviewed by Abson Joseph Thomas Richter and Sarah Lange, Das Archiv des Idadda: Die Keilschrifttexte aus den deutsch-syrischen Ausgrabungen 2001–2003 im Königspalast von Qatna, reviewed by Jan-Wim Wesselius Frank Williams, trans., The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III: De Fide, reviewed by Simon Gathercole

The Logos blog has a couple minute and slightly humorous segment from Darrell Bock on the importance of background information for New Testament Studies.

At the end of chapter 1, “Questions of Truth and Epistemology,” in her Comical Doctrine: An Epistemology of New Testament Hermeneutics (Paternoster, 2006), Rosalind Selby summarizes: If this chapter has concluded with an appropriate understanding of the logical structure of grace and faith as we contemplate how it is that we know God, it must be important to pursue it in terms of the relationship between the individual and the community. The community of the ‘church’—however we define that—is founded by and founds its texts. This is a dialectic which itself rests in the priority of the founding acts of God. The priority over community, individual and the textual conveying of revelation always belongs with God; and the Christian will take that fundamentally seriously. ( 52; emphasis added) ...

On February 18, Steve Runge will be hosting a webinar about the Lexham “high definition” commentaries. For more information and to register, please visit the Logos website.

In her Comical Doctrine: An Epistemology of New Testament Hermeneutics (Paternoster, 2006), Rosalind Selby has several insightful observations. Summarizing the thought of Karl-Otto Apel, Selby comments: Apel himself proposes a dialectical mediation of objective-scientistic and hermeneutical methods with a critique of ideology. Philosophical hermeneutics is reflexive in as much as the subject must self-objectify in order to be self-critical and avoid any hidden prejudices. ( 36) ...

The kind folks at Bloomsbury (the parent company of the T&T Clark imprint) have recently mentioned that a paperback release is forthcoming for my Sacred Texts and Paradigmatic Revolutions: The Hermeneutical Worlds of the Qumran Sectarian Manuscripts and the Letter to the Romans. Slated for this June, the paperback, at a $29.95 list price, will be a fiscally welcome complement to the current hardback ($120.00) and PDF ($27.99) formats. The paperback is already available for pre-order on Amazon, currently at just under the list price. ...

Bulletin for Biblical Research 24, no. 4 contains five articles on various topics in Biblical Studies.

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include: Daniel I. Block, Beyond the River Chebar: Studies in Kingship and Eschatology in the Book of Ezekiel, reviewed by Sven Petry Reinhard Feldmeier, Power, Service, Humility: A New Testament Ethic, reviewed by David Briones David G. Firth, 1 and 2 Samuel: A Kingdom Comes, reviewed by Ralph Henson Martha Himmelfarb, Between Temple and Torah: Essays on Priests, Scribes, and Visionaries in the Second Temple Period and Beyond, reviewed by L. Michael Morales Cornelia Linde, How to Correct the Sacra Scriptura?: Textual Criticism of the Bible between the Twelfth and Fifteenth Century, reviewed by Jeffrey L. Morrow Kim Lan Nguyen, Chorus in the Dark: The Voices of the Book of Lamentations, reviewed by Charles William Miller Jesse E. Robertson, The Death of Judas: The Characterization of Judas Iscariot in Three Early Christian Accounts of His Death, reviewed by Lee M. Jefferson Michael Trainor, About Earth’s Child: An Ecological Listening to the Gospel of Luke, reviewed by C. Jason Borders David Trobisch, A User’s Guide to the Nestle-Aland 28 Greek New Testament, reviewed by Michael W. Holmes and by Jan Krans

This month’s free book from Logos Bible Software is Stephen Westerholm’s Justification Reconsidered: Rethinking a Pauline Theme (Eerdmans, 2013). Those who get this free volume are also eligible to purchase Douglas Campbell’s massive The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul(Eerdmans, 2013) for only $0.99. ...

TED curator Chris Anderson has an article in Harvard Business Review (2013) that seeks to digest key presentation advice derived from the past several decades of TED’s work. Perhaps not all Anderson’s advice is appropriate to the genre of the academic conference paper, but doubtless a good many would substantially benefit from a healthy dose of some of the advice he offers. ...

The Lexham Theological Wordbook began shipping late last year and includes my entry on “Forgiveness.” The Lexham Bible Dictionary has recently been updated with, among other items, my entries on “Haifa” and “Jenin.” Connections can read these contributions via my LinkedIn page under “Publications.” ...

The Stone-Campbell Journal 17, no. 2 is now available to members of the Stone-Campbell Scholars Community. This issue includes the following articles: John Mark Hicks, “Consensus Tigurinus and a Baptismal Rapprochement between Baptists and Churches of Christ” Mason Lee, “More Than the ‘Sermon on the Law’: Alexander Campbell and the Old Testament” Phil Towne, “Spirituality in an Age of Technology” Paul J. Kissling, “The So-Called ‘Post-Exilic’ Return: Already-But-Not-Yet In Ezra-Nehemiah” Jon Carmen, “The Falling Star and the Rising Son: Luke 10:17-24 and Second Temple ‘Satan’ Traditions” Les Hardin, “A Theology of the Hymns in Revelation” Among this issue’s book reviews (pgs. 297–99) is my review of Jared Wilson’s The Storytelling God: Seeing the Glory of Jesus in His Parables (Crossway, 2014). Connections can read the review via my LinkedIn page under “Publications.” ...

Rob Bradshaw has made available George Milligan’s essay, “The Greek Papyri: With Special Reference to Their Value for New Testament Study,” Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute 44 (1912): 62–78.

Research@StAndrews:FullText is: [A] digital repository of research output from the University of St Andrews. Since 2006 the University has required theses to be submitted to the repository. . . . The Research@StAndrews Portal provides links to the full text of research publications which are stored in Research@StAndrews:FullText. From the School of Divinity, 160 theses are available. ...

The latest reviews in the Review of Biblical Literature include: Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies Richard J. Clifford, Wisdom, reviewed by Lawrence M. Wills David J. A. Clines and J. Cheryl Exum, eds., The Reception of the Hebrew Bible in the Septuagint and the New Testament: Essays in Memory of Aileen Guilding, reviewed by Benjamin J. M. Johnson Joan E. Cook, Genesis, reviewed by Jonathan L. Huddleston Avraham Faust, Judah in the Neo-Babylonian Period: The Archaeology of Desolation, reviewed by Gert T. M. Prinsloo James E. Harding, The Love of David and Jonathan: Ideology, Text, Reception, reviewed by Katherine Low Irene Nowell, Numbers, reviewed by Timothy R. Ashley Naomi Steinberg, The World of the Child in the Hebrew Bible, reviewed by Karin Finsterbusch New Testament and Cognate Studies ...

As a follow up to noting Rob Bradshaw’s additions of Charles Simeon and John Lightfoot’s works in conveniently accessible PDF files, some other possibly helpful resources across which I’ve recently stumbled (sometimes apparently afresh) include: Keil and Delitzsch’s Old Testament commentary via Internet Archive; Various helpful texts via University of Pennsylvania’s Online Books Page; and The overall, searchable list of “Hosted Articles, Monographs, and Books” at BiblicalStudies.org.

[caption id="" align=“alignright” width=“100”] Charles Simeon (1759–1836; Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption] Along with the works of John Lightfoot, Rob Bradshaw has posted the works of Charles Simeon (ed. Thomas Horne; London: Henry G. Bohn, 1844–1845), courtesy of Tyndale House. The set is available on this page in one PDF file per printed volume. ...

The latest reviews in the Review of Biblical Literature include: Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies Tremper Longman III, Job, reviewed by Richard G. Smith Donald P. Moffat, Ezra’s Social Drama: Identity Formation, Marriage and Social Conflict in Ezra 9 and 10, reviewed by Hannah K. Harrington Daniel C. Owens, Portraits of the Righteous in the Psalms: An Exploration of the Ethics of Book I, reviewed by Beat Weber Franz Sedlmeier, Das Buch Ezechiel: Kapitel 25-48, reviewed by Michael S. Moore Stefan Seiler, Text-Beziehungen: Zur intertextuellen Interpretation alttestamentlicher Texte am Beispiel ausgewählter Psalmen, reviewed by Gert T. M. Prinsloo New Testament and Cognate Studies ...

Hans Iwand, This month, Logos Bible Software is giving away Hans Iwand’s The Righteousness of Faith according to Luther (trans., Randi Lundell; Wipf & Stock, 2008, originally published in 1941). According to the product page, the volume: ...

The latest reviews in the Review of Biblical Literature include: Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies Peter Enns, The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn’t Say about Human Origins, reviewed by Paul Korchin Kai Kaniuth et al., eds., Tempel im Alten Orient, reviewed by Jason M. Silverman Christoph Körner and Hans-Winfried Jüngling, eds., "…denn das ist der ganze Mensch": Jüdische Feste: Kohelet, Ester, Hoheslied, Rut, Klagelieder, reviewed by Andreas Lehnardt Michael Pietsch, Die Kultreform Josias: Studien zur Religionsgeschichte Israels in der späten Königszeit, reviewed by Peter Porzig New Testament and Cognate Studies ...

The Journal of Biblical Literature 133, no. 2 includes: Joram Mayshar, “Who Was the Toshav?” Amitai Baruchi-Unna, “Two Clearings of Goats (1 Kings 20:27): An Interpretation Supported by an Akkadian Parallel” Ryan E. Stokes, “Satan, Yhwh’s Executioner” Saul M. Olyan, “Jehoiakim’s Dehumanizing Interment as a Ritual Act of Reclassification” John L. McLaughlin, “Is Amos (Still) among the Wise?” Christine Mitchell, “A Note on the Creation Formula in Zechariah 12:1–8; Isaiah 42:5–6; and Old Persian Inscriptions” Kristian Larsson, “Intertextual Density, Quantifying Imitation” J. R. Daniel Kirk and Stephen L. Young, “‘I Will Set His Hand to the Sea’: Psalm 88:26 LXX and Christology in Mark” Jennifer Knust and Tommy Wasserman, “The Biblical Odes and the Text of the Christian Bible: A Reconsideration of the Impact of Liturgical Singing on the Transmission of the Gospel of Luke” Brittany E. Wilson, “The Blinding of Paul and the Power of God:Masculinity, Sight, and Self-Control in Acts 9” Brice C. Jones, “Three New Coptic Papyrus Fragments of 2 Timothy and Titus (P.Mich. inv. 3535b)” Nicola Denzey Lewis and Justine Ariel Blount, “Rethinking the Origins of the Nag Hammadi Codices” This issue also introduces the “JBL Forum,” which is intended to provide “an occasional series that will highlight approaches, points of view, and even definitions of ‘biblical scholarship’ that may be outside the usual purview of many of our readers. The format may vary from time to time but will always include an exchange of ideas on the matter at hand” (pg. 421). This issue’s forum includes: ...

The latest reviews in the Review of Biblical Literature include: Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies William Goodman, Yearning for You: Psalms and the Song of Songs in Conversation with Rock and Worship Songs, reviewed by T. Michael W. Halcomb David Weiss Halivni, The Formation of the Babylonian Talmud, reviewed by Joshua Ezra Burns Isaac Kalimi, ed., Jewish Bible Theology: Perspectives and Case Studies, reviewed by Ginny Brewer-Boydston Vita Daphna Arbel, Forming Femininity in Antiquity: Eve, Gender, and Ideologies in the Greek Life of Adam and Eve, reviewed by F. Scott Spencer Víctor Morla, Los manuscritos hebreos de Ben Sira: Traducción y notas, reviewed by Nuria Calduch-Benages Peter W. Flint, The Dead Sea Scrolls, reviewed by George J. Brooke New Testament and Cognate Studies ...

The latest reviews in the Review of Biblical Literature include: Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies Jenny R. Labendz, Socratic Torah: Non-Jews in Rabbinic Intellectual Culture, reviewed by Joshua Schwartz Thomas L. Thompson, Biblical Narrative and Palestine’s History: Changing Perspectives 2, reviewed by Ralph K. Hawkins New Testament and Cognate Studies ...

Through June 11, the Westminster Bookstore is offering a free PDF download of Iain Duguid’s Is Jesus in the Old Testament? (P&R, 2013). Duguid has been at Grove City College but has recently joined the Westminster Seminary faculty. According to its introduction, Duguid’s essay (the text is a brief 33 pages of prose) has the following major components to its argument: ...

This month, Logos Bible Software has Frederic Perthes’ Life of John Chrysostom (John P. Jewett, 1854) available for free. According to Logos’s description, Based on the investigations of Neander, Böhringer, and others, Life of John Chrysostom details the “golden-mouthed” orator’s influence on Asia Minor. It offers a look into his role as preacher and bishop, his interactions with different sects and notable persons during his life, and an exacting account of his three-year exile. ...