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New out earlier this year was Graeme Goldsworthy’s Christ-Centered Biblical Theology: Hermeneutical Foundations and Principles (InterVarsity). On the volume’s product page, the folks at the Westminster Bookstore have made available a PDF containing the volume’s first chapter, “Biblical Theology: Lame Duck or Eagles’ Wings?” (19–37).

The University of Pennsylvania has made available online a series of PDFs containing the New English Translation of the Septuagint (Oxford, 2009). In keeping with the NETS’s printed text, the beginning of each file also contains a good introduction to the translation that it provides (HT: Charles Jones).

The Oxford University Classics Faculty’s PINAX “is a digital library comprised of collections of displayed papyrus images and texts at Oxford.” Texts include papyri from Antinoopolis, Herculaneum, and Oxyrhynchus, as well as magical texts (HT: Charles Jones).

In acknowledgement of Westminster Seminary’s Preaching Conference later this month, the Westminster Bookstore is running a half (or more)-off special on Edmund Clowney’s Preaching and Biblical Theology, Graeme Goldsworthy’s Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, as well as a number of other resources.

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include:

Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies

• Reinhard G. Kratz and Hermann Spieckermann, eds., One God-One Cult-One Nation: Archaeological and Biblical Perspectives, reviewed by Aren Maeir
• Matthew Morgenstern, Studies in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic Based upon Early Eastern Manuscripts, reviewed by Aaron Koller
• T. Muraoka, A Grammar of Qumran Aramaic, reviewed by Adam McCollum
• Bezalel Porten, The Elephantine Papyri in English: Three Millennia of Cross-Cultural Continuity and Change, reviewed by Jeremy Hutton and by Jerome A. Lund
• Seth D. Postell, Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as the Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh, reviewed by L. Michael Morales
• Gordon J. Wenham, Psalms as Torah: Reading Biblical Song Ethically, reviewed by Joseph R. Kelly

New Testament and Cognate Studies

The Journal of Theological Studies 63, no. 2 includes several articles of note.

The University of Chicago is making the new Festschrift for John Huehnergard available for free in PDF format (HT: Charles Jones).

Further thanks to Jonathan Kiel (via Brian Davidson) for passing along Miles Van Pelt’s Göttingen Septuagint sigla chart PDF.

The next issue of the Biblical Theology Bulletin includes:

• David M. Bossman, “The Ebb and Flow of Biblical Interpretation”
• Joel Edmund Anderson, “Jonah in Mark and Matthew: Creation, Covenant, Christ, and the Kingdom of God”
• Peter Admirand, “Millstones, Stumbling Blocks, and Dog Scraps: Children in the Gospels”
• Zeba A. Crook, “Memory and the Historical Jesus”
• John W. Daniels, Jr., “Gossip in the New Testament”

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include the following:

Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies

• Steven Fassberg, The Jewish Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Challa, reviewed by Aaron Koller
• Lisbeth S. Fried, ed., Was 1 Esdras First?: An Investigation into the Priority and Nature of 1 Esdras, reviewed by Andrew Steinmann
• Detlef Jericke, Regionaler Kult und lokaler Kult: Studien zur Kult- und Religionsgeschichte Israels und Judas im 9. und 8. Jahrhundert v. Chr., reviewed by John Engle
• Vadim Jigoulov, The Social History of Achaemenid Phoenicia: Being a Phoenician, Negotiating Empires, reviewed by S. Rebecca Martin
• Joel S. Kaminsky and Joel N. Lohr, The Torah: A Beginner’s Guide, reviewed by Rachel S. Mikva
• William Loader, The Pseudepigrapha on Sexuality: Attitudes towards Sexuality in Apocalypses, Testaments, Legends, Wisdom, and Related Literature, reviewed by Françoise Mirguet

New Testament and Cognate Studies

In the latest contribution to the Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism, Richard Carrier discusses “Thallus and the Darkness at Christ’s Death”:

It is commonly claimed that a chronologer named Thallus, writing shortly after 52 CE, mentioned the crucifixion of Jesus and the noontime darkness surrounding it (which reportedly eclipsed the whole world for three hours), and attempted to explain it as an ordinary solar eclipse. But this is not a credible interpretation of the evidence. A stronger case can be made that we actually have a direct quotation of what Thallus said, and it does not mention Jesus. (185)

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Amazon’s selection of texts available for the Kindle platform occasionally includes some interesting oddities. For instance, those who really want to do so can apparently read the Discoveries in the Judaean Desert volumes 10 (4QMMT) and 16 (cave 4 calendrical texts) on Kindle for a mere $239.20 and $254.34 respectively, without print-equivalent page numbers. Or, used hard covers are available for just under $180. ;-)

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include the following:

Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies

• Anselm Hagedorn and Henrik Pfeiffer, eds., Die Erzväter in der biblischen Tradition: Festschrift für Matthias Köckert, reviewed by Cynthia Edenburg
• Adrian Schenker, Anfänge der Textgeschichte des Alten Testaments: Studien zu Entstehung und Verhältnis der frühesten Textformen, reviewed by Marjo C. A. Korpel

New Testament and Cognate Studies

• François Bovon; Glenn E. Snyder, ed., New Testament and Christian Apocrypha, reviewed by Christopher Tuckett
• Stanislas Breton, A Radical Philosophy of Saint Paul, reviewed by Halvor Moxnes and Ole Jakob Lřland
• Mark Forman, The Politics of Inheritance in Romans, reviewed by David J. Downs
• Martin Hengel, Saint Peter: The Underestimated Apostle, reviewed by Timothy P. Henderson
• Kelly R. Iverson and Christopher W. Skinner, eds., Mark as Story: Retrospect and Prospect, reviewed by Cornelis Bennema
• James A. Kelhoffer, Persecution, Persuasion and Power: Readiness to Withstand Hardship as a Corroboration of Legitimacy in the New Testament, reviewed by Brian J. Tabb
• Allan J. McNicol, The Conversion of the Nations in Revelation, reviewed by Peter S. Perry

Miscellaneous

The latest issue of the Journal of Biblical Literature includes:

• Serge Frolov, “Judah Comes to Shiloh: Genesis 49:10bα, One More Time”
• Philip Y. Yoo, “The Four Moses Death Accounts”
• Brian P. Irwin, “Not Just Any King: Abimelech, the Northern Monarchy, and the Final Form of Judges”
• Benjamin J. M. Johnson, “The Heart of YHWH’s Chosen One in 1 Samuel”
• Martien A. Halvorson-Taylor, “Secrets and Lies: Secrecy Notices (Esther 2:10, 20) and Diasporic Identity in the Book of Esther”
• Ryan M. Armstrong, “Psalms Dwelling Together in Unity: The Placement of Psalms 133 and 134 in Two Different Psalms Collections”
• Ryan P. Bonfiglio, “Archer Imagery in Zechariah 9:11-17 in Light of Achaemenid Iconography”
• Robert K. McIver, “Eyewitnesses as Guarantors of the Accuracy of the Gospel Traditions in the Light of Psychological Research”
• Joshua W. Jipp, “Paul’s Areopagus Speech of Acts 17:16-34 as Both Critique and Propaganda”
• John K. Goodrich, “Voluntary Debt Remission and the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13)”
• Curtis Hutt, “‘Be Ye Approved Money Changers!’: Reexamining the Social Contexts of the Saying and Its Interpretation”

The latest issue of New Testament Studies includes:

• Markus Lau, “Geweißte Grabmäler. Motivkritische Anmerkungen zu Mt 23.27–28”
• Matthias Adrian, “Der Blick durch die enge Tür: Lk 13.22–30 im architekturgeschichtlichen Kontext der städtischen domus”
• Jonathan Bourgel, “Les récits synoptiques de la Passion préservent-ils une couche narrative composée à la veille de la Grande Révolte Juive?”
• George H. van Kooten, “’Εκκλησία τοῦ θεοῦ: The ‘Church of God’ and the Civic Assemblies (ἐκκλησίαι) of the Greek Cities in the Roman Empire: A Response to Paul Trebilco and Richard A. Horsley”
• Alexander N. Kirk, “Building with the Corinthians: Human Persons as the Building Materials of 1 Corinthians 3.12 and the ‘Work’ of 3.13–15”
• Michael Bachmann, “Identität bei Paulus: Beobachtungen am Galaterbrief”

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include the following:

Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies

• Richard S. Briggs and Joel N. Lohr, eds., A Theological Introduction to the Pentateuch: Interpreting the Torah as Christian Scripture, reviewed by Thomas Dozeman
• Roger Good, The Septuagint’s Translation of the Hebrew Verbal System in Chronicles, reviewed by Francis Dalrymple-Hamilton
• Norman K. Gottwald; ed. Rebecca J. Kruger Gaudino, The Hebrew Bible: A Brief Socio-Literary Introduction, reviewed by Steven L. McKenzie

New Testament and Cognate Studies

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include the following:

Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies

• Thomas W. Mann, The Book of the Former Prophets, reviewed by David G. Firth
• N. Verbin, Divinely Abused: A Philosophical Perspective on Job and His Kin, reviewed by F. Rachel Magdalene

New Testament and Cognate Studies

• April D. DeConick, Holy Misogyny: Why the Sex and Gender Conflicts in the Early Church Still Matter, reviewed by Alicia D. Myers
• Rowan A. Greer, Theodore of Mopsuestia: Commentary on the Minor Pauline Epistles, reviewed by Hennie Stander
• Christopher W. Skinner, What Are They Saying about the Gospel of Thomas?, reviewed by Thomas Bergholz and by Ian Brown

Hermeneutics

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include the following:

Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies

• S. Bar, D. Kahn, and J. J. Shirley, eds., Egypt, Canaan and Israel: History, Imperialism, Ideology and Literature, reviewed by Aren M. Maeir
• Scott W. Hahn, The Kingdom of God as Liturgical Empire: A Theological Commentary on 1–2 Chronicles, reviewed by Mark Mcentire
• Roy L. Heller, Conversations with Scripture: The Book of Judges, reviewed by Klaas Spronk
• Robin Routledge, Old Testament Theology: A Thematic Approach, reviewed by Hubert James Keener
• Erich Zenger, Einleitung in das Alte Testament, edited by Christian Frevel, reviewed by Trent C. Butler and by Jordan M. Scheetz

Miscellaneous

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include the following:

Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies

• Reinhard Achenbach, Rainer Albertz, and Jakob Wöhrle, eds., The Foreigner and the Law: Perspectives from the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East, reviewed by Bradford A. Anderson
• Georg Fischer, Die Anfänge der Bibel: Studien zu Genesis und Exodus, reviewed by Frank H. Polak
• John Goldingay, Key Questions about Biblical Interpretation: Old Testament Answers, reviewed by John E. Anderson
• Feidhlimidh T. Magennis, First and Second Samuel, reviewed by William L. Lyons
• James D. Nogalski, The Book of the Twelve, reviewed by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

New Testament and Cognate Studies

Google Books has available two full PDF copies ( 1, 2) of the original German of F. C. Baur’s Paulus, der Apostel Jesu Christi (1845). Also available are the first and second volumes of second edition of the English translation produced by Eduard Zeller ( Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, 2 vols., 1873–1875). In addition, the book’s second, posthumously produced German edition (2 vols., 1866–1867) from which Zeller translated the English version is available in a single, combined PDF that contains both of its volumes.

To demonstrate the superiority of Jesus’ sacrifice to those previously offered under the Torah, the writer to the Hebrews quotes a version of Ps 40:6–8 (Eng; 40:7–9 HB; 39:7–9 OG; Heb 10:5–9). 1 In so doing, Hebrews fairly clearly situates its rendition of this psalm’s words as Jesus’ own (cf. Heb 10:10). 2 If one were to read the entire psalm in this direction however, 3 problems would seemingly arise (e.g., vv. 12–17 Eng). 4

Nevertheless, in looking at the whole psalm from the perspective of Hebrews’ reading, one might well consider that Jesus “sometimes speaks in the name of our Head; sometimes also He speaks of us who are His members.” 5 In this way, initially problematic elements (e.g., v. 12 Eng) would follow not with respect to him who is the head but with respect to those who are his members. 6 Moreover,

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include the following:

Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies

• Stéphanie Anthonioz, « À qui me comparerez-vous ? » (Is 40,25): La polémique contre l’idolâtrie dans le Deutéro-Isaïe, reviewed by Sven Petry
• Jason Bembry, Yahweh’s Coming of Age, reviewed by Johannes de Moor
• Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Land of Our Fathers: The Roles of Ancestor Veneration in Biblical Land Claims, reviewed by Bob Becking
• Michael P. Streck, Altbabylonisches Lehrbuch, reviewed by Gerhard Karner

New Testament and Cognate Studies

[caption id=“” align=“alignright” width=“80”] John Walton, Victor Matthews, and Mark Chavalas[/caption]

Ahead of class this fall, the folks at InterVarsity have kindly forwarded John Walton, Victor Matthews, and Mark Chavalas’s Old Testament backgrounds commentary (2000). According to the publisher’s description,

The unique commentary joins The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament in providing historical, social and cultural background for each passage of the Old Testament. From Genesis through Malachi, this single volume gathers and condenses an abundance of specialized knowledge—making it available and accessible to ordinary readers of the Old Testament. Expert scholars John Walton, Victor Matthews and Mark Chavalas have included along with the fruits of their research and collaboration

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The latest issue of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society arrived in yesterday’s mail and includes the following:

• David Chapman and Andreas Köstenberger, “Jewish Intertestamental and Early Rabbinic Literature: An Annotated Bibliographic Resource Updated (Part 1)”
• Armin Baum, “A Theological Justification for the Canonical Status of Literary Forgeries: Jacob’s Deceit (Genesis 27) and Petr Pokorný’s Sola Gratia Argument”
• Walter Kaiser Jr., “Is It the Case that Christ is the Same Object of Faith in the Old Testament? (Genesis 15:1–6)”
• Josh Chatraw, “Balancing Out (W)Right: Jesus’ Theology of Individual and Corporate Repentance and Forgiveness in the Gospel of Luke”
• Stanley Porter and Bryan Dyer, “Oral Texts?: A Reassessment of the Oral and Rhetorical Nature of Paul’s Letters in Light of Recent Studies”
• Adam Hensley, “Σιγάω, λαλέω, and ὑποτάσσω in 1 Corinthians 14:34 in Their Literary and Rhetorical Context”
• Victor Rhee, “The Author of Hebrews as a Leader of the Faith Community”
• Russell Moore, “The Kingdom of God in the Social Ethics of Carl F. H. Henry: A Twenty-first Century Evangelical Reappraisal”

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature includes the following discussions of texts in New Testament and cognate studies:

• Ann W. Astell and Sandor Goodhart, eds., Sacrifice, Scripture, and Substitution: Readings in Ancient Judaism and Christianity, reviewed by John Dunnill
• Daniel Boyarin, The Jewish Gospels: The Story of the Jewish Christ, reviewed by F. Stanley Jones
• Jeffrey Brodd and Jonathan L. Reed, eds., Rome and Religion: A Cross-Disciplinary Dialogue on the Imperial Cult, reviewed by John Kloppenborg
• Gonzalo Haya-Prats, Empowered Believers: The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts, reviewed by Nils Neumann
• Larry W. Hurtado and Paul L. Owen, eds., ‘Who Is This Son of Man?’: The Latest Scholarship on a Puzzling Expression of the Historical Jesus, reviewed by Christopher Tuckett
• Yung Suk Kim, A Theological Introduction to Paul’s Letters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul, reviewed by Jason Weaver
• Stefanos Mihalios, The Danielic Eschatological Hour in the Johannine Literature, reviewed by Dirk van der Merwe
• Klaus Wachtel and Michael W. Holmes, eds., The Textual History of the Greek New Testament: Changing Views in Contemporary Research, reviewed by Jean-François Racine
• James P. Ware, Paul and the Mission of the Church: Philippians in Ancient Jewish Context, reviewed by Angela Standhartinger
• John Morgan-Wynne, The Cross in the Johannine Writings, reviewed by David Crump

The latest reviews from the Review of Biblical Literature include:

Jewish Scriptures and Cognate Studies

• John Choi, Traditions at Odds: The Reception of the Pentateuch in Biblical and Second Temple Period Literature, reviewed by John Engle
• Scott C. Jones, Rumors of Wisdom: Job 28 as Poetry, reviewed by Edward L. Greenstein
• Michael E. W. Thompson, Where Is the God of Justice?: The Old Testament and Suffering, reviewed by Pekka Pitkanen
• Julie Woods, Jeremiah 48 as Christian Scripture, reviewed by Frederik Poulsen

New Testament and Cognate Studies

On the web:

• Tommy Wasserman notes a new iOS app for New Testament manuscripts.
• E. K. McFall has the latest article in the Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism: “Are Dionysos and Oedipus Name Variatnios for Satan and Antichrist?”
• Dan Wallace recounts an experience of reading a manuscript that “doesn’t exist.”
• Alin Suciu highlights Lorenzo Perrone’s lecture on recently-discovered texts of Origen’s homilies on the Psalms. For a selection of previous background posts, see here.

Tommy Keene notes the revival of an automatic link builder for Firefox and the Westminster Bookstore’s blog partner program. Tommy’s earlier Firefox search bar add-on for the Westminster Bookstore is also a very helpful tool.

Ahead of class this fall, the folks at Zondervan have kindly forwarded Carl Rasmussen’s Atlas of the Bible (2010). According to the publisher’s description,

This thoroughly revised edition of the Gold Medallion Award-winning Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible uses innovative 3D imaging technology and over one hundred images to bring the biblical world to life with unprecedented clarity. Plus, over one hundred full-color, multidimensional maps trace the progression of Old and New Testament history, providing you with an accessible and accurate resource—a treasure trove of insights for students of the Bible.

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