RBL 9.9.2015

James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Tomb of Jesus and His Family? Exploring Ancient Jewish Tombs Near Jerusalem’s Walls
Reviewed by Jodi Magness

John J. Collins, A Short Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
Reviewed by Corinne Blackmer
Reviewed by David M. Carr

Eric Eve, Behind the Gospels: Understanding the Oral Tradition
Reviewed by Werner H. Kelber

Charles W. Hedrick, The Wisdom of Jesus: Between the Sages of Israel and the Apostles of the Church
Reviewed by David Gowler

Douglas S. Huffman, The Handy Guide to New Testament Greek: Grammar, Syntax, and Diagramming
Reviewed by Justin Langford

Francisco Lozada Jr. and Fernando F. Segovia, eds., Latino/a Biblical Hermeneutics: Problematics, Objectives, Strategies
Reviewed by Tat-siong Benny Liew

Ronald D. Peters, The Greek Article: A Functional Grammar of ?-items in the Greek New Testament with Special Emphasis on the Greek Article
Reviewed by Daniel Wallace

Rivka Ulmer and Moshe Ulmer, Righteous Giving to the Poor: Tzedakah (“Charity”) in Classic Rabbinic Judaism
Reviewed by Gregg E. Gardner

Yael Wilfand, Poverty, Charity and the Image of the Poor in Rabbinic Texts from the Land of Israel
Reviewed by Joshua Schwartz

Ιω 13-17 ως ιεραποστολική αφήγηση / John 13-17 as a missional narrative

Stellenbosch: Theological Journal 1:1 (2015)

Guillaume Smit, "Investigating John 13-17 as a missional narrative"

Ένα άρθρο βιβλικού ενδιαφέροντος στο τρέχον τεύχος του In die Skriflig / A new article of biblical interest In die Skriflig

In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi 49:2 (2015)

Gert J. Steyn, "The text form of LXX Genesis 28:12 by Philo of Alexandria and in the Jesus-Logion of John 1:51"

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του StR / In the current issue of StR

Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses 44:3 (2015)

• Annette Yoshiko Reed, "Christian Origins and Religious Studies," 307-319 (abstract)
• Meredith J.C. Warren, "‘My heart poured forth understanding’: 4 Ezra’s Fiery Cup as Hierophagic Consumption," 320-333 (abstract)

Το τρέχον τεύχος του CBQ / The current issue of CBQ

The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 77:3 (2015)

• Benjamin Kilchor, "Levirate Marriage in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 and Its Precursors in Leviticus and Numbers: A Test Case for the Relationship between P/H and D," 429-440
• Jeremy Schipper and Mark Leuchter, "A Proposed Reading of [Hebrew Word] in Amos 2:8," 441-448
• Jonathan R. Trotter, "The Developing Narrative of the Life of Job: The Implications of Some Shared Elements in the Book of Tobit and the Testament of Job," 449-466
• Max Botner, "The Role of Transcriptional Probability in the Text-Critical Debate on Mark 1:1," 467-480
• Alain Gignac, "The Enunciative Device of Romans 1:18-4:25: A Succession of Discourses Attempting to Express the Multiple Dimensions of God’s Justice," 481-502
• Andrew McGowan, "The Myth of the 'Lord’s Supper': Paul’s Eucharistic Meal Terminology and Its Ancient Reception," 503-521

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του BibSac / The current issue of BibSac

Bibliotheca Sacra 172/689 (2015)

• J. Scott Horrell, "Translating 'Son of God' for Muslim Contexts, Part 1: Tensions and the Witness of Scripture," 268-285
• Randy L. McCracken, "How Many Sons did Absalom have? Intentional Ambiguity as Literary Art, " 286-298
• J. Lanier Burns, "John 14:1-27: The Comfort of God's Presence," 299-315 
• Sandra L. Glahn, "The Identity of Artemis in First-Century Ephesus," 316-334  
• James E. Allman, "To Propitiate or to Expiate?," 335-355 

Το τρέχον τεύχος του JETS / The current issue of JETS

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 58:2 (2015)

• Daniel I. Block, "‘Place for My Name”: Horeb and Zion in the Mosaic Vision of Israelite Worship," 221-248
• Benjamin Foreman, "The Blood of Ahab: Reevaluating Ahab’s Death and Elijah’s Prophecy," 249-264
• Palmer Robertson, "The Strategic Placement of the “Hallelu-Yah” Psalms within the Psalter," 265-268
• Matthew Seufert, "Reading Isaiah 40:1-11 in Light of Isaiah 36-37," 269-282
• Charles l. Cruise, "The “Wealth of the Nations”: A Study in the Intertextuality of Isaiah 60:5, 11," 283-298
• Kurt M. Simmons, "The Origins of Christmas and the Date of Christ’s Birth," 299-324
• Steven Runge, " The Exegetical Significance of Synoptic Differences from the Standpoint of Discourse Grammar," 325-334
• Sean M. Christensen, "Solidarity in Suffering and Glory: The Unifying Role of Psalm 34 in 1 Peter 3:10-12," 335-352
• Immitt Cornelius, "'Being Going to Be Born to Mary': An Overview and 'Appraisal of Robert W Jenson’s View of the Incarnation as an OT Phenomenon'," 353-366

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του ET / In the current issue of ET

Expository Times 126/12 (2015)

• Roger Ryan, "Three Tales of Three Cities in the Book of Judges," 578-585 (abstract)
• Benjamin J. M. Johnson, "A Nazorean and a Nazirite: Jesus and Samson in Matthew 1-2," 586-592 (abstract)

Το τρέχον τεύχος του JSOT / The current issue of JSOT

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 40:1 (2015)

• Robert Williamson, Jr, Brennan Breed, and Davis Hankins,  "Writing the Moral Self: Essays in Honor of Carol A. Newsom," 3-6
• Robert Williamson, Jr, "Taking Root in the Rubble: Trauma and Moral Subjectivity in the Book of Lamentations," 7-23 (abstract)
• Claudia V. Camp, Jr, "Proverbs and the Problems of the Moral Self," 25-42 (abstract)
• Davis Hankins, "The Internal Infinite: Deleuze, Subjectivity, and Moral Agency in Ecclesiastes," 43-59 (abstract)
• Brent A. Strawn, "What Is It Like to Be a Psalmist? Unintentional Sin and Moral Agency in the Psalter," 61-78 (abstract)
• Danna Nolan Fewell, "Space for Moral Agency in the Book of Ruth," 79-96 (abstract)
• Timothy Beal, "‘Who Filled His Heart to Do This?’ Conceptual Metaphors of the Self in the Book of Esther," 97-111 (abstract)
• Brennan Breed, "A Divided Tongue: The Moral Taste Buds of the Book of Daniel," 113-130 (abstract)
• Carol A. Newsom, "Response: Aspects of Agency," 131-135 

Το τρέχον τεύχος του TynBull / The current issue of TynBull

Tyndale Bulletin 66:1 (2015)

Richard Neville, "On exaggerating creation's role in biblical law and ethics," 1-17

Recent claims that creation theology is the broad horizon of Old Testament theology carry with them the potential for making easy connections between creation and ethics in biblical law. This potential is beginning to be realised in assertions that creation has an implied presence in Israel's law and that Israel's economic life was carried out within a worldview shaped by creation principles. These kinds of statements make it possible for the reader to discover creation at any point in the law that modern sensibilities would wish it. And yet the evidence presented here suggests that this will lead to the misreading of Israel's law. Care needs to be taken that the marginalisation of creation theology in the twentieth century does not give way to a twenty-first century misrepresentation of creation's role in Israel's faith.

Robin Routledge, "The Nephilim: a tall story? : who were the Nephilim and how did they survive the flood?," 19-40

The Nephilim figure prominently in some popular literature. Their portrayal is speculative, but also based on Second Temple texts, which portray the Nephilim as the giant offspring of angels and human women who were responsible for the corruption that resulted in the flood. The OT includes few direct references to the Nephilim (Gen. 6:4; Num. 13:33; possibly Ezek. 32:27), though they have been generally linked with giant pre-conquest inhabitants of Canaan, particularly Anakites and Rephaim. The lack of detail in the OT suggests the existence of underlying extra-biblical traditions, though substantial differences appear to rule out Second Temple texts as a source for OT writers. Because the OT appears to include references to the Nephilim existing both before and after the flood, an important question is whether (or how) they survived the deluge. This article argues that the Nephilim in the OT are associated, primarily, with the antediluvian era; though are, intentially, linked with postdiluvian 'heroes' to highlight the perversity of the pre-flood generation, who, in seeking liaisons with heavenly beings, seek to overcome their mortality. How they survived the flood does not appear to be of interest to the OT writers.

Isabelle Hamley, "What's wrong with 'playing the harlot'? : the meaning of zanah in Judges 19:2," 41-62

The story of the Levite's concubine in Judges 19 arouses horror ­ and very mixed scholarly interpretations. The silent concubine is cast in many shades, from silent victim to shady character on a par with the morally troubled Levite. Characterisation hinges on understanding the nature of the concubine's actions in verse 2. Was she unfaithful, literally or metaphorically? Or simply angry, as in the Greek text? Despite a long tradition of exonerating the concubine from sexual misconduct, the debate has been reopened, unexpectedly, by feminist critics asking why we should automatically assume she is innocent of all wrongdoing, in a text where virtually all characters are morally ambiguous at best. This paper will argue that the Masoretic Text offers the best reading of the story, consistent with subtle narration and moral complexity.

Tchavdar S. Hadjiev, "The king and the reader: hermeneutical reflections on 1 Kings 20-21," 63-74

1 Kings 20–21 offers a critical portrayal of Ahab as a king who practices neither mercy, nor justice in his dealings with his subjects but who strives to present a public image of himself as a king of mercy and justice. His character would have been seen by the exilic/post-exilic readership of the book of Kings as prefiguring their own experience of judgement and providing them with a model of repentance in the face of inevitable doom. 

Ragnar Andersen, "The Elihu speeches : their place and sense in the book of Job," 75-94

The different opinions about the Elihu speeches (Job 32–37) contribute greatly to confusion in research on the book of Job. In this paper I dis­cuss whether the Elihu speeches are later interpolations or original to the writing, and I defend the latter position. Furthermore, I critically analyse current views on the speeches' role in the book as a whole and argue that Elihu is an inspired wisdom teacher who paves the way for Job's encounter with God. Elihu does not merely repeat the claims of Job's three friends.

Lincoln Blumell, "A new LXX fragment containing Job 7:3-4 and 7:9," 95-101

This article presents an edition of a papyrus fragment from LXX Job that is housed in the Hatcher Graduate Library at the University of Michigan. The fragment likely dates to the sixth century A.D.AD and comes from a codex. On the recto the fragment contains Job 7:3-–4 and on the verso Job 7:9. 

Joel White, "'He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures' (1 Corinthians 15:4) : a typological interpretation based on the cultic calendar in Leviticus 23," 103-119

According to one of the earliest creedal statements in the NT, which Paul quotes in 1 Corinthians 15:4, the Messiah 'was raised on the third day according to the scriptures'. Scholarly analysis has centred on deter­mining which scriptures are in view, rarely differentiating between the creed's perspective and Paul's. One can only speculate about the for­mer, but with regard to the latter there are contextual clues in 1 Corinthians 15 that Paul sought to draw attention to the typological sig­nificance of the sheaf of firstfruits which, according to the Leviticus 23:10-11, was to be waved before the Lord on the day after the Sabbath after Passover, the very day that Jesus rose from the dead.

Dillon T. Thornton, "Satan as adversary and ally in the process of ecclesial discipline : the use of the prologue to Job in 1 Corinthians 5:5 and 1 Timothy 1:20," 137-151

Twice in the NT Paul refers to delivering someone to Satan. In 1 Corinthians 5:5, the apostle tells the Corinthian believers to hand a man living in sexual immorality over to Satan (paradounai ton toiouton tw satana). In 1 Timothy 1:20, Paul tells Timothy that he handed Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan (paredwka tw satana). Paul's language is strikingly similar to language contained in the prologue to Job. In Job 1:6-12, Satan disputes the blamelessness of Job and seeks Yahweh's permission to test Job's integrity. First, Yahweh allows Satan to attack Job's most prized possessions (Job 1:12). After the first attack fails, Satan asks for Yahweh's permission to assault Job physically. Then in Job 2:6 LXX, the LORD says to Satan, 'Behold, I deliver him to you' (Idou paradidwmi soi auton). In this paper, I argue that in both 1 Corinthians 5:5 and 1 Timothy 1:20 Paul draws from the prologue to Job, and he portrays Satan as an enemy of God who nevertheless can play the part of an ally in the process of church discipline.

Το τρέχον τεύχος του JSPs / The current issue of JSPs

Journal for the Study of Pseudepigrapha 25:1 (2015)

• Alin Suciu, "On a Bilingual Copto-Arabic Manuscript of 4 Ezra and the Reception of this Pseudepigraphon in Coptic Literature," 3-22 (abstract)
• Andrew B. Perrin, "Tobit's Context and Contacts in the Qumran Aramaic Anthology," 23-51 (abstract)
• Matthew E. Gordley, "Psalms of Solomon as Solomonic Discourse: The Nature and Function of Attribution to Solomon in a Pseudonymous Psalm Collection," 52-88 (abstract)

Άρθρα βιβλικού ενδιαφέροντος στο τρέχον Science et esprit / Articles of biblical interest in the current issue of Science et Esprit

Science et Esprit 67:1 (2015)

Hervé Tremblay, "Comment comprendre les oracles contre les nations chez les prophètes?"

The prophetical books of the Old Testament have usually been edited in three parts : 1) oracles against Israel / Judah; 2) oracles about / against nations; 3) oracles of hope. This article presents the oracles about / against nations, which are often not well known. It shows where such oracles are in the books and which nations are addressed. The consistency of each prophet is also shown, meaning that their main themes are present also in the oracles about / against nations. In the end, the postexilic relectures are briefly studied and a Sitz im Leben for the oracles is suggested. 

James R. Pambrun, "Paul’s Apocalyptic Way of Thinking and Aesthetic Experience – Part Two"

The aim of this article is to explore, in a hermeneutical mode, the significance Leander Keck and J. Christiaan Beker attribute to Paul’s use of apocalyptic discourse for expressing the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection as an event singular in kind. In alluding to the significance of Paul’s mode of apocalyptic thought, these biblical scholars have also pointed out the difficulties associated with communicating such a form of thinking. By drawing on the similarities between apocalyptic discourse as a strategy of meaning and features of aesthetic experience as elaborated in the work of Mikel Dufrenne (The Phenomenology of Aesthetic Experience), this article shows how a basic communicability can exist between Paul’s mode of thinking and our own appropriation of aesthetic experience.

Άρθρα βιβλικού ενδιαφέροντος στο τρέχον τεύχος του OFo / Articles of biblical interest in the current issue of OFo

Orthodoxes Forum 29:1 (2015)

• Charalampos Atmatzides, "Gregor Palamas und die Theorie über das wahre Licht und dessen Begründung von der Heiligen Schrift : das Beispiel des 2 Kor 4,4.6,''  5-20
• Konstantinos Nikolakopulos, "Ausgewählte Aspekte der paulinischen Theologie am Beispiel des 2. Korintherbriefes," 21-26
• Mircea Basarab, "Die antiochenische Theoria, eine biblische Hermeneutik," 27-39

Τα παιδιά στα ευαγγέλια / Children in the Gospels

Στην ιστοσελίδα The Bible and Interpretation έχει αναρτηθεί το κείμενο της Sharon Betsworth για την παρουσία των παιδιών στις ιστορίες των ευαγγελίων:

Children in the Gospels