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Recognizing the absence of a God named Yahweh outside of ancient Israel, this study addresses the related questions of Yahweh's origins and the biblical claim that there were Yahweh-worshipers other than the Israelite people. Beginning with the Hebrew Bible, with an exhaustive survey of ancient Near Eastern literature and inscriptions discovered by archaeology, and using anthropology to reconstruct religious practices and beliefs of ancient Edom and Midian, this study proposes an answer. Yahweh-worshiping Midianites of the Early Iron Age brought their deity along with metallurgy into ancient Palestine and the Israelite people.
Is there a gap between the academic study of the Bible and the work of theologians? What lies behind this gap? And most important, how have biblical scholars tried to bridge the gap with hermeneutical methods? This book addresses the exegesis vs. theology impasse and categorizes the most important attempts to bridge it over the past century, especially those of the last decades. These attempts are assessed and evaluated so that readers can see the philosophies undergirding each and the potential each has for a true ""theological interpretation"" of the Bible. ""Biblical scholarship has adopted one hermeneutic lens after another--each showing the insufficiency of its predecessor. Miller expla...
Notable Catholic interpreters of Scripture discern the guiding values of biblical interpretation at the brink of a new era for the church. Under the influence of Benedict XVI and Francis, Roman Catholics, whether lay or religious, have found renewed interest in studying sacred Scripture. Yet the church has also grown and faces new challenges in the new millennium. What does the future of Catholic biblical interpretation look like? And how ought the church’s rich heritage of biblical interpretation continue to influence it? This volume collects essays by some of the most influential voices in Catholic biblical scholarship today. Covering a variety of topics, from the Old Testament to the Ne...
This book examines the relationship between mobility, lived religiosities, and conceptions of divine personhood as they are preserved in textual corpora and material culture from Israel, Judah, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. By integrating evidence of the form and function of religiosities in contexts of mobility and migration, this volume reconstructs mobility-informed aspects of civic and household religiosities in Israel and its world. Readers will find a robust theoretical framework for studying cultures of mobility and religiosities in the ancient past, as well as a fresh understanding of the scope and texture of mobility-informed religious identities that composed broader Yahwistic religious heritage. Cultures of Mobility, Migration, and Religion in Ancient Israel and Its World will be of use to both specialists and informed readers interested in the history of mobilities and migrations in the ancient Near East, as well as those interested in the development of Yahwism in its biblical and extra-biblical forms.
Providing a comprehensive study of ""oral tradition"" in Israel, this volume unpacks the nature of oral tradition, the form it would have taken in ancient Israel, and the remains of it in the narrative books of the Hebrew Bible. The author presents cases of oral/written interaction that provide the best ethnographic analogies for ancient Israel and insights from these suggest a model of transmission in oral-written societies valid for ancient Israel. Miller reconstructs what ancient Israelite oral literature would have been and considers criteria for identifying orally derived material in the narrative books of the Old Testament, marking several passages as highly probable oral derivations. ...
Ancient Israel's legal system was both oral and written, its law both preserved in written forms and performed orally. By unpacking this system, Robert D. Miller II, OFS, sheds light on its practitioners, venues, verbal forms, and connections to neighboring peoples.
The history of Israel is a much-debated topic in Old Testament studies. On one side are minimalists who find little of historical value in the Hebrew Bible. On the other side are those who assume the biblical text is a precise historical record. Many serious students of the Bible find themselves between these two positions and would benefit from a careful exploration of issues in Israelite history. This substantive history of Israel textbook values the Bible's historical contribution without overlooking critical issues and challenges. Featuring the latest scholarship, the book introduces students to the current state of research on issues relevant to the study of ancient Israel. The editors and contributors, all top biblical scholars and historians, discuss historical evidence in a readable manner, using both canonical and chronological lenses to explore Israelite history. Illustrative items, such as maps and images, visually support the book's content. Tables and sidebars are also included.
The books of Habakkuk and Zephaniah are God’s word to his people Israel at the lowest point in their history – the time of the Babylonian captivity. In the horizon, the looming national disaster is not simply contrasted with the prophetic hope of deliverance; rather the brightest light that shines is the display of God’s unchanging faithfulness, power, and holiness – the foundations for divine action for the well-being of the remnant of Judah. They show us the faith of the righteous among the rebels and the ruins. These two powerful books demonstrate that faith without faithfulness is an infantile fantasy. Written in accessible language to guide readers into the world of Hebrew poetr...
Is there a gap between the academic study of the Bible and the work of theologians? What lies behind this gap? And most important, how have biblical scholars tried to bridge the gap with hermeneutical methods? This book addresses the exegesis vs. theology impasse and categorizes the most important attempts to bridge it over the past century, especially those of the last decades. These attempts are assessed and evaluated so that readers can see the philosophies undergirding each and the potential each has for a true "theological interpretation" of the Bible.
Inspiration and Guidance for Life Scripture is deeply rooted in the Church’s worship and is for expanded use in your own personal study. Allow God’s inspired Word to provide guidance in your daily life. The highly anticipated revised edition of the New American Bible (NABRE) is the culmination of years of work by hundreds of scholars, theologians, and bishops. The completely revised translation showcases the latest biblical scholarship, archaeological discoveries, and updated language for readability and accuracy of the original text. Features: The text of the New American Bible (NAB), the only translation approved for use at Mass in the Roman Catholic dioceses of the United States Up-to-date revisions by scholars covering the latest findings in archeology and biblical studies Introductions and outlines provide literary, historical, and cultural background for each book of the Bible Thousands of in-text study notes explain what you are reading 16 pages of full color maps Presentation pages for gift-giving