An introduction to the Bible : sacred texts and imperial contexts
This groundbreaking introductory textbook explores the emergence and development of the Bible, placing it in the broader context of world history. It particularly focuses on the role of a number of empires in the formation of the Biblical canon. Explores the historical role the Bible has played in subsequent empires, and its enduring influence in the contemporary world, resulting in a balanced overview of the historical forces that shaped the canon ; Explores topics including: the formation of the Pentateuch, the development of the earliest Old Testament stories, the historical study of the Gospel traditions surrounding Jesus; the influence of Roman rule in the provinces where Paul spent much of his ministry; and the interpretation of the Biblical texts and their use by different faith communities ; Incorporates numerous student-friendly features throughout, including study questions, review sections, bibliographies, timelines, and illustrations and photos
Print Book, English, 2010
Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, West Sussex, U.K., 2010
History
xxi, 383 pages : illustrations (some color), color maps ; 26 cm
9781405167383, 9781405167376, 1405167386, 1405167378
455419907
Prologue: Orientation to multiple bibles and multiple translations
Studying the Bible in its ancient context(s)
The emergence of ancient Israel and its first oral traditions
Echoes of empire in monarchal Israel
Narrative and prophecy amidst the rise and fall of the Northern Kingdom
Torah and other texts written in the wake of the Assyrian Empire
Bible for exiles : promise and story in the neo-Babylonian Empire
Persian Empire and the emergence of a temple-centered Jewish community
Hellenistic empires and the formation of the Hebrew Bible
Studying the New Testament in its ancient context
Paul and his Letters in the Roman colonial context
Mark's story of Jesus in the midst of Roman retribution
The Gospel of Matthew : defining community in the wake of destruction
Negotiating the empire in Luke-Acts
The Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles : turning inward as a strategy for life in the empire
Variations on responses to empire in other New Testament writings
Epilogue: The final formation of the Jewish and Christian bibles