History of Religion Books

Survival In Auschwitz

Primo Levi

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 68 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Sloppy book disrespects author and subject 1 out of 5 stars.
7 of 9 people found this review helpful.

This book from bnpublishing contains serious multiple errors, sometimes five per page, that disrespect the author and the Holocaust and force the reader to stop and try to figure out the author's real meaning. Book is full of incorrect or missing punctuation (such as periods), words and names spelled different ways from one sentence to the next, random capitalization, run-on sentences, grammatical and spelling errors in English, French, and German. "Figfit" is not a word. Neither are "infaticable," "aroupd," or "mochery." The phrase is "flash of intuition," not "flask." The sign over every concentration camp was "Arbeit Macht Frei," not "Fret." You say, "avec moi," which means "with me," not "avec mot" which means "with word." Phrases like "there were no dark cold air had the smell" (p. 107) stop the reader dead. Very disrespectful of the author and the subject. Levi was a brilliant man with astounding powers of observation and recall for his hellish experiences. His words deserve to be preserved better than this.

Editorial Review:

Survival in Auschwitz is a mostly straightforward narrative, beginning with Primo Levi's deportation from Turin, Italy, to the concentration camp Auschwitz in Poland in 1943. Levi, then a 25-year-old chemist, spent 10 months in the camp. Even Levi's most graphic descriptions of the horrors he witnessed and endured there are marked by a restraint and wit that not only gives readers access to his experience, but confronts them with it in stark ethical and emotional terms: "[A]t dawn the barbed wire was full of children's washing hung out in the wind to dry. Nor did they forget the diapers, the toys, the cushions and the hundred other small things which mothers remember and which children always need. Would you not do the same? If you and your child were going to be killed tomorrow, would you not give him something to eat today?" --Michael Joseph Gross

The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (Hinges of History)

Thomas Cahill

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 139 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Review for World Civilizations 1 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Gifts of the Jews, by Thomas Cahill is a very intriguing, yet complex and opinionated book. Thomas Cahill is am American scholar and writer, and is most well known for his series of books called the Hinges of History, which tell the story of Western Civilizations roots. The Gifts of the Jews is the second book in The Hinges of History collection. The Gifts of the Jews is about what the Jewish people did in the earliest of civilizations to begin to shape the civilization that we now have. The book begins by talking about the beginning of civilization, and Cahill uses it to break in his view about how the Jews changed ancient civilization by thinking outside of the world that everyone was stuck in. Chapter one goes on to talk about and tell stories of Sumer, the first civilization. It talks about Gilgamesh, who was supposedly half human half God, and King of Uruk (A city in Sumer). Cahill talks about ancient symbols, and what they mean, and then goes on to talk about how civilization in the time of Sumer was going in a never-ending circle, round and round. From there, he begins to talk about the bible's Abram (who became Abraham). His family was one of Semites, who had settled in the city of Ur. Cahill goes into stories about the Bible and of ancient Sumer, including stories about Isaac and Sarah. The next chapter goes into how Abraham had a different kind of thinking about God then everyone else at that time, and preached to his family and beyond. Then goes into how Joseph was brought to Egypt because he could allegedly read dreams, and brings the rest of his family to Egypt in his new power position. He then tells stories of Egypt that are from the Bible, and talks about Jewish people in Egypt sending their babies down the Nile River to save them, and one happens to be Moses, who is picked up by an Egyptian. Moses goes on to become an Egyptian prince, but kills an Egyptian guard who is striking one of his slave brothers, and has to leave Egypt. When he is traveling, he sees out of the corner of his eyes, a burning bush, and this is where he first talks to God. God leads him on a mission to free the Jewish people from being slaves in Egypt. When the Pharaoh does not listen to Moses, God gives Egypt the Ten Plagues. Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, only to travel the desert for forty years before he allows them to settle in Canaan. Moses is dead by this time, and they need a new person to lead them into Canaan, so Joshua, Moses' young general, leads the Israelites across Jordan to the "promised land." The Israelites reach a conclusion that they need a king, so they ask God, and God elects a man named Saul. Saul becomes a great leader, winning wars on neighboring enemies, but is not anymore liked by God. Cahill then goes on to talk about the story of David and Goliath, Goliath, the supposedly nine foot tall soldier who challenged Israel in one on one combat for the enslavement of the loser's people. David, learning that he can become rich if he challenges and wins, decides to accept the challenge, but at first, Saul will not allow him because it is an unequal challenge, but David convinces him by telling him that God wants him to fight. David wins the battle, and after a long sequence of events, becomes the new King of the Israelites. The chapter concludes with Cahill saying how his interpretation of David is of being Gods "little finger." Just doing whatever God wants him to, and showing only a little amount of courage, which is when he stands up to and fights Goliath. David's throne goes to his son Solomon, who Cahill says runs things very poorly, so that when Solomon dies to pass on his throne, it is to late to save and the United Kingdom of Israel dies. In the last chapter, Cahill talks about his view of everything, how he interprets certain events, that I feel are through a very opinionated view and that he does not give sufficient evidence for. The Gifts of the Jews is a very complex book, and I do not feel that it is an easy book to read. It goes very in-depth to events that were written in the Bible or Torah and Cahill tends to say how he feels about each story. I recommend reading this book if you are interested in reading about ancient civilizations and the path that the Jews went on throughout it, but I recommend reading lighter books about the subject before, because there is not very much explanation about people or places.

Editorial Review:

Thomas Cahill, author of the bestselling How the Irish Saved Civilization, continues his Hinges of History series with The Gifts of the Jews, a light-handed, popular account of ancient Jewish culture, the culture of the Bible. The book is written from a decidedly modern point of view. Cahill notes, for instance, that Abraham moved the Jews from Ur to the land of Canaan "to improve their prospects," and that the leering inhabitants of Sodom surrounded Lot's lodging "like the ghouls in Night of the Living Dead." The Gifts of the Jews nonetheless encourages us to see the Old Testament through ancient eyes--to see its characters not as our contemporaries but as those of Gilgamesh and Amenhotep. Cahill also lingers on often-overlooked books of the Bible, such as Ruth, to discuss changes in ancient sensibility. The result is a fine, speculative, eminently readable work of history.

The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition

Flavius Josephus

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Whiston's original with modern updates 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is a nice format and presentation of Whiston's original English translation of the complete works of Josephus. One of the classic extra-biblical historical references, this edition has been updated with the Loeb Classical Library (LCL) numbering sytsem, clearer text, Arabic numbers throughout, and an updated Introduction. Also includes index, maps, and tables of various weights, measures, coins, etc. mentioned in the text.

Editorial Review:

This renowned reference book has served scholars, pastors, students, and those interested in the background of the New Testament for years. The insight given into the Essene community, the destruction of Jerusalem and the interpretations and traditions of the Old Testament in first century Judaism is invaluable. The outlook of Josephus, a late first century Pharisee and historian, on Jesus and the New Testament documents is enlightening and provocative. As an original reference, The Works of Josephus is essential to a full understanding of the first century, the time of Christ and the New Testament.

Complete and unabridged, this is the best one-volume edition of the classic translation of JosephusÂ' works. The entire text has been reset in modern, easy-to-read type; numbering corresponding to that used in the Loeb edition has been added to the text; and citations and cross-references have been updated from Roman numerals to Arabic numbers.

Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

Marvin R. Wilson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Please be careful with this book!! 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 11 people found this review helpful.

I found the book to be good until I got the part that mentions that gentiles are NOT obligated to follow the commandments of YHVH. In essence it is saying that He has two standards. Not true. Multiple times in the Torah YHVH mentions that there is one law for the homeborn and the stranger that sojourns with them. He has only one standard for all mankind who choses to follow Him. The "noachide laws" are a way that man has come up with to try and get around the fact that we are to follow YHVH's commandments. Of course a good study is in order to decide if what I say is true or not. Nazerene Israel is the faith of the apostles throughout the book of Acts. Shouldn't it be ours too?

Another false point that I found in this book is that they believe Yahshua died on a Friday instead of Wednesday. This is an interesting study for those who are serious about being seekers of the truth. The only sign Yahshua said He would give was 3 days and 3 nights. A Friday death and Sunday resurrection is 3 days by reckoning but only 2 nights, not 3. In this study you will find that He was killed on a Wednesday and rose right at the end of Sabbath (Saturday), see Mt 28:1, the seventh day not the first as is typically taught.

I figure that if this book can't get Yahshua's name, death and resurrection, and the importance of one law and one standard for all correctly then there really is no point in anyone reading this book. It was written and caters to mainstream christianity and its dogma. The truth is out there. Seekers of the truth will find it. Yahshua meant this in Mt 7:14. Few will "FIND" it.

Be blessed seekers.

Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament

J. JuliusJr. Scott

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Intertestamental Judaism & History. 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent book on the subject of judaism in the period between the OT and the NT.
Mr.Scott covers a lot of ground regarding religious beliefs and how they changed over time.
There were different branches of judaism with similarities as well as differences.The author also details some contrasts between Samaritans,Pharisees,and Sadducees.

There is some helpful information on the Septuagint,it's source,and difference of translation between the hebrew OT and the greek OT.

Mr.Scott looks at Josephus and Philo and the value of their writings in the study of intertestamental judaism,with some understandable scepticism of Josephus.

He also details the priesthood and rivalry between families-Zadokites and Tobiads.The pollution of the priesthood is also discussed.

He covers the start of rabbinical judaism and the circumstances that led to the percieved need for oral law/tradition as a hedge around Torah.
There was some interesting information about Simon bar Kosiba(Kochba).

There is an "Intertestamental Calendar and Festivals Table" that is an excellent resource about the Biblical feasts.This period also saw the addition and alteration of some OT feasts.

The use of the sacred name is discussed.
"The Talmud and other rabbinical sources indicate that by the time of Simon the Just(c.200BC)the divine name was no longer pronounced,except by the high priest on Yom Kippur".
He also had an interesting perspective on the sabbatical and Jubilee years.
"The sabbatical year,occuring every seventh year and the Jubilee,every fiftieth year,prevented the accumulation of too much wealth and oppression of the poor".

There is a very good list of general sources,frequent footnotes and quotes.
I found a few minor points that I think are debatable in the book.That doesn't lessen the value of the author's work.
While not as comprehensive as Edersheim's "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah", this book is a good choice for anyone interested in the diverse beliefs and Messianic expectations of the period.

Editorial Review:

This survey of intertestamental Judaism illuminates the customs and controversies that provide essential background for understanding the New Testament. Helpful charts, maps, and diagrams are incorporated throughout the text.

The Feasts Of The Lord God's Prophetic Calendar From Calvary To The Kingdom

Kevin Howard, Marvin Rosenthal

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Treasure Chest of Information 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The pages are falling out of my copy of "The Feasts of the Lord" simply because of how many times I have referred to it while preparing lessons or sermons. I am almost brought to tears every time I read of the literal meaning of the "afikomen" at Passover. I gave a copy of this book to a Jewish friend who helped me in proofing the manuscript of "Maccabee." Though "The Feasts of the Lord" demonstrates unapologetically the New Testament fulfillment of the Old Testament feasts, the book was well received. A big thank you to the authors.

Editorial Review:

Isreal's feasts are infinitely more important than just a series of cultural observances. These feasts are appointed by the Lord, and they are owned by the Lord. He calls them "my feasts." Together they form God's prophetic calendar, outlining the work of history's most important person...Jesus, the Messiah. As such, few themes are more timely or rewarding for God's people today.

The Feasts of the Lord covers all aspects of the biblical feasts...historical background, biblical observance, and prophetic significance. Yet, this book is not just another reference book on the feasts. It is written from the Hebrew Christian viewpoint, helping you to see the feasts through Jewish eyes.

The words of the Savior, His messianic claims, and Bible prophecy will all take on a rich, new relevance for you against the exciting backdrop of The Feasts of the Lord.

The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus

Amy-jill Levine

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Jesus is Jewish! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This is the best book available today about the Jewishness of Jesus. Amy Jill Levine points out that many of the Gospel stories would hit home with more of us if we read the New Testament with the eyes of a first century Jewish person. She points out the Jewishness of each line of the Lord's Prayer and its similarities with the Mourner's Kaddish in Judaism. She also shows that the parable of the Good Samaritan will be more powerful when we realize that the role model of the story is the enemy of the Jews.

Similarly, the parable of the tax collector and the self-righteous Pharisee praying in the temple has a bigger punch when we remember how despised tax collectors were and how unlikely it would seem that a sinful, self-centered tax collector would repent and turn to the Jewish God.

There is also an important chapter about anti-Judaism in the New Testament. Levine feels that the issue of whether or not there is anti-Judaism in the NT cannot be decided by the historian, but by the individual. Some will see it in the text, some won't.

I wanted to argue at this point. I wanted to say "What about authorial intent? Can't we study the salient passages in their contexts to see if the authors intended an anti-Jewish polemic?"

But Levine would rightfully note that we all have different reactions to what we read. Even though she rejects this notion, I still see it as a family disagreement.

There is also an important chapter about the dangers of stereotyping Judaism. Levine notes that when we preach the gospels, we talk about the harsh legalism of the Pharisees, the strain of women under the law of Moses, the idea that the Jewish people rejected Jesus because he wasn't a warrior messiah, the idea that the Jewish people were obsessed with the idea of keeping pure from outsiders, and the impossibility of keeping the law of Moses. Levine points out that these are stereotypes, this is NOT the way the Jewish people looked at their lives.

Levine also calls for true interfaith dialogue. This means avoiding statements like "All Jews think ..." or "All Christians think ...." It also means recognizing that both Jewish and Christian traditions have texts that might rub the other dialogue partner the wrong way. Levine counsels us to speak out when someone makes a derogatory comment about Jewish people or Christian people. There is no room for hate at the table of faith. I agree.

And yet there is a clear message in the New Testament that Jesus Christ is superior to the institutions of Judaism, especially in the book of Hebrews and in certain texts from Galatians and the gospels. I think this is an important message. The Jewish writers of the New Testament were transformed by their faith in Jesus Christ. They felt so passionately about their Messiah that they even stated that faith in Him was superior to anything else Judaism could offer. As a Jewish believer in Jesus as Messiah, I wholeheartedly concur.

Nevertheless, Ben Witherington is surely right when he calls this book the best book written on the Jewishness of Jesus. I personally need to be careful in the future about making sure I don't stereotype Judaism in my treatment of the Gospels.

Editorial Review:

In the The Misunderstood Jew, scholar Amy-Jill Levine helps Christians and Jews understand the "Jewishness" of Jesus so that their appreciation of him deepens and a greater interfaith dialogue can take place. Levine's humor and informed truth-telling provokes honest conversation and debate about how Christians and Jews should understand Jesus, the New Testament, and each other.

A Short History of the Jewish People: From Legendary Times to Modern Statehood

Raymond P. Scheindlin

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Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Jewish history is often told not as a narrative of real people with human problems and interests but as an idealized national myth," writes Raymond Scheinlin, in the introduction to his excellent A Short History of the Jewish People. Scheinlin is an observant Jew, but his book is not a history of the Jewish religion. It is a history of Jewish tribes around the world and the ways "they have interacted with the nations and cultures among whom they have lived, adapting to their environment while retaining a variety of continuities." The book's brevity precludes exhaustiveness, but its focus on particular Jewish communities and its disciplined analysis of their political successes and foibles give readers a firm grasp on the movements in Jewish history that have shaped the Middle East, Europe, and America. Amply illustrated with maps and photographs, the fluid prose of Scheinlin's History make this book a useful starting point for anyone seeking a secular history of Judaism that is neither skeptical nor hostile to religion. --Michael Joseph Gross

Understanding the Old Testament (5th Edition)

Bernhard W. Anderson, Steven Bishop, Judith Newman

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Fleshes out the Bible 5 out of 5 stars.
43 of 52 people found this review helpful.

No question the Old Testament is a great read, but face it, the original audience for this work is long dead and buried. Anderson's standard text on the world of the Old Testament is excellent in bringing the ancient world and the context for the collection that is the Old Testament to light. Reading the Bible without Anderson you get a story about some guy named Abram who took a walk one day and had some trouble with his new neighors. Reading it with Anderson, you get a deeper understanding of where Abraham came from, where he was headed, and how the belief of early Judahism developed through and in conflict with those of the neighboring Canaanites. The agrarian focused religion of the Canaanites get's it's own hearing as a people's attempt to make sense of the life around them. "Understanding the Old Testament" then provides this level of insight and background for all the other books of the Old Testament. How and why we now have the expression of the Jewish people's understanding of God gains more texuture and depth.

Editorial Review:

Presents a study of the Old Testament by interweaving historical, archeological, literary, and religious perspectives. The book traces the story of the people of Israel from the Exodus in the time of Moses through the dawn of the Common Era. It considers the importance of literary criticism and other methods for understanding the literature of ancient Israel; treats the latest archaeological discoveries that illuminate the Old Testament period.

Small Miracles of the Holocaust: Extraordinary Coincidences of Faith, Hope, and Survival

Yitta Halberstam, Judith Leventhal

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An incredible, important work. These stories will stay with you! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

What an extraordinary book. There were times when I could not hold back my tears - I was so moved. It's been a long wait for a new "Small Miracles" book and fans of the series will not be disappointed. It is also an important addition to the numerous books about the Holocaust. It adds a perspective, (Small Miracles) which has not been readily written about! Truly a treasure!

Editorial Review:

From the authors of the bestselling Small Miracles series comes this inspirational collection of over 50 stories - each with the upbeat twist ending that has become the trademark of this remarkable series.

The authors, both second-generation Holocaust survivors, have culled stories from before, during, and after the Holocaust that demonstrate the full strength and power of the human spirit.

Stories reaffirming that nothing truly happens by accident…

Even during the worst of times small miracles did happen - and the legacies of those individuals live on.