Sacred Writings Books - Page 5

Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament (Zondervan Charts)

John H. Walton

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Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

These CHARTS are the best. Get them all. 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 42 people found this review helpful.

Were all biased anyway. The question is which bias is the best bias. Catholics or anyone who "may not benefit as much" from this tool should wonder why not? I don't think God wrote a book hard to be understood. If you are a Catholic, Charismatic, or of the "Orthodox" persuasion, and you cannot "benifit as much" from this chart due to "bias", then perhaps you need to explore the differences between what makes a Christian different from a Catholic. These are not merely terms. A "Christian" is not an umbrella that encompasses a vast majority of mainline denominations or cults or movements or sects, as many people would have others to believe. God in His word tells us who are His. It would be best for folks to check it out. (Jn.1:12; 3:16; Eph.2:8 etc.)----anyway. As the Charts are a great series I personally own three of the set or series, and they are outstanding.

Editorial Review:

This volume is a revised, updated, and expanded edition of a very popular tool for pastors, teachers, and students for the study of the Old Testament.

Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths (P.S.)

Bruce Feiler

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Total reviews: 85 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

At a time when conflicts among three of the world's major religions--Islam, Judaism, and Christianity--are in the global spotlight, Bruce Feiler offers a stunning biography of the one man who unites all three religions: Abraham. "The most mesmerizing story of Abraham's life--his offering a son to God--plays a pivotal role in the holiest week of the Christian year, at Easter," writes Feiler. "The story is recited at the start of the holiest fortnight in Judaism, on Rosh Hashanah. The episode inspires the holiest day in Islam, 'Id al-Adha,' the Feast of the Sacrifice, at the climax of the Pilgrimage. And yet the religions can't even agree on which son he tried to kill." Herein lies the irony and perfection of Feiler's timing. As we struggle to find a path to peace among these three religions, all warring in Jerusalem, near the stone where Abraham brought his son for sacrifice, this captivating biography speaks to Abraham as the metaphor he is: the historically elusive man who embodies three religions, a character who has shape-shifted over the millennia to serve the clashing goals and dogma of each religion.

Anyone seeking to understand the roots of tension in the Middle East need look no further than the final half of this book, where Feiler interprets the meaning of Abraham as seen through the prism of each religion. Surprisingly, the book is as entertaining as it is thoughtful: Feiler is a masterful writer with a warm, humorous voice, a dazzling way with metaphors, and an underlying intelligence that comes through in every passage. Abraham deserves the highest of recommendations. --Gail Hudson

Kabbalah: A Love Story

Lawrence Rabbi Kushner

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Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Kabbalah: A Love Story 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A wonderful connection between the teachings of Kabbalah and a modern love story. The book makes the complex easier to understand. Our book group has decided to make this book our topic of discussion at our next meeting.

Editorial Review:

Sometime, somewhere, someone is searching for answers . . .
. . . in a thirteenth-century castle
. . . on a train to a concentration camp
. . . in a New York city apartment

Hidden within the binding of an ancient text that has been passed down through the ages lies the answer to one of the heart’s eternal questions. When the text falls into the hands of Rabbi Kalman Stern, he has no idea that his lonely life of intellectual pursuits is about to change once he opens the book. Soon afterward, he meets astronomer Isabel Benveniste, a woman of science who stirs his soul as no woman has for many years. But Kalman has much to learn before he can unlock his heart and let true love into his life. The key lies in the mysterious document he finds inside the Zohar, the master text of the Kabbalah.

Daniel: The Key to Prophetic Revelation

John Walvoord

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Classic 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 19 people found this review helpful.

In the feild of O.T. Eschatology, it is almost impossible not to reference Dr. Walvoord. This book is indepth. I love the fact that he does justice to the various views that he dealt with concerning the book of Daniel. He is a scholar and a gentleman. The material in this book would be considered seminary level. Anyone interested in learning more about the book of Daniel should get this book. I would just about equal this book to Leon Wood's commentary on Daniel.

Editorial Review:

This Walvoord masterpiece presents the beauties of Daniel's prophecies in the light of modern archaeological evidence. Companion to The Revelation of Jesus Christ, this major contribution to prophetic research emphasizes the value and genuineness of Daniel. It considers: Alleged historical inaccuracies Difficult-to-interpret phrases Apocryphal additions Major textual problems Use of Persian and Greek words Historical background of Bible events Past and future fulfillments of specific propheciesDaniel goes beyond a mere presentation of the author's interpretation of Old Testament prophecy. It quotes Bible scholars from different corners of the theological ring to help the reader discover the meaning of Scripture for himself.Unusually thorough and well outlined, this commentary captures the heartbeat of a young prophet who spoke boldly for God.

The Dead Sea Scrolls - Revised Edition: A New Translation

Michael O. Wise, Martin G. Abegg, Edward M. Cook

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Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

It may take me the rest of my life to reflect on and discern the amazing writ! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

"In their great variety and stunning richness, the Dead Sea Scrolls as captured in this groundbreaking translation offer modern readers an unprecedented glimpse of the complex roots of modern Christianity... texts encompass poetry and prose, teaching parables and magical tales, astrology, apocalyptic visions,..., stories of messiahs and antichrists,"



After Three Decades:
I followed the saga of DSS since I read in 1970 Wilson's account of the discovery, two decades later. I strove to get any information, even John allegro's imaginary cults, but not until the siege was overcome, that few years later I could read, all in one compendium, the text of the Scrolls in plain English. It took its place, in my library, next to The Coptic Gnostic texts. It may take me the rest of my life to reflect on and discern the amazing writ!
Three scholars of the second DSS generation offer a new translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls, integrated with material never published or translated before. The book includes newly published Psalms (151) attributed to David, non-Biblical texts claiming Moses as their author, previously unknown fables about Abraham and Jacob, and many other writings that shed light on non-Temple Jewish thought, parallels showing the Jewish origins of Christianity and the close relationship between Judaism and early Christianity. Some of its amazing texts are, The Damascus Document (Geniza manuscripts), The vision of the Son of God, Psalm 151 (Chanted in the Coptic Church for 17 centuries), The War of the Messiah, Rule of Initiation, between many amazing poetry and prose.

Recent Developments in DSS:
The Dead Sea Scrolls represent a non-rabbinic type of Judaism enhancing our understanding of Second Temple Judaism and of early Christianity. They DSS provide textual treasures for New Testament scholars, and have been called the evolutionary link between Judaism and Christianity, demonstrating a variety of important parallels to Jesus ministry, showing that the Gospel message to be based on, and rooted in Judaism. The major intact texts, from Caves 1 & 11, now housed in the Shrine of the Book museum in Jerusalem, were published by the late fifties. Since then, mostly fragments from Cave 4, about 40% of the Scrolls remained unpublished and were not accessible until 1991.
Almost half of a century after the initial discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls, when the academic pressure for publication mounted, general access was granted through the photographs of the Scrolls. Late 1991 the photos were made available by the Biblical Archaeological Society in a computer reconstruction, based on a concordance. A nonofficial edition was announced, and the Huntington Library microfilm files of the scroll photographs were made accessible. In "The Current State of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Are There More Answers than Questions?" L. Grabbe stresses the need for Qumran scholarship to recognize how uncertain is much of our present knowledge of the Qumran material. Following are some issues which enhance your interest in this collection.

Psalm of thanksgiving: A:
I give Thee thanks, Adonai!
For Thou hast placed my soul in the bundle of life,
and Thou has protected me from all the snares of the pit.
And the violent sought my soul, when I trusted in Thy covenant.

The Damascus Document:
In 1896, in Ezra Karaite Synagogue, built Ca. 882 AD in Old Cairo, near Babylon fortress, the Damascus document was discovered amongst other ancient Hebrew manuscripts. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, half a century later, and the consequent publication of the Cave I first scrolls, marked a turning point in the scholars views on the Damascus Document. The similarity in language between the Qumran material and the Cairo Geniza manuscripts removed all doubt that the Damascus Document was composed during the Second Temple period.

War Scroll and the Essenes:
"The principal defining differences ...are the following: (1) the peace-loving Essenes contrast with the warlike spirit evident in some of the scrolls, especially the War Scroll; (2) the Essenes were mostly celibate, whereas the scrolls include many laws concerning women, children and even sexual intercourse; (3) the Essenes abhorred slavery, while the scrolls legislate the practice; (4) the Essenes took no oaths except when entering the group, whereas the scrolls contain numerous regulations for the taking and voiding of oaths; (5) the Essenes owned no private property, whereas the scroll-writers did; and (6) there are significant differences between the Essenes and the relevant Dead Sea Scrolls regarding entry procedures for new members. Cansdale concludes that the scrolls probably issued from one of the many Jewish sects whose names are not recorded in the meager sources at our disposal, perhaps a sect related to the Sadducees." Michael O Wise

The DSS and Hebrew Bible:
The Scrolls and the Scriptures provides much extensive and helpful information on careful studies of the Qumran documents. Proper study underlines that these documents reflect a much larger community and thought pattern than that of the small Qumran community earlier portrayed by DSS scholars. The scrolls may help us to understand and better interpret the OT Scriptures and the various ways in which these record eschatological and messianic ideas.
The basic problems concerned with the historical and literary context of the scrolls.
In an essay is by P. Davies, "Qumran and the Quest for Historical Judaism," records the uncertainties of our knowledge of who wrote the scrolls and the true meanings of the diversity of this collection, warning against reading them in the light of the rigid notions of late antiquity Judaism.

The DSS and Christianity:
"Those few scholars who persist in the view that a direct link can be made between Qumran and the New Testament are probably constructing an approach to the evidence which cannot be sustained. those links between the Qumran and the New Testament are more likely to be indirect." George Brooke
C. Evans reviews the role of the David figure in the scrolls, stressing how the virtues, achievements and promises of David contribute much to the Messianic character of the scrolls and how these provide a background for the understanding of the early Christian belief of Jesus. In " 'Son of God' as 'Son of Man' in the Dead Sea Scrolls? A Response to John Collins on 4Q246," J. D. G. Dunn contends that the figure of the "son of God" in this document refers to the descendant of David in the messianic prophecy of 2 Sam 7:14.


The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Their Significance For Understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts With English Translations : Pseudepigraphic and Non-Masoretic Psalms and Prayers (Dead Sea Scrolls)

Editorial Review:

A fully revised and updated edition of our translation of the complete Dead Sea Scrolls, making it the definitive translation of the Scrolls in English.

With new texts, updated introductions, a glossary of terms, and other new additions, this will become the definitive translation of the Scrolls, and the lead companion to our other Dead Sea Scrolls Guides: The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible.

Genesis: Interpretation : A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching)

Walter Brueggemann

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Perfect for narrative preaching. 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 19 people found this review helpful.

I used this book as a key reference when preparing a sermon on the life of Abraham. Brueggmann provides plenty of fascinating insight and details that can help make the biblical story come to life, touching the heart as well as the mind.

One of the best commentaries on Genesis ever 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 13 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the best commentaries I have ever read and by far the best I have read on Genesis. Like all the commentaries in the series, this is a preaching commentary and I find his handing of the creation narrative as a proclamation of sovereignty to be excellent. I wish I had found this commentary much earlier in my journey.

Not the intended audience 2 out of 5 stars.
7 of 22 people found this review helpful.

I give this book 2 stars not because it is a bad book, but because it does not serve a purpose for me. This book is really geared towards the preacher or teacher looking to use the author's interpretation as a framework for their exposition of Genesis. As I am not a preacher or, formally, a teacher, this book was not worth the time for me to read. I recommend the Word Biblical Commentary by Wenham or the New American Commentary by Matthews instead of this one.

Editorial Review:

Each biblical book is presented for its most effective use by teacher or preacher, taking into consideratoin its centra purpose, its use in the liturgical and confessional tradition and in lectionaries, and its special significance for Christian ethics and theology.

The Story of Ruth: Twelve Moments in Every Woman's Life

Joan D. Chittister

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The biblical story of Ruth is a woman's story about a woman's life. Though written thousands of years ago, it is nonetheless perennial. It calls us to reflect in every generation on what it means to be a whole woman, a spiritual woman. In THE STORY OF RUTH Joan Chittister and John August Swanson reclaim this powerful biblical story as a model for contemporary women seeking a fully spiritual life.

Through complementary texts and illustrations, Chittister and Swanson explore a series of twelve defining moments in every woman's life--moments of loss, change, transformation, aging, independence, respect, recognition, insight, empowerment, self-definition, invisibility, and fulfillment. Each chapter and each piece of artwork together illuminate the faithful life of Ruth in relation to these formative moments and lend insights into what it means to be a woman of God today.

A lovely combination of art and text, THE STORY OF RUTH provides valuable help for women seeking wholeness in a world still struggling with issues of faith and gender.

The Bible with Sources Revealed

Richard E. Friedman

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Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Helps you better understand the Hebrew Scriptures 5 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

The Bible with Sources Revealed: A New View into the Five Books of Moses by Richard Elliott Friedman is a very helpful book for students of the Bible.

Friedman's opening two chapters are amazingly succinct. In a very few pages, Friedman lays out an incredibly compelling case for what is known as the Documentary Hypothesis. This is the widely accepted theory that the first five books of the Bible are a compilation of four main documents, known by the letters J, E, P, and D, which were woven together by later editors known as Redactors.

After the introductory material, the book is a translation of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

In his chapter, "Collection of Evidence," Friedman catalogs the seven main arguments for accepting the Documentary Hypothesis. They fall into these categories: linguistic, terminology, consistent content, narrative flow, connections with other parts of the Old Testament, relationships among the sources, and convergence of the evidence. I find Friedman's explanation clear and convincing.

What does it matter whether you buy into the idea that sources by J, P, E, and D form the Pentateuch? Because, if you are somewhat familiar with this concept, certain "problems" with the text suddenly become clear as you read the new English translation that follows Friedman's opening chapters. By using two different ink colors (blue and green) and a variety of fonts, average Bible readers like you and me can easily understand various contradictions and redundancies in the text. The four strands are clearly set off, thanks to the wonders of modern technology in printing.

Here's an example of how seeing the sources helps you understand what's going on in the Bible texts. The story of Noah's ark is told in Genesis, chapters 6 through 9. Both J and P originally told the story. The Redactors blended these two accounts. With The Bible with Sources Revealed, I learned that in the P version there is only one pair of each animal, whether pure or impure. See Genesis 6:19-20; 7:8, 9 15. In P, there are no sacrifices until the establishment of the Tabernacle in Exodus 40, so two of each animal is sufficient. However, J specifies seven pairs of pure and one pair of impure (see Genesis 7:2, 3.) This fits with the fact that in the J account, Noah will offer sacrifices at the end of the flood, so he needs more than two of each animal--or else his sacrifice would end a species. Friedman's footnotes clarify such differences throughout the Pentateuch.

Friedman's translation is unique because the text is so clearly marked in terms of sources. You won't be disappointed.

Editorial Review:

One of the World's Foremost Bible Experts Offers a Groundbreaking Presentation of the Five Books of Moses

In The Bible with Sources Revealed, Richard Elliott Friedman offers a new, visual presentation of the Five Books of Moses -- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy -- unlocking the complex and fascinating tapestry of their origins. Different colors and type styles allow readers to easily identify each of the distinct sources, showcasing Friedman's highly acclaimed and dynamic translation.

Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary; Travel-size

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Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

compact and informative 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I already owned the large harcover version of this torah and commentary. I was thrilled to get it in a smaller version that allows me to carry it along in my briefcase and to read and meditate on the scripture anywhere. The commentary is excellent and enlightening as it brings so much more meaning to the text. I recommend it highly.

Editorial Review:

JPS is pleased to make available a new, more compact edition of the landmark publication, Etz Hayim: A Torah Commentary. This book, a publication of the Conservative movement, was produced through a joint venture of the Rabbinical Assembly, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and The Jewish Publication Society. This new, smaller edition is a convenient alternative to the standard hardcover edition and is ideal for personal study and travel. It contains all the material in the original, excerpt for the essays. The Bible text, translations, and commentaries as well as the blessings, artwork, maps, glossary and other reference tools for the worshiper and student of Torah reader are included. The sturdy, coated paper cover is designed to stand up well, even with heavy use.

Back To The Sources: Reading the Classic Jewish Texts

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Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent introduction to classic texts 4 out of 5 stars.
87 of 87 people found this review helpful.

"Back to the Sources" provides a superb introduction to the classic Jewish texts: the Bible, Talmud, Midrash, medieval Bible commentaries (legal codes are discussed in the chapter on Talmud), medieval philosophical works, Zohar and other kabbalistic works, Hasidic teachings, and the prayer book. Each chapter is written by a different scholar, who is an expert in the text or texts at hand. All of the authors write clearly for non-experts and provide superb guidance, whether you are planning to start reading the texts or simply want to know more about them. Each chapter ends with helpful suggestions for further reading (although these are now somewhat out of date, since the book was published in 1984).

There is an interesting divide half way through the book: the first four chapters (on Bible, Talmud, Midrash and commentaries) focus on the literary characteristics of those texts: how they are organized, how style contributes to meaning, what knowledge they assume, how to read them, and so on. Each chapter does an excellent job of walking you through an extended passage of the text under consideration. Other than these analyses of particular passages, however, there is no systematic attempt to discuss or summarize the content of the work, much less consider its meaning or impact.

The last four chapters, on the other hand (covering philosophy, kabbala, Hasidic teaching and the Siddur), are much more focused on content, on what the texts are saying and what impact that has had in the development of Judaism. These chapters still include close-reading of significant passages of text, but they also provide extraordinarily helpful overviews of what these texts, as a whole, are trying to accomplish. The chapters on medieval philosophy and kabbala are particularly good -- even if I never get around to studying these texts, I now feel like I have a reasonably good grasp of what they are about.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in these texts or in Jewish intellectual history, even if you have no plans to study the texts themselves.