Abstract
A
In a 2005 book in the same series A. investigated the use of Scripture in Rom. 9.1–9. In this volume he retains the same approach, arguing that Paul's approach to Scripture took account of the original context of the passages he used and that he was aware that the text had more than one textual form. Here he pays special attention to Gen. 25.23, Mal. 1.2–3, Exod. 33.19b and Exod. 9.16. A. thus belongs with those who stand against viewing much late Second Temple period use of Scripture as atomistic. It is significant that A.'s own reading of the Genesis and Exodus passages that Paul uses keeps to the surface of the texts alone and their own literary contexts; there is no serious engagement with why the texts were written or when; for Malachi A.'s analysis has more nuance, but God is the leading character, not the prophet. We may wonder whether this was how Paul read his Scriptures; perhaps it was—it is certainly how many people read them uncritically today. Through a survey of some of the contemporary Jewish readings of the same passages A. highlights the principal themes that are partly mirrored by Paul in his attempt to show that covenant inheritance has always depended upon God's call and promise rather than ancestry. What is good about this study is its insistence that Rom. 9.10–18 is about God understood by Paul with the hindsight of Scripture; the passage is not at all about the human response to God as some have supposed.
G.J. B
A
The purpose of this volume is neither to exonerate nor condemn Eve as she appears in the Greek Life of Adam and Eve (GLAE), but rather to illustrate the ‘web of traditions and voices’ (p. 16) that are entwined in her complex character. A. employs a sophisticated ‘transdisciplinary’ methodology, drawing on sociological studies, biblical scholarship, and feminist and Bakhtinian theories to successfully illustrate the multivocality of the GLAE and its representation of Eve. Following an introduction, the book is divided into four chapters and a conclusion. Each chapter explores a Journal for the Study of the Old Testament © 2013 SAGE Publications Book List © 2013 The Society for Old Testament Study specific facet of the GLAE's characterization of Eve and reflects on the cultural settings and gender ideologies from which it may have grown. Chapter 1 focuses on Eve and sin, using intertextual analysis to investigate the influence of the Adamic aetiology for evil, and the ‘fallen angels’ tradition of sin, on the GLAE. The second chapter describes the text's conflicting presentation of Eve as both deviant and righteous and analyses its correspondence to culturally accepted and rejected models of femininity in the Graeco-Roman world. In ch. 3, A. considers Eve's role in Adam's death and her association with a variety of contemporary female funerary practices that lend her a level of esteem. Finally, ch. 4 provides a discussion of the relationship between Eve's visionary role within GLAE and the spiritual roles of women in antiquity. Cumulatively, these chapters offer a rich, gender-focused examination of the GLAE and a fascinating insight into the diversity both of Eve's character and of femininity in antiquity.
H. M
B
This volume, though not previously noted in the B.L., was first published in hardback in 2002, incorporating conference proceedings hosted at the Royal Irish Academy in 1997. Despite this time span the collection still has much to offer, given the depth and sophistication of each individual discussion. The introduction, ‘Studying the Jewish Diaspora in Antiquity’, by Sean Freyne, is followed by ‘The Hellenistic City of Jerusalem’, in which Lester Grabbe examines the potential constitutional changes effected by Jason's appointment as High Priest. Tessa Rajak assesses the origins of ‘Synagogue and Community in the Graeco-Roman Diaspora’, in light of local Greek assemblies and Jewish prayer/meeting houses. Feargus Ó Fearghail investigates Luke's representation of ‘The Jews in the Hellenistic Cities of Acts’. Anne Fitzpatrick-McKinley's discussion of ‘Synagogue Communities in the Graeco-Roman Cities’ highlights the role of both the politeuma and the synagogue in the cities of the Decapolis, Asia Minor, Egypt and Rome. Brian McGing considers ‘Population and Proselytism: How Many Jews Were There in the Ancient World?’, after which Sacha Stern asks whether calendar differentials contributed towards ethnic distinctiveness in ‘Jewish Calendar Reckoning in the Graeco-Roman Cities’. John Dillon then provides a useful overview of ‘The Essenes in Greek Sources: Some Reflections’ and John Barclay's paper ‘Apologetics in the Jewish Diaspora’ explores the distinctions between apologetics and proselytism. Jonathan Dyck presents an informative account of ‘Philo, Alexandria and Empire: The Politics of Allegorical Interpretation’, suggesting that otherwise defensive rhetoric was employed rather as an offensive tool. Gideon Bohak examines ‘Ethnic Continuity in the Jewish Diaspora in Antiquity’, using the Thessalian town of Demetrias as an example, and finally Eric Meyers writes knowledgeably on ‘Aspects of Everyday Life in Roman Palestine with Special Reference to Private Domiciles and Ritual Baths’. This collection provides a nuanced introduction to the complexities surrounding the development of Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity and can be highly recommended to students and scholars alike, despite lacking reference to the more recent studies in the field.
S. J
B
Heavenly books are one of the defining features of a Judaeo-Christian apocalypse and B. identifies several types: the Book of Life, in which the L
M. B
B
Interest in 1 Esdras (or Esdras α) has mushroomed in recent years. B. confesses to being an NT scholar with little training in Ezra-Nehemiah or the Septuagint. He thus relied on an unnamed friend for advice and has ‘focused on internal dynamics of the story, the place of 1 Esdras in Diaspora Judaism … and charting the usage of 1 Esdras among early Christian authors where appropriate’ (p. x). The result is that this commentary has some interesting things to say but is hardly comprehensive and is often derivative rather than based on B.'s own knowledge and expertise. He basically assumes that 1 Esdras is an excerpt from the canonical 2 Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah. He hardly justifies this approach—even if it is currently popular—though he gives some survey of different views. He refers to 1 Esdras as ‘rewritten Bible’, yet this designation seems problematic, since the text is simply excerpted and translated (in his view), not ‘rewritten’. He also fails to give a purpose for 1 Esdras, which would seem to be essential if it is seen as a cut-down version of 2 Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah, since they continued to circulate. A quarter of the text is taken up with the Greek text (which is mainly the Vaticanus and not an advance on Hanhart's text) and B.'s own translation. He does not know the recent volume edited by L.S. Fried, Was 1 Esdras First? (B.L. 2012, pp. 183–84).
L.L. G
C
One suspects the title has been written erroneously or as a spelling correction for ‘Tendentious Historiographies‘; for historiography is the subject and historiography is discussed as a theme (ch. 11), while hagiography does not seem to be mentioned at all. Indeed the publisher's website opens its description with the title ‘Tendentious Historiographies’, as does the author's own website. The historiographies discussed are ten Jewish works that tackle difficulties faced by Jews either in Israel or the Diaspora. Some works are seen to be in support of groups: the Oniad temple (the Exagoge and Joseph and Aseneth), the Therapeutae (Tobit), those not in exile (Ruth) and those opposing the Hasmonaeans (Judith). Some advocate religious or national themes: assimilation (Ahiqar), national and religious solidarity (Esther, Susannah) and observance of the law (Daniel). The book lacks an introductory chapter that might have drawn out the socio-historical approach or the justification for the selection of works, especially since they derive from a variety of time periods and locations. The final chapter delineates literary characteristics in common to some, and in particular notes how they are the only complete narrative works within Jewish literature. The interpretations are fresh and challenging, although the connection with historical events is sometimes made too easily. Nevertheless, the author does show how we might read these works as ideological polemics to preserve religious identity: in a certain sense they are hagiographies, in that they all seek to sanctify Jewish life and provide a means for observing the Law in straitened times.
J.K. A
C
This is the second edition of the volume reviewed in B.L. 1998, p. 182. The format has been improved by having footnotes rather than endnotes, and these include new publications since the original edition. Chapter 6 has been expanded to include discussion of Israel Knohl's theories and has an English translation of the ‘Vision of Gabriel’ text.
M. B
C
Maurice Casey is primarily a NT scholar, but he has devoted much of his research to applying Aramaic and Jewish studies for the purpose of clarifying the NT. Like Casey's own publications, many of the essays in this volume have a relationship to Jewish or Semitic studies: identity, Judaism and the gospel tradition (Crossley), light from the Dead Sea Scrolls on the teachings of Jesus with regard to eschatological wisdom and the kingship of God (G.J. Brooke), the Aramaic Lord's Prayer (B. Chilton), is the expression ‘Son of Man’ in the gospels a quotation, concept, or what? (M. Müller), Jesus, Tarfon and Ishmael in dialogue (A.R. Angel), Mark's Christology and a scholarly creation of a non-Jewish Christ of faith (Crossley), the Gerasene demoniac: a Jewish approach to liberation before 70
L.L. G
D
This impressive book seeks to redress the ‘traditional preference for the Graeco-Roman as opposed to the Jewish world as a major point of reference and of comparison for early Christian letter writing’ (p. 1). D. distances himself from the ‘Athens and not Jerusalem’ approach to the study of early Christian epistolography and pursues an alternative one that incorporates the study of Jewish letters written in Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek. About two-thirds of the book deals with these letters composed in the period from the fifth century
K.J. C
D
The 2008 commentary on 2 Maccabees by D.R. Schwartz is unapologetically innovative in its reading of the text as a whole. In this work, a most valuable companion to put alongside Schwartz's book, D. offers an analysis of the three components of the work, the two letters and the narrative, that discusses each principally in its own right rather than all together from the outset; it thus offers several perspectives that differ from those of Schwartz. For D. the narrative is a local history in the Greek mould in which Antiochus IV and Nicanor both struggle against God; this theomachy is expressed in a traditional narrative pattern that requires some reordering of events, not least through the use of letters in 2 Macc. 11.16–38. Apart from them the structure of 2 Maccabees is based on the sequence of the reigns of the four kings (Seleucus IV, Antiochus IV, Antiochus V and Demetrius I). For D. the author aimed to encourage his readers to maintain their ancestral traditions by honouring God and he argued that when left alone to follow those traditions Jews could readily live in peace with non-Jews. D. reads the educational implications of 2 Macc. 4.10–17 and some other data as implying a setting for the work in the Diaspora, probably Alexandria; he remains imprecise about the date, implying that it comes from some time in the century before 50 BCE. The large amount of comparative material that is referred to throughout the commentary enhances the value of this well-balanced but somewhat open-ended contribution.
G.J. B
E
An astute essay by the editor introduces this collection of eleven studies from a 2009 Münster conference. D. Goodblatt considers varieties of identity in Judah (200
G.J. B
E
Twenty-one essays constitute this worthwhile volume on a topic many of whose aspects have been long-neglected in biblical studies. Three studies are scene-setting: W. Zwickel wonders about the iconography of emotions in the ANE; A. Wagner. Wagnerr reviews discussions of anger in the OT and related literature; and H. van Grol surveys emotions in the Psalms. Four essays treat Ben Sira:
G.J. B
E
This is primarily a study of aniconic statements in Josephus but, to some extent, is also a broader look at aniconism in Judaism during the Graeco-Roman period. E. stresses the complicated nature of the evidence: although there seems to have been hostility toward figurative art before and after 70 on the part of some Jews, there was no uniform view. Josephus himself tends to be categorical in his narrative statements that the Second Commandment meant Jewish rejection of all representation of living things, but his exegetical statements are apt to emphasize opposition specifically to cultic imagery. The former attitude (E. argues) is part of a rhetorical strategy, influenced by Roman rhetoric and moralistic attitudes, to present the Jews as an idealized people. There is evidence of Jewish tolerance of representative art during the Second Temple period, though perhaps more evidence is available for the post-70 period, but there is also a lack of such imagery in the archaeological record and some graphic examples of aniconism in literary sources. This attests a variety of ideological positions in Judaism of the time. E.'s study is an important contribution not only to Josephan studies but also to the history of early Judaism.
L.L. G
E
This publishes the proceedings of a conference with the same title as the book, held at the University of Exeter in 2008. Most of the contributors are classics scholars. Only one essay touches directly on biblical matters (see Aperghis below), but the other essays provide important background to Seleucid rule and thus are a useful supplement to the history of the Jews in this period. An introductory essay by Erickson and Ramsey helpfully discusses the theme of the conference and the various essays. It also divides the papers into four sections. In the first section (political organization), David Engels considers how Seleucid political strength arose from pre-Seleucid management of local autonomies but escalation of feudalism in the empire helped bring it down; and Ramsey argues that the competition between top officials at the royal court for personal authority led to fragmentation of the empire. In the second section (on various ethnē within the empire), Erickson writes on the equation of the Babylonian god Nabû with Apollo, suggesting why Babylon remained loyal to the Seleucids; G.G. Aperghis discusses why the Seleucids failed to accommodate the Jews of Judah under Antiochus IV, arguing that local factors rather than Seleucid measures initially led to the revolt; Altay Coşkun shows how corrected readings of the testimonia on the Galatians changes the understanding of their relations with the Seleucids; and Cristian E. Ghijţą shows how marriage alliances were important in Seleucid power relations alongside military force. In the third section (on archaeological topics), Nicholas L. Wright and Heather Jackson each write on Jebel Khalid on the Euphrates in northern Syria. In the fourth section (on literary themes), Daniel Ogden writes on the foundation myths of Antioch and Seleuceia-in-Pieria; Paola Ceccarelli writes on how Athenaeus portrayed the Seleucids and the question of his sources; and Johannes Engels writes on late Seleucid history as reflected in Posidonius and Strabo. The collection ends with photos and descriptions of Seleucid coins from the National Museum of Iran, by Zohrei Baseri.
L.L. G
F
This volume is the result of an interdisciplinary conference held in Münster in 2010. M. Leuenberger tries to offer the perspective of ancient Israel on the topic, noting more about ideal living than ideal dying. H.-J. Fabry reads the Teacher of Righteousness as a construct that discloses how the suffering servant theme could be received in early Judaism. A.-M. Schwemer considers the various ways in which the death of Isaiah was received and developed in early Christian and Jewish traditions. J. Sievers comments on resistance in 1 Maccabees and surrender in 2 Maccabees and indicates how the figure of Taxo combines both motifs. J.W. van Henten outlines noble death and martyrdom in antiquity and how Jewish and Christian traditions developed the view of noble death in relation to identity constructions, patriotic death and defeat of the opponent. W. Spickermann assesses the burning Hercules behind Lucian of Samosata's portrayal of Peregrinus. R. Thiel considers the problematic of death in neoplatonic philosophy. H. Löhr discusses Paul as a model of dying in early Christianity. S. Fuhrmann considers the motifs of losing and finding one's life in the discourses on discipleship and martyrdom in the Gospels. B. Dehandschutter considers living and/or dying for God in the writings of Ignatius and Polycarp. D. Börner-Klein describes the use of Deut. 6.5 in rabbinic interpretation. R. Grundmann considers holy living and dying for God in rabbinic opinion and K.E. Grözinger the implications of the sanctification of the divine name. G. Reeg outlines the portrayal of the rabbinic ten martyrs. J.-P. Hartung concludes the volume with an essay on martyrdom in Islam. This is an important contribution on the topic with many implications for contemporary issues.
G.J. B
H
This is a revised PhD thesis done at Notre Dame (supervisor: J.C. VanderKam). Although it is ‘a study of Jubilees, first and foremost’ (p. xi), it argues that Jubilees takes the form of an apocalypse but its message is the opposite of that typical of apocalypses. In other words, its aim is to subvert the claims characteristic of apocalypses. In ch. 1 H. has a long discussion of genre as it relates to apocalypses in general and Jubilees in particular. Taking as his basis the definition of the SBL working group (published in Semeia 14 [1979]), he structures ch. 2 around the ‘spatial axis’ of that definition and ch. 3 around the ‘temporal axis’, though he does note that that definition has been extensively critiqued. Chapter 4 discusses the view of revelation, including the dependence of revelation on Wisdom, and ch. 5 draws together earlier observations and sets out H.'s interpretation of Jubilees. He dates the composition of the book probably shortly after 159
L.L. G
H
H. sees 35 passages in Galatians as influenced in some way by the language of Isaiah 40–66. In a few instances the influence seems very precise and is widely recognized by commentators and editors of the Greek NT, e.g., Isa. 49.1 in Gal. 1.15 and the explicit citation of Isa. 54.1 in Gal. 4.27; but at other times it is very general and nonspecific, such as in the reference to a new creation in Gal. 6.15 for which H. cites the whole of Isaiah 40–66, as for his discussion of ‘peace’ in Gal. 1.2. H. does indeed distinguish between citation (just one case), allusion (he sees a dozen), echo (about nine) and thematic parallels. However, the fact that the parallels between Isaiah 40–66 that he discusses are never in the order of the text itself nor generally in the phraseology of Isaiah seems to indicate that, if this section of Isaiah is as significant for Paul as H. believes, its significance is largely as background noise, rather than as a principal contribution to either the structure or content of Galatians. H.'s best case is that there is a set of Isaianic influences from chs. 51–54 in Galatians 3–4, but even that is not an obvious structural parallel, not even a substructure presented with subtlety, as H. claims (with a hint of special pleading?). This is a brave attempt at discovering intertextual resonances rather than a convincing identification of Paul's Isaianic self-understanding or his use of Isaiah as the compositional basis of his letter.
G.J. B
H
This weighty volume seeks to fill a discerned gap between books that focus on single texts or topics and more general introductions to early Jewish literature, by offering ‘a systematic introduction to biblical interpretation in the Jewish literature of antiquity’ (p. ix). James L. Kugel helpfully sets the project in context in Part 1 with ‘The Beginnings of Biblical Interpretation’. Then follow articles under seven headings. Under Part 2, ‘The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament’, are Yair Zakovitch, ‘Inner-biblical Interpretation’; Martin Rösel, ‘Translators as Interpreters: Scriptural Interpretation in the Septuagint’; and Edward M. Cook, ‘The Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in the Targums’. Part 3, ‘Rewritten Bible’, contains Jacques van Ruiten, ‘Biblical Interpretation in the Book of Jubilees: The Case of the Early Abram (Jub. 11:14–12:15)’; Moshe J. Bernstein, ‘The Genesis Apocryphon: Compositional and Interpretive Perspectives’; and Howard Jacobson, ‘Biblical Interpretation in Pseudo-Philo's Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum’. Part 4, ‘The Qumran Literature’, has Shani Tzoref, ‘The Use of Scripture in the Community Rule‘; George J. Brooke, ‘Prophetic Interpretation in the Pesharim‘; and Sarah J. Tanzer, ‘Biblical Interpretation in the Hodayot‘. Part 5, ‘Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments’, includes Matthias Henze, ‘The Use of Scripture in the Book of Daniel’; Hindy Najman (with Itamar Manoff and Eva Mroczek), ‘How to Make Sense of Pseudonymous Attribution: The Cases of 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch‘; and Robert Kugler, ‘The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs: A Not-So-Ambiguous Witness to Early Jewish Interpretive Practices’. In Part 6, ‘Wisdom Literature’, are Benjamin G. Wright III, ‘Biblical Interpretation in the Book of Ben Sira’; and Peter Enns, ‘Pseudo-Solomon and his Scripture: Biblical Interpretation in the Wisdom of Solomon’. In Part 7, ‘Hellenistic Judaism’, are Gregory E. Sterling, ‘The Interpreter of Moses: Philo of Alexandria and the Biblical Text’; and Zuleika Rodgers, ‘Josephus's Biblical Interpretation’. The final article, in Part 8, ‘Biblical Interpretation in Antiquity’, is Aharon Shemesh, ‘Biblical Exegesis and Interpretations from Qumran to the Rabbis’. There are 35 pages of bibliography. One significant strength of these articles is the inclusion of specific examples of interpretation from the texts under discussion. This book is an essential source for the understanding and teaching of Second Temple biblical interpretation.
D. S
J
This excellent study considers Psalm 2 and its interpretation up to approximately 150
K.N. B
J
In traditional NT scholarship, F.C. Bauer initiated the critical study of Christianity in an 1831 essay. Now, in line with recent trends among NT scholars, this volume looks at the antecedents to the nineteenth-century advances. The essays show how even in the sixteenth century there were those who recognized that Christianity arose in Judaism. Specifically, the British deists of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries laid the foundation on which Bauer and others built. In particular this volume focuses on John Toland (1670–1722) and his work of 1718, Nazarenus, which argued for Ebionites as part of the Early Church and Christianity as a reform movement within Judaism. About 75 pages are taken up with reproducing the text of Nazarenus. This is an important contribution to the history of scholarship about how Christianity developed within Judaism.
L.L. G
K
This valuable and carefully researched study is a revised Aberdeen PhD thesis. K. sets out to examine the concept of judgment by works in the New Testament in the light of Psa. 62.13 (LXX 61.13). He first carries out an intense intertextual study of the verse's use in the literature of early Judaism, specifically Sirach, 1 Enoch, the Apostrophe to Zion (11Q5 22.1–15), Psalms of Solomon and Pseudo-Philo's Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum. With this background he examines the use of Psalm 62 (LXX 61) in the NT, in Matthew, Romans, 2 Timothy, 1 Peter and Revelation. He concludes that ideas about judgment by works in the NT are much more dependent upon Psalm 62 (LXX 61) than has previously been recognized. A full bibliography and index are provided.
G. A
K
K. regards Jubilees as ‘arguably the most important’ Jewish book of the Second Temple period (p. ix). Be that as it may, he has made a useful contribution to scholarship on the book. Chapter 1 is an insightful 200-page commentary on the book. This commentary and much of K.'s book revolves around the argument that there were two authors: the original author, who wrote in the early second century
L.L. G
L
In his revised 2010 UCLA thesis L. employs a ‘pluralistic approach’ to Gen. 3.22–24, borrowing from ‘historical criticism, redaction criticism, archaeology, and literary and rhetorical criticism’ (p. 24) to develop his reception history of the text that covers a wide array of Second Temple literature. This multi-faceted methodology is central to L.'s argument that the majority of interpretations of Gen. 3.22–24 developed in response to tensions in the biblical text, which he argues exist due to the composite, redacted form of Genesis 2–3. The main body of this book is divided into four chapters, each focusing on a different motif from within the expulsion narrative: the tree of life (ch. 2), wisdom and the expulsion from Eden (ch. 3), return to Eden and immortality (ch. 4) and Eden and the Temple (ch. 5). In each chapter L. offers a clear and wide-ranging exploration of the nuances found in the many interpretations of these themes in Second Temple literature, as well as their related sub-themes. In the process, he convincingly argues that while the meaning of Gen. 3.22–24 was by no means fixed in the Second Temple period, interpreters’ expansions and appropriations were restricted by boundaries set up by the biblical text itself. This book provides a valuable addition to the field of reception history studies, particularly due to L.'s methodological focus on the issues of interpretative freedom and constraint and his development of a dialogic analysis of reception texts in relation to the biblical narrative.
H. M
L
This tiny published lecture contains L.'s recent musings on Jewish and Christian traditions as they intertwine on Abraham as Exemplar. L. arranges a series of rabbinic and New Testament interpretations of the patriarch hailed as the father of the three sister religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. His attraction is to the early writings, not towards today's heritage or reception history, which results in his setting aside any analysis of Ibrahim, and narrowing the Christian discussion to Pauline letters and the canonical gospels. As ever, L. does not restrict himself to historical-critical or text-critical approaches to examine traditional pictures of Abraham. Instead he compares the overlaps, divergences and beside-the-point tangents of both traditions. He tangles with the tricky problem of pre-Sinaitic Torah in the rabbinical conjectures that Abraham followed all the laws and commandments of God (Gen. 26.5). His conclusion is that Jewish and Christian portrayals of Abraham as moral paradigm overlap in their stress on intention over observance. In admiring comparisons, his analysis remains remote in the manner of inter-faith debate, but consistently brings fresh light on old disagreements. He grapples with scholarship over Paul's complex relationship with his Jewish heritage. L. always sees clearly the drawbacks and strengths of both religious traditions and resists retrojective interpretations of the biblical text. Hopefully further work will arise from this lecture on the lasting influence of Abraham as a teacher through example rather than explicit teachings.
L.A. A
L
Volume I does not seem to have appeared yet (unless it was the author's Die Evangelien und die Apostelgeschichte. Studien zu ihrer Theologie und zu ihrer Geschichte [WUNT 241; 2009], not noticed in the B.L.). This is basically a NT collection, containing previously published essays (all in German). The first section, however, has connections with ancient Israel or Judaism, with essays on the Jewish Jesus as the Christ of the church, Paul—Pharisee and apostle, Paul and the Jesus tradition, Jesus as ‘the Lord’ according to Paul and Luke, and Israel and its ‘land’ in the NT. Section II has essays on aspects of NT ethics, including an essay on abortion as an ethical problem in early Judaism and Christianity (a preliminary version of which appeared in English in Studia Theologica 49 [1995], pp. 253–71). Section III contains studies on the history of exposition and theology, including essays relating to Clement of Alexandria, John Calvin and from the ‘Tübingen school’ to the present. Of particular interest is an essay on R. Bultmann and H. von Soden under Naziism. Each section has an introduction and the essays have been revised.
L.L. G
L
This is the product of a colloquium held in Göttingen in May 2008 and principal themes are power and authority in relation to religion, cultural conflict and identity in the Hellenistic-Roman period. The collection provides a valuable insight into this important period of social and religious transition and addresses a variety of issues connected with polytheism and monotheism, making a useful contribution to the literature on these subjects. The twelve papers are P. Artz-Grabner, ‘Der “Herr Jesus Christus” und “Caesar, der Herr”—über die Anfänge einer Konfrontation’; P. Bilde, ‘Der Konflikt zwischen Gaius Caligula und den Juden über die Aufstellung einer Kaiserstatue im Tempel von Jerusalem’; K. Huber, ‘In der Vollmacht des Satans. Antirömische Herrschaftskritik in der Vision des “Tieres aus dem Meer” in Offb. 13, 1–10’; H.-P. Kuhnen, ‘Grenzen der Romanisierung. Massebenkulte und die Entstehung islamischer Kultbauten im Vorfeld des Limes Arabiae et Palaestinae’; A. Lichtenberger, ‘Ein tropaeum Traiani in Arabia? Anmerkungen zur Tyche von Petra’; A. Lykke, ‘Politische und religiöse Identitäten auf jüdischen Münzen (bis 66 n. Chr.)’; M. Meyer, ‘Die Stadtgöttin von Caesarea Maritima—“Romanitas” im Bild’; I. Nielsen, ‘Herrscher und Büder. Die Badegewohnheiten in Palästina in der hellenistischen und früh-römischen Zeit’; M. Öhler, ‘Ethnos und Identität. Landsmannschaftliche Vereini-gungen, Synagogen und christliche Gemeinden’; S. Paganini, ‘Priester an der Macht. Beobachtungen zum Verhältnis von Kult und Macht innerhalb des utopischen Gesell-schaftsbildes der Tempelrolle’; F.T. Schipper, ‘Herodes der Grosse und die griechische Athletik. Zwischen Hellenisierung, Romanisierung und Herrscherkult’; R. Wenning, ‘Tribale Frömmigkeit und royale Religionspolitik—Gottesverehrung der Nabatäer’.
J.F. H
M
Although the title does not make it overly clear, this is mainly a study in chronology. Nothing makes a historian lose perspective and common sense so much as venturing into the realm of chronology. Although a great deal of work is needed to examine all the details laid out here, it looks rather dubious on the surface to redate Herod's death to 1
L.L. G
M
M. is known for his work on the wisdom literature in general and Ben Sira in particular. This first volume of his commentary indicates its distinctive approach. It is the first full commentary on the Greek text, since it is more common to attempt to reconstruct an ‘original’ text, drawing on the Hebrew text and the various translations. M. translates mainly the text of the Vaticanus but also includes the readings of 135 lines of ‘Greek II’ (from Codex Venetus and a number of minuscules) in square brackets. The Greek text, which claims to have been translated by Ben Sira's grandson, has two dimensions: as a witness to the work of a Jerusalem sage before the Maccabaean crisis and as a translation and updating of this work for the Hellenistic Jewish Diaspora in Egypt about 132
L.L. G
M
Although this does not appear to have been done as a PhD thesis (the author already had his PhD), it bears the format typical of a published thesis. Most of ch. 1 is background material and the aim of the book is not stated until p. 40, which is to examine Ben Sira's attitude toward foreign nations and how he deals with them. M. deals primarily with Ben Sira passages: Ben Sira 17 (ch. 2), Ben Sira 24 (ch. 3), Ben Sira 36 (ch. 4), Praise of the Fathers (44–50) (ch. 5). Chapter 6 analyses a number of short passages. M. argues (against B.G. Wright) that there is no evidence of Ben Sira's writing in turbulent times and that his attitude toward foreign rule is not particularly critical. Other nations can be divided into two groups: non-elect nations (most foreigners) and anti-elect (only a few, including the Canaanites and Philistines and probably the Samaritans). Ben Sira was steeped in Judaism but was not hostile to Hellenism. All nations share a basic wisdom, though those without the Law (all but Israel) have a defective wisdom. But only a few are beyond the pale.
L.L. G
M
This book derives from a doctoral dissertation submitted at Wheaton College in 2009; Greg Beale was the supervisor and he is suitably the most cited scholar in the work. M. argues that the use of ‘the hour’ in the Johannine literature depends heavily upon the use of the term in the Old Greek of Daniel 8–12, a usage not unlike that to be found in some more or less contemporary works of Jewish literature (1 Enoch 37–71; 3 Enoch; 4 Ezra; 2 Baruch; some sectarian scrolls) that also seem to depend on the same section of Daniel. M. carefully acknowledges that there are plenty of uses of ‘hour’ in the Gospel of John that do not have an eschatological or Danielic resonance; however, for both ‘hour’ and also for other temporal concepts that he discusses M. should have referred to J. Barr's classic Biblical Words for Time, to explain the range of semantic possibilities, both synchronically and diachronically, in both testaments. As for those references where Daniel might be in the background (Jn 4.21, 23; 5.25, 28; 12.23, 27; 16.16–33; 1 Jn 2.18), M. builds a convincing case, though it remains an open question whether each use was a conscious development of Danielic ideas or whether, once he had chosen the lexeme because of its scriptural resonance, the author was more concerned to imbue it with his own meaning in relation to the death of Jesus, the moment of glory. Some brief theological reflections conclude the book.
G.J. B
M
The volume unites 14 contributions originally given as papers to a workshop in Tokyo in 2007. The articles all centre on the question of the state of the Pentateuch in the Second Temple period and investigate whether it was already regarded as normative Torah as imagined in Ezra-Nehemiah or whether it was the result of an ongoing evolutionary process. The volume is divided into four parts: I. Pentateuchal Traditions, II. Hellenistic Judaism and the Pentateuch, III. Dead Sea Scrolls and the Pentateuch, IV. The New Testament and the Pentateuch. The individual articles are: T.D. Tsumura, ‘The Doctrine of Creation ex nihilo and the Translation of tōhû wābōhû‘; Y. Osumi, ‘One Decalogue in Different Texts’; E. Ulrich, ‘The Evolutionary Growth of the Pentateuch in the Second Temple Period’; E. Tov, ‘The Scribal and Textual Transmission of the Torah Analyzed in Light of Its Sanctity’; G. Hata, ‘In the Beginning was a Greek Translation of Genesis and Exodus’; G.E. Sterling, ‘Which Version of the Greek Bible did Philo Read?’; S. Mason, ‘The Importance of the Latter Half of Josephus's Judaean Antiquities for his Roman Audience’; J.J. Collins, ‘The Interpretation of Genesis in the Dead Sea Scrolls’; J.C. VanderKam, ‘Exegesis of Pentateuchal Legislation in Jubilees and Related Texts Found at Qumran’; A. Moriya, ‘The Pentateuch Reflected in the Aramaic Documents of the Dead Sea Scrolls’; M. Sato, ‘The Septuagint and the Transition of the Gospel Traditions’; A.Y. Collins, ‘The Reception of the Torah in Mark: The Question about the Greatest Commandment’; and H.W. Attridge, ‘Creation and Sacred Space: The Reuse of Key Pentateuchal Themes by Philo, the Fourth Evangelist, and the Epistle to the Hebrews’. The volume is rounded off with a special contribution by Y. Ikeda, ‘A Geographical Horizon in the Textual Transmission of Pentateuch—Searching for Further Points of Contact between East and West’. Detailed indexes help to navigate through the interesting collection.
A.C. H
M
This may well be the most comprehensive study to have appeared so far of all those passages in ancient works outside the Bible that appear to present traditions about Moses that differ from the biblical narrative: works from Hellenistic Egypt by pagan and Jewish authors; works of the ‘rewritten Bible’ genre; and haggadah such as b. Sotah 11b and the Memar Marqah. M. concentrates mainly on traditions about the early life of Moses before he ‘put off his sandals’ and elucidates in detail their narrative and ideological connections. She presupposes that all the sources are of equal value in the reconstruction of Jewish tradition about Moses; that the biblical text represents a selection from the whole range of tradition and is not necessarily to be considered the source of others; and that even very late texts may preserve early tradition. The traditions considered include that of Moses as the founder of Jerusalem (in Hecataeus of Abdera); the biblical birth story, which is seen in the light of other stories of the hero exposed at birth, not only the Sargon text; the anti-Jewish stories from Manetho, and Artapanus as a riposte to them; and traditions about the exposure and miraculous preservation of the Hebrew boys collectively. The connections drawn by M. will not convince everyone, but the book will interest students of Pentateuchal traditions, Egyptian Judaism and ancient Jewish literature in general. Irritatingly, there is no bibliography, nor an index of modern authors; one must search the footnotes for details.
W.J. H
N
N.'s book is a meticulous investigation of the appearance of Isa. 40.13 and Job 41.3 in Rom. 11.34–35. Adhering closely to D. Carson's six-stage methodology, N. discusses the NT context, the OT context, textual issues, uses of the OT texts in relevant Jewish literature, the NT author's ‘hermeneutical warrant’ for using the OT in the way he does, and the NT writer's ‘theological use’ of the passage from the OT (pp. 5–6). Achieving his goal splendidly, N. certainly demonstrates why and how Paul utilized the OT passages in question to explicate his theological message. Unfortunately, N. also tends to repeat himself for no apparent reason. For instance, on pp. 2, 92 and 95 he includes exactly the same table comparing BHS, LXX and NA27 at Isa. 40.13, Rom. 11.34, Job 41.3 and Rom. 11.35. Furthermore, he also repeats the methodological steps he follows on pp. 5–6 on p. 91. To be sure, reinforcement is appropriate, but it appears to this reader as though N. may have simply repeated without intention. In spite of the repetitive nature of some of his arguments, N.'s work is commendable. The volume concludes with an impressive bibliography (pp. 163–201).
J. W
N
This is a slightly revised reissue of the volume reviewed in B.L. 2005, p. 198. The translation is substantially the same as appears in Nickelsburg and VanderKam's Hermeneia commentary on 1 Enoch and its appearance coincides with the publication of that commentary's second volume (reviewed below). This accessible and scholarly edition will continue to be useful for teaching and study in a range of contexts.
D.W. R
N
This is the welcome second volume of Nickelsburg's commentary on 1 Enoch, dealing with the Parables and the Astronomy Book (vol. 1 [2001] was reviewed in B.L. 2003, pp. 179–80). Nickelsburg, joined in this volume by VanderKam, brings together the fruits of a lifetime's work on Enoch. Despite the title, this massive book is more than a commentary. It is prefaced by 84 pages of introduction and punctuated by 12 excursuses, each of which is a substantial survey. The commentary section is clearly set out, with the translation of each section in bold, a textual apparatus, a commentary verse by verse and footnotes. There are indexes of primary and secondary sources and a lengthy bibliography. Nickelsburg and VanderKam show beyond any doubt the importance of the Parables for understanding Christian origins. Enoch is himself the Son of Man, despite earlier scholars, e.g. R.H. Charles, being uneasy about the identification. There are some causes for concern: the anointed Davidic king, Second Isaiah's Servant and the one like a son of man, ‘three parallel figures of high status celebrated in Israel's religious tradition’, are ‘transformed in a significant way’ in the Parables (p. 44; my italics), showing that in some respects this volume is still imprisoned by traditional assumptions.
M. B
N
Nineteen essays, seven in English and twelve in German, form this well-wrought Festschrift with its timely theme. U. Luz opens the volume by reflecting on the intertwining of theological and anthropological discourse. In some ways this is then demonstrated in J. Klein's synchronic reading of Genesis 1–3. The majority of studies discuss topics in various apocryphal and pseudepigraphical works: I. Fröhlich outlines creation in Tobit; B. Schmitz considers first the theology of creation in Judith and then creatio ex nihilo in 2 Maccabees; T. Nicklas looks at the meaning and function of creation theology in Baruch; F.V. Reiterer outlines the purpose of creation in Ben Sira; Z. Oláh analyses the creation terminology of LXX Isa. 44.24–45.25; N. Förster assesses creation in Josephus; T.J. Kraus outlines creation in the Sybilline Oracles; M. Meiser evaluates aetiology and paraenesis in the Life of Adam and Eve; and P. Metzger considers the role of humanity in creation according to 4 Ezra. Six studies relate to the NT: H. Klein on the preaching of Jesus; C. Schramm on Mark 1.13 and paradise; H.-U. Wiedemann on protology in the Gospel of John; S. Tofana on hope and risk in Rom. 8.18–23; K. Zamfir on creation and fall in 1 Timothy; and T. Nicklas on Revelation, his second contribution. P. Létourneau concludes the volume by wondering about creation in Gnostic Christian texts.
G.J. B
N
This fine study offers a detailed examination of Jewish exegesis at Alexandria and how it was influenced by and grappled with the Homeric scholarship originating there. This comparison is done by looking at the Letter of Aristeas, Demetrius, Aristobulus and Philo, comparing these texts with the rich material gleaned from the Alexandrian scholia to Homer. The book falls into three main parts: I. ‘Early Jewish responses to Homeric scholarship’, II. ‘Critical Homeric scholarship in the fragments of Philo's anonymous colleagues’, and III. ‘The inversion of Homeric scholarship by Philo’. N. is able to demonstrate that Judaism in Alexandria is a diverse phenomenon and ‘that Jewish intellectuals in Alexandria were acutely aware of the academic methods developed at the museum’ (p. 186). The study is especially valuable because N. unlocks material biblical scholars are not familiar with. From here a fascinating picture of an intellectual community emerges that rigorously applied literary methods to the Bible. By tracing the development of thought and argument in Philo's writings, N. argues that he ‘was concerned to establish a separate discourse of Jewish hermeneutics, which relies on critical methods shared by Homeric scholarship, while using them to demonstrate the uniqueness of the Jewish Scriptures’ (p. 185). In the light of N.'s findings it is no longer possible to speak of Philo as the representative of Hellenistic Jewish exegesis. This is an excellent study that has utilized the Homeric scholia for early Jewish exegesis and now needs to be supplemented by work doing similar things with the rich Greek commentary literature.
A.C. H
N
Interest in the apocryphal novel of Joseph and Aseneth has risen sharply in recent years. This book offers a new contribution to the field: N. posits that instead of reading the story of Aseneth as that of a Jewish proselyte as proposed by recent scholarship, it should be read as a Christian conversion narrative, and that it fits best in the world of Syrian Christianity. Through comparative analysis of vocabulary and themes with primary sources from Syrian Christianity, N. explores the richness of the imagery and symbols using typology: for instance, Aseneth can be read as a city of refuge, the bees as a symbol of virgins, Joseph as the sun God and the entire story as the marriage of Christ and the church. Another positive contribution concerns the structure of the novel: N.'s suggestion that chs. 22–29 should be understood as an ethical development to be read alongside the story of Joseph and Aseneth's marriage is convincing, since the theme of retribution in particular contributes to Christian ethical teaching. Ultimately, it might prove difficult to decide whether the novel as it stands results from its early reception into the Syrian Christian context, where themes already present in its Jewish thought were developed and adapted, or whether it is a later work written by Syrian Christians. Although the debate is not resolved by the findings of this book, N.'s research is a valuable contribution to the field. There is an index and a comprehensive bibliography, making this volume an important resource for researchers.
A. J
O
This volume is a collection of O.'s articles originally published between 1998 and 2011, focused on the relation of apocalypticism to biblical interpretation in antiquity. The articles are organized largely in chronological order. Part I on Early Judaism consists of ‘Prophecy and Apocalypticism in Second-Temple Judaism’; ‘Messianic Expectations in the Qumran Writings: Trajectories in their Development’; and ‘The Apocalyptic Interpretation of the Patriarchs in 4QPatriarchal Blessings (4Q252); Part II, ‘The Historical Jesus’, contains ‘“The Coming of the Righteous One” in 1 Enoch, Qumran, and the New Testament’; ‘The Historical Jesus between Early Judaism and Early Christianity’; and ‘Jesus's Prophetic and Apocalyptic Interpretation of Scripture’. Part III, on Paul and the early church, starts out about Jesus before moving on to Paul: ‘Jesus and his Second Coming: Between Messianism and Eschatology’; ‘The Christo-logical Interpretation of the Bible in the Letters of Paul’; and ‘Paul and the Development of Early Christian Eschatology’; and Part IV, ‘Reception History’, offers a more sweeping overview of early Christian, rabbinic and early mediaeval Jewish apocalypticism: ‘2 Baruch, the Messiah, and the Bar Kochba Revolt’; ‘Back to the Future in the Early Church: The Use of the Book of Daniel in Early Patristic Eschatology’; and ‘The Heritage of Jewish Apocalypticism in Rabbinic and Early Medieval Judaism’. The articles are not equally interested in the programmatic purpose to show the ‘deep penetration of the apocalyptic mindset’ (p. ix) in biblical interpretation, and more could be done editorially to bind the articles together more closely to this purpose. Having said this, the volume does show the importance attached by early Jewish and Christian writers to grounding their visions of the future (for good or ill) in biblical exegesis.
D. S
O
This conference proceedings volume of the Fifth Enoch Seminar includes important contributions to studies of 2 Enoch. Hitherto the text has only been known in Slavonic; however, one unanticipated contribution was J.L. Hagen's remarks on a recently identified fragment of 2 Enoch in Coptic. Following this, C. Böttrich convincingly describes the Christian transmission of 2 Enoch as a Jewish text, further discussed by L. Navtanovich. G. Macaskill catalogues manuscripts of 2 Enoch, while A. Orlov and D. Suter respectively make bold attempts to date the text. C. Fletcher-Louis’ contribution deals with ‘2 Enoch and the New Perspective on Apocalyptic’, while a second chapter by Orlov further explores the Watchers as Fallen Angels; no surprises here. K. Coblentz Bautch and D. Assefa jointly compare 1 and 2 Enoch. B. Lourié discusses the reconstruction of the luni-solar calendar in 2 Enoch, while L. Schiffman and D. Stökl Ben Ezra each present aspects of calendar reckoning and halakhah in 2 Enoch (to be recommended). Two contributors discuss the books of Adam and Eve or the figure of Adam in relation to Second Temple Judaism (J. Levison and L. Grabbe), while J. Magliano-Tromp compares the books of Adam and Eve with 2 Enoch (excellent!). A. Toepel compares Adam traditions in Christian and rabbinic texts, as does D. Arbel in her discussion of Adam, Melchizedek and Eve. Several authors focus specifically on Melchizedek in 2 Enoch and in Jewish (especially Qumran) tradition (E.F. Mason, D. Dimant, C.A. Gieschen), while others examine Melchizedek within Christian thought as a priestly figure (H.W. Attridge, P. Piovanelli). Orlov also offers a somewhat selective bibliography on 2 Enoch. The volume lacks an index. The subtitle, ‘no longer Slavonic only’, is in some respects rather ironic, since few of the contributors display any knowledge of Old Church Slavonic, and it is a rather serious disadvantage when analysing an ancient text to depend exclusively upon modern translations.
F.B. G
P
This volume arises from a conference held at the University of Haifa in 2006 and it covers many aspects of Josephus studies. The papers are Kenneth Atkinson, ‘The Historical Chronology of the Hasmonean Period in the War and Antiquities of Flavius Josephus: Separating Fact from Fiction’; Mordechai Aviam, ‘Socio-economic Hierarchy and its Economic Foundations in First Century Galilee: The Evidence from Yodefat and Gamla’; Christophe Batsch, ‘Le système sacrificiel de Flavius Josèphe au Livre III des Antiquités Juives (Ant. 3.224–236)’; Miriam Pucci Ben Zeev, ‘Between Fact and Fiction: Josephus’ Account of the Destruction of the Temple’; John Curran, ‘Flavius Josephus in Rome’; Niclas Förster, ‘Bemerkungen zum Aufstand des Judas Galilaeus sowie zum biblischen Bilderverbot bei Josephus, Hippolyt und Pseudo-Hieronymus’; Giovanni Frulla, ‘Reconstructing Exodus Tradition: Moses in the Second Book of Josephus’ Antiquities‘; Dov Gera, ‘Unity and Chronology in the Jewish Antiquities‘; Erich S. Gruen, ‘Polybius and Josephus on Rome’; Gunnar Haaland, ‘Convenient Fiction or Causal Factor? The Questioning of Jewish Antiquity according to Against Apion 1.2’; Gohei Hata, ‘Where Is the Temple Site of Onias IV in Egypt?’; Jan Willem van Henten, ‘Constructing Herod as a Tyrant: Assessing Josephus’ Parallel Passages’; Tessel Jonquière, ‘Josephus at Jotapata: Why Josephus Wrote what He Wrote’; Aryeh Kasher, ‘Josephus on Herod's Spring from the Shadows of the Parthian Invasion’; Samuel S. Kottek, ‘Josephus on Poisoning and Magic Cures or, On the Meaning of Pharmakon‘; Etienne Nodet, ‘Josephus and Discrepant Sources’; Eyal Regev, ‘Josephus, the Temple, and the Jewish War’; Samuel Rocca, ‘The Purposes and Functions of the Synagogue in Late Second Temple Period Judaea: Evidence from Josephus and Archaeological Investigation’; Gottfried Schimanowski, ‘Propaganda, Fiktion und Symbolik: die Bedeutung des Jerusalemer Tempels im Werk des Josephus’; Daniel R. Schwartz, ‘Josephus, Catullus, Divine Providence, and the Date of the Judean War’; Yuval Shahar, ‘Josephus the Stage Manager at the Service of Josephus the Dramatist: Masada as Test Case’; Pnina Stern, ‘Josephus and Justus: The Place of Chapter 65 (336–367) in Life, the Autobiography of Flavius Josephus’; Michael Tuval, ‘A Jewish Priest in Rome’; and József Zsengellér, ‘“To Be or Not to Be …” An Historical Interpretation of 2 Kings 17 in Josephus’ Antiquities’. Many of the contributions are engaging and insightful and the volume is essential reading for those interested in Josephus the historian or in the historical period that Josephus covers.
J.K. A
P
P. sets out to show how the promise of a ‘new covenant’ in Jer. 31.31–34 significantly influenced the way NT writers thought about transformation in Christ and the implications this has for Christian ministry today. He discusses Jer. 31.31–34 in its OT context, then moves on to show how this prophecy resonates in the writings of Luke-Acts, Hebrews, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans and Galatians, the Gospel of John and 1 John. Each chapter is based on detailed textual analysis and well-grounded biblical theology that is integrated with practical applications for the teaching in a pastoral context. A very readable book that could be recommended for personal enrichment as well as for inspiring those engaged in Christian ministry, but those interested in how the Old Testament is used in the New would also find some useful material.
A.S. T
P
As the title indicates, this volume presents a collection of 17 papers on the theme of the first Jewish revolt against Rome. The papers were originally given at the second conference in a biennial series at the Groningen Qumran Institute in October 2010 and they have an emphasis firmly on interdisciplinarity. M. Popović, ‘The Jewish revolt against Rome: History, Sources and Perspectives’, provides a comprehensive introduction to the volume. The following articles discuss specific aspects of the revolt: G. Woolf, ‘Provincial Revolts in the Early Roman Empire’; W. Eck, ‘Die römischen Repräsentanten in Judaea: Provokateure oder Vertreter der römischen Macht?’; A.M. Berlin, ‘Identity Politics in Early Roman Galilee’; B. Schultz, ‘Not Greeks but Romans: Changing Expectations for the Eschatological War in the War Texts from Qumran’; J.S. McLaren, ‘Going to War against Rome: The Motivation of the Jewish Rebels’; S. Mason, ‘What Is History? Using Josephus for the Judaean-Roman War’; J.W. van Henten, ‘Rebellion under Herod the Great and Archelaus: Prominent Motifs and Narrative Function’; J. Wilker, ‘Josephus, the Herodians, and the Jewish War’; D.R. Schwartz, ‘Josephus on Albinus: The Eve of Catastrophe in Changing Retrospect’; P.W. van der Horst, ‘Philosophia epeisaktos: Some Notes on Josephus, A.J. 18.9’; U. Rappaport, ‘Who Were the Sicarii?’; J. Magness, ‘A Reconsideration of Josephus’ Testimony about Masada’; R. Deutsch, ‘Coinage of the First Jewish Revolt against Rome: Iconography, Minting Authority, Metallurgy’; D.T. Ariel, ‘Identifying the Mints, Minters and Meanings of the First Jewish Revolt Coins’; J. Price, ‘The Jewish Population of Jerusalem from the First Century
A. J
R
This monograph analyses the interpretation of Abraham in Jubilees. R. explores the thematic tensions in the life of Abraham in Jubilees, many of which have to do with the patriarch's relationship with idolatry and with his father Terah, and argues that the structure underlying these tensions seeks to emphasize Abraham as the inventor of monotheism. R. also compares Gen. 12.9–14.24 with Genesis Apocryphon, in order to demonstrate in context how early Jewish interpreters sought to explain difficult passages with the ‘rewriting’ of Scripture, however incomplete. R. rejects the idea that the halakhic passages in Jubilees provide evidence for later additions to and redactions of the text; arguments for an interpolator based on supposed halakhic additions which agree with the text into which they have been interpolated are convoluted at best, and R. suggests that in many cases such arguments are wholly unnecessary. In particular, R. strongly disagrees with M. Segal's theory of Jubilees’ redaction, appealing to other Second Temple literature that shows affinities to Jubilees. R.'s summaries and side-by-side textual comparisons of Genesis and Jubilees are thorough and include not only direct but also modified biblical quotations, which are very common in other Second Temple literature. In addition, R. identifies the stories in Genesis 20–24 omitted from Jubilees and its many narrative amplifications without biblical parallel, a style which he describes as ‘centrifugal reading’, that is, zooming in on particular stories of interest. All told, this is an excellent and substantial exploration into Jubilees’ usage of biblical text and its interpretative strategies.
L.A. A
R
The Studia Philonica Annual continues its role of sustaining the network of Philo scholars and their endeavours. Many readers may turn first to the substantial annotated bibliography of works pertaining to Philo studies for 2008 (pp. 97–146), which is supplemented by a provisional listing of works from 2009–2011, giving authors the opportunity to add their own publications before this is ‘upgraded’ with annotations. All will be deeply grateful to the bibliographers who do their work with such care and attention. News (and photos) of conferences and events past and future maintains the sense of a close network. Alongside these are the more standard components of a journal; four substantial articles introduce the volume: Maren R. Niehoff, ‘Philo's Exposition in a Roman Context’; John T. Conroy, Jr, ‘Philo's “Death of the Soul”: Is This Only a Metaphor?’; Paul Robertson, ‘Towards an Understanding of Philo's and Cicero's Treatment of Sacrifice’; Ilaria L.E. Ramelli, ‘The Birth of the Rome–Alexandria Connection: The Early Sources on Mark and Philo, and the Petrine Tradition’. The Book Review section is also worthy of its place, each review providing both a fair account of its subject along with a balanced and carefully justified assessment of its strengths and/or weaknesses. Students of Hellenistic Judaism as well as of early Christianity will find much of value here and the editors are to be congratulated on maintaining the standard of content and production.
J.M. L
S
This revised Canterbury Christ Church University PhD presents itself as a reassessment of the contribution of Annie Jaubert from the 1950s, who postulated the existence of two conflicting calendrical schemes behind the NT Passion narratives. This volume falls into three parts. Part I evaluates Jaubert's thesis in light of her critics. Though Jaubert's theory of a 364-day calendar is widely accepted, doubts remain as to its compatibility with the true solar year and the seasons. Part II addresses this issue by examining the festival cycle and the seasons in the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Jubilees, the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ‘relevant Jewish sources’, loosely conceived to include the Gezer calendar and then the Elephantine papyri, Josephus, Philo and the Bar Kochba correspondence. The thesis promoted here is a firm association of the festival cycle with the seasons across this literature, though S. is unable to solve the much-debated question of how this was achieved in practice. Part III treats specific calen-drical issues raised in the Book of Luminaries and identifies X and dwq attested in 4Q320, 4Q321 and 4Q321a as lunar phenomena in the daytime and night skies respectively. A substantial summary chapter raises the possibility that the omission of the second Passover in agricultural contexts may be a vital piece of evidence to be explored further. Overall this comprehensive study covers a great deal of complex ground and ends on a note of expectation that S. himself has more to offer in the future.
C. H
S
Arising out of a symposium held in Jerusalem at the Hebrew University in 2009, the essays in this volume address the contested question of periodization in Jewish history, namely whether there was a noticeable difference before and after 70
J.M. L
S
The author begins from the conviction that the Book of the Twelve was regarded as a single composition in the ancient world and that it owed its final form to a prophetic author/composer who gave the book its overall theological message. His purpose is to demonstrate that quotations from the Twelve in the NT presuppose an awareness, not simply of the original context within the particular book from which they are taken, but of their context within the Twelve as a whole. His study therefore promises to be of interest to those concerned with the broader question of whether or not NT authors were aware of the original context of the OT quotations which they employ. Unfortunately, however, his arguments assume links which many would dispute and the evidence he offers fails to make his case.
M.D. H
T
The main purpose of this monograph is to explore how the Fourth Gospel might meet the vacuum that, it is assumed, was created by the destruction of the Temple in 70
J.M. L
U
This book is the reworking of a 2008 dissertation submitted to the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Graz. U. provides a set of word studies mostly for Greek Sirach under the two general categories of lament and praise, in that order; a final chapter looks at the terms together to show how praise generally trumps lament. On the one hand there is attention to the text of Sirach itself for which Sirach 51 is seen as integral, so that all the key terms are considered in their several contexts in the work, and on the other hand there is concern to identify some of the links with scriptural antecedents, especially with the Psalms. U. considers 20 terms associated with lament in 60 different contexts; he underlines the way in which the content of the laments highlights social engagement and the theme of poverty, which he sees as ways in which prophetic motifs are retained in a wisdom text. For praise a similar number of terms and passages are investigated and this aspect of prayer is seen as the basic thematic of the whole book, motivated by Ben Sira's understanding of God. One cannot do everything in a dissertation, but the almost total lack of engagement with the recent developments in thinking on late Second Temple-period prayer is surprising, not least as those have been stimulated by the liturgical materials from the Qumran caves: there is mention of none of the multiple studies by E. Chazon or E. Schuller and of but one by D. Falk.
G.J. B
W
This fine and well-researched monograph is the revised version of W.'s doctoral thesis. It addresses the relationship between the concept of a messiah-figure in the Book of the Parables of Enoch and that in the undisputed letters of Paul (1 Thess., Gal., 1 Cor., 2 Cor., Phil., Rom., Phlm.). It further explores the place of Paul's writings within the development of Jewish messianic ideology in the Second Temple period. W.'s starting point and his subsequent analysis is indebted to the research of the Enoch Seminar. W. begins by providing a comprehensive history of (English) research on Paul's Christology within the framework of Jewish monotheism and he argues that the traditions in BPE predate those in the letters of Paul. The next four chapters analyse the nature and function of the divine figure and the messiah-figure in these two textual corpora. For example, W. concludes that the nature of the messiah-figure in BPE is a human being, sometimes identified with Enoch, yet also a heavenly being, pre-existent, righteous, associated with wisdom and bearing the title ‘Son of Man’. His functions are to reveal wisdom, bring salvation, judge humankind and be worshipped. W. discusses systematically the relevant passages upon which he bases his conclusion. The sixth chapter offers a comparative analysis, illustrated by useful tables wherein one can see what characteristics and functions are shared by all four entities. W. concludes that Paul's Judaism was influenced by Enochic Son of Man traditions, yet also used these traditions in novel ways.
L.-S. T
W
This volume explores the ‘post-Qumran’ phase of Hebrew Bible scholarship characterized by an increased awareness of the fluidity of the biblical text alongside an increased appreciation of the value of the Septuagint. After a judicious introduction by the editors the volume comprises 18 contributions arranged in three sections. The first section (‘Methodological Issues’) consists of ‘Changing Scripture’, by John Collins; ‘The Evolutionary Production and Transmission of Scriptural Books’, by Eugene Ulrich; ‘Rewritten Bible, Variant Literary Editions and Original Text(s): Exploring the Implications of a Pluriform Outlook on the Scriptural Tradition’, by Hans Debel; and ‘Talking about Rewritten Texts: Some Reflections on Terminology’, by Molly Zahn. The second section (‘Changed Texts’) comprises ‘The Pentateuch as Found in the Pre-Samaritan Texts and 4QReworked Pentateuch’, by Sidnie White Crawford; ‘David's Three Choices: Textual and Literary Development in 2 Samuel 24’, by Anneli Aejmelaeus; ‘The Legs and the Wings of the Grasshopper: A Case Study on Changes in the Masoretic Text and in the Old Greek Translation of the Book of Leviticus’, by Kristin De Troyer; ‘Uncovering a New Dimension of Early Judean Interpretation of the Greek Torah: Ptolemaic Law Interpreted by its Own Rhetoric’, by Robert Kugler; ‘Doubled Prophecy: The Pilgrimage of the Nations in Mic 4:1–5 and Isa 2:1–5’, by Reinhard Müller; ‘The Quotations and References of the Pentateuchal Laws in Ezra–Nehemiah’, by Juha Pakkala; ‘The Textual Connections between 1QM 1 and the Book of Daniel’, by Hanna Vanonen; and ‘Changing Scripture: Scribal Corrections in MS 4QXIIc‘, by Hanne von Weissenberg. The final section (‘Deuteronomism in Later Literature’) includes ‘The Book of Ben Sira and Deuteronomistic Heritage: A Critical Approach’, by Pancratius C. Beentjes; ‘The Deuteronomic Legacy of 1 Maccabees’, by Francis Borchardt; ‘The Deuteronomistic Ideology and Phraseology in the Book of Baruch’, by Marko Marttila; ‘The Use of Different Aspects of the Deuteronomistic Ideology in Apocryphal Psalms’, by Mika S. Pajunen; ‘Judith and Deuteronomistic Heritage’, by Anssi Voitila; and ‘A Deuteronomic Heritage in Tobit’, by Stuart Weeks. It is a pity that Debel's contribution was not proofread more closely leaving asterisks where serial numbers are missing several times in the footnotes and the bibliography. This quibble aside, this is an excellent collection offering a wide range of studies that contribute substantially to our appreciation of the ‘post-Qumran’ world of the emerging scriptures and their interpretative afterlife.
C. H