Phinehas, the Sons of Zadok, and Melchizedek

2016-08-11
Phinehas, the Sons of Zadok, and Melchizedek
Author: Dongshin Don Chang
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2016-08-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567667057
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Dongshin Don Chang examines 1 and 2 Maccabees, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Hebrews to see how the combined concepts of covenant and priesthood are defined and interlinked within various biblical and extra-biblical traditions. The three studies show the interesting and varying dynamics of the use of combined concepts of covenant and priesthood. The articulations of the two entities are shown to reflect, in part, the concern of the Second Temple Jewish authors; how significant the priestly institutions and priesthood were, not only in cultic matters, but also in relation to political and authoritative concerns. Chang's analysis makes clear that some of the Second Temple compositions have pursued ideas of the legitimacy of priestly identities by juxtaposing the concepts of covenant and priesthood from various traditions. Interpretation and representation of certain traditions becomes a way in which some Second Temple Jews, and some members of the early Jewish Christian communities, developed their priestly covenantal identities. It is with an understanding of this, Chang argues, that we can better understand these Second Temple texts.

Sons of Zadok

2022-08-31
Sons of Zadok
Author: Michael Vetter
Publisher: Michael Vetter
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2022-08-31
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:
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Sons of Zadok—The Prequel to the Remnant Rescue Series is the story of a fictional brotherhood of Israelites (male descendants of Kohath from the tribe of Levi) who have sworn to guard the sacred Ark of the Covenant with their lives. In 944 B.C., Zadok, the High Priest of Israel, commissions loyal followers to build an intricate mechanism deep under King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem to protect the Ark from harm. They fulfilled their sacred duty for over 400 years, during which time civil wars, ungodly kings, corrupt priests, national apostasy, and invasions from Syria, Assyria, and Egypt destroy the nation’s long history of faithfulness to their One True God. The Ark of the Covenant will remain hidden until Israel repents and turns back to the LORD. In 586 B.C., a massive Babylonian army is poised at Jerusalem’s gates intent on leveling the fortress-city and King Solomon’s Temple to their foundations. With no salvation in sight, the last Kohathites remove the Ark from its hiding place and carry it to a distant land for safekeeping. It will remain there until the Temple is rebuilt, Israelites regather from exile, and Messiah comes to establish His Kingdom. Sons of Zadok is the fictional background to Remnant Rescue—The Tapez Scroll in the Remnant Rescue series which is a modern-day thriller trilogy that takes place in a future seven-year period called the Tribulation, during which time God pours out His divine judgment on planet Earth and Satan wreaks havoc using the Antichrist whom the world knows as Constantine, Prince of Rome. The Antichrist demands that every human being on the planet worship him and his image in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. Anticipating the coming holocaust that the Bible calls the Great Tribulation, or the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, a brave group of Christians dare to risk their lives to rescue a remnant of Jews who look forward to their coming Messiah.

T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism Volume Two

2019-12-26
T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism Volume Two
Author: Loren T. Stuckenbruck
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 821
Release: 2019-12-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567660931
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The T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism provides a comprehensive reference resource of over 600 scholarly articles aimed at scholars and students interested in Judaism of the Second Temple Period. The two-volume work is split into four parts. Part One offers a prolegomenon for the contemporary study and appreciation of Second Temple Judaism, locating the discipline in relation to other relevant fields (such as Hebrew Bible, Rabbinics, Christian Origins). Beginning with a discussion of terminology, the discussion suggests ways the Second Temple period may be described, and concludes by noting areas of study that challenge our perception of ancient Judaism. Part Two presents an overview of respective contexts of the discipline set within the broad framework of historical chronology corresponding to a set of full-colour, custom-designed maps. With distinct attention to primary sources, the author traces the development of historical, social, political, and religious developments from the time period following the exile in the late 6th century B.C.E. through to the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt (135 C.E.). Part Three focuses specifically on a wide selection of primary-source literature of Second Temple Judaism, summarizing the content of key texts, and examining their similarities and differences with other texts of the period. Essays here include a brief introduction to the work and a summary of its contents, as well as examination of critical issues such as date, provenance, location, language(s), and interpretative matters. The early reception history of texts is also considered, and followed by a bibliography specific to that essay. Numerous high-resolution manuscript images are utilized to illustrate distinct features of the texts. Part Four addresses topics relevant to the Second Temple Period such as places, practices, historical figures, concepts, and subjects of scholarly discussion. These are often supplemented by images, maps, drawings, or diagrams, some of which appear here for the first time. Copiously illustrated, carefully researched and meticulously referenced, this resource provides a reliable, up-to-date and complete guide for those studying early Judaism in its literary and historical settings.

Reading Phinehas, Watching Slashers

2018-03-20
Reading Phinehas, Watching Slashers
Author: Brandon R. Grafius
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2018-03-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1978701217
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The tale of the “zeal” of Phineas, expressed when he killed an Israelite man and a Midianite woman having sex and thus stopped a “plague” of consorting with idolatrous neighbors in the Israelite camp (Numbers 25), has long attracted both interest and revulsion. Scholars have sought to defend the account, to explain it as pious fiction, or to protest its horrific violence. Brandon R. Grafius seeks to understand how the tale expresses the latent anxieties of the Israelite society that produced it, combining the insights of historical criticism with those of contemporary horror and monster theory. Grafius compares Israelite anxieties concerning ethnic boundaries and community organization with similar anxieties apparent in horror films of the 1980s, then finds confirmation for his method in the responses of Roman-period readers who reacted to the tale of Phineas as a tale of horror. The combination of methods allows Grafius to illumine the concern of an ancient priestly class to control unsettled and unsettling community boundaries‒‒and to raise questions of implications for our own time.

Angels Associated with Israel in the Dead Sea Scrolls

2019-12-16
Angels Associated with Israel in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Author: Matthew L. Walsh
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Total Pages: 366
Release: 2019-12-16
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3161553039
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A well-known characteristic of the sectarian Dead Sea Scrolls are their assertions that membership in the Qumran movement included present and eschatological fellowship with the angels, but scholars disagree as to the precise meaning of these claims. To gain a better understanding of angelic fellowship at Qumran, Matthew L. Walsh utilizes the early Jewish concept that certain angels were closely associated with Israel. Moreover, these angels, which included guardians and priests, were envisioned within apocalyptic worldviews that assumed that realities on earth corresponded to those of the heavenly realm. A comparison of non-sectarian texts with sectarian compositions reveals that the Qumran movement's lofty assertions of communion with the guardians and priests of heavenly Israel would have made a significant contribution to their identity as the true Israel.

Proclaiming the Judge of the Living and the Dead

2019-08-02
Proclaiming the Judge of the Living and the Dead
Author: Kai Akagi
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2019-08-02
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3161569032
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Back cover: Kai Akagi considers what the speeches in Acts 10 and 17 say about Jesus when they speak of him as a judge. This historical and literary study reveals that Jesus' role as a judge both suggests that he judges with divine authority and expresses his identity as Jewish messiah.

A History of the Quests for the Historical Jesus, Volume 1

2022-11-08
A History of the Quests for the Historical Jesus, Volume 1
Author: Colin Brown
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Total Pages: 721
Release: 2022-11-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310125499
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A comprehensive, two-volume reassessment of the quests for the historical Jesus that details their origins and underlying presuppositions as well as their ongoing influence on today's biblical and theological scholarship. Jesus' life and teaching is important to every question we ask about what we believe and why we believe it. And yet there has never been common agreement about his identity, intentions, or teachings—even among first-century historians and scholars. Throughout history, different religious and philosophical traditions have attempted to claim Jesus and paint him in the cultural narratives of their heritage, creating a labyrinth of conflicting ideas. From the evolution of orthodoxy and quests before Albert Schweitzer's famous "Old Quest," to today's ongoing questions about criteria, methods, and sources, A History of the Quests for the Historical Jesus not only chronicles the developments but lays the groundwork for the way forward. The late Colin Brown brings his scholarly prowess in both theology and biblical studies to bear on the subject, assessing not only the historical and exegetical nuts and bolts of the debate about Jesus of Nazareth but also its philosophical, sociological, and theological underpinnings. Instead of seeking a bedrock of "facts," Brown stresses the role of hermeneutics in formulating questions and seeking answers. Colin Brown was almost finished with the manuscript at the time of his passing in 2019. Brought to its final form by Craig A. Evans, this book promises to become the definitive history and assessment of the quests for the historical Jesus. Volume One covers the period from the beginnings of Christianity to the end of World War II. Volume Two (sold separately) covers the period from the post-War era through contemporary debates.

The Use and Function of Scripture in 1 Maccabees

2020-10-15
The Use and Function of Scripture in 1 Maccabees
Author: Dongbin Choi
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2020-10-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 056769545X
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Dongbin Choi offers a philological and thematic analysis on the scriptural language in the book of 1 Maccabees, a text that is written with a linguistic technique that utilizes earlier Jewish texts in order to promote the religiopolitical agendas of its author. Choi engages in the dialogue between the traditional view that treats 1 Maccabees as a religious writing, and the radical view that considers it as political propaganda. Choi suggests that the author of 1 Maccabees deploys scriptural language in such a nuanced way that he both promotes the legitimacy of the Hasmonean rule in Judea under John Hyrcanus I, and shows his appreciation of conservative Jewish sensitivity toward their traditions relating to Deuteronomic covenant, biblical judges, and Jewish messianism. By discussing past scholarly literature on the use and function of Scripture in 1 Maccabees, analyzing various literary, political, and cultural aspects that influenced the creation of the text, and finally exploring philological and conceptual parallels between Scripture and 1 Maccabees and the use of Scripture in the eulogies of the Hasmoneans, Choi has created a singular reinterpretation of both text and author.

New Narratives for Old

2022-06-17
New Narratives for Old
Author: Anthony Briggman
Publisher: CUA Press
Total Pages: 430
Release: 2022-06-17
Genre: History
ISBN: 0813235340
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Guilds and conferences have grown up around historical theology, yet no volume has ever been dedicated to the definition and illustration of the method undergirding historical theology. This volume both defines and illustrates the methodology of historical theology, especially as it relates to the study of early Christianity, and situates historical theology among other methodological approaches to early Christianity, including confessional apologetics, constructive theology, and socio-cultural history. Historical theology as a discipline stands in contrast to these other approaches to the study of early Christianity. In contrast to systematic or constructive approaches, it remains essentially historical, with a desire to elucidate the past rather than speak to the present. In contrast to socio-historical approaches, it remains essentially theological, with a concern to value and understand the full complexity of the abstract thought world that stands behind the textual tradition of early Christian theology. Moreover, historical theology is characterized by the methodological presupposition that, unless good reason exists to think otherwise, the theological accounts of the ancient church articulate the genuine beliefs of their authors. The significance of this volume lies in the methodological definition it offers. The strength of this volume lies in the fact that its definition of the historical method of studying theology is not the work of a single mind but that of over twenty respected scholars, many of whom are leaders in the field. The volume begins with an introductory essay that orients readers to various approaches to early Christian literature, it moves to two technical essays that define the historical method of studying early Christian theology, and then it illustrates the practice of this method with more than twenty essays that cover a period stretching from the first century to the dawn of the seventh.