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The study of Scripture includes understanding the context of the historical, cultural, social, political, and religious backgrounds of each text. The resources outlined here can help with learning about the life and times of the biblical writings. Explore customs and social setting from a variety of resources on historical backgrounds.
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Following are key resources for accessing English translations of ANE primary texts. Also included are Readers and surveys of the ANE literature. We recommend starting with the first three items on the top left.
Pictured below are key resources for working in the primary texts of Second Temple Judaism. The first row includes the standard translations, while other rows are Readers and Introductions to the literature.
Below are some selected titles that cover the national history of Israel, the Jewish Inter-Testamental period, and the first century Greco-Roman history aligning with the New Testament period.
The gallery below contains popular resources for understanding the cultures, customs, practices, and daily life of biblical times. These materials cover cultural backgrounds of the ANE through the 1st century Greco-Roman period.
The second row contains special "background commentaries" for additional scriptural connections.
The following items provide standard English translations of key Rabbinic Writings.
Greek and Early Latin Texts
Second Temple Jewish Literature
Dead Sea Scrolls
Rabbinic Writings
"Introductions" offer extended discussions of the historical background of the biblical writings including the cultural, political, and religious context of Scripture. These are just a sampling.
The New Testament in Antiquity
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This completely revised and updated second edition of The New Testament in Antiquity skillfully develops how Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman cultures formed the essential environment in which the New Testament authors wrote their books and letters. Understanding of the land, history, and culture of the ancient world brings remarkable new insights into how we read the New Testament itself. Throughout the book, numerous features provide windows into the first-century world. Nearly 500 full color photos, charts, maps, and drawings have been carefully selected. Additional features include sidebars that integrate the book's material with issues of interpretation, discussion questions, and bibliographies.
The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown
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The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown guides serious New Testament students through the historical, literary, and theological dimensions of the biblical text, allowing them to better understand and share God's "word of truth" (2 Tim 2:15). It offers a thorough introduction to all twenty-seven books of the New Testament and closely examines events such as Christ's incarnation and virgin birth, his crucifixion and resurrection, and triumphant return. The second edition features updated bibliographies and footnotes, interpretation sections that cover different literary genres in the New Testament, an epilogue that canvasses the entire storyline of Scripture, and a variety of maps. All of these new features contribute to making this a life-long resource for students of Scripture.
The New Testament in Its World
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Your ticket from the twenty-first century to the era of Jesus and the first Christians. A readable, one-volume introduction placing the entire New Testament and early Christianity in its original context, written by distinguished scholar and author N. T. Wright. An ideal guide for students, The New Testament in Its World addresses the many difficult questions faced by those studying early Christianity, including: What was the first century understanding of the Kingdom of God? What is the meaning of the resurrection in its original context? What were the Gospels, and how did they come about? Who was Paul and why are his letters so controversial? Written for both classroom and personal use, this book brings together decades of ground-breaking research, writing, and teaching into one volume. It presents the New Testament books--along with their subjects: Jesus and the early church--within the historical and social context of Second Temple Judaism and Greco-Roman politics and culture. The New Testament in Its World allows you to recover the excitement of what it was like to live as Christians in the first or second centuries. Features include: Surveys of each New Testament book that discuss their significance and provides commentary on their contents, along with implications for the Christian life. Major sections on the historical Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and Paul's chronology and theology. Up-to-date discussions of textual criticism and the canonization of the New Testament. Frequent illustrations, maps, charts, diagrams, and artwork provide additional explanations and insights. A distillation of the life work of N. T. Wright on the New Testament with input from Michael Bird. Also available are Video and Workbook companion resources (sold separately) to enhance learning and experience the world of the New Testament.
The Old Testament
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A Respected Scholar Introduces Students to the Discipline of Old Testament Studies Richard Hess, a trusted scholar of the Old Testament and the ancient Near East, offers a substantial introduction to the Old Testament that is accessibly written and informed by the latest biblical scholarship. Hess summarizes the contents of the Old Testament, introduces the academic study of the discipline, and helps readers understand the complex world of critical and interpretive issues, addressing major concerns in the critical interpretation of each Old Testament book and key texts. This volume provides a fulsome treatment for students preparing for ministry and assumes no prior knowledge of the Old Testament. Readers will learn how each book of the Old Testament was understood by its first readers, how it advances the larger message of the whole Bible, and what its message contributes to Christian belief and the Christian community. Twenty maps, ninety photos, sidebars, and recommendations for further study add to the book's usefulness for students. Resources for professors are available through Baker Academic's Textbook eSources.
The World and the Word
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The World and the Word is a fresh introduction to the Old Testament driven largely by the fact that so much Christian preaching and teaching today increasingly ignores what is eighty percent of the Bible. Authors Eugene Merrill, Mark Rooker, and Michael Grisanti work through the world and text of the Old Testament always making three major points: * The Old Testament is a rich source of theology and doctrine that is presupposed by the New Testament. Without it, Christian theology would be seriously deficient. * Mastery of the Old Testament is crucial to an understanding of the New Testament. * The Old Testament offers, by teaching and example, practical principles of belief and behavior for contemporary times. Who God was and what He did then can be replicated in the lives of men and women today. Separating the verifiable biblical and extra-biblical data from the various interpretations of that same information, the book further shows how the Old Testament forms the platform and matrix from which sprang the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus and the church. The World and the Word will help students see an entry point into the very heart and design of God who loves them and wishes to make them the special object of His grace.
