Contemporary Introduction to the Bible

Colleen M. Conway is Professor of Religion at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ and executive editor of the journal Biblical Interpretation. She has published widely in the areas of gender criticism, biblical masculinity studies, reception history of the Bible, and the Gospel of John.David M. Carr is Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He is an internationally renowned scholar on the formation of the Bible, trauma studies and the Bible, and sexuality and the Bible.

• List of Figures xiList of Maps xvList of Boxes xixPreface xxiAcknowledgments xxiiiList of Abbreviations xxvOverview of the Historical Period xxviiTimeline xxixPrologue: Orientation to Multiple Bibles and Multiple Translations 11 Studying the Bible in Its Ancient Context(s) 19Chapter Overview 19Why History Is Important in Studying the Bible 20The Geography and Major Characters of the Biblical Drama 24Major Periods in the Biblical Drama 28Multiple Contexts, Multiple Methods 30Looking Forward to the Big Picture 32Chapter One Review 33Resources For Further Study 33Appendix: Israel’s History and Empires 342 The Emergence of Ancient Israel and Its First Oral Traditions 35Chapter Overview 35Imagining Early Israel 36Problems in Reconstructing Early Israel 42Traces of the Most Ancient Israelite Oral Traditions in the Bible 47The Oral Background of Genesis 48Focus Text: The Song of Deborah 54The Creation of “Israel” Through Cultural Memory of Resistance to Domination 56Chapter Two Review 57Resources for Further Study 583 The Rise of Writing and Echoes of Past Empires in Monarchal Israel 59Chapter Overview 59Imagining Early Monarchal Israel 60The Rise of the Israelite Monarchy and Resistance to It 62Influence of Ancient Empires on Early Israel’s Monarchy and Writings 66Echoes of Near Eastern Royal Theology in the Royal and Zion Psalms 69Echoes of Texts from Earlier Empires in Writings Attributed to Solomon 75Focus Text: The Speech of Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 8 81Echoes of Texts from Past Empires Elsewhere in the Bible 82Focus Text: The Garden of Eden Story (Gen 2:4–3:24) 87Conclusion 92Chapter Three Review 93Resources for Further Study 934 Narrative and Prophecy Amidst the Rise and Fall of the Northern Kingdom 95Chapter Overview 95Setting the Stage: The Rise of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Its Texts 96Ancient Near Eastern Prophecy 105Amos, a Southern Prophet Preaching Justice and Doom to the North 106Hosea, the Northern Prophet, Calling for Israel’s Devotion to Yahweh Alone 108Micah, a Southern Prophet, Predicting Judgment for Judah and Jerusalem 115Isaiah’s Vision of Hope for Jerusalem/Zion Embedded in the Book of Isaiah 118The Use and Reuse of Biblical Traditions 123Focus Text: Contrasting Prophetic Visions of Zion’s Future 124Chapter Four Review 125Resources for Further Study 1265 Torah and Other Texts Written in the Wake of the Assyrian Empire 127Chapter Overview 127Religious and Textual Reform Amidst the Downfall of Assyria 128The Deuteronomic Torah of Moses and the Phenomenon of Hybridity 135Historical Texts Infused with the Theology and Values of Deuteronomy 139Jeremiah’s Prophecy of Judgment on Zion 145Focus Text: Deuteronomy 6:4–9 149New Scriptures in the Twilight of Judean Monarchy 152Chapter Five Review 153Resources for Further Study 1546 Bible for Exiles: Promise and Story in the Neo- Babylonian Empire 155Chapter Overview 155The Neo-Babylonian Destruction of Jerusalem and Exile 156Forced Labor for Exiles Under Nebuchadnezzar 160The Exilic Editions of Biblical Books 163Ezekiel’s Move from Judgment to Promise with the Fall of Jerusalem 164Hope for Exiles in Second Isaiah (also called “Deutero-Isaiah”) 167From Promise in the Prophets to Promise in Two Pentateuchal Sources: L and P 171History and Fiction 185Focus Text: Gen 12:1–3 186Conclusions on (Exilic) Trauma and the Bible 188Chapter Six Review 189Resources for Further Study 1907 Persian Empire and the Emergence of a Temple- Centered Jewish Community 191Chapter Overview 191History: The Persian-Sponsored Building of a Temple- and Torah-Centered Judaism 192The Final Formation of the Torah 201The Book of Psalms as a Torah-Centered Collection of More Ancient Psalms 206Focus Text: Isa 56:1–8 209Concluding Reflections on Scriptures in and After the Exile 211Chapter Seven Review 212Resources for Further Study 2128 Hellenistic Empires and the Formation of the Hebrew Bible 215Chapter Overview 215Judaism and Hellenism Before the Hellenizing Crisis 216The Crisis Over Hellenizing Jerusalem and the Book of Daniel 220A Hellenistic Period Kingdom of Israel: The Hasmonean Revolt and Monarchy 222The Hellenistic Period as the Setting for Other Hebrew Bible Texts 224Focus Text: Daniel 10–12 227The Formation of the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Old Testament(s) 229Conclusion 230Chapter Eight Review 231Resources for Further Study 231Prologue to the Study of the New Testament 2339 The Jesus Movement in the Context of the Roman Empire 237Chapter Overview 237Imagining the Jerusalem That Jesus Knew 238Rome Comes to Jerusalem 240The Earliest Jesus Traditions 242Searching for the Historical Jesus: Problems and Proposals 245Chapter Nine Review 250Resources for Further Study 25010 Paul and His Letters in the Roman Colonial Chapter Outline 251Chapter Overview 251Paul’s Travels and Letter Collection 252Who Was Paul? 256Three Undisputed Letters of Paul: Galatians, 1 Corinthians, and Romans 262Focus Text: The Problem of Israel and the Place of the Gentiles (Romans 9–11) 271The Disputed Letters 274Conclusion: From Letters to Scripture 276Chapter Ten Review 276Resources for Further Study 27711 The Gospel of Mark: Suffering and Trauma under Imperial Rule 279Chapter Overview 279The Jewish War (66–70 ce) 280Pointers to the Dating and Context of the Gospel of Mark 282Rising Popularity of Jesus and Rising Conflict with the Authorities (Mark 1:1–8:21) 284Teaching and More Misunderstanding on the Way (Mark 8:22–10:52) 288The Suffering Messiah (Mark 11:1–16:8) 292Mark’s Enigmatic Ending 296Focus Text: Mark 12:1–12 296Chapter Eleven Review 298Resources for Further Study 29912 The Gospel of Matthew: Defining Community in the Wake of Destruction 301Chapter Overview 301The Synoptic Problem 302The Structure of the Gospel of Matthew 305The Matthean Jesus and Moses 307The Matthean Jesus, Righteousness, and Torah Obedience 309The Matthean Jesus, Wisdom, and Torah 311Matthew’s Apocalyptic Vision and the Kingdom of Heaven 312The Matthean Polemic Against the Pharisees 315Focus Text: Matt 25:31–46 317Chapter Twelve Review 320Resources for Further Study 32113 Luke–Acts: Legitimizing the Jesus Movement in the Midst of Empire 323Chapter Overview 323The Lukan Prologues 324The Lukan Jesus in Continuity with Israel’s Past 327The Jesus Movement in Continuity with Israel’s Past 328Salvation to the Gentiles in Luke–Acts 330Situating the Jesus Movement in the Roman Empire 332The Holy Spirit in Luke–Acts 337Focus Text: Jesus’s Sermon in Nazareth (Luke 4:14–30) 339Chapter Thirteen Review 341Resources for Further Study 34214 The Gospel of John and the Johannine Letters: Turning Inward as a Strategy for Life in the Empire 343Chapter Overview 343Who Is the Johannine Jesus? 344Knowing and Believing in the Johannine Jesus 350Opposition from the World 3.52The Problem of “the Jews” in the Gospel of John 354Focus Text: John 17 358The Johannine Letters 360Chapter Fourteen Review 362Resources for Further Study 36215 Following Christ in the Empire: Diverse Approaches in the New Testament 363Chapter Overview 363The Revelation to John: Visions of “Conquering” Roman Power 364Focus Text: Revelation 17–18 370Hebrews: Platonic Perspectives on Christ 3731 Peter: Living as Aliens and Accommodating to the Empire 376Conclusion: Three Different Relationships to the Roman Empire 378Chapter Fifteen Review 379Resources for Further Study 379Epilogue: The Final Formation of the Jewish and Christian Bibles 381Glossary 387Index 401