This volume contains papers from the third symposium held by the University of Tel Aviv, Israel, and the Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany, with the aim of furthering dialogue between Jewish and Christian biblical scholars. The papers examine the ways in which political issues and events are reflected in the Bible and in the postbiblical literature, the term 'theopolitics' expressing the conviction of both communities that the politics of human life have always been and continue to be subject to the rule and providence of God. The hope of the symposium is that through examination of the ways in which Jews and Christians have reflected upon political and ethical theories there may arise new possibilities for better mutual understanding.

This volume contains papers from the third symposium held by the University of Tel Aviv, Israel, and the Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany, with the aim of furthering dialogue between Jewish and Christian biblical scholars. The papers examine the ways in which political issues and events are reflected in the Bible and in the postbiblical literature, the term 'theopolitics' expressing the conviction of both communities that the politics of human life have always been and continue to be subject to the rule and providence of God. The hope of the symposium is that through examination of the ways in which Jews and Christians have reflected upon political and ethical theories there may arise new possibilities for better mutual understanding.

This book is meant to serve as a reader material, an instrument designed to help students of Christian Zionism, regardless of their background, age and ultimate interest, find their way in existing literature.

Compares perspectives from critical methodologies in Old Testament study with perspectives from the history of interpretation of key Old Testament political texts

Through careful reading of the stories at the end of Judges and in 1 Samuel, Reconciling Violence and Kingship demonstrates that events surrounding Saul have significance independent of David and preceding David's kingship. Michelson argues that Saul's kingship is uniquely important in establishing the person of the king, who was inaugurated in order to minimize violence.

Written by one of the world's most widely respected biblical scholars, this volume sets out detailed recommendations for the future of the discipline.

The First Bible of the Church describes of the shape of the Jewish Bible at the time of the New Testament, with a special focus on the significance of the Greek translation, the Septuagint. The Jewish defence of the Septuagint version and its reception into the early Church makes it a representative of the Jewish Bible tradition fully on a par with the Hebrew Bible. This fact is especially important because the Septuagint is extensively used in the New Testament writings, whereby it-and not the Hebrew Bible (the Masoretic text)-is the most obvious candidate for the title of the first Bible of the Church.

The Oxford Handbook of Postcolonial Biblical Criticism is a comprehensive treatment of a relatively new form of scholarship-one of the most compelling and contested theories to emerge in recent times, and a topic that actively seeks to expand the ways in which the Bible can be studied, interpreted, and applied. Generally speaking, postcolonialism aims to critique and dismantle hegemonic worldviews and power structures, while giving voice to previously marginalized peoples and systems of thought. This approach, often varied in form, has inevitably engaged with the text and reception of the Bible, a scripture that Western colonizers introduced to-and often imposed upon-their colonial subjects. With a globally diverse list of contributors, the Handbook aims to cover the perspective and context of the authors of the Bible, as well as the modern experiences of imperialism, resistance, decolonization, and nationalism. Moreover, the volume includes both a theoretical overview and an exploration of how the field intersects with related areas, such as gender studies, race, postmodernism, and liberation theology.

April Westbrook explores the intentional inclusion of woman stories (those displaying significant female presence) within the David narrative in the books of Samuel. These stories are made prominent by the surprisingly high number of their occurrences as well as the sequentially progressive literary pattern in which they occur in the larger narrative. Westbrook shows that the dramatic and detailed accounts within the story repeatedly challenge the reader to consider the experiences of women and their contribution to the purpose of the larger narrative. When viewed collectively, these woman stories serve to stir the reader's responses in ways which systematically call into question the nature of the monarchy itself as a power system-both its impact upon the nation and upon the kings who rule. Although King David is often held up as a paragon of virtue, the experiences of the women in his life frequently reveal a different side of his character, and the reader must wrestle with the resultant ambiguity. In the process, the reader must also think deeply about the inevitably negative aspects of hierarchical social structures and why this biblical text is apparently designed to press the reader toward unavoidable and uncomfortable personal confrontation with these realities concerning the use of power within community life.