How did the books of the Bible come to be recognized as Holy Scripture? After nearly nineteen centuries the canon of Scripture remains an issue of debate. Adept in both Old and New Testament studies, F. F. Bruce brings the wisdom of a lifetime of reflection and biblical interpretation to bear in addressing the criteria of canonicity, the canon within the canon, and canonical criticism.

Philo, Josephus, and the Testaments on Sexuality is the fourth of five volumes by William Loader exploring attitudes toward sexuality in Judaism and Christianity during the Greco-Roman era. In this volume Loader examines three substantial and historically important sets of documents the writings of Philo of Alexandria, the histories of Josephus, and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. For each set of writings, he provides an in-depth introduction, detailed analysis highlighting each writer s position on a broad range of matters pertaining to sexuality, and a summary conclusion.

Here are the writings of the man who was the great link between the early Christian mystics and the mystical awakening in medieval Europe. Richard (?-1173) was born in Scotland and joined the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris, where he became Superior and Prior.

The Testament of Judah, like the other Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, is considered to be a Jewish work that was added to by Christians in the Christian era. It is unclear when it comes from, however, fragments of the Testaments of Judah and and Naphtali have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in Hebrew, dating to between 37 BC and 44 AD. Given the number of references to primordial gods, it is unlikely to be the work of a Pharisee, and was likely translated into Hebrew from Aramaic or Greek. As it has some of the same anti-Levitical content as the Testament of Levi, it was likely a text written by the Tobian Jews mentioned in 2nd Maccabees, that lived in Seleucid controlled regions.

This study on the representations of Paradise in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 2-3 and Ezekiel 28) also deals with the reception of the biblical accounts in early Jewish writings (Enochic texts, the Book of Jubilees, Qumran texts) in Rabbinics and Kabbalah, early mainstream Christianity and in early Christian apocryphal and Gnostic literature. Two further chapters are devoted to views of Paradise in the Christian Middle Ages. The volume concludes with the interpretation of Paradise in John Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost,"

Paul's writings are centrally important not only for the establishment of the Christian faith but also for the whole history of Western culture. Senior New Testament scholar Udo Schnelle offers a comprehensive introduction to the life and thought of Paul that combines historical and theological analysis. The work was translated into clear, fluent English from the original German--with additional English-language bibliographical reference materials--by leading American scholar M. Eugene Boring. First released in hardcover to strong acclaim, the book is now available in paperback. It is essential reading for professors, students, clergy, and others with a scholarly interest in Paul.

The Testament of Levi, like the other Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, is considered to be a Jewish work that was added to by Christians in the Christian era. It is unclear when it comes from, however, fragments of the Testaments of Joseph and Levi have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in Aramaic, dating to between 135 and 37 BC, implying the rest of the Twelve were compiled at the same time. The Testament of Levi also refers to the Book of Enoch, an Aramaic Second Temple era work that was not included in the Septuagint, which implies it was written around the same time as the Books of Daniel and Enoch, which would date it to anywhere between 300 and 100 BC. The surviving copies of the Testament of Levi contain multiple layers of prophecy that was once accepted as being authentic pre-Christian predictions of the coming of Jesus Christ. This view shifted in Western Europe during the Protestant reformation, and the text was assumed to be a Christian era work, and generally dismissed as a forgery. This view shifted by the 1900s, as an Semitic layer of text was found within it that indicated it was originally a pre-Christian work that was later Christianized, and it was then assumed to be a Pharisee work that the Christians had added all the prophecies to. Since the discovery of fragments of the testament have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, dating to between 135 and 37 BC, and written in Aramaic, the Pharisee theory has been discredited. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragments have also shown that some of the prophecies were present in the Aramaic texts by 37 BC, meaning that the Christians had simply added to the prophecies to indicate they were about Jesus. The original work appears to be an anti-Levitical text, which dismissed the Levitical priesthood, and pointed to an alternative priesthood. As this was not a Samaritan text, it was likely a text written by the Tobian Jews mentioned in 2nd Maccabees, that lived in Seleucid controlled regions.