The characters and heroes of the Bible are some of the best known in all of history. We encounter them again and again, in art, literature, and folklore. Yet these Biblical men and women remain among the most elusive, enigmatic and least understood of any heroes. Biblical Images, a collection of twenty-five portraits of Biblical figures, explores what is hinted at in the Scriptures to help us understand these characters from within, to analyze their motives, and to appreciate their spiritual experiences and aspirations. It is a subtle yet penetrating study of men and women of the Bible who personify profound truths about the human experience. Book jacket.

This reference work explores the images, symbols, motifs, metaphors, figures of speech, and literary patterns found in the Bible. With over 800 articles by over 100 expert contributors, this is an inviting, enlightening and indispensable companion to the reading, study, contemplation and enjoyment of the Bible.

Provides a description of the element or image, shows examples of how it is used in the biblical text, and presents photographs and maps that further illustrate the ideas.

This book suggests a regional paradigm for understanding the development of the traditions about Egypt and the exodus in the Hebrew Bible. It offers fresh readings of the golden calf stories in 1 Kgs 12:25-33 and Exod 32, the Balaam oracles in Num 22-24, and the Song of the Sea in Exod 15:1b-18 and from these paints a picture of the differing traditions about Egypt that circulated in Cisjordan Israel, Transjordan Israel, and Judah in the 8th century B.C.E. and earlier. In the north, an exodus from Egypt was celebrated in the Bethel calf cult as a journey of Israelites from Egypt to Cisjordan, without a detour eastward to Sinai. This exodus was envisioned in military terms as suggested by the nature of the polemic in Exod 32, and the attribution of the exodus to the warrior Yahweh, Israel's own deity. In the east, a tradition of deliverance from Egypt was celebrated, rather than the idea of a journey, and it was credited to El. In the south, Egypt was recognized as a major enemy, whom Yahweh had defeated, but the traditions there were not formulated in terms of an exodus. While acknowledging the reshaping of these traditions in response to the exile, Images of Egypt argues that they originated in the pre-exilic period and relate to Syro-Palestinian history as it is otherwise known.

Biblical references to over four hundred similes, metaphors, and symbols are compiled under headings and subheadings, enabling pastors, teachers, and students to locate and compare the imagery of Scripture.

Learning the meaning and significance of biblical images will revolutionize your grasp of the Bible as a whole. Scripture is packed with symbolic imagery and metaphors: looms, donkeys, water cisterns, grapes, sackcloth—all carry symbolic or emotional weight that sharpens the broader picture of the passage. The biblical authors used their reality to enhance the impact of their message on the audience around them, and the language they used is rich with meaning. The words might be familiar today, but the cultural connotations of things like manna, millstones, or myrrh might be missed by contemporary Christians and might cause us to lose the fullest significance of the Bible passage. The Zondervan Dictionary of Biblical Imagery surveys the use and connotations of familiar images in the Bible to illustrate the intricate and subtle ways they're put to work in the text. The types of entries include: Cultural artifacts from the biblical world (such as arrow or sandal) Components of natural history (such as fox or fig tree) Named places (such as Mount Sinai or Nazareth) Components of Israel's physical geography (such as mountain or wilderness) Each entry describes an image's characteristics, appearance, intended use, and cultural connotations, as well as the rhetorical impact of its use in the Bible. As you read, you'll begin to understand things like why Jesus called for us to become the salt of the earth, why dew was a controversial topic in Bible times, and why a roof might be mentioned to draw attention to a violation of expected norms. With accessible, well-illustrated entries and numerous black & white visuals, The Zondervan Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is an inspiring portal into the biblical world for any student of the Bible.

For Robert Fyall, the mystery of God's ways and the appalling evil and suffering in the world are at the heart of Job's significant contribution to the canon of Scripture. This New Studies in Biblical Theology volume offers a holistic reading of Job, with particular reference to its depiction of creation and evil, and finds significant clues to its meaning in the striking imagery it uses.

Jesus Christ is arguably the most famous man who ever lived. His image adorns countless churches, icons, and paintings. He is the subject of millions of statues, sculptures, devotional objects and works of art. Everyone can conjure an image of Jesus: usually as a handsome, white man with flowing locks and pristine linen robes. But what did Jesus really look like? Is our popular image of Jesus overly westernized and untrue to historical reality? This question continues to fascinate. Leading Christian Origins scholar Joan E. Taylor surveys the historical evidence, and the prevalent image of Jesus in art and culture, to suggest an entirely different vision of this most famous of men. He may even have had short hair.

Fr. Barthelemy was an internationally recognized expert on Old Testament studies, and a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. In this work he dispenses with the technical language of exegesis and linguistics, and speaks theologically as a priest, a teacher, a believer. This work is an introduction to the spiritual teaching of the Old Testament, and can greatly help believers to hear that renewing and rejuvenating Word of God with deepened understanding. This is a book about God and man. It is also about the long history of God's search for man and the difficulty man had in keeping intact the divine image in which he was created. The purpose of this book is to present what God says about Himself and about His image (man) in the inspired texts of Scripture. This powerful work by an acclaimed Biblical and spiritual writer can enkindle the heart and enlighten the mind of modern man to see who we truly are in God's eyes, and help us to understand the full extent of our deep need for God to become his faithful followers and images once again.

Sharon H. Ringe, beginning with this Lukan text, addresses the Jubilee images and traditions in the Synoptic Gospels, especially in Jesus' proclamation of the reign of God. She illuminates how the Jubilee traditions served as a source for early Christian ethics and Christology: to confess Jesus as the Christ - herald of the Jubilee, messenger, and enactor of liberation - is to participate in acts of liberation. Ringe concludes that the agenda of liberation constitutes the very core of both the gospel message and biblical faith: the word of God fulfilled in the presence of Jesus of Nazareth is alive with images of liberation. In the final chapter, In Christ We Are Set Free, she explores further the implications of her findings for contemporary ethical and christological reflection.