Alan Millard
An Asian American Ancient Historian and Biblical Scholar
History & Biography
“His life from eager student of ancient languages and society to esteemed teacher demonstrates how Edwin Yamauchi’s warm-hearted, active Christian faith inspires his scholarship and leads him to support many projects, from student groups to the Museum of the Bible. He enlivens his text and instructs his readers by encompassing Hebrew history and Hawaiian geology, academic debates and Barack Obama’s family. Yamauchi’s autobiography and his extensive publications challenge another generation to follow his example.”
Communal Reading in the Time of Jesus
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
“‘Haven’t you heard?’ Jesus asked the crowd, assuming the Law had been read to them. How widespread was public reading and how may it have affected the preservation and dissemination of the Christian message? By surveying and analyzing numerous Greek and Latin texts, Brian Wright throws fresh light on the practice and underlines its relevance for the study of early Christian society and especially the composition of the Gospels. Through communal reading, he argues, people would know those texts and be alert to any changes readers might try to introduce. This is a notable addition to knowledge about books and reading in the earliest churches.”
Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
“Working through questions of myth and history, Bible and science, harmonization and complementarity, Collins brings fresh arguments to stimulate wide-ranging thought and improved appreciation of the way the first chapters of the Bible affect the whole.”
Did God Really Command Genocide?
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
“Does your god order you to slaughter your enemies? Did God’s command to the Israelites to kill the Canaanites set a pattern for human behaviour? Do Joshua’s wars justify the Crusades? Does the Bible promote violence against dissenters and opponents, as the Qur’an does? Reading the Bible as a modern book leads to false conclusions, the authors show clearly. Comparing writings from Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, and the Hittites with biblical texts, they demonstrate the common use of exaggerated language—so that ‘all’ may not mean ‘every single person,’ for example—bringing clearer understanding of God’s apparently genocidal commands about the Canaanites. Carefully argued, with clear examples and helpful summaries, these chapters give Christians sound bases for defending and sharing their faith in the God of love, justice, and forgiveness. This is an instructive and very welcome antidote to much current thought.”
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
“Why does the King James Version say Solomon had peacocks, but recent ones say baboons? From experience in Bible translating, Lawrence shows how discoveries in ancient languages and archaeology lead to more precision. Covering animals, plants, and trees, precious stones, music, and much more, his book will intrigue Bible readers. He shows there are uncertainties and some words remain obscure, so while he informs, he challenges: much has been learned, there is still much study to be done!”
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
“Gordon Wenham offers a masterly overview of the Pentateuch, then presents and unpacks its problems clearly and fairly. He leads the reader to appreciate both its narratives and its laws, their significance for ancient Israel and their treatment by modern scholars. With his deep perception and respect for Scripture, he has created an outstanding introduction.”
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
“Can a God of love command an adulterer’s execution? Copan explores this and many other objections to biblical texts. By careful reading he shows how biblical writings consistently present a single God, gracious and just. Questions and doubts current today are often superficial and unbalanced. Here are clear, well-founded answers for Christian believers.”
Science & Faith
“Anyone struggling to relate Genesis 1–11 to modern knowledge should welcome Collins’s work. His literary, rhetorical, and theological analysis breaks the bonds of literalism that bind many scholars and fundamentalists, showing how the text ‘gives the faithful the divinely approved way of picturing the events and that there are actual events that the pictures refer to.’ His approach, indebted to C. S. Lewis, allows modern readers to appreciate the familiar ancient stories more richly—to read them well!”
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
“Another book on Genesis 1-11! Are these chapters myths? Are they borrowed from Babylon? Gordon Wenham builds on his notable Word commentary to focus on central ideas. He demonstrates the literary art in them and traces themes present at first, resurfacing later, then integral throughout Scripture to its fulfillment. Oft-emphasized similarities with Babylonian stories fade beside differences, notably in theology. . . . This small volume deserves to be added even to laden bookshelves.”
The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1-15
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
“Where is wisdom to be found? The book of Proverbs is an obvious answer, yet readers often find it a jumble of disconnected sayings, with little theological value. Having thought long and deeply about Proverbs, Bruce Waltke offers a wonderful guide through the book, elucidating many problems and showing how skillfully the work was composed. He explains each verse with care and authority, dealing with details of the Hebrew but giving pride of place to exegesis and exposition. . . Here is a realistic, wise, and godly commentary, better than Keil and Delitzsch for the twenty-first century.”
The Old Testament Law for the Life of the Church
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
“Does the law of Christ leave the Old Testament law behind? No! Explaining the law's function for ancient Israel, Averbeck shows its goodness and its unity—moral, civil, and ritual belong together—and its weakness, for only the Holy Spirit can purify and vivify hearts to display the sacrificial life Israel should have exemplified as a 'kingdom of priests.' Consolidating decades of study in Old Testament law, Averbeck cogently concludes we should be thinking how all of the laws, rituals, and sacrifices apply to Christian life. With honest exegesis, spiritual sensitivity, and personal testimony, he guides readers to a better answer than others have offered.”
NOTE: Only includes books currently in our catalog; not necessarily a complete list.
The Minor Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
Co-author
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
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