John J. Collins

Cover of Judaism of the Second Temple Period

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“David Flusser was an original and colorful commentator on Second Temple Judaism, and he was especially influential in Israeli scholarship. Many of Flusser's articles, however, have hitherto not been available in English, were widely scattered in obscure publications besides, and consequently have not been widely known in the English-speaking world. Azzan Yadin has rendered an inestimable service to scholars and students of Second Temple Judaism by translating them and bringing them together in this timely volume.”

Justification and Variegated Nomism

History & Biography

“This is a fine survey of an important theme. The focus on literary genres brings out the diversity of Second Temple Judaism. The editors have brought together a team of scholars that is international, ecumenical, and generally first rate.”

Justification and Variegated Nomism

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

Making Sense of Sex

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The capstone of a project that has already produced five volumes of detailed research, this book establishes Loader as the Kinsey of biblical sexuality. Like Kinsey, he has taken a topic that has often been taboo and demystified it. His patient cataloguing of the diverse biblical attitudes to sexuality complicates the issue for anyone who would appeal to biblical authority in a simplistic way. This is a major contribution both to biblical scholarship and to practical theology.”

Marriage as a Covenant

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“A very substantial study that deserves careful attention both from students of biblical theology and from social historians of ancient Israel.”

Mind the Gap

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Over the last 75 years, no area of biblical scholarship has been more exciting than late Second Temple Judaism, what used to be called the ‘intertestamental period.’ The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1947-55) triggered a revival of interest in Pseudepigrapha—Jewish writings from the period around the turn of the era that were preserved by Christians in translation. Together, these bodies of literature shed rich new light on the period in which Jesus lived and Christianity was born. Unfortunately, much of this material remains unknown outside of academia. Matthias Henze has rendered a great service to nonspecialists by writing an eminently accessible ‘beginner’s guide’ to Jewish literature around the turn of the era, highlighting its relevance to early Christianity. This book deserves a very wide readership.”

My So-Called Biblical Life

Fiction

“These imaginative and thoughtful essays show the power of empathetic reading to bring the biblical text to life, regardless of the reader's credentials. A fine model for opening up the text.”

Onslaught against Innocence

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In this remarkable book, Andre LaCocque uses insights from literature, art and psychology to probe the ancient story of Cain and Abel. He argues for a dialogic view of God, which respects human freedom, and he uncovers the roots of human violence in the quest for immortality. This is a first-rate, highly original, contribution to biblical theology.”

Opening the Sealed Book

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This wide-ranging and original book probes the interpretation and use of the book of Isaiah in Second Temple Judaism and the New Testament. An impressive and stimulating contribution to the early history of biblical interpretation.”

Paul and the Economy of Salvation

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Brendan Byrne's reading of Paul is informed by Catholic sensibility, but more decisively by the Jewish apocalyptic tradition that was the matrix of Pauline eschatology. It provides a fresh appreciation of the significance of the impending judgment for Paul's idea of justification. This is an important contribution not only to Pauline studies but also to Catholic-Protestant dialogue.”

Qumran and Jerusalem

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Over the last three decades Larry Schiffman has been the leading authority on Jewish law in the Scrolls and more broadly on the light shed by the Scrolls on the prehistory of rabbinic Judaism. This valuable collection brings together a broad representative sampling of his work and complements his classic book Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls. An indispensable resource for any serious student of ancient Judaism.”

Romance, She Wrote

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“"Andre LaCocque has written a remarkable, postmodern study of the Song of Songs. On the one hand, it exemplifies the intertextual reading of the Bible as fully as any midrash, but on the other hand, he resists all attempts to harmonize the text with the pieties of tradition. Most of all it continues the 'critique from the margins' begun in his earlier book, 'The Feminine Unconventional', and shows that a senior, white, European male can have exceptional empathy with female sensitivity.”

Roots of Rabbinic Judaism

World Religions

“Gabriele Boccaccini's earlier book, Beyond the Essene Hypothesis, has been hailed as one of the most original and provocative works on Second Temple Judaism in recent years. He has now written a wide-ranging and ambitious typology of Jewish intellectual history in this period. He brings a fresh and original perspective to the material, and his bold reconstruction is sure to be controversial.”

Social and Economic Life in Second Temple Judea

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Adams’s groundbreaking work provides a long overdue survey of the realities of economic life in Second Temple Judaism. Grounded in detailed knowledge of the literature, this book provides a solid and realistic basis for future work on social justice in early Judaism and the nascent Christian movement.”

Targums and Rabbinic Literature

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The ALNTS series provides a comprehensive survey and introduction of literature from the ancient world that is relevant to the interpretation of the New Testament. It spans Jewish, Christian, and Greco-Roman literature and includes papyri and other non-literary evidence. There is nothing like this available hitherto. This is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the New Testament.”

The Bible at Qumran

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The Dead Sea Scrolls have revolutionized our understanding of the formation of the biblical canon and filled in a missing chapter in the history of interpretation. This volume provides an accessible and authoritative account of the state of the question on the formation of the canon, and it nicely illustrates the kind of biblical interpretation found in the Scrolls and related literature. An excellent book for classroom use.”

The Blessing of Enoch

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This volume breaks new ground in the study of the Enoch literature. On the one hand, it brings traditional Ethiopian commentary, which is virtually unknown in the West, into the discussion. On the other, it takes seriously what the Enochic books have to say on topics of theological interest. A new departure in the study of the pseudepigrapha.”

The Book of Daniel, Chapters 7–12

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This commentary is a remarkable attempt to bring thorough historical scholarship to bear on the theological interpretation of Daniel in the evangelical tradition. A rich resource for the study of Daniel.”

The Book of Isaiah

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This collection of cutting-edge essays by eminent scholars at once advances dialogue between European and American scholars and provides a fitting tribute to one of the most prolific interpreters of Isaiah in this generation.”

The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“VanderKam surveys not only the evidence of the Scrolls for the text and canon of the Hebrew Bible but also their relevance for understanding the New Testament. As usual, he is clear, thorough, and reliable. This will be a standard reference work for all students of the Bible.”