Philip R. Davies

After Apocalyptic and Wisdom

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“These essays achieve a much needed demolition of two ill-defined concepts that have dominated the study of early Judaism and the New Testament. Turning from questions of worldview and genre to the historical and social realities confronting the authors of Sirach, 1 Enoch, the Epistle of James, and 4 Ezra, Horsley and Tiller demonstrate how these texts engage with the political realities of their time, especially imperial rule. This is an eloquent demonstration of the value of the social-scientific approach to the exegesis of biblical and parabiblical texts.”

Biblical History and Israel’s Past

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The rapidly changing scenario of ‘biblical history’ is certainly in need of a clear, balanced, and comprehensive explanation. This book fills that requirement, providing a first-class resource for the scholar and the student, and I can recommend no better book for a new generation of biblical historians. Biblical History and Israel’s Past will not be sitting on my bookshelf. It will lie permanently on my desk. . . . A splendid achievement.”

John Marco Allegro

History & Biography

“John Allegro was probably the most colorful and controversial character ever to be involved in the editing of the Dead Sea Scrolls. His interpretations brought him into conflict with his fellow editors, but he did more than anyone else to provoke public interest in these documents, especially the Copper Scroll, on which his views have been vindicated. His view of Christianity as based on a 'mushroom cult' was even more controversial and was widely (but wrongly) understood as a cynical publicity stunt. But there is more to his personality and his career than this, and his daughter Judith Brown has written a biography that sympathetically but not uncritically reveals this fascinating man, explains the issues that he tangled with, and introduces many of the individuals whose lives he infected with his extraordinary enthusiasm.”

Judaism

World Religions

“In this detailed, sympathetic description of late Second Temple Judaism as a way of life, Sanders radiates admiration and respect for the Pharisees who 'wanted to get everything just right' and urges us to see Herod in a 'better light.' But most of all he wants—and succeeds—in showing how the 'ordinary people' whom he most respects lived, worked, and believed. If this account of 'common Judaism' does not encompass the evident wickedness within this society, yet in directing our gaze away from leaders, revolutionaries, apologists and activists generally and towards the 'common folk' Sanders follows an important trend in modern historical research and one that is most welcome in our own field.”

Judaism, the First Phase

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Joseph Blenkinsopp's argument that the roots of Jewish sectarianism can be traced back to the work of Ezra and Nehemiah is presented with typical clarity, incisiveness, and breadth of scholarship. No student of early Judaism will fail to learn much from the numerous insights of this book, which range from the relationship of Ezra 1-6 and Chronicles to the Hasmonean adoption of Nehemiah and the ideological roots of the Damascus Document. Blenkinsopp's unique combination of wide learning and elegant argumentation makes his scholarship pleasurable as well as instructive.”

Opening the Sealed Book

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In this sequel to his recent Isaiah commentary, Blenkinsopp not only explores the history of Isaiah's reception in early Judaism and Christianity but also uncovers the numerous links between the figure of the prophet (and his book) and Jewish apocalyptic and sectarian movements, including Christianity itself. A brilliant and largely convincing synthesis by a scholar renowned for the depth and range of his learning.”

The Dead Sea Scrolls for a New Millennium

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Phillip Callaway takes his readers through the stories of discovery, conveying with a cool and authoritative touch the major theories and issues that the Scrolls have engendered, and leading us into the heart of the scrolls themselves. His account is readable, reliable, undogmatic, up-to-date, and strongly recommended for students and non-specialists alike.”

The Origin of Evil Spirits

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“I would in fact recommend this book, not because of the answers it gives, but the questions it raises.”

The Storyteller and the Garden of Eden

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“What if we detach the story of the Garden in Genesis 2-3 and read it on its own terms? How much detail and how much 'knowledge' disappears and how much more suddenly springs to the reader's eye--at least if the reader is as good as Ellen Robbins, who points out how little the story is explicitly echoed in the rest of the Bible. And what if, like its original readers, we recite aloud, letting the sounds carry their share of the meaning? The insights from such a reading are too numerous to be summarized. Read this book and you will read the biblical story with an entirely fresh perspective and with sympathy as well as admiration for its heroes--the first humans.”

Treasures Old and New

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Of the great biblical interpreters of our age, no one can emulate Joseph Blenkinsopp's scholarship. He brings to the biblical text not only a huge range of knowledge and interests but also sharp perception and shrewd judgment. Above all, again and again he gets to the heart of the issue — a critical engagement with the text and with its authors. These essays demonstrate the best of his work, which is original, profound, and always fresh.”