Ziony Zevit

Did God Have a Wife?

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Once again William Dever has written a page-turner for thoughtful individuals interested in the Bible. This time, however, he explores what most biblicists ignore — the folk religion of ancient Israel, the religion as lived and practiced. . . Although written for the general public, this is one book that scholars cannot afford to miss. . . Writing in a personal style sprinkled with anecdotes, Dever has produced a rare work — a book that may be read and appreciated by all who take the Bible, archaeology, and history seriously. Packed with information, crackling with brilliant observations.”

Isaiah 40-66

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Paul's sensitivity to the linguistic nuances of the prophet's sophisticated Hebrew and to the richness of his allusions is shared with readers in clear, accessible prose. The freshness of his original observations and insights makes this commentary an important milestone in scholarship on Isaiah 40–66 that will have a lasting influence on how the book is taught, preached, and understood.”

The Genesis of Good and Evil

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Mark S. Smith draws from knowledge and insights in the works of ancient and premodern theologians and biblical commentators typically found on traditional Christian and Jewish bookshelves as well as from research found on the bookshelves of twenty-first-century historians and language experts, all specialists in different aspects of ancient Israel’s culture and the contemporaneous civilizations of the pre-Christian, ancient Near East. Smith, a highly regarded expert in the field, answers old theological questions for himself and for a new generation of questioners. The book reads quickly. It is an action adventure for the restless mind that has a satisfactory but open-ended conclusion. For those interested in how Smith pulls this off, he provides a large section of endnotes containing references and sidebar discussions.”

The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Provides a most competent analysis of the pungently grounded, material world within which flesh-and-blood Israelites lived during the eighth century B.C.E. . . . When not using this book as an anthropological trip to the past, readers may explore it as a market for scintillating ideas in which they will find new food for thought and topics for conversation.”