The T & T Clark companion to the Septuagint

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John Barton

"This book provides a detailed exploration of the important elements of the theology underlying the book of Amos"-- "In modern times Amos has come to be considered one of the most important prophets, mainly for his uncompromising message about social justice. This book provides a detailed exploration of this theme and other important elements of the theology underlying the book of Amos. It also includes chapters on the text itself, providing a critical assessment of how the book came to be, the original message of Amos and his circle, which parts of the book may have been added by later scribes, and the finished form of the book. The author also considers the book,Ŵs reception in ancient and modern times by interpreters as varied as rabbis, the Church Fathers, the Reformers, and liberation theologians. Throughout, the focus is on how to read the book of Amos holistically to understand the organic development of the prophet,Ŵs message through the many stages of the book,Ŵs development and interpretation"--

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Otto Kaiser

The present volume contains writings by the renowned Marburg Old Testament scholar Otto Kaiser on the theology, anthropology and ethics of the Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach (Ecclasisticus), and of the Book of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet), and their background in the history of ideas and of theology. In addition there is an essay on topical problems of the history of salvation and one on present-day problems of the belief in eternal life.

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Avi Erlich

The ancient Hebrews, Erlich argues, invented a unique basis for social unity by forging an imaginative link between religion (or law), literary culture, and the specific land of Israel. In this conception, the land, the law, and the people of Israel are one, a living metaphor expressed in the idea of Zion. The unity of land, law, and literature created by the Hebrews has been one of the most potent historical metaphors ever devised, strong enough to maintain a sense of national identity among Jews for over two thousand years. Without this Jewish literary culture, Erlich argues, there could have been no state of Israel, no matter what efforts were made by modern Zionist ideologues. This book reads the ancient text with ancient eyes that make it startling and fresh for those conditioned to the "modern" view of national identity as based on either race or ideology. Modern Zionism, like modern nationalism generally, is a drastically impoverished descendant of this original Jewish nationalism, and Erlich concludes that many problems not only of Israel but of all modern nations struggling to define themselves in a changing world really stem from the loss of this vigorous ancient alternative.

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Joseph Blenkinsopp

"This is a completely revised and expanded edition of a classic text. Drawing on recent work on legal and didactic material and including more literary interpretation, Blenkinsopp traces the course of two related key traditions--law and wisdom--throughout the history of Israel in the biblical period. He demonstrates their essential lines of continuity with classical Jewish thought and early Christian theology." -- Publisher's description.