Books in the Anchor Bible Commentary series

Were Jonah's experiences true to the history of ancient Israel? Were they meant to be read comically, philosophically, allegorically, symbolically, or realistically? And is God godly when acting beyond the comprehension of prophets, let alone ordinary human beings? This volume considers these and many more other issues.

Offers an introduction to the background, text, and context of the book of "Acts", as well as chapter-by-chapter notes and comments in which are provided insights and answers to questions that have long plagued preachers and parishioners, teachers and students.

Offers a comprehensive look at a powerful and controversial early Christian text, the biblical Book of Revelation. The author provides richly textured descriptions of the book's setting and language, making extensive use of Greek and Latin inscriptions, classical texts, and ancient Jewish writings, including the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Offers a fresh perspective on Israelite culture and on the role of ritual, law, and covenant in biblical religion. This book casts light on the Israelites' arrival at Sinai, their entry into a covenant with God, their reception of the Law, their worship of the golden calf, and their reconciliation to God.

First of two volumes on the "Gospel According to Luke", this title provides an introduction, a definitive new translation, and extensive notes and commentary on "Luke's Gospel". It also discusses "Luke's" unique literary and linguistic features, its relation to the other Gospels and the book of "Acts", and its distinctive theological slant.

Offers a commentary on the first thirty-nine chapters of the book of "Isaiah".

Includes notes and comments, which sort out the major issues surrounding the writings of John - questions of authorship, composition, date, and John's relation to the Synoptic Gospels. This volume includes an appendix on the Paraclete, which examines the role of the Holy Spirit.

Offers a translation and critical commentary on the section usually referred to as Second or Deutero Isaiah.

Beginning with the death of David and the rise of Solomon, "1 Kings" charts the history of Israel through the divided monarchy, when Ahab reigned in the north and Jehoshaphat reigned in the south. This volume offers a commentary suitable for both Christian and Jewish scholarship and worship.

A companion to the masterful two-volume "The Gospel According to John". It examines controversies that have long troubled both biblical scholars and lay readers. It discusses questions of authorship, composition, and dating, as well as the debate over source theories.

The significance of the "First Letter of Peter" for the formation of Christianity stands in sharp contrast to its brevity. This volume sets the letter into context, covering its literary, historical, theological, and linguistic elements. It illuminates the social and cultural influences on the Church in its initial years.

One of early Christianity's crafted sermons, "Epistle to the Hebrews" addresses listeners who have experienced the elation of conversion and the heat of hostility, but who now must confront the formidable task of remaining faithful in a society that rejects their commitments. This book examines the debates surrounding "Epistle to the Hebrews".

Covering the "Gospel According to Luke", the author brings to the task his mastery of ancient and modern languages, his encyclopedic knowledge of the sources, and his intimate acquaintance with the questions and issues raised by the third "Synoptic Gospel". It helps Christians hear the Good News afresh and understand it.

A study of Proverbs that includes a survey of the collections of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. It covers such themes as the origins of personified wisdom, what wisdom is, and where wisdom can be heard.

From his boyhood call to prophecy in 627 bce, which Jeremiah tried to refuse, to his scathing judgments against the sins and hypocrisy of the people of Israel, Jeremiah charged through life with passion and emotion. This book investigates the opening twenty chapters of this Old Testament giant.

"Esther", the biblical book named after the beautiful Jewish woman chosen by the Persian King Xerxes to be queen, is a story of love, political intrigue, and religious faithfulness. This volume offers a treatment of scholarly issues and provides an explanation of the popular Jewish festival of Purim.

"Lamentations" is traditionally thought to have been written by the prophet Jeremiah. This volume gives evidence against Jeremiah's authorship and suggests that the poems should be treated as an intelligible unity, most likely written by an eyewitness to the events described.

"Exodus" is the heart of the Hebrew Bible, the defining moment in Israel's birth as a people, the dramatic triumph of their God. This volume offers an exploration and analysis of the book's first eighteen chapters.

"The Letter to Titus", one of the three "Pastoral Epistles" of the New Testament, has become the ground of intense controversy - theologically, sociologically, even politically. This volume guides readers through the shoals of contemporary controversy among scholars, dealing definitively with issues of authorship, and the purpose of the Pastorals.

Ezekiel's prophecies and visions transport us to almost indescribable realms, completely uncharted territory this side of heaven. This book exhibits the characteristic care and special sensitivity of a world-renowned scholar.

An acknowledged expert on the Hebrew Bible, Thomas Dozeman offers a fresh translation of the Hebrew and Greek texts of the book of Joshua and explores the nature, function, and causes of the religious violence depicted therein. By blending the distinct teachings of Deuteronomy and the Priestly literature, Dozeman provides a unique interpretation of holy war as a form of sacred genocide, arguing that, since peace in the promised land required the elimination of the populations of all existent royal cities, a general purging of the land accompanied the progress of the ark of the covenant. This essential work of religious scholarship demonstrates how the theme of total genocide is reinterpreted as partial conquest when redactors place Joshua, an independent book, between Deuteronomy and Judges. The author traces the evolution of this reinterpretation of the central themes of religious violence while providing a comparison of the two textual versions of Joshua and an insightful analysis of the book's reception history.

Distilled over centuries, the biblical book of "Ecclesiastes" offers us the time-tested advice of Israel's sages. This book offers an interpretation of this collection of ancient wisdom.

This volume completes Bible scholar Michael V. Foxs comprehensive commentary on the book of Proverbs. As in his previous volume on the early chapters of Proverbs, the author here translates and explains in accessible language the meaning and literary qualities of the sayings and poems that comprise the final chapters. He gives special attention to comparable sayings in other wisdom books, particularly from Egypt, and makes extensive use of medieval Hebrew commentaries, which have received scant attention in previous Proverb commentaries. In separate sections set in smaller type, the author addresses technical issues of text and language for interested scholars.The authors essays at the end of the commentary view the book of Proverbs in its entirety and investigate its ideas of wisdom, ethics, revelation, and knowledge. Out of Proverbs great variety of sayings from different times, Fox shows, there emerges a unified vision of life, its obligations, and its potentials.

Featuring a translation of the "First Corinthians", this work explains the religious meaning of this Pauline epistle. It discusses many of the usual introductory problems associated with the epistle, including issues of its authorship, time of composition, and purpose.

Featuring a commentary on Leviticus, this trilogy explains ethical values concealed in Israel's rituals. It brings us to the end of the book and its innovations, among which are the evolution of the festival calendar with its focus on folk traditions, and the jubilee, the priestly answer to the socio-economic problems of their time.

Although it appears second in the "New Testament", "Mark" is generally recognized as the first Gospel to be written. This work points out, the "Gospel of Mark" can be understood only against the backdrop of the apocalyptic atmosphere of the Jewish rebellions of 66-73 ce, during which the Roman army destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem (70 ce).