
Early Jewish Writings and New Testament Interpretation is a concise, introductory volume to orient undergraduates, seminarians, and interested readers to some of the most important early Jewish writings that currently inform New Testament interpretation. While the literature of Early Judaism is vast, five specific literary categories stand at the forefront of modern New Testament research. These include wisdom writings, apocalypses, rewritten scriptural narratives, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the writings of Philo and Josephus. Individual chapters explain their respective contributions toward interpreting the theological ideas, socio-historical settings, and literary features of specific New Testament writings.The volume further describes literary collections that the church would later classify as “apocrypha” and “pseudepigrapha,” providing an historically nuanced perspective on what “scripture” might have looked like prior to the formation of the biblical canon. Interpreted within their ancient context, many of these writings offer insight into a religious environment in which Judaism and the nascent church were still emerging religions that had not yet gone their “separate” ways. The reader of the New Testament today can, therefore, understand the indebtedness of the New Testament literature to traditions found in contemporary Jewish works, while also appreciating the creative, new ways in which the church interpreted them.
This volume investigates how early Jewish literature informs the interpretation of New Testament texts and the historical context of nascent Christianity. C. D. Elledge, a scholar in the field of biblical studies, synthesizes complex historical data to provide a framework for understanding the theological and literary connections between Second Temple Judaism and the early church. The book argues that these Jewish writings are essential for grasping the religious environment from which the New Testament emerged.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and educators frequently identify this work as a highly accessible and structured introduction for students entering the field of biblical studies. Experts highlight the text for its clarity in bridging the gap between specialized academic research and undergraduate-level comprehension.
Page Count:
224
Publication Date:
2023-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
019027459X
ISBN-13:
9780190274597
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