Biblical Figures Outside the Bible [Hardcover]

Michael E. Stone (Editor), Theodore A. Bergren (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1998

An exciting development of recent years in the study of early Judaism and Christianity has been the growing recognition of the importance of the extra-biblical traditions for understanding these religious movements--apocryphal and pseudepigraphical literature, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Nag Hammadi Gnostic texts. One major source for surviving works and traditions, however, has been largely ignored. This is the wealth of later Jewish and Christian (and to some extent Islamic) texts, citations, and traditions relating to biblical figures. One reason for the relative neglect of this material is that it is difficult to access, requiring a range of knowledge extending beyond the biblical traditions, through patristics, and into medieval studies. This book is designed to provide access to some of these complex traditions and to do it in such a way as to present the reader both with specialized insights and also with a work of general reference value. An international array of outstanding scholars treat the evolution of the biographical traditions of some fourteen biblical figures during the second temple, late antique, and medieval periods: Adam and Eve (Gary A. Anderson), Seth (John D. Turner), Enosh (Steven D. Fraade), Enoch (Philip S. Alexander), Noah (Devorah Dimant), Abraham (George W. E. Nickelsburg), Melchizedek (Birger A. Pearson), Levi (Marinus de Jonge and Johannes Tromp), Joseph (Harm W. Hollander), Baruch (J. Edward Wright), Ezekiel (Benjamin G. Wright, Aviva Schussman), Ezra and Nehemiah (Theodore A. Bergren). The figures were selected on the grounds of the richness and interest of the traditions connected with them and their importance in the thought worlds of early Judaism and Christianity. Michael E. Stone is Gail Levin de Nur Professor of Religion and Professor of Armenian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and co-author of Faith and Piety in Early Judaism: Texts and Documents, also published by Trinity Press. Theodore Bergren is Associate Professor of Religion at the University of Richmond (Virginia). 1999 Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Award for the category Best Book Relating to the Old Testament>

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Some biblical characters have achieved a post-canonical significance owing to their prominent roles in the canonical tradition and others in spite of (or perhaps because of) the scarcity of information about them in the Bible. This volume, edited by Stone (religion, Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem) and Bergren (religion, Univ. of Richmond), spotlights 14 of them: Adam, Eve, Seth, Enosh, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, Levi, Joseph, Baruch, Ezekiel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. These essays shed light on developments in the traditions that would have been known to early Christians, thus helping the reader understand how these characters and their stories function when introduced by the writers of the New Testament. The lore that grew up around figures like Seth, Enoch, and Melchizedek?particularly among the Gnostics?is interesting in its own right. Absorbing and well written, though not for the casual reader; recommended for academic and larger public libraries.?Craig W. Beard, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham Lib.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

... brings together essays by a number of talented scholars on aspects of the post-Biblical representation of major Biblical figures... -- Biblical Archaeology

The international mix of authors includes women and men, scholars from the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions...carefully researched and well-written... -- The Bible Today

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Trinity Press International (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563382474
• ISBN-13: 978-1563382475
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,200,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extensively researched work of impeccable scholarship, July 15, 2003

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biblical Figures Outside the Bible (Paperback)

Winner of the 1999 Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Award for Best Book Relating to the Old Testament, Biblical Figures Outside The Bible, and knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Michael E. Stone (Gail Levin de Nur Professor of Religion and Professor of Armenian Studies at the Hebrew university of Jerusalem) and Theodore A. Bergren (Associate Professor of Religion at the University of Richmond, Virginia) offers the reader a truly ground breaking survey and analytical presentation of an ancient lore that directly affects major figures from the Bible through a series of thirteen scholarly essays by some of the very best scholars working in the field today. An extensively researched work of impeccable scholarship and a meticulously documented historical survey, Biblical Figures Outside The Bible is very strongly recommended for personal, academic, and professional Biblical Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.