The series Beihefte zur Zeitschrift f r die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZAW) covers all areas of research into the Old Testament, focusing on the Hebrew Bible, its early and later forms in Ancient Judaism, as well as its branching into many neighboring cultures of the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman world.

In New Perspectives on Old Testament Prophecy and History, colleagues, students, and friends of Hans M. Barstad offer essays in honour of his esteemed career in biblical studies. Contributions on prophecy include: the debate on prophets as historical figures, the biblical books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, and Micah, and issues of methodology and interpretation. Essays devoted to history address various historiographic issues as well as specific historical topics such as the monarchy in ancient Israel, the relationship of Judah to Edom, and the ritual of reading the law. In ways that reflect Hans Barstad’s innovative insights and methodological critiques, this collection of essays probes beyond the oft-trodden paths of biblical studies and challenges the status quo within the field.

This book investigates the relationship between cult and ethics in the book of Isaiah. Part I attempts to revise some of the common Old Testament views on prophets and cult. After inspecting cultic concepts such as sacrifice, purity and impurity, holiness, and the Promised Land, it suggests that the priestly and prophetic understandings of the role of the Ancient Israelite cult were essentially the same. This general proposition is then tested on the book of Isaiah in Part II: each chapter there analyses the key passage on cult and ethics in the three main parts of the book, namely, Isa 1:10–17; 43:22–28; and 58:1–14 and concludes that, even though the role of cult and ethics in each part of the book varies significantly, the underlying principles behind the teaching about ritual and social justice in the various parts of the book of Isaiah are the same. Furthermore, these principles are cultic in nature, and in accord with priestly teaching. Far from being anti-ritualistic, the studied texts are concerned with what can be labelled The Ethical Dimension of Cult. The reason behind the variations of the role of cult and ethics in the book called Isaiah seems to be cultic as well, namely the purity or impurity of the people and the land before, during, and after the Babylonian exile.

In Paul and The Restoration of Humanity in Light of Ancient Jewish Traditions, Aaron Sherwood questions the assumption of universalism in Pauline thought, and finds instead that relevant Pauline traditions depict a partly restricted and particularly Israelite restoration of humanity. This important Jewish component of Paul’s thought remains largely unrecognized, but Pauline and other ancient Jewish traditions consistently present Israel and non-Israelites' uniting in their worship of Yhwh as the restoration of both Israel and humanity. Aaron Sherwood demonstrates in Pauline traditions the same deployment of Israel-nations unification as in biblical and post-biblical traditions. This suggests that rather than secondarily finding space for Gentile justification, the restoration of humanity plays a generative role in Paul’s theology, mission, and apostolic self-identity.

In his famous vision of the enthroned and exalted Lord, Isaiah is told to harden the hearts of his people, 'lest they repent' (Isa. 6.9-10). According to Mark's Gospel, which cites this text, Jesus speaks in parables for the same reason. Interpreters of all generations have, not unnaturally, found the text difficult and disturbing. This study is concerned with the fascinating variety of early Jewish and Christian interpretations and modifications that have attempted to cope with the difficulty. At different stages in Judaism and Christianity the Isaianic vision of God is more clearly perceived than at other times. Isa. 6.9-10 is itself indeed shocking and disturbing, but this is not inappropriate in the context of the prophetic message.

This monograph explores the structure and rhetoric of the book of Isaiah. Its thesis is twofold. First, the book of Isaiah best manifests its structural unity, thematic choherence and rhetorical emphasis when read as an exemplar of prophetic covenant disputation. Second, the principal arrangement of the book comprises seven asymmetrical concentric sections, each made up of complex (triadic and quadratic) framing patterns. They are: an exordium (1.1, 2-5), two threats of judgment (2.6-21; 3.1-4.1), two programmes for the punishment and restoration of Zion and the nations (4.2-11.16; 13.1-39.8), an exoneration of Yahweh (40.1-54.17), and an appeal for covenant reconciliation (55.1-66.24).

Biblical Studies Biblical texts create worlds of meaning, and invite readers to enter them. When readers enter such textual worlds, which are often strange and complex, they are confronted with theological claims. With this in mind, the purpose of the Interpreting Biblical Texts series is to help serious readers in their experience of reading and interpreting by providing guides for their journeys into textual worlds. The controlling perspective is expressed in the operative word of the title--interpreting. The primary focus of the series is not so much on the world behind the texts or out of which the texts have arisen as on the worlds created by the texts in their engagement with readers. Although these books of the prophets are based upon the careers and experiences of some of the most talented and provocative individuals of their times, the books must be read first as literature. Each book displays its own unique organization, literary characteristics, and theological outlook in presenting the prophets. In the case of Jeremiah, interpreters must even consider two distinctive forms of the book in the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Septuagint. By guiding the reader through the literary structure and language of each of the prophetic books as well as the social roles of the individual prophets, this volume opens the reader to greater understanding and appreciation of the prophets of Israel and Judah. "Fact packed and crystal clear, Marvin Sweeney’s Interpreting Biblical Texts: The Prophetic Literature invites readers to tour the landscape of ancient Israel’s Latter Prophets corpus. Sweeney serves as a first-rate guide, equipping readers with basic knowledge to grasp, and grapple with, the literary legacies of the canonical prophets. True to the series title, he interprets texts with an eye to major, dynamic themes in Jewish and Christian traditions. The volume proves a reliable guidebook for readers wishing not only to survey, but also to engage in dialogue with, ancient Israel’s canonical prophets." Katheryn Pfisterer Darr, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Boston University "The aim of the series Interpreting Biblical Texts is pedagogical. This well-written, easy to follow, and coherent book serves its purpose well. More importantly, it certainly invites and guides its readers in the enterprise of interacting with the prophetic books in a way that is informed by recent, academic scholarship on this literature." Ehud Ben Zvi, History and Classics & Interdisciplinary Program of Religious Studies, University of Alberta "This is a new and interesting approach to the prophetic literature, which will be illuminating for theological reflection in our own post-Holocaust era." John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament, Yale Marvin A. Sweeney is Professor of Hebrew Bible, Claremont School of Theology, and Professor of Religion at Claremont Graduate University.

Double Standards in Isaiah examines from a reader-orientated perspective the ethical teaching of the largest and most important of the prophetic books, and addresses the most crucial ethical issue in biblical studies: how can Yahweh justly demand such high standards of conduct for his people when he fails to live by them himself? The author considers the role of this dilemma throughout Isaiah, concluding that the 'double standards' in operation are, for Isaiah, the inevitable by-product of the prophet's vision of Yahweh's exalted status and moral superiority. This provocative book offers a unique and creative approach to the difficulty of representing the character and conduct of God, and will be essential reading for students of Isaiah and anyone with an interest in the many ethical problems of the Hebrew Bible.