The Jewish annotated New Testament New Revised Standard Version Bible translation

Review by Choice Review

To see the fruits of the ongoing interchange between Jewish and Christian biblical scholars, one need look no further than this volume, which seeks to understand the New Testament in relation to its ancient Jewish context. The expert contributors introduce each New Testament book; then, below the biblical text are running annotations that provide background and thereby illuminate various verses, often by drawing parallels to other Jewish texts from the Hebrew Bible, the Apocrypha or Pseudepigrapha, or rabbinic literature. Occasional text boxes appear within each New Testament book, along with a series of brief but informative essays, and many helpful tables and charts in the back of the volume. This reference work will be highly useful for scholars, but perhaps less so for lay readers, who may be overwhelmed and confused by the number of references to documents with which few outside the academy are familiar. One can imagine a more accessible version that offers fewer citations but fully explains each textual parallel being drawn. Still, this volume shows how the deepening knowledge of late antique Judaism enriches one's view of the New Testament. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners. J. S. Kaminsky Smith College

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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Review by Booklist Review

There have been commentaries from many perspectives on the Bible, but this marks the first time that such an extensive annotation has been written on the New Testament from a Jewish perspective. The two editors and the many contributors are Jewish scholars in a number of disciplines related to religious studies at universities around the country. An example of the scholarly level of this book is the eight-page list of abbreviations that refer to ancient works and sources cited in the annotations throughout the book. Each book of the New Testament is preceded by an essay that examines the authorship, historical context, audience, interpretations, and several other aspects. Since each book is annotated by a different scholar, the coverage in these essays varies considerably. The Gospels and Revelation, for example, warrant more in-depth examination than some of the other books. Almost all verses are annotated with explanatory notes that often take up half of each page. Maps and sidebar discussions are scattered throughout this section. The next section of the book contains essays on various aspects of Jewish tradition and belief as related to the New Testament, such as society, looking at the books as literature, and the Jewish response to the New Testament. The book closes with tables and charts of time lines, calendars, rulers, rabbinic leaders, weights and measures, and verse comparisons. The glossary and index are extensive. The editors believe that this will be of use to Christian scholars and pastors as well as Jewish readers, as it explores and explains the origins and commonalities of both faiths and the context of the divisions between them. The affordable price and unique information make this recommended for most public and academic collections.--Lindstrom, Elaine Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Library Journal Review

In this first ever annotation by Jewish scholars and theologians of the New Testament, editors Levine (New Testament & Jewish studies, Vanderbilt Univ.) and Brettler (biblical studies, Brandeis Univ.) remark, "there is much in the New Testament that we find both beautiful and meaningful." Intended for scholarly and lay readers, Jewish as well as Christian, the volume aims to present the Revised Standard Version from a Jewish perspective and provide historical and literary context. Moreover, these annotations are meant to offer a thoughtful corrective to false notions regarding what the New Testament does-and does not-say about Jews, Judaism, and Jewish practices. Equally valuable are the 30 additional topical essays, such as Jewish responses to the New Testament, history and literature of the New Testament, mysticism, and Jesus in the rabbinic tradition. VERDICT Further enriched by maps, diagrams, and embedded conceptual discussions on topics like parables, law in Jewish practice, and the Pharisees, this very readable work provides much needed historical and literary background to the Jewish roots of Christianity. Highly recommended for New Testament history and literature students.-Sandra Collins, Byzantine Catholic Seminary Lib., Pittsburgh (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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