Jewish Annotated New Testament [Levine & Brettler, eds.] (2011)

Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler, eds.: The Jewish Annotated New Testament. Oxford University Press, 2011.

ISBN 9780195297706 | 700 pages | ePub & Mobi

Although major New Testament figures -- Jesus and Paul, Peter and James, Jesus' mother Mary and Mary Magdalene -- were Jews, living in a culture steeped in Jewish history, beliefs, and practices, there has never been an edition of the New Testament that addresses its Jewish background and the culture from which it grew -- until now. In "The Jewish Annotated New Testament", eminent experts under the general editorship of Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler put these writings back into the context of their original authors and audiences. And they explain how these writings have affected the relations of Jews and Christians over the past two thousand years.

An international team of scholars introduces and annotates the Gospels, Acts, Letters, and Revelation from Jewish perspectives, in the New Revised Standard Version translation. They show how Jewish practices and writings, particularly the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, influenced the New Testament writers. From this perspective, readers gain new insight into the New Testament's meaning and significance. In addition, thirty essays on historical and religious topics -- Divine Beings, Jesus in Jewish thought, Parables and Midrash, Mysticism, Jewish Family Life, Messianic Movements, Dead Sea Scrolls, questions of the New Testament and anti-Judaism, and others -- bring the Jewish context of the New Testament to the fore, enabling all readers to see these writings both in their original contexts and in the history of interpretation. For readers unfamiliar with Christian language and customs, there are explanations of such matters as the Eucharist, the significance of baptism, and "original sin."

For non-Jewish readers interested in the Jewish roots of Christianity and for Jewish readers who want a New Testament that neither proselytizes for Christianity nor denigrates Judaism, "The Jewish Annotated New Testament" is an essential volume that places these writings in a context that will enlighten students, professionals, and general readers.

Reviews

"An historic volume of extraordinary scholarship that can transform Christian-Jewish relations... A must-read for both clergy and laity… A significant achievement." --- Rabbi A. James Rudin

"It is an admirable piece of scholarship. It provides a wealth of highly relevant context, enriching the cultural and literary as well as the theological and historical terms in which these writings of first-century Jews should be approached. The contributors are tactful and sophisticated in their treatment of antiquity and respectful of its mysteries. Much contemporary writing on Scripture is faddish or tendentious. This book is a disciplined work of clarification and illumination." -- Marilynne Robinson

"A monument to past achievements in New Testament scholarship and a beacon for future study... The Annotated Jewish New Testament should be either a primary text or required accompanying work in every seminary and upper-division course in New Testament and should leave its mark on all preaching."