The New Top 50 is Out!

It is with great joy that I announce that the biblioblogging gods have seen fit to bestow on me the honor of induction to the Top 50! I have indeed over-realized my eschatology! Many thanks to all of you who, for some strange reason, keep coming back to this blog. But don’t stop now! I’m only #46, so there’s plenty of room to go. (You may want to check this blog several times a day… just to be sure nothing has changed. You never now what you might find!)

John, if nobody has told you yet, you too have an Icon to claim!

(Oh, and Jim West is #1 yet again.)

RBL, 30 June 2009

Here’s the latest from RBL. There is plenty to enjoy here. Especially noteworthy are reviews from Stephen J. Patterson and Daniel Kirk. Regular readers will note that Dan Kirk was the first recipient of the RAQASOTWA, which is of course coveted the world over.

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Richard Bauckham
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5650
Reviewed by Stephen J. Patterson

Michaela Bauks and Christophe Nihan, eds.
Manuel d’exégèse de l’Ancien Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7037
Reviewed by Uwe Becker

Per Jarle Bekken
The Word Is Near You: A Study of Deuteronomy 30:12-14 in Paul’s Letter to the Romans in a Jewish Context
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6835
Reviewed by J. R. Daniel Kirk

Eric Cline
From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6770
Reviewed by Chad Spigel

Yehudah B. Cohn
Tangled Up in Text: Tefillin and the Ancient World
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6972
Reviewed by Joshua Schwartz

John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed
In Search of Paul: How Jesus’ Apostle Opposed Rome’s Empire with God’s Kingdom
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7180
Reviewed by Elliott Maloney

Walter Dietrich; Joachim Vette, trans.
The Early Monarchy in Israel: The Tenth Century B.C.E.
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6144
Reviewed by Jeremy Hutton

Lee M. Fields
Hebrew for the Rest of Us: Using Hebrew Tools without Mastering Biblical Hebrew
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7008
Reviewed by Francis Dalrymple-Hamilton

Mary Healy
The Gospel of Mark
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6898
Reviewed by Francis J. Moloney

Jennifer L. Koosed
(Per)Mutations of Qohelet: Reading the Body in the Book
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5250
Reviewed by Harold C. Washington

Judith M. Lieu
I, II, and III John: A Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6802
Reviewed by John Painter

Gonzalo Rubio, Steven Garfinkle, Gary Beckman, and Daniel Snell; Mark Chavalas, ed.
Current Issues and the Study of the Ancient Near East
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6776
Reviewed by Aren Maeir

J. Verheyden, G. Van Belle, and J. G. van der Watt, eds.
Miracles and Imagery in Luke and John: Festschrift Ulrich Busse
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6709
Reviewed by Peter J. Judge

Jesus in Isaiah 7.14?: Messiah in the Making, 6

Last time, we touched on background behind Psalm 2 and its relationship to Isaiah 9. This time, we’ll take a quick look at Isaiah 7.14, a passage which many Christians have (understandably) interpreted as referring to the virgin birth of Jesus as found in Matt 1.22-23.

DISCLAIMER: This is a blog post, not an article or a monograph. I will only be presenting a limited case for my position. We can flesh things out in the comment section. Contact me with any grievances or questions.

Before we turn to Matt 1.22-23, where Isaiah 7.14 is actually connected with the virgin birth of Jesus, we must first look at Isaiah 7.14 in its original context. What did Isaiah mean when he wrote,

לכן יתן אדני הוא לכם אות הנה העלמה הרה וילדת בן וקראת שמו עמנו אל׃

“For this reason, the sovereign master himself will give you a sign for confirmation. Look! This young woman is about to conceive (or possibly, “is pregnant”) and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will call his name, Immanu-El.”

Along with most (all?) critical scholars, I do not believe that Isaiah has the virgin birth of a future eschatological deliverer in mind. Though it is traditionally translated as “virgin,” the Hebrew העלמה (‘almah), which usually means “young woman,” is used here. The normal term for “virgin” is בתולה (betulah), which is not present here. More telling than lexicographical data is the context itself. The child to be born is said to be given as a sign. A sign for what? The child is to be a sign that God will deliver the people of Israel from Syria in the very near future. The child is not a sign for posterity. The child is a sign for King Ahaz and there must take place his lifetime. For, according to Isa 7.16, before the child even reaches adolescence Syria will be taken out of the picture. This child will be born into a time a distress to represent the fact that “God is with us,” and will not abandon his promise to David.

What then is Matt 1.22-23 doing? The author of the first gospel is using the LXX, which translates העלמה as παρθένος, which by the Koine period, usually means “virgin” in the most basic meaning of the word, a female who has not had sexual intercourse. Thus, some have put forth that the author of Matthew is simply in error to have interpreted Isaiah 7.14 messianically. Yet, I am not so sure. First, if the author of Matthew is as Jewish as we tend to think he is, would he not have been aware that this child is, according to Jewish tradition, none other than Hezekiah? Second, such an approach misunderstands a normative Jewish hermeneutic known as midrash.

What I believe is more likely is that the author of Matthew has the tradition of the virgin birth and finds in Isaiah 7.14 a parallel concept where a special child is born in a time of great distress for Israel. Like Immanuel, Jesus will be a sign that “God is with us.” That, in my opinion, is why the author of Matthew cites Isaiah 7.14.

So, does Isaiah 7.14 prophesy the virgin birth of a future eschatological deliverer? No, I don’t think so. But does the birth of the sign-child in Isaiah 7.14 mirror the birth of Jesus inasmuch as both children were to be signs for their generation that God was indeed with Israel in her suffering? Yes, absolutely.

I imagine for some, this raises lots of questions. What thoughts do you have?

The Gospel and Gran Torino

Spoiler Alert!

Last night, my wife and I watched Clint Eastwood’s newest film, Gran Torino. I’ll try to not to ruin it for you, but I do want to point out something quite significant (and unexpected!) about this incredible movie.

First, the movie itself is about the interactions of a Korean War veteran (Walt, played by Eastwood) and a Hmong family who immigrated from Viet Nam. To put things bluntly, Walt is probably the most racist and vulgar movie character in the last five years on film. However, before the credits roll, he also demonstrates the gospel more clearly that just about any movie character this side of Jesus in Mel Gibson’s flick.

I’ll keep the specifics of the ending veiled as much as possible, but a few comments are in order. First, Walt wrestles with the question of God throughout the entirety of the film. His interactions with his late wife’s priest carry us into Walt’s own spiritual journey, which has been understandably hampered by his tours during the Korean War. Second, Walt’s burgeoning care for the Hmong family living next door can only be described as a love that casts, if not wrestles, out fear. He has to overcome stereotypes and baggage that have dominated his pathetic life for the better part of half a century. Third, (and here’s the connection with the Gospel) ultimately Walt chooses love over hate, peace over violence, sacrifice over victory, and humility over pride, making the ultimate sacrifice for this Hmong family he has grown to love as his own.

Excellent movie! Have you seen it? You should! (Caveat emptor!) What movies have you seen that unexpectedly portray the Gospel?

Fresh Approach to Hebrew Grammar!

I just received my review copy of the Cambridge Introduction to Biblical Hebrew by Brian Webster in the mail this afternoon, and I couldn’t be happier! Many thanks to the good people at Cambridge University Press. I had Brian for my first three semesters of Hebrew, and I’m quite fond of his approach to learning this exquisite semitic language.

A full review will be forthcoming, but be ye informed right now – THIS IS A HEBREW GRAMMAR TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON. Give this due consideration when contemplating an introductory course textbook!

Passing the time (non-BS edition)

The summer is here, and for many of us that means much more free time – time for doing all those things that we had wished we were doing instead of incessantly researching, teaching, and writing. Of course, the irony is that many of us fill our free time with more BS stuff (that is, biblical studies stuff ) I know I do. But we all need some non-BS in our lives, something “other.” Something that doesn’t involve reading and reviewing books or researching and writing, something mundane. So, I thought I would list some non-BS stuff I do to pass the time.

1. Hanging out at the pool with my wife.
2. Playing the Wii with my wife.
3. Facebooking.
4. Twittering. (I really am only including this in honor of Jim West’s love for Twitter.)
5. Feeding the pigeons and squirrels by hand at our apartment complex.
6. Watching Arrested Development, one of the greatest comedy shows of all time.
7. At some point, I’d love to try brewing my own beer. Perhaps I’ll give this a go after graduation.

So, what your favorite non-BS pass time(s)?

Intermediaries, Agency, and Monotheism

I’ve been weighed down as of late by the mundane matters of life,* which has kept me from reading my beloved review copy of The Only True God by James McGrath. But I’ve still managed to get started with it. I must say that it would seem to be an important book for a couple of reasons: (1) McGrath is seeking to break new ground in the scholarly minefield of early Jewish and Christian monotheism; (2) McGrath interacts with the work of Larry Hurtado, especially his Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity (Eerdmans 2005); (3) Interestingly, McGrath has decided to write in such a way that will make this book accessible to a wide readership, not such us erudites. Do stay tuned for the full review, which I will post as soon as I finish the book.

In the meanwhile, I was thinking about an aspect of the monotheism that is recognized by some and overlooked by others: the agency of intermediaries and the implications of agency for understanding the worship of Jesus in the earliest Christianity. Intermediary figures in ancient Judaism often serve as God’s messenger, agent, or “apostle” (McGrath’s language) (Enoch comes to mind). In fact, at some points, these messengers even share in the divine name itself. This is widely recognized by some (though not all) scholars as “Two Powers theory,” viz., YHWH and one other, who seems to transcend the angels.

The question McGrath poses (and promises to answer) is, at what point do Judaism and Christianity spit over the issue of monotheism? McGrath seems to want to date this split later than most.

Hopefully, this has whet your appetite for the full review. (It’s coming!)

(And so is the next installment of Messiah in the Making!)

(John, please alert me to any and all typos in the comments section.)

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*For the purposes of this post “life” means “preparing for that infernal GRE.” Curse you, Ph.D.!

Really? I mean, REALLY?!?

It’s sometimes funny to note how people get to your blog. I found the oddest search query in my WordPress Dashboard this morning. Someone searched for “homo ladies” and found my blog.

Really people? You were looking for “homo ladies,” (I can only guess) and you stumble upon a blog titled “Ecce Homo” and think “Eureka! I have found them!” Oh the disappointment when all you found was drab ramblings about biblical studies. Oh, and FYI, Ecce Homo is Latin for “Behold the man!” As in the words of Pilate, speaking to the crowds about Jesus, who, incidentally, probably hung out with some “homo ladies” himself (though he probably had different motives).

Bizarre!

Calling all GRE enthusiasts

I know I’ve been asking a lot of questions lately, but here’s another:

I’m preparing for the GRE (as some of you know), and I’m wondering what prep tools you have found the most beneficial.

Let me hear from you. What’s your favorite and why?

Damaged Goods?

I recently had a conversation with a friend about the trappings of applying to PhD programs. During our conversation, he voiced concern that if a person didn’t get into a program the first time around, then he or she may be perceived as “damaged goods” the second time around. That is, an admissions board may see his or her application, note that this is the second time they have seen this student’s application, and then think, “If nobody wanted them the first time, why should we take them now?”

I’m not so sure. It would seem to be that it would depend on the strength of the application. Some programs only take one student. Thus, not getting in at a school like that is hardly ipso facto opprobrious. One year’s runner up, is the next year’s candidate. It seems to me that, for otherwise very strong candidates, having to go through applications twice is more of a reflection on the competitiveness of American PhD programs, rather than a litmus test of the applicants viability.

Here’s my question, especially for those of you who have (1) been through this experience, or (2) serve on admissions boards: Is my friend correct? Are second-time applicants looked at negatively because they didn’t get in the first time?