Social World of the Hebrew Prophets is an introduction to the Hebrew Prophets and the social world of which they spoke. Matthews examines ancient Israel's prophets chronologically, providing sketches of their historical contexts. He explains pertinent aspects of historical geography, economic conditions, and social forces that influence a prophet's life and message. This analysis includes many of the images and metaphors a prophet used to communicate effectively. Thus, for example, the reader only skims the surface of a text without understanding what it meant to be a member of Tekoa's community of hill country farmers and herders, or what an exiled Levite from Anathoth experienced as a prophet in Jerusalem.

Social World of the Hebrew Prophets

Religion & Spirituality

Matthews, Victor M.

Christian Books & Bibles

Baker Academic

Opening New Windows onto Bible People, Customs, and ContextsDirectly after a good concordance and a Bible dictionary, a thoroughly reliable guide to the manners and customs of the Bible is the next must-have resource for any student of the Bible. Now fully updated with vivid new photos and images, this excellent resource will help readers gain valuable cultural background on the biblical world. What people wore, what they ate, what they built, how they exercised justice, how they mourned, how they viewed family and legal customs--all are "manners and customs" and all vary from period to period throughout Israel's history.How can one fully comprehend the Old Testament book of Ruth without understanding ancient Israelite marriage traditions? Even a quick skim of the Gospels starts readers wondering about tax collectors, religious officials, fishermen and farmers. And so much is missed when reading Acts and the Epistles without some grasp of Roman law and government.Countless questions crop up when reading the Bible:• Why would Lot even think of throwing his daughters to a mob? • How did the Exile change Israel's religious life? • What were the differences between Sadducees, Pharisees, scribes, and Essenes? Offering much more than fascinating color pictures, each chapter furnishes an introduction to the political and physical setting of specific periods in Israel's history, and outlines the basic structure of its social world. Featuring Scripture passages alongside the text to keep relevant biblical passages in view, it includes all new illustrations and photos for an invaluable visual experience of the world of Abraham, David, Jesus, and Paul.

Manners and Customs in the Bible: An Illustrated Guide to Daily Life in Bible Times

A substantial revision to a classroom favorite Explore the literature, history, and social context of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and their relevance for making sense of this ancient collection. This significant revision of a classroom standard pays particular attention to the original Mediterranean context--how it differs from modern Western culture--and its importance for interpretation. The significance of critical scholarly methods as well as the value of archaeology are likewise explored. Designed with the realities of the classroom in mind, it includes helpful illustrations, insets, and maps; study questions; a glossary; and indexes of subjects, personal and place names, and Scripture citations.

Old Testament: Text and Context

Moyer, James C.

Getting a fix on the social context of the Hebrew Bible is imperative for anyone reconstructing either the "story" of the text or the "history" behind the text. Resources in this area often prove overspecialized and arcane, and can require highly sophisticated skills in cultural anthropology or Semitic languages just to read the table of contents. Social World of Ancient Israel, 1250-587 B.C.E. offers those interested in learning about the biblical world a more userfriendly framework for viewing the broader picture; at the same time it relies upon the latest methodologies of cultural anthropology and biblical analysis in its presentation. Painting a picture in broad but precise strokes, the authors portray the landscape of ancient Israel in new and exciting colors that expert and student alike will appreciate. Social World of Ancient Israel takes a unique look at the most prominent social institutions of the world of early Israel and the period of the monarchy, and then shows how properly understanding these social institutions is essential for sound biblical interpretation. Immersing the reader into five major areas of daily life in antiquity politics, economics, diplomacy, law, and education Matthews and Benjamin explore the ways in which knowing how "players" function in these institutions, such as "father/mother," "prophet/wise one," "host/stranger," can shape our understanding of earliest Israel. Perhaps most significantly, the book gently exposes the inefficiency of past anthropological models for interpreting the relationships, attitudes and social conventions of earliest Israel. Its corrective insights will enable scholar and student alike to plot new approaches for studying the Hebrew Bible and the ancient people of Israel.

Social World of Ancient Israel: 1250-587 BCE

Politics & Social Sciences

Anthropology

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Matthews, Victor M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Matthews, Victor M.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Matthews, Victor M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Social World of the Hebrew Prophets

Manners and Customs in the Bible: An Illustrated Guide to Daily Life in Bible Times

Old Testament: Text and Context

Social World of Ancient Israel: 1250-587 BCE