The recent translation of a Babylonian tablet launches a groundbreaking investigation into one of the most famous stories in the world, challenging the way we look at ancient history. Since the Victorian period, it has been understood that the story of Noah, iconic in the Book of Genesis, and a central motif in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, derives from a much older story that existed centuries before in ancient Babylon. But the relationship between the Babylonian and biblical traditions was shrouded in mystery. Then, in 2009, Irving Finkel, a curator at the British Museum and a world authority on ancient Mesopotamia, found himself playing detective when a member of the public arrived at the museum with an intriguing cuneiform tablet from a family collection. Not only did the tablet reveal a new version of the Babylonian Flood Story; the ancient poet described the size and completely unexpected shape of the ark, and gave detailed boat building specifications. Decoding this ancient message wedge by cuneiform wedge, Dr. Finkel discovered where the Babylonians believed the ark came to rest and developed a new explanation of how the old story ultimately found its way into the Bible. In The Ark Before Noah, Dr. Finkel takes us on an adventurous voyage of discovery, opening the door to an enthralling world of ancient voices and new meanings.

Arguments over the relationship between Canaanite and Israelite religion often derive from fundamental differences in presupposition, methodology and definition, yet debate typically focuses in on details and encourages polarization between opposing views, inhibiting progress. This volume seeks to initiate a cultural change in scholarly practice by setting up dialogues between pairs of experts in the field who hold contrasting views. Each pair discusses a clearly defined issue through the lens of a particular biblical passage, responding to each other’s arguments and offering their reflections on the process. Topics range from the apparent application of ‘chaos’ and ‘divine warrior’ symbolism to Yahweh in Habakkuk 3, the evidence for ‘monotheism’ in pre-Exilic Judah in 2 Kings 22–23, and the possible presence of ‘chaos’ or creatio ex nihilo in Genesis 1 and Psalm 74. This approach encourages the recognition of points of agreement as well as differences and exposes some of the underlying issues that inhibit consensus. In doing so, it consolidates much that has been achieved in the past, offers fresh ideas and perspective and, through intense debate, subjects new ideas to thorough critique and suggests avenues for further research.

This work compares the Krsnavatara (Krsna in his avatara doctrines of Sankara and Ramanuja and the incarnation of Christ as represented by classical Christian orthodoxy, and draws out comparative theological and soteriological implications. It does so first by examining the epistemologies, theologies and world views of Sankara and Ramanuja, and the theology and world view of classical Christian orthodoxy, so that, second, an adequate foundation and subsequent thorough representation of avatara and incarnation might be accomplished, in order that, third, accurate comparisons may be drawn between avatara and incarnation. The result of this study is a demonstration that many of the popularly held similarities between avatara and incarnation are superficial, and that therefore careful consideration of epistemologies and ontologies should be undertaken when comparing theologies and soteriologies pertinent to avatara and incarnation.

Rest is a largely neglected theme escaping Old Testament studies, yet is notably prominent in the text itself, arising at many of the key moments of the Old Testament--the creation, the flood, the conquest and exile of the land, the covenant with David, and the construction of the temple. Haydock explores the ways in which God's rest interacts with the direction of the narrative, noting also its role in shaping both Israel's worship and their messianic expectation. In this fascinating study, Haydock considers the importance and place of rest in the ancient Mesopotamian worldview, arguing that Israel's theology of rest played an important part in their message to the nations. This message of a sovereign and gracious God offering his rest to all peoples contrasts sharply with the nations' false perception of how "rest" was to be experienced and enjoyed.

Sidney Greidanus's previous two preaching books -- The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text andPreaching Christ from the Old Testament -- have received wide acclaim. Preaching Christ from Genesis offers more of Greidanus's solid, practical homiletical fare. Packed with unique features, Preaching Christ from Genesis uses the latest scholarly research to analyze twenty-three Genesis narratives presents the rhetorical structures and other literary features of each narrative discloses the message for Israel (theme) as well as the author's likely purpose (goal) explores various ways of preaching Christ from each narrative offers sermon exposition and commentary in oral style suggests relevant sermon forms, introductions, and applications Including helpful appendixes -- "Ten Steps from Text to Sermon," "An Expository Sermon Model," and three of the author's own Genesis sermons -- this volume will be an invaluable resource for preachers and Bible teachers.

Berossus and Genesis, Manetho and Exodus proposes a provocative new theory regarding the date and circumstances of the composition of the Pentateuch. Gmirkin argues that the Hebrew Pentateuch was composed in its entirety about 273-272 BCE by Jewish scholars at Alexandria that later traditions credited with the Septuagint translation of the Pentateuch into Greek. The primary evidence is literary dependence of Gen. 1-11 on Berossus' Babyloniaca (278 BCE) and of the Exodus story on Manetho's Aegyptiaca (c. 285-280 BCE), and the geo-political data contained in the Table of Nations. A number of indications point to a provenance of Alexandria, Egypt for at least some portions of the Pentateuch. That the Pentateuch, drawing on literary sources found at the Great Library of Alexandria, was composed at almost the same date as the Septuagint translation, provides compelling evidence for some level of communication and collaboration between the authors of the Pentateuch and the Septuagint scholars at Alexandria's Museum. The late date of the Pentateuch, as demonstrated by literary dependence on Berossus and Manetho, has two important consequences: the definitive overthrow of the chronological framework of the Documentary Hypothesis, and a late, 3rd century BCE date for major portions of the Hebrew Bible which show literary dependence on the Pentateuch.