This book brings together the contributions of the foremost specialists on the relationship of the New Testament and Rabbinic Literature. They present the history of scholarship and deal with the main methodological issues, and analyze both legal and literary problems.

Here is a sustained criticism of the rather facile use of rabbinic literature by New Testament scholarship. In particular, Neusner addresses the writings of Helmut Koester, Samuel Sandmel, Reginald Fuller, Harvey Falk, Geza Vermes, E.P. Sanders, S.J.D. Cohen, Morton Smith, John P. Meier, and Brad H. Young. The book begins with a study of the characteristics of rabbinic literature and a demonstration of why this literature cannot be easily used for the kind of history New Testament scholarship proposes to produce. Then follow critiques of the writings by various New Testament scholars and the differences between Professor Neusner and his critics. A concluding section pays tribute to the New Testament field for all it has taught the author.

The achievement of a lifetime from one of today's most eminent Judaic scholars--a landmark commentary on the history of rabbinical teachings in the Christian era: the Mishnah, the Tosefta, the Talmuds, and more.

A study disposing of the view expressed by many Jewish apologists that there is no explicit Jewish doctrine of the afterlife; that Judaism is concerned with earthly existence only; and warns us against useless speculation about the details of the afterlife. It explicates an elaborate doctrine of eternal punishment which is explicitly formulated and recorded in the Talmud and various Midrashim.

Volume three contains an English translation of the commentary on Romans through Revelation. Hermann L. Strack and Paul Billerbeck's Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Midrash is an important reference work for illustrating the concepts, theological background, and cultural assumptions of the New Testament. The commentary walks through each New Testament book verse by verse, referencing potentially illuminating passages from the Talmud and Midrash and providing easy access to the rich textual world of rabbinic material. Originally published between 1922 and 1928 as Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch, Strack and Billerbeck's commentary has been unavailable in English until now. Translated by Joseph Longarino and edited by Jacob N. Cerone, this volume also includes an introduction by David Instone-Brewer.

Among the many in the last century who explored the relationship between the New Testament and rabbinic Judaism, David Daube must certainly be designated as among the pioneers. And in the literature of that exploration, along with works such as Paul and Rabbinic Judaism by W. D. Davies and Joachim Jeremias' Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus, Daube's The New Testament and Rabbinic Judaism must be awarded "classic" status. Whether one is examining the social and religious history behind the New Testament text or analyzing the text itself, The New Testament and Rabbinic Judaism will illumine the interpreter. Daube's work stands on the shoulders of no one, and has itself become a cornerstone for future study in this field. This volume is a must for every library.

Meet the Rabbis explains to the reader how rabbinic thought was relevant to Jesus and the New Testament world, and hence should be relevant to those people today who read the New Testament. In this sense, rabbinic thought is relevant to every aspect of modern life. Rabbinic literature explores the meaning of living life to its fullest, in right relationship with God and humanity. However, many Christians are not aware of rabbinic thought and literature. Indeed, most individuals in the Western world today, regardless of whether they are Christians, atheists, agnostics, secular community leaders, or some other religious and political persuasions, are more knowledgeable of Jesus' ethical teachings in the Sermon the Mount than the Ethics of the Fathers in a Jewish prayer book. The author seeks to introduce the reader to the world of Torah learning. It is within this world that the authentic cultural background of Jesus' teachings in ancient Judaism is revealed. Young uses parts of the New Testament, especially the Sermon on the Mount, as a springboard for probing rabbinic method. The book is an introduction to rabbinic thought and literature and has three main sections in its layout: Introduction to Rabbinic Thought, Introduction to Rabbinic Literature, and Meet the Rabbis, a biographical description of influential Rabbis from Talmudic sources.