Description:
Ancient Near Eastern Themes in Biblical Theology traces the many parallels between the Old Testament (and Bible as a whole) and the ancient Near East, including creation and flood narratives, common literary and legal forms, supposed acts of deities and the God of the Bible, and more. Instead of merely studying a random selection of parallels, however, Jeffrey Niehaus proposes that they represent "a shared theological structure of ideas in the ancient Near East, a structure that finds its most complete and true form in the Old and New Testaments." This comprehensive and enlightening resource promises to help students and discerning Bible readers to intellectually grasp and appreciate the overarching story of the Bible within its cultural development.
Brief description: Jeffrey J. Niehaus (Ph.D., Harvard University) is professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is the author of God at Sinai: Covenant and Theophany in the Bible and Ancient Near East (Zondervan, 1995) and commentaries on Amos and Obadiah (Baker, 1992-93). He has written articles for JETS, JBL, and Vetus Testamentum.
Review Quotes: "Jeff Niehaus' book is a very good source of ancient Near Eastern references that provide very helpful parallels for the Old and New Testaments. He has combed these extra-biblical sources on such subjects as covenant, temple, and image of God. All students of Scripture will benefit from this source-book."--G.K. Beale, Chair of Biblical Studies Professor of New Testament, Wheaton College (5/3/2008 12:00:00 AM)