1995 BAS Publication Awards
042
The biennial Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Awards recognize the best new books on archaeology and the Bible. Made possible by a generous gift from the Leopold and Clara M. Fellner Charitable Foundation by its trustee, Frederick L. Simmons, the 1995 awards are for books published in 1993 and 1994.
043
Best Popular Books on Archaeology
Judges:
Keith N. Schoville, University of Wisconsin
Joe D. Seger, Mississippi State University
Paula C. Wapnish, University of Alabama
The Dead Sea Scrolls Today
James C. VanderKam
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1994) 221 pp., $12.99
VanderKam’s book is a concise and complete account of the story of the scrolls—their discovery, literary character and social background. Providing a balanced summary of the current state of knowledge, the author examines the archaeological evidence from Qumran, methods of dating the scrolls and new technologies such as computer-imaging. Also included is a section of black-and-white photographs of significant fragments and the caves where they were found. VanderKam threads his way through the various controversies with authority and clarity.
Peoples of the Old Testament World
Alfred J. Hoerth, Gerald L. Mattingly & Edwin M. Yamauchi, eds.
(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994) 400 pp., $29.99
This collection of essays by various scholars brings together old and new perspectives on the peoples that march across the pages of the Hebrew Bible. The authors cover the origins, histories, rulers, architecture, art and religion of the peoples and cultures with whom Biblical Israel came into contact. Separate chapters examine Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Syria-Palestine and Egypt, and the Transjordan, enabling the reader to envision times past and distant places.
Best Scholarly Books on Archaeology
Judges:
Keith N. Schoville, University of Wisconsin
Joe D. Seger, Mississippi State University
Paula C. Wapnish, University of Alabama
The Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts with English Translations
Vol. 1, Rule of the Community and Related DocumentsJames H. Charlesworth, ed.
(Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr [Paul Siebeck]; Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1994) 210 pp., $99.00
This important work brings together all copies of the Dead Sea Scroll text known as The Community Rule (also called the Manual of Discipline), with original Hebrew and English translations on facing pages. With contributions by Frank Moore Cross, Elisha Qimron, Jacob Milgrom, Lawrence Schiffman, Loren T. Stuckenbruck and Richard E. Whitaker, this volume offers the most up-to-date research, an indispensable compendium for anyone doing research on the scrolls.
Scripture and Other Artifacts: Essays on the Bible and Archaeology in Honor of Philip J. King
Michael D. Coogan, J. Cheryl Exum and Lawrence E. Stager, eds.
(Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1994) 452 pp., $25.00
A fitting recognition of Philip J. King’s interests and contributions! The two dozen essays in this volume, by scholars of international standing, focus on the diverse ways in which archaeological material illuminates the Biblical text. These essays run the gamut of Biblical history, from the ancient Israelites to early Judaism and the rise of Christianity—throwing new light on the relation between Scripture and archaeology.
042
Best Books Relating to the Old Testament
Judges:
Susan Ackerman, Dartmouth College
Douglas A. Knight, Vanderbilt University
Jack M. Sasson, University of North Carolina
The History of Ancient Palestine
Gösta W. Ahlström, with a contribution by Gary O. Rollefson, ed. by Diana Edelman
(Minneapolis: Fortress; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993) 990 pp., $34.00
The scope of this study is monumental, beginning with an examination of the prehistoric period and continuing through the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Persian period. Ahlström’s premise is that the history of the peoples of Israel and Judah achieves its full meaning only when understood within the broader history of ancient Palestine. Giving substantial weight to extra-Biblical materials, particularly archaeological and epigraphic sources, Ahlström’s account is often substantively different from previous histories and is bound to be controversial.
A History of Israelite Religion in the Old Testament Period
Vol, 1: From the Beginnings to the End of the Monarchy
Vol. 2: From the Exile to the MaccabeesRainer Albertz
(Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1994) 725 pp., $32.00 (each)
Albertz, like Gösta Ahlström, has attempted to reshape an entire field of study. Moving beyond the Hebrew Bible, Albertz assesses the social changes that affected Hebrew beliefs and appraises the impact of neighboring religions on Hebraic theology; he envisions an Israel that functioned under what he calls a socially conditioned “internal religious pluralism.” The result is a panoramic history that provides a full appreciation of Israel’s extraordinary achievements.
Best Books Relating to the New Testament
Judges:
Bruce Chilton, Bard College
George Howard, University of Georgia
Jane Schaberg, University of Detroit-Mercy
The Death of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Passion Narratives
Raymond E. Brown
Anchor Bible Reference Library
(Garden City, NY. Doubleday, 1994) 1608 pp. (2 vols.), $75.00
Brown’s study, an outstanding exegetical work grounded in judicious and comprehensive interpretation, will remain a major work in the field of New Testament studies for years to come. In a style that is lucid, readable and erudite, Brown devotes each chapter to a different aspect of the passion and crucifixion, providing detailed exegeses of relevant passages from the Gospels, followed by informative, learned commentaries.
Jesus, Miriam’s Child, Sophia’s Prophet: Critical Issues in Feminist Christology
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza
(New York: Continuum Books, 1994) 262 pp., $22.95
In this radical revisioning of the principles, framework and aims of New Testament interpretation, Schüssler Fiorenza spans the fields of feminist theory, Biblical studies and Christian theology. She links issues of women’s religious and theological authority with struggles for global democracy, economic justice and universal well-being, and she challenges traditional forms of Christian identity and theological interpretation.
The biennial Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Awards recognize the best new books on archaeology and the Bible. Made possible by a generous gift from the Leopold and Clara M. Fellner Charitable Foundation by its trustee, Frederick L. Simmons, the 1995 awards are for books published in 1993 and 1994. 043 Best Popular Books on Archaeology Judges: Keith N. Schoville, University of WisconsinJoe D. Seger, Mississippi State UniversityPaula C. Wapnish, University of Alabama The Dead Sea Scrolls Today James C. VanderKam (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1994) 221 pp., $12.99 VanderKam’s book is a concise and complete account of the story […]
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