The Bookshelf
The works and references cited, quoted and utilized throughout the extensive collection of scriptures, writings, articles, essays, and treatise represented on RealityRoars.com
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A lucid, intelligent page-turner” (Los Angeles Times) that challenges long-held assumptions about Jesus, from the host of Believer
Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establish what he called the “Kingdom of God.” The revolutionary movement he launched was so threatening to the established order that he was executed as a state criminal. Within decades after his death, his followers would call him God.
Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history’s most enigmatic figures by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived. Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against the historical sources, Aslan describes a man full of conviction and passion, yet rife with contradiction. He explores the reasons the early Christian church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary. And he grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself, the mystery that is at the heart of all subsequent claims about his divinity.
Zealot yields a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told even as it affirms the radical and transformative nature of Jesus’ life and mission.
About the Author
Reza Aslan is an acclaimed writer and scholar of religions whose books include No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam and Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. He is also the author of How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror (published in paperback as Beyond Fundamentalism), as well as the editor of Tablet & Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three sons.
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition (September 9, 2014)
Did Jesus Exist?: The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth
In Did Jesus Exist? historian and Bible expert Bart Ehrman confronts the question, "Did Jesus exist at all?" Ehrman vigorously defends the historical Jesus, identifies the most historically reliable sources for best understanding Jesus’ mission and message, and offers a compelling portrait of the person at the heart of the Christian tradition.
Known as a master explainer with deep knowledge of the field, Bart Ehrman methodically demolishes both the scholarly and popular “mythicist” arguments against the existence of Jesus. Marshaling evidence from within the Bible and the wider historical record of the ancient world, Ehrman tackles the key issues that surround the mythologies associated with Jesus and the early Christian movement.
In Did Jesus Exist?: The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth, Ehrman establishes the criterion for any genuine historical investigation and provides a robust defense of the methods required to discover the Jesus of history.
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: HarperOne (March 19, 2013)
The Quest of the Historical Jesus
In this groundbreaking work that made his reputation as a theologian, Albert Schweitzer traces the search for the historical person of Jesus (apart from the Christ of faith) and puts forward his own view of Jesus as an apocalyptic figure who preached a radical message of the coming of the Kingdom of God. Though Schweitzer's own proposals about Jesus no longer command assent, his lasting contribution, comprising the bulk of the book, is the critique of his predecessors. Through examining the works of more than 50 18th- and 19th-century authors and scholars, he shows conclusively that each historical reconstruction of Jesus was largely a fantasy made in their own self-image.
Schweitzer's work has proved the touchstone for all subsequent quests for the "Jesus of history." It also contributed in no small measure to the remarkable resurgence in Jesus studies in the latter part of the 20th century, which culminated in the much publicized and highly controversial findings of the Jesus Seminar.
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Dover Publications; Dover Ed edition (February 11, 2005)
The Historical Figure of Jesus
A biography of the historical figure of Jesus. The book studies the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, distinguishing the certain from the improbable, and assessing the historical and religious context of Christ's time. The spread of Christianity is also discussed.
About the Author
Ed Sanders was a Professor of Religion at Duke University until 2005. His other works include Paul and Jesus and Judaism.
Paperback: 337 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (January 1, 1996)
Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods
Interest in the historical Jesus continues to occupy much of today's discussion of the Bible. The vexing question is how the Jesus presented in the Gospels relates to the Jesus that actually walked this earth.
Studying the Historical Jesus is an introductory guide to how one might go about answering that question by doing historical inquiry into the material found in the Gospels. Darrell Bock introduces the sources of our knowledge about Jesus, both biblical and extra-biblical. He then surveys the history and culture of the world of Jesus. The final chapters introduce some of the methods used to study the Gospels, including historical, redaction, and narrative criticisms.
Bock, a well respected author, provides an informed evangelical alternative to radical projects like the Jesus Seminar. His audience, however, is not limited only to evangelicals. This book, written for college and seminary courses, offers an informed scholarly approach that takes the Gospels seriously as a source of historical information.
About the Author
Darrell L. Bock (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) is Research Professor in New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of more than ten books, including the two-volume BECNT commentary on Luke.
Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: Baker Academic (July 1, 2002)
The Quest of the Historical Jesus
Excerpt from The Quest of the Historical Jesus: A Critical Study of Its Progress From Reimarus to Wrede
And the greatest achievement of German theology is the critical investigation of the life Of Jesus. What it has accomplished here has laid down the conditions and determined the course of the religious thinking of the future.
In the history of doctrine its work has been negative; it has, so to speak, cleared the site for a new edifice of religious thought. In describing how the ideas of Jesus were taken possession of by the Greek spirit, it was tracing the growth of that which must necessarily become strange to us, and, as a matter of fact, has become strange to us.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Paperback: 430 pages
Publisher: Forgotten Books (May 7, 2017)
This landmark volume presents the first-ever English translation of the ancient Israelite Samaritan version of the Pentateuch, or Torah. A text of growing interest and importance in the field of biblical studies, the Samaritan Pentateuch preserves a version of the Hebrew text distinct from the traditional Masoretic Text that underlies modern Bible translations.
Benyamim Tsedaka's expert English translation of the Samaritan Pentateuch is here laid out parallel to the more familiar Masoretic Text, highlighting the more than 6,000 differences between the two versions. In addition to extensive explanatory notes in the margins throughout, the book's detailed appendices show affinities between the Samaritan and Septuagint versions and between the Samaritan and Dead Sea Scroll texts. Concluding the volume is a categorical name index containing a wealth of comparative information.
About the Author
Benyamim Tsedaka is head of the A. B. Institute ofSamaritan Studies in Holon, Israel, and founding editor of abiweekly Samaritan newsmagazine published in four languages.
Hardcover: 558 pages
Publisher: Eerdmans; 1St Edition edition (April 26, 2013)
The Keepers describes the remarkable history and survival of the Samaritans and the unique oppression and grace that have shaped their culture and religion. It is a history whose antagonists have included Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and it has contributed to arguments between Roman Catholics and Protestants over the text of the Bible. The threads of the story disappear at times into Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but ultimately succeed in affirming the unique Samaritan identity. Popularly associated with phrases like "The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel" and "The Good Samaritan," many are surprised to learn that the Samaritans have a rich history and culture that includes a contemporary chapter. This history is illuminated by stories in the Hebrew Bible and documents from Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic sources.
About the Author
Robert T. Anderson, author of Samaritan Manuscripts and Artifacts, is professor emeritus of religious studies at Michigan State University.
Terry Giles teaches biblical studies as professor of theology at Gannon University. He has also been active in higher education administration and served as guest teaching faculty in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Baker Academic (December 1, 2001)
Winner of the R.B.Y. Scott Award from the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies
Even in antiquity, writers were intrigued by the origins of the people called Samaritans, living in the region of ancient Samaria (near modern Nablus). The Samaritans practiced a religion almost identical to Judaism and shared a common set of scriptures. Yet the Samaritans and Jews had little to do with each other. In a famous New Testament passage about an encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman, the author writes, "Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans."
The Samaritans claimed to be descendants of the northern tribes of Joseph. Classical Jewish writers said, however, that they were either of foreign origin or the product of intermarriages between the few remaining northern Israelites and polytheistic foreign settlers. Some modern scholars have accepted one or the other of these ancient theories. Others have avidly debated the time and context in which the two groups split apart.
Covering over a thousand years of history, this book makes an important contribution to the fields of Jewish studies, biblical studies, ancient Near Eastern studies, Samaritan studies, and early Christian history by challenging the oppositional paradigm that has traditionally characterized the historical relations between Jews and Samaritans.
About the Author
Gary Knoppers is the O'Brien Professor of Theology at University of Notre Dame. Recent publications include a two-volume commentary on I Chronicles in the Anchor Bible series (2004), a co-edited volume (with Bernard Levinson) on The Pentateuch as Torah (2007), and a co-edited volume (with Oded Lipschits and Manfred Oeming) on Judah and the Judeans in the Achaemenid Period (2011).
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (May 30, 2013)
This book is a compilation of writings from two Samaritan High Priests of the early 20th century. Both works layout the doctrine of the Samaritans with detailed explanations from the Torah. Mount Gerizim: The One True Sanctuary The Samaritans hold to the belief that Mount Gerizim is the sacred place which their worship and pilgrimage is to be directed to the rejection of the Jebusite mount of Jerusalem. Mount Gerizim plays a prominent role in the lives of the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; is the place described in the Torah as the Mountain of Blessing; and was part of the inheritance of Jacob’s favored son Jospeh. Samaritan High Priest Amram son of Isaac lays out their claim that it is “The One True Sanctuary.” (Originally published in the early 1900’s) The Book Of Enlightenment For The Instruction Of The Inquirer Samaritan High Priest Jacob son of Aaron set out to answer twenty-five questions most frequently asked of him by outsiders as well as of those among his own community. He also set forth two arguments for his opponents - the Jews - which show the distance in doctrine between these two Israelite sects. (Originally published in 1913)
Paperback: 108 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 15, 2013)
Excerpt from The Samaritans: Their Testimony to the Religion of Israel, Being the Alexander Robertson Lectures, Delivered, Before the University of Glasgow in 1916
For assistance in correcting proof, the writer would return thanks to the Rev. Dr James Robertson, Professor emeritus of Oriental Languages, Glasgow University; Rev. Dr James Kennedy, Librarian, New College, Edinburgh; Dr John Hutchison, Rector emeritus, Glasgow High School; Rev. Dr Charles Jerdan, Greenock, Senior Clerk, u.b.c. General Assembly. He has further to thank the Rev. W. B. R. Wilson, Dollar, for compiling an index, and E. Russell, Esq, for general suggestions. The writer would also acknowledge the kindness of Professor W. B. Stevenson in bringing to his notice not a few facts and authorities, which might otherwise have escaped him; to Professor A. R. S. Kennedy for assistance in books; and to Dr Cowley, Oxford, for kind answers to inquiries in regard to matters, authoritative information on which was not open to the writer. He would express his gratitude to Dr Rendel Harris and to his friend the Rev. J. C. Nicol, m.a., Eccles, for information as to the Samaritan codices in the Rylands Library, Manchester. The kindness of the librarians of the Universities Of Glasgow and Edinbtirgh, and Of New College, Edinburgh, must not be forgotten. Above all he would tender his thanks to his wife for her assistance in preparing the manuscript for the Press.
In regard to books, the writer would acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr Montgomery's Samaritans, especially to the copious list Of literature appended to various articles of Dr Cowley, and to Dr Mill's Modern Samaritans.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Paperback: 454 pages
Publisher: Forgotten Books (February 7, 2018)
The Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) is the sacred scripture of the Samaritans, a tenacious religious community made famous by Jesus Good Samaritan story that persists to this day. Not so widely known is the impact of the SP outside the Samaritan community. Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in this scripture, as evidenced by several translations of the SP as well as reference in Qumran scroll studies to the SP or an SP-like tradition in an effort to describe some of the textual evidence present in the scrolls. This volume presents a general introduction to and overview of the SP, suitable for a course text and as a reference tool for the professional scholar.
About the Author
Robert T. Anderson is professor emeritus of religious studies at Michigan State University. Terry Giles teaches biblical studies as Professor of Theology at Gannon University. They are co-authors of The Keepers: An Introduction to the History and Culture of the Samaritans and Tradition Kept: The Literature of the Samaritans (both from Hendrickson).
Series: Sbl - Resources for Biblical Study (Paper)
Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: Society of Biblical Literature (October 22, 2012)
Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Time Lines
NEW Anniversary Edition of Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps and Timelines, Volume 1 covers over 200 Bible topics and features MORE pages, 6 EXTRA topics, updated information, and a bonus 24' fold-out on Jesus' Family Tree.
The #1 Bible Reference book celebrates its 10th anniversary with an updated 230-page edition that features more Bible maps, charts and illustrations than the original! This stunning, easy-to-understand reference book still provides the same full-color, REPRODUCIBLE Bible charts and overviews that made the original a favorite, but in an easier-to-use, updated format!
Plus! It includes over 37 ADDED pages of ALL NEW content on popular Bible topics, including Psalm 23, Lord's Prayer, the 12 Tribes of Israel, and more!
Features ALL NEW content and Updated Information, such as:
- 6 NEW pamphlets on popular Bible topics, including Psalms 23, Lord's Prayer, Twelve Tribes of Israel, and more.
- Bonus 24' foldout of the genealogy of Jesus!
- Our 4 bestselling 'Then and Now Bible Maps' that show where Bible places are located today.
- And More!
Features more than 200 REPRODUCIBLE Bible Charts, Maps, and Timelines, including:
2 Bible Foldout Posters: Bible Time Line and Jesus' Genealogy
- NEW! Jesus' Genealogy 24' Foldout!
- Bible Time Line 24'
Overviews on Popular Old Testament Topics
- NEW! Psalm 23
- Tabernacle
- Ark of the Covenant
- Archaeology & the Bible (50 Proofs of the Old Testament
- Solomon's Temple
- Names of God
- The Ten Commandments and You
- 100 Well-Known Old Testament Events
- The Creation
- The Exodus
Overviews on Key Old Testament Topics
- NEW! The 12 Tribes of Israel
- Kings and Prophets
- Family Tree of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
- The Judges
- Feasts & Holidays of the Bible
- Archaeology & The Bible (50 Proofs of the New Testament)
Overviews on Popular New Testament Topics
- NEW! The Lord's Prayer
- NEW! Essential Christian Doctrine
- NEW! Heroes of the Faith: Hebrews 11
- The Twelve Disciples
- 1 Corinthians 13: The Love Chapter
- The Armor of God
- The Fruit of the Spirit
- 100 Well-Known Events from Acts to Revelation
Overviews of Jesus' Life and Teachings
- Jesus & The Names of God
- The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
- Events in the Life of Jesus
- Miracles of Jesus
- Parables of Jesus
- The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount
- Evidence for the Resurrection
Bible Overview: Books of the Bible and Key Bible Stories
- NEW! 52 Key Bible Stories
- 100 Well-Known People in the Bible
- 100 Well-Known Prayers in the Bible
- Books of the Bible
- Bible Overview Old Testament
- Bible Overview New Testament
- UPDATED! Table of Biblical Weights and Measures
- 100 Proofs for the Bible
Christian History
- How We Got the Bible
- Christian History Time Line
Charts Comparing Christianity to Islam and 20 Other World Religions
- UPDATED! Islam and Christianity
- UPDATED! Christianity, Cults and Religions pamphlet
And so much more!
Paperback: 230 pages
Publisher: Rose Publishing; 10th Anniversary edition (March 13, 2015)
Amazon.com Review
"J," "P," "E," and "D" are the names scholars have given to some authors of the Bible, and, as such, they are very important letters to a lot of people. Churches have died and been born, and millions of people have lost faith or found it, because of the last two centuries of debate about who, exactly, wrote the canonical texts of Christianity and Judaism. Richard Elliott Friedman's survey of this debate, in Who Wrote the Bible?, may be the best written popular book about this question. Without condescension or high-flown academic language, Friedman carefully describes the history of textual criticism of the Bible--a subject on which his authority is unparalleled (Friedman has contributed voluminously to the authoritative Anchor Bible Dictionary). But this book is not just smart. Perhaps even more impressive than Friedman's erudition is his sensitivity to the power of textual criticism to influence faith. --Michael Joseph Gross
Review
A contemporary classic that is a "thought-provoking [and] perceptive guide [to the Bible's authorship]."--"New York Times Book Review"
"Brilliantly presented: There is no other book like this one. It may well be unique."--"Los Angeles Times"
"Remarkable. Friedman has written that most rare of books: a legitimate intellectual contribution that is also a good read. The field of biblical studies will be enriched by this book."--"Dallas Times Herald"
"It is an event to have a book as readable and exciting as "Who Wrote the Bible? "It has about it the resounding smack of solid truth."--"Harvard Magazine"
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: HarperOne; Reprint edition (March 21, 1997)
For centuries the Hebrew Bible has been the fountainhead of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Today, however, the entire biblical tradition, including its historical veracity, is being challenged. Leading this assault is a group of scholars described as the "minimalist" or "revisionist" school of biblical studies, which charges that the Hebrew Bible is largely pious fiction, that its writers and editors invented "ancient Israel" as a piece of late Jewish propaganda in the Hellenistic era.
In this fascinating book noted Syro-Palestinian archaeologist William G. Dever attacks the minimalist position head-on, showing how modern archaeology brilliantly illuminates both life in ancient Palestine and the sacred scriptures as we have them today. Assembling a wealth of archaeological evidence, Dever builds the clearest, most complete picture yet of the real Israel that existed during the Iron Age of ancient Palestine (1200–600 B.C.).
Dever's exceptional reconstruction of this key period points up the minimalists' abuse of archaeology and reveals the weakness of their revisionist histories. Dever shows that ancient Israel, far from being an "invention," is a reality to be discovered. Equally important, his recovery of a reliable core history of ancient Israel provides a firm foundation from which to appreciate the aesthetic value and lofty moral aspirations of the Hebrew Bible.
Paperback: 327 pages
Publisher: Eerdmans; Later Printing edition (May 10, 2001)
