Three New Titles from SBL...

... including one which may come in very handy next spring, as Prof. Kovacs is considering teaching a course on Clement of Alexandria:

The Text of the Gospels in Clement of Alexandria
Carl P. Cosaert

This volume applies the latest methodological advances in patristic textual analysis to explore the nature of the Gospel text used by Clement, an early Alexandrian father who wrote extensively on the Christian faith and filled his writings with thousands of biblical citations. After examining Clement’s life and use of the New Testament writings, the book lists all of his quotations of the Four Gospels and compares them to those of other Alexandrian Christians and to the most significant ancient Greek and Latin manuscripts. The book demonstrates that the form of the Gospels in Alexandria was in transition at the end of the second century and argues that Clement’s Gospel text reveals an Alexandrian influence in John and Matthew and a stronger Western influence in Luke and his citations of Mark 10.

Paper $47.95 — ISBN 9781589833722 — 388 pages — New Testament in the Greek Fathers 9 — Hardback edition www.brill.nl


"They Shall Purify Themselves": Essays on Purity in Early Judaism
Susan Haber
Adele Reinhartz, editor

Recent decades have witnessed numerous studies of the role of purity in early Judaism, from ancient Israel to the rabbinic period, covering a variety of topics and approaches. The essays in this volume address three less-studied areas of this broader field: the connection, if any, between purity and the synagogue; Jesus’ observance of purity laws; and women’s relationships with purity in the first century. By providing a new perspective on the role of purity in first-century Judaism, this stimulating and refreshing collection illuminates ancient practice and informs our understanding of the role of purity in the contemporary world.

Paper $32.95 — ISBN 9781589833555 — 256 pages — Early Judaism and Its Literature 24 — Hardback edition www.brill.nl


As It Is Written: Studying Paul's Use of Scripture
Stanley E. Porter and Christopher D. Stanley

All scholars recognize that Scripture plays a vital role in the theology and rhetoric of the apostle Paul. They disagree, however, about how best to make sense of the many marked and unmarked references to Scripture that permeate his letters. This book aims to move the discussion forward by examining the reasons behind these scholarly differences. The essays are united by a concern to show how scholarly opinions concerning Paul’s use of Scripture have been influenced by the application of divergent methods and conflicting presuppositions regarding Paul, his audiences, and the role of biblical references in his letters. The book also seeks to extend the boundaries of the discussion by applying the insights of deconstruction, postcolonial theory, and feminist criticism to the study of Paul’s use of Scripture. Together these essays show what can be accomplished when scholars take the time to discuss their differences and try out new approaches to old problems. The contributors are Douglas A. Campbell, Roy Ciampa, Steven DiMattei, Kathy Ehrensperger, Neil Elliott, Bruce N. Fisk, Mark D. Given, Steve Moyise, Stanley E. Porter, Jeremy Punt, and Christopher D. Stanley.

Paper $44.95 — ISBN 9781589833593 — 388 pages — Symposium Series 50 — Hardback edition www.brill.nl