Stuttgart Electronic Study Bible (Deutsche Bibel Gesellschaft, 240 EURO; Libronix, $280). The German and Dutch Bible Societies have combined to produce this handsome computer-based electronic research aid (SESB) for students of the Bible who use the Windows operating system. One of its most distinctive features is that the critical apparatus for the Hebrew and Greek texts is provided in electronic format. Click on a hyperlink in the Hebrew Bible for example and you get the full textual note from Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, with Latin words spelled out fully, but not translated. The apparatus is also searchable. You can find the 812 occurrences where the apparatus refers to the Greek version of Symmachus! The font for the biblical texts themselves is the best I have seen in a computer program. A right mouse click on a Hebrew word parses the form and suggests a meaning (in English and German) and also facilitates a search on that word. A search on the word Elohim came up with 2601 occurrences in 587 “articles” (“articles” here means chapters). A similar search in Bible Works came up with 2602 occurrences in seventeen different forms. The WIVU database permits searches involving both morphology and syntax, at least for Genesis-2 Kings. SESB will do very complicated searches, but I also found the learning curve for using the program quite high. Once you search for a word, it appears in bright blue. Only two English versions are provided (NRSV and NIV), the most commonly used in churches today, but competitors offer many more options. RWK

Qoheleth. By Thomas Krüger (Fortress, $52). This commentary by K. in the Hermeneia Series takes its place as the best of current commentaries on Ecclesiastes/Qoheleth. There are highly competent discussions in the introduction about Qoheleth’s themes and organization (or lack of it) and the genres therein contained. The book is found to be coherent if one takes into account its discursive character and considers the possibility of an ironic playing around with traditional genres and themes. Qoheleth was probably written at the end of the third century BCE and polemicizes against an understanding of wisdom as the guarantee of a long, successful, and happy life. Experience taught Qoheleth that wisdom is by no means as easy to find as Proverbs 1-9 and Sirach assert. Qoheleth criticizes hopes for a continued existence of the individual after death. The temple is not needed for the atonement of guilt (5:5 Why should the Deity become angry over your speech?), but for the cultivation and transmission of religious traditions (4:17 draw near in order to hear and not in order to make a sacrificial offering). Qoheleth can serve as an example of an intellectually honest treatment of cultural and religious traditions that is itself not above criticism. K. raises the possibility that the epilogue in 12:9-14 is the book’s original literary conclusion. These words make clear that the critical wisdom expressed in this biblical book is also self-critical. The bibliography in this commentary runs to 55 pages! RWK

Biblical Archaeologist CD-ROM Archive. (American Schools of Oriental Research, $109). Founded by G. Ernest Wright, the noted Harvard archeologist, BA evolved from a small black and white format to a slick, large-sized journal with four-color pictures. In the meantime archeology also evolved, leading to a name change of this journal in 1998 to Near Eastern Archeology and a focus that is broader, somewhat more technical, and not always of immediate applicability for biblical scholars and pastors.. All sixty years of BA appear on this CD, allowing the user to find, read, or print out important articles (there are more than 1,000 to choose from) or use the pictures (thousands of them) for PowerPoint presentations. Not everyone is happy with the changed name and changed direction of this journal, and I for one miss the balanced views of BA that have been replaced by the sensationalism of Biblical Archaeology Review. It's great to hold the legacy of BA in one hand! RWK

He That Cometh: The Messiah Concept in the Old Testament and Later Judaism. By Sigmund Mowinckel (Eerdmans, $40). This classic treatment of the messiah was first published in English in 1956. Now, fifty years later, it remains the best comprehensive treatment of the subject though M. was a child of his time and this book was written too early to take advantage of the new information in the Dead Sea Scrolls. M. restricted "eschatology" to mean the end of the present world order and therefore denied that there was true eschatology in the prophets. M. demonstrated the continuity between the royal ideology of the ancient Near East and Jewish messianic expectation and showed how Jewish messianic expectations differed from those espoused by early Christianity. M. recognized the difference between the Servant and the messiah since the servant's task was to bring Israel back to Yahweh, a task not associated with the messiah. M. erred in seeing the Son of Man as a development of the myth of Primordial Man, whereas in Daniel the Son of Man is a heavenly angelic figure, who represents Israel on the heavenly level but is not identical with it. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide evidence that M's notion of a national messiah was alive and well in the first century B.C.E. A foreword and a short bibliography on messianism by John J. Collins gives an appropriate perspective for receiving this great book. RWK

The Commentators' Bible. The JPS Miqra'ot Gedolot. Shemot Exodus. Edited by Michael Carask (Jewish Publication Society, $75). This is a "large format Bible," containing on every page a short Hebrew text from Exodus, two twentieth-century Jewish English translations, and the medieval commentaries of Rashi (1040-1105), Rashbam (1085-1174, Rashi's grandson), Ibn Ezra (1089-1164), and Nahmanides (1195-1270), all in English. (Other medieval commentators are included now and then). Reading these multiple commentaries together on one page engages the reader in the conversation/debate going on among these great commentators, whose questions are often not the same as ours. Rashi, for example, concluded that Moses killed the Egyptian by pronouncing the Tetragrammaton, but Ibn Ezra was sure it was with a stone or a spear. Since Moses loaded his family on the ass (Exod 4:20, the definite article is in the Hebrew), Rashi concluded that it was the same ass Abraham had used at the time of the (near) sacrifice of Isaac and that the Messiah would use at the end of days (Zech 9:9). Beautifully printed. RWK

The Uttermost Parts of the Earth. By Richard R. Losch (Eerdmans, $16). This handy guide to more than seventy places in the Bible, ranging from Ai to Ur, devotes three pages to each on the average. L. describes the geographical setting and the history of the site, locates it on one of six maps, and suggests a pronunciation for it. Rome gets a whopping thirty-three pages, allowing the author to give a helpful survey of the Roman Empire. RWK

The Shadow of God. Stories from Early Judaism. By Leo Duprée Sandgren (Hendrickson, $16). Passing himself off as a fictitious research assistant to Josephus, S. tells stories about the people and places the master left out of his massive history. He begins with an anecdote about Jewish debates in Babylon on whether to serve Nebuchadnezzar and ends with a tale about a conversation between Johanan ben Zakkai and Vespasian, that won Johanan a claim to imperial property near Jamnia, where he founded rabbinic Judaism. In thirteen other stories in between he brings out human interest features of Jewish history such as life in the military colony at Elephantine, during the Maccabean revolt, and at Qumran. RWK

Wondrous Depth. Preaching the Old Testament. By Ellen F. Davis (Westminster John Knox, $19.95). In these Beecher lectures from 2003, D. seeks to show that biblical interpretation and preaching are essentially related to one another and are inextricably connected to the church's life. Chapter 1 argues that that the Old Testament is an urgent presence, not separated from us by a vast chasm, using Bonhoeffer as a model. Chapter 2 suggests a strategy for preaching on the Psalms, urging attention to their poetic form. She appends a sermon by John Donne to illustrate her point. Chapter 3 deals with Christological preaching on the Old Testament while chapter 4 discusses Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626),the best example of the preacher as traditional artist, in her judgment. She adds four sermons of her own on Gen 21:1-21, Isa 5:8-25, and Psalms 1 and 22. An important and distinctive voice, deeply indebted to her teacher Brevard S. Childs. RWK

Defending God. Biblical Responses to the Problem of Evil. By James L. Crenshaw (Oxford, $37.50). C. is well known for two related passions: the wisdom literature of the Old Testament and the problem of theodicy. Here he returns to the latter issue, often drawing on the former passion. His eleven chapters are divided into three parts: Spreading the Blame Around (e.g., blaming the devil does not help since God has ultimate control over Satan), Redefining God (justice in tension with mercy, punishment for sin as blaming the victim), and Shifting to the human scene (suffering as atonement, resurrection, or is anthropocentricity the problem?). Don't expect easy or final answers in this book, but do expect to hear afresh the Bible's honest confrontation with the problem…and with its God. RWK

In Search of Pre-Exilic Israel. Edited by John Day (T & T Clark International, $29.95). To read certain scholars or journals these days, one might conclude that "everything in the Old Testament is late," from the Persian period at the very earliest, but much also from Hellenistic and Maccabean times. The seventeen chapters in this book were first presented at the Oxford Old Testament Seminar in 2003, and they provide a convincing "not so fast" to the "late daters." What parts of J, the Covenant Code, Isaiah, Jeremiah, wisdom literature and Psalms can in fact be dated before the exile? What kinds of early history of the Exodus or the United Monarchy can be constructed, drawing on biblical and extra-biblical data? How long before the exile did monotheism begin to emerge? RWK

Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishnah. By George W. Nickelsburg (Fortress, 29). This is the best introduction to the literature of the intertestamental period (325 BCE to 100 CE), and now in this second edition N. has included several more works from the apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls and completely updated the bibliography. This edition comes with a CD Rom that allows searching of the text and contains 100 pictures and a study guide. This literature shows the lively character of the various kinds of Judaism in the New Testament period and of course supplies indispensable background to many of the New Testament's ideas (e.g., son of man, messiah, apocalyptic, exegetical methods). RWK

Jerusalem Besieged. From Ancient Canaan to Modern Israel. By Eric H. Cline (University of Michigan, $19.95 paper). The author tallies some 118 conflicts in and for Jerusalem in the last 4,000 years, but this book focuses primarily on ten of those, ranging from David and Nebuchadnezzar in the Old Testament period, the Maccabean wars, the Jewish revolts of the first and second centuries, the arrival of Islam, the crusaders, the Ottomans, and three chapters devoted to battles of the 20^th century. As C. notes in the final chapter: "Those who fought for Jerusalem down through the ages thought that they alone had a God-given right to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sherif and the surrounding city" and "It is likely that the history of Jerusalem will continue to be used and misused by political and military leaders in the propaganda of present and future conflicts." There are 24 maps and ten full-color paintings by the 19^th century artist David Roberts. RWK

The Book of Proverbs. Chapters 1-15; The Book of Proverbs. Chapters 15-31. By Bruce K. Waltke (Eerdmans, $50 each volume). This massive, nearly 1300-page commentary displays the erudition, diligence, and extensive knowledge of Hebrew for which W. is well-known. It also shows his evangelical/conservative stance that insists that Solomon is the author of at least chapters 1-29. W. devotes seventy pages to the theology of Proverbs and forty to bibliography. The commentary interprets individual proverbs all by themselves and also as part of the various collections in the book. W. is quite knowledgeable about wisdom in the Ancient Near East and has certainly read very widely in the secondary literature though he finds "fundamentalistic" historical criticism (= mainstream contemporary scholarship) as rigid as theological fundamentalism. While I do not subscribe to his isagogical conclusions, I found on page after page, well-argued and often quite fresh interpretations. One of the most debated verses in the book is Prov 8:30 "I [wisdom] was beside him [God], like a master worker" (NRSV). W. devotes four pages to this crux and comes up with a rather bland: "And I was beside him constantly." The overlap in the titles of the two volumes stems from the fact that the first twenty-nine verses of ch. 15 are in the first volume and the last four verses are in the second. RWK

From Every People and Nation: The Book of Revelation in Intercultural Perspective. Edited by David Rhoads (Fortress, $22). The ten authors in this volume represent a wide variety of ethnic perspectives—African American male and female, Hispanic, Cuban, European Canadian, Nigerian, European American female, Chilean/Costa Rican/ Brazilian, and Chinese American. These writers from diverse cultural and social locations give responsible interpretations and responsible appropriations of the Bible for relevant contexts in the contemporary world. Each of us, whether we do it consciously or not, interprets with interests, dynamics, and concerns specific to our cultural/social context. This book challenges directly the idea that texts can be read objectively. Interpretations also have ethical impacts on contemporary contexts. Interpretations that foster patriarchy, racism, or colonialism are to be denounced. Awareness of our social location as interpreters makes us aware that the writers of the New Testament also had their own distinct cultural/social locations. The author of Revelation invited his readers to withdraw from social, economic, political, and religious affiliation with the Empire in the confidence that they will populate the new Jerusalem when it comes. The purpose of this book is for readers to be transformed by encountering diverse cultural interpretations of the Bible. RWK

The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures. By Michael D. Coogan (Oxford, $53). This textbook by a well-known OT scholar includes treatments of the apocryphal or deuterocanonical works in addition to the standard Old Testament. Its attention to both history and literature will help students locate biblical writings in their historical contexts. Each chapter begins and ends with words linking it to what went before and what comes after, and key terms and questions for review end each chapter (I wish the basic bibliography were fuller). Each chapter also has a number of sidebars or excursuses in "boxes," dealing with specialized topics (there are 115 of these scattered throughout the book). Numerous pictures (11 in full color) and dramatic layout will enhance enjoyment of this account of state-of-the-art scholarship. Coogan is in the mainstream of North American biblical scholarship and writes with vigor and authority. RWK

David Observed. A King in the Eyes of His Court. By Keith Bodner (Sheffield Phoenix Press, $85). David dominates the biblical story from 1 Samuel 16 to 1 Kings 2, and this book looks at him and various characters in his court and family from a variety of literary (rather than historical) perspectives. One chapter develops a theory of Pamela Reis about the incident of David with the priest Ahimelech at Nob; another looks at the demise of Abner, Saul's general, through the literary theory of Mikhail Bakhtin. The character of Nathan in 2 Samuel 7 and 12 and 1 Kings 1 is investigated in a chapter entitled Prophet, Politician, and Playwright. The first of these references deals with his promise of an everlasting dynasty to David and the last two tell of his interactions with David and Bathsheba (dealing with adultery and succession to the throne respectively). New readings from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint also provide fresh angles. Why did Ahitophel defect from David to Absalom in 2 Samuel 15-17? Was it because David treated his granddaughter Bathsheba shabbily? General Joab comes off as a reader-response critic. Lots to enjoy here. RWK

The Bible and its Influence. By Cullen Schippe and Chuck Stetson (BLP Publishing, $67.95). This is a textbook for elective high school courses in Bible literacy. Endorsed by a wide range of scholars and religious leaders (from conservative to liberal), this volume is lavishly illustrated with fine art, and it claims to be solidly within First Amendment rights—the Bible is not read as sacred text but to provide a better understanding of literature, art, and culture. BLP is the acronym for the Bible Literacy Project, which has surveyed teenage knowledge of the Bible with appalling results. Many of the fourteen units in this book have specific cultural focuses, such as biblical allusions in literature, Milton and the Bible, Exodus and emancipation, the Bible and Shakespeare, and Dante's Purgatorio. The textbook also features prominent people whose ethical behavior was influenced by the Bible (Carnegie who gave away his fortune; Wilberforce who worked the abolition of slavery in England; Stowe who wrote the antislavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin; and Webster who included Bible verses in his definitions of words). Pastors, parents, and teachers might want to exert evangelical influence on local school boards to consider incorporating this option. RWK