New Books Added

The following books have been added to the Electronic Books page, bringing the total to over 240 titles:

Bensley, Robert Lubbock. The Ḥarḳlean Version of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Chap. XI.28-XIII.25: Now Edited for the First Time with Introduction and Notes on this Version of the Epistle. 1889.

Clergyman, A. What is the Sanctuary and the True Tabernacle, which the Lord Pitched and Not Man, and Whereof Christ Is the Minister? or, An Analysis and Brief Exposition of St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews, by a clergyman. 1858.

Creyghton, Johannes. De sendbrief des apostels Pauli tot den Hebreen: ontleedet en kortelijk verklaart. 1699.

Fricke, F. R. Der Brief an die Hebräer. 1863.

Gordon, Elizabeth Anna. The Glories of Christ, as set forth in the Epistle to the Hebrews. 1879.

Govett, Robert. Christ Superior to Angels, Moses, and Aaron: A Comment on the Epistle to the Hebrews. 1884.

Grass, Karl Konrad. Ist "der Brief an die Hebräer" an Heidenchristen gerichtet?: aus Gedankengang und Inhalt des Briefes beantwortet. 1892.

Keil, Carl Friedrich. Commentar über den Brief an die Hebräer. 1885.

Klee, Heinrich. Auslegung des Briefes an die Hebräer. 1833.

Knowles, Edward Hadarezer. Note on the Epistle to the Hebrews, with Analysis and Brief Paraphrase. 1861.

Kurtz, Johann Heinrich. Der Brief an die Hebräer. 1869.

Ménégoz, Eugène. La théologie de l'Epître aux Hébreux. 1894.

Moll, Karl Bernhard. Der Brief an die Hebräer. 1861.

Newton, Adelaide Leaper. The Epistle to the Hebrews compared with the Old Testament. 1867.

Parry, Thomas. The Apostleship and Priesthood of Christ: Being a Practical Exposition of St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews: In a Series of Lectures with an Appendix, Containing a Tabular Analysis of the Epistle, &c. 1834.

Porter, Samuel Judson. The Epistle to the Hebrews. 1919.

Stein, Karl Wilhelm. Der Brief an die Hebräer theoretisch-practisch erklärt. 1838.

Stier, Rudolf. Der Brief an die Hebräer: In sechs und dreissig Betrachtungen. 1842.

Storr, Gottlob Christian. Pauli Brief an die Hebräer. 1809.

Tena, Ludovicus. Commentaria et disputationes in Epistolam divi Pauli ad Hebraeos. 1661.

Vermaten, Gulielmus. Ontleeding en korte verklaaring van Paulus Brief aan de Hebreen .... 1722.

Weiss. Bernhard. Der Brief an die Hebräer. Volume 13 of Kritisch-exegetischer Kommentar über das Neue Testament. 1897.

Wette, Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de. Kurze Erklärung der Briefe an Titus, Timotheus und die Hebräer. 3d ed. Edited by Wilhelm Moeller. 1867

Update: 3 volumes of Jean Mestrezat's sermons have been added, completing the set and bringing the total number of volumes to 252.

New Neotestamentica Article Added

The following article has been added to the electronic articles page:

Kalengyo, Edison Muhindo. "'Cloud of Witnesses' in Hebrews 12:1 and Ganda Ancestors: An Incarnational Reflection." Neotestamentica 43.1 (2009): 49-68.

Dissertations in Italian

I just came across these dissertations on Hebrews in Italian:

MICHELE CICCARELLI, La sofferenza di Cristo nell'Epistola agli Ebrei: Analisi di una duplice dimensione della sofferenza: soffrire-consoffrire con gli uomini e soffrire-offrire a Dio (Associazione Biblica Italiana, Supplementi alla Rivista Biblica 49; Bologna: Dehoniane, 2008). Pp. 370.

This volume is based on his 2005 doctoral dissertation at the Pontifical Biblical Institute under the direction of Albert Vanhoye. Casimir Bernas reviews this volume in Catholic Biblical Quarterly 71 (2009): 397-398. He summarizes the thesis as follows: the author "expounds themes of the Epistle to the Hebrews dealing with the solidarity of Christ and Christians in their roles of priest and victim: Christ's sufferings are a share in the sufferings of human beings, who in turn are able to offer themselves to God as mediators in the manner of Christ. Their sufferings, like those of Christ (their model and head), have redemptive value" (397).


FILIPPO URSO, "Imparò L'Obbedienza dalle Cose Che Patì " Eb 5,8: Il valore educativo della sofferenza in Gesù e nei cristiani nella Lettera agli Ebrei (Tesi Gregoriana: Serie Teologia 119; Rome: Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 2005). Pp. 509.

This volume is based on the author's 2004 doctoral dissertation at the Gregorian University also directed by Albert Vanhoye. According to Edward L. Bode in his review in Catholic Biblical Quarterly 68 (2006): 350-352, it "explores the educational value of suffering for Jesus and Christians in the Letter to the Hebrews" (350).

Urso also has this book based on his dissertation: La sofferenza educatrice nella Lettera agli Ebrei.

FULVIO DI GIOVAMBATTISTA, Il Giorno dell'Espiazione nella lettera agli Ebrei (Tesi Gregoriana, Serie Teologia 61; Rome: Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 2000). Pp. 223.

This work is based on the author's 2000 dissertation at the Pontifical Gregorian University under the direction of R. Neudecker and S. Brodeur. It explores the Day of Atonement as the background to Hebrews. Sean P. Kealy reviews the book in Catholic Biblical Quarterly 63 (2001): 740-741.

FRANCO MANZI, Melchisedek e l'angelologia nell'Epistola agli Ebrei e a Qumran, AnBib 136. Rome: Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 1997. Pp. xviii + 434.

This book is based on the author's 1996 dissertation at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, directed by Albert Vanhoye. Casimir Bernas reviews the book in Journal of Biblical Literature 118 (1999): 368-370. He says that "Manzi investigates possible literary and theological influences of Melchizedek-ideology at at Qumran upon the letter to the Hebrews" (368). It is also reviewed by George J. Brooke in Catholic Biblical Quarterly 60 (1998): 770-771.

New Book on Philonic Hermeneutics and Hebrews

Eisenbrauns has announced the publication of a new book related to Hebrews:

Stefan Nordgaard Svendsen. Allegory Transformed: The Appropriation of Philonic Hermeneutics in the Letter to the Hebrews. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, Reihe 2. Mohr Siebeck, 2009.

Here is the description from the Eisenbrauns site:

"Scholars have long discussed whether the writer of Hebrews might have been influenced by Philo of Alexandria. In spite of any disagreement, though, academics have almost universally concurred that even if bits and pieces of Philo’s thinking should have filtered through to Hebrews, Philo and Hebrews certainly differed with respect to their biblical hermeneutics. Philo, the philosopher, read the Old Testament allegorically, whereas the Christian author of Hebrews committed himself only to typological exegesis. Stefan Nordgaard Svendsen challenges this consensus, arguing that the writer of Hebrews not only employed Philo’s allegorical method, but also developed his own readings of Scripture through critical rereadings of Philo’s exegetical results. This study sheds new light on the intellectual framework of Hebrews as well as on the letter’s purpose and rhetorical strategies."

I have added this book to the "New Books" link under Resources, as well as updated that page.

Proposal for SWCRS Accepted

Soon after I returned from SBL I got the news that my paper proposal for the Southwest Commission on Religious Studies was accepted. Two other papers will be presented in the same session. All of the pertinent information is below:

Saturday Afternoon, March 13 (4:00-5:30)

SBL: New Testament I

Theme: Hebrews

Presiding: James Thompson, Abilene Christian University

4:00 Brian Small, Baylor University

Scripture as Prosopopoeia in Hebrews

4:30 Jason Whitlark, Baylor University

The Eternal City and Its King: Roman Imperial Discourse and Hebrews

5:00 D. Jeffrey Bingham, Dallas Theological Seminary

Irenaeus and Hebrews

Newest Acquisitions

Since returning from the SBL meeting in New Orleans I have been busy with grading papers etc for the two classes I am teaching at Baylor, so I have not had much time to post anything.

While at SBL I made two new acquisitions:

Cynthia Long Westfall, A Discourse Analysis of the Letter to the Hebrews: The Relationship between Form and Meaning.
-At $50 it was the cheapest I had ever seen it, new or used, so I bit the bullet and bought it.

Jason A. Whitlark, Enabling Fidelity to God: Perseverance in Hebrews in Light of the Reciprocity Systems of the Ancient Mediterranean World.

Today, when I arrived home after getting some needed shopping done, I found a nice parcel from Germany with these two volumes:

Wendelini Steinbach, Opera Exegetica Quae Supersunt Omnia: Volumen II: Commentarii in Epistolam ad Hebraeos Pars Prima.

----------, Opera Exegetica Quae Supersunt Omnia: Volumen III: Commentarii in Epistolam ad Hebraeos Pars Altera.
-These two books contain Steinbach's lectures on Hebrews in 1516-1517. The volumes are edited by Helmut Feld. Even though I purchased them "used" the books look to be new; they are in beautiful condition.