The last century of scholarship on the Old Testament citations in the Gospel of John has concentrated almost exclusively upon source-critical or redaction-critical issues with the aim of determining the Christological import of the citations. The current book brings a narrative-rhetorical methodology to bear upon the seven explicit Scriptural citations in the Gospel's 'Book of Signs' (1:19-12:50) that are prefaced by a distinct introductory formula (1:19-12:15). These citations are each addressed to, or imply, a particular textual audience, namely, 'the Jews'. This book argues that as such the citations do not merely have Christological significance but function at the narrative level to encourage an ideal reader to construct a particularly negative characterization of 'the Jews'.

This radical new translation conveys the early Christian scriptures in the idiom of today. It follows principles of cultural and contextual translation, and returns to the selection of books the the early Church held in highest esteem.

Brimming with verve, humor and originality, the stories of the Bible--of both the Old and New Testaments--are brought to life in a style that will appeal to readers of all ages. Reprint.

"It was a wooden box, simply made. 'I guess you could call it my war chest,' Grandpa said. As the children peered into the box, they saw many small figures-animals, people, and objects of all kinds. A number of them were carved from wood."

Over 90 stories from the Bible, vividly retold by David Kossoff in this long-running bestseller. David Kossoff first starting retelling Bible stories for BBC radio in the early sixties. He was so popular that he was given his own television series, made records and public performances, and even had one of his pieces set to music and premiered at the Festival Hall. In this collection of tales from the Old Testament, ranging from Adam and Eve to Daniel, he sets vivid scenes and brings characters to life with simplicity and imagination, reaching every time to the very heart of the story. 'There is no more difficult task than to make the old new and the familiar interesting...This is the reason why I have read with such pleasure and delight David Kossoff's stories from the Bible. To my mind there is no doubt at all that he makes these stories come alive. He has the gift of making old stories new for he is a born story teller.' From the Foreword by William Barclay

What would the earliest stories of the Bible be like without an angry God smiting humans with floods, fire, frogs, and brimstone? They might become the story of a mother surviving a snake bite and a dangerous pregnancy. Architects and dreamers building towers and boats to save themselves from the harsh desert. A doctor who obsessively cleans. Young gay lovers seeking refuge in the sanctuary cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Estranged brothers planning ten terrorist attacks to free their people from slavery. Without an angry God, the Bible might become a fictional collection of stories about deeply human men, women, and children from a small nomadic tribe deserted in an ancient Hebrew desert.

Retells the story of Michal, King David's first wife, and interweaves it with the the story of the author's own experiences as a survivor of the Holocaust.