The Old Testament Apocrypha: An Introduction - Softcover

Kaiser, Otto

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1565636937 ISBN 13: 9781565636934

Publisher: Hendrickson Pub, 2004

Synopsis

Otto Kaiser’s compact and scholarly introduction to the Old Testament’s Apocrypha, or Deuterocanonical books, is now available in a new English translation. This small volume is ideal as a textbook or course supplement in colleges, universities, and seminaries.

With study needs in mind, the book offers specialized bibliographies at the end of each chapter which list introductions, published texts, articles, and commentaries pertaining to a particular apocryphal book.

Students will also particularly appreciate the clear overarching structure of this book and its discussion of recent research in the field of apocrypha studies. This brief book will find a well-deserved place in the reference section of your library.

About this title

About the Author

Born in 1924, Otto Kaiser earned his Doctorate in Evangelical Theology at the University of Tübingen and was qualified to teach the Old Testament in 1957. He taught at the University of Marburg from 1960 to 1993. Kaiser s Introduction to the Old Testament remains a classic in the field, as is his commentary on Isaiah. He continues to edit the well-known journal, Zeitschrift für Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, and the series, Beihefte zur Zeitschfrift für Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft. He has contributed to more than 20 festschrifts and has had five such publications published in his honor.

From the Inside Flap

Kaiser here offers in a remarkably succinct way the latest scholarship on those books in some Christian Bibles called the Apocrypha, in some the Deuterocanonicals, in some fully integral books of the First Christian Testament, but in yet others totally absent. It is a compendium of the essential issues about each book: its textual situation, its textual transmission, its literary structure, its origins, its theology, and the historical situation addressed by each. The introduction is a cursory but critically valuable look at the Hellenization of Judaism in its different phases and how the turmoil of the Jews gave rise to these varying Jewish reactions and responses to the pre-Christian and pre-Rabbinic world of Early Judaism. The pertinent bibliographies are especially useful. Scholars and the curious at all levels will find it a rich resource.

James A. Sanders, PhD, STD, LittD, DHL, et al.
Founder and President Emeritus
Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center

Otto Kaiser s introduction to the Old Testament Apocrypha offers readers a succinct assessment of the critical issues that attend this important body of literature. This veteran scholar investigates questions of dating, sources, redaction, extant mss and versions, fictive authorship, and provides excellent, up-to-date bibliographies. I recommend this book enthusiastically.

Craig Evans, Acadia Divinity College

Reviews

While critical studies of the 66 canonical books of the Bible are plentiful, fewer works have been written to explore the Old Testament Apocryphal books from a scholarly, critical standpoint. As part of the liturgical reading cycle for many religious bodies, these books have a place in the life of the church and thus merit attention. The author, a noted biblical scholar who taught for over three decades at the University of Marburg, offers both laypersons and scholars an accessible introduction to this neglected field of study. Chapters follow a common format. A "thesis" is suggested, directing the reader to a general understanding of the content, and intent, of an apocryphal book. The thesis, or in some cases theses, are followed by "issues," addressing matters peculiar to that book. "Comments" follow "issues" as the author explores relevant questions. A bibliography closes each chapter; at times shorter bibliographies appear within the body of a chapter. While a knowledge of the Apocrypha is not necessary for a useful reading of this book, a basic knowledge of critical methods will assist the non-scholar in understanding and appreciating the author's arguments. Most of the complication comes in the footnotes, where both comment and critical apparatus are offered in abundance. The text itself, however, can be easily understood by the general reader. This volume is a welcome addition to the growing library of scholarly, yet accessible, studies of the Old Testament Apocryphal books.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Hendrickson Pub
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1565636937
• ISBN 13: 9781565636934
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 125