For centuries, the Garden of Eden story has been a cornerstone for the Christian doctrine of the Fall and original sin. In recent years, many scholars have disputed this understanding of Genesis 3 because it has no words for sin, transgression, disobedience, or punishment. Instead, it is about how the human condition came about. Yet the picture is not so simple. The Genesis of Good and Evil examines how the idea of the Fall developed in Jewish tradition on the eve of Christianity. In the end, the Garden of Eden is a rich study of humans in relation to God that leaves open many questions. One such question is, Does Genesis 3, 4, and 6, taken together, support the Christian doctrine of original sin? Smiths well-informed, close reading of these chapters concludes that it does. In this book, he addresses the many mysterious matters of the Garden story and invites readers to explore questions of their own.
One of the leading scholars of ancient West Semitic religion discusses polytheism vs. monotheism by covering the fluidity of those categories in the ancient Near East. He argues that Israel's social history is key to the development of monotheism.
God in Translation offers a substantial, extraordinarily broad survey of ancient attitudes toward deities, from the Late Bronze Age through ancient Israel and into the New Testament. Looking closely at relevant biblical texts and at their cultural contexts, Mark S. Smith demonstrates that the biblical attitude toward deities of other cultures is not uniformly negative, as is commonly supposed. He traces the historical development of Israel's "one-god worldview, " linking it to the rise of the surrounding Mesopotamian empires. Smith's study also produces evidence undermining a common modern assumption among historians of religion that polytheism is tolerant while monotheism is prone to intolerance and violence.
There is still much disagreement over the origins and development of Israelite religion. Mark Smith sets himself the task of reconstructing the cult of Yahweh, the most important deity in Israel's early religion, and tracing the transformation of that deity into the sole god - the development of monotheism.
The issue of how to represent God is a concern both ancient and contemporary. In this wide-ranging and authoritative study, renowned biblical scholar Mark Smith investigates the symbols, meanings, and narratives in the Hebrew Bible, Ugaritic texts, and ancient iconography, which attempt to describe deities in relation to humans. Smith uses a novel approach to show how the Bible depicts God in human and animal forms—and sometimes both together. Mediating between the ancients’ theories and the work of modern thinkers, Smith’s boldly original work uncovers the foundational understandings of deities and space.
Walter Cardinal Kasper has written, “It is time, it is the right time, to speak of God.” This book invites readers to use their God-given ability to work through important questions that many people have about God today: Why is God so angry in the Bible? Is the biblical God male or female (or what)? Who is Satan? Why do people suffer? By exploring the Bible’s answers to these and other biblical questions, people can come to understand better their living and loving God.
This groundbreaking volume presents a new translation of the text and detailed interpretation of almost every word or phrase in the book of Judges, drawing from archaeology and iconography, textual versions, biblical parallels, and extrabiblical texts, many never noted before. Archaeology also serves to show how a story of the Iron II period employed visible ruins to narrate supposedly early events from the so-called "period of the Judges." The synchronic analysis for each unit sketches its characters and main themes, as well as other literary dynamics. The diachronic, redactional analysis shows the shifting settings of units as well as their development, commonly due to their inner-textual reception and reinterpretation. The result is a remarkably fresh historical-critical treatment of 1:1-10:5.--Publisher's description.
Warfare exerts a magnetic power, even a terrible attraction, in its emphasis on glory, honor, and duty. In order to face the terror of war, it is necessary to face how our biblical traditions have made it attractive -- even alluring. In this book Mark Smith undertakes an extensive exploration of "poetic heroes" across a number of ancient cultures in order to understand the attitudes of those cultures toward war and warriors. Smith examines the Iliad and the Gilgamesh; Ugaritic poems commemorating Baal, Aqhat, and the Rephaim; and early biblical poetry, including the battle hymn of Judges 5 and the lament of David over Saul and Jonathan in 2 Samuel 1. Smith's Poetic Heroes analyzes the importance of heroic poetry in early Israel and its disappearance after the time of David, building on several strands of scholarship in archaeological research, poetic analysis, and cultural reconstruction.
This festschrift honors Aloysius Fitzgerald, F.S.C. The essays largely reflect the honoree's interests in the poetic and prophetic material of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near Eastern context of that material. The volume includes an introduction by Joseph Jensen, O.S.B. and the following articles: Leslie J, Hoppe, O.ftM., "Vengeance and Forgiveness: The Two Faces of Psalm 79" (pp. 1-22); Mark S. Smith, "The Poetics of Exodus 15 and Its Position in the Book" (pp. 23-34); Susan F. Mathews, "The Power to Endure and Be Transformed: Sun and Moon Imagery in Joel and Revelation 6" (pp. 35-49); Gregory J. Polan, O.S.B., "Zion, the Glory of the Holy One of Israel: A Literary Analysis of Isaiah 60" (pp. 50-71); Maribeth Howell, O.P., "A Closer Look: Isaiah 35:110" (pp. 72-80); Mark D. Futato, "Sense Relations in the 'Rain' Domain of the Old Testament" (pp. 81-94); John J. Ferrie, Jr., "Singing in the Rain: A Meteorological Image in Isaiah 42:10-12" (pp. 95-104); Irene Nowell, O.S.B., "Psalm 88: A Lesson in Lament" (pp. 105-18); Dale Launderville, O.S.B., "Anti-monarchical Ideology in Israel in Light of Mesopotamian Parallels" (pp. 119-28); Edward G. Mathews, Jr., "Water in the First Creation Account of Genesis I in the Commentary on Genesis of Ephrem the Syrian" (pp. 129-44); Deirdre Dempsey, "The Verb Syntax of the Idol Passage of Isaiah 44:9-20" (pp. 145-56); Alice Ogden Bellis, "The New Exodus in Jeremiah 50:33-38" (pp. 157-68); Lawrence Boadt, C.S.P., "Re-Examining a Preexilic Redaction of Isaiah 1-39" (pp. 169-90).
Text of the work known as The birth of the beautiful gods, in parallel columns: Ugaritic (romanized) and English (p. 18-25), with commentary and discussion in English.
Underlying Exodus in its priestly redaction is a pilgrimage. Smith's new book starts by reviewing pilgrimage shrines, feasts and practices in ancient Israel. Next, it examines the two pilgrimage journeys in Exodus. In Exodus 1-15 Moses journeys to Mount Sinai, experiences God and receives his commission. In Exodus 16-40, Moses and the people together journey to Mount Sinai for the people's experience of God and their commission. Between lies Exodus 15, the fulcrum-point of the book: vv. 1-12 look back and vv. 13-18 look forward to Israel's journey to Sinai. Finally, the different meanings of torah in the book of Exodus are contrasted, and the book concludes with a consideration of Exodus's larger place in the Pentateuch.
For many readers, Genesis 1-2 is simply the biblical account of creation. But ancient Israel could speak of creation in different ways, and the cultures of the ancient near east provided an even richer repertoire of creation myths. Mark S. Smith explores the nuances of what would become the premiere creation account in the Hebrew Bible and the serene priestly theology that informed it. That vision of an ordered cosmos, Smith argues, is evidence of the emergence of a mystical theology among priests in post-exilic Israel, and the placement of Genesis 1-2 at the beginning of Israel's great epic is their sustained critique of the theology of divine conflict that saturated ancient near eastern creation myths. Smith's treatment of Genesis 1 provides rich historical and theological insights into the biblical presentation of creation and the Creator.
At the time of Christ, world politics was an ebb and flow of colliding empires and forces. The world knew only dynastic succession and rule by force. Israel was swept up in this world. Her expectations of deliverance, while diverse, had in common the anticipation of violent liberation by an alliance of God, the expected one (Theo), and Israel's forces. Her vision included the subjugation of the world to Yahweh. Any messianic claimant would be expected to fulfill this hope. Mark's story of Jesus must be read against such expectations of military power. Mark knows that Jesus' plan of salvation differed radically from this. Rather than liberation through revolution, it involved deliverance through humble, loving service and cross-bearing. However, the disciples follow Jesus but do not understand Jesus' purpose. They constantly expect war. So, the Gospel is then read from Mark's full understanding and the disciples' flawed perspective. In this first volume of Jesus in a World of Colliding Empires, Keown backgrounds Mark and the political situations of the world at the time. He then unpacks Mark 1:1--8:29 as Jesus seeks to show the disciples he is Messiah while drawing out the deep irony of their incomprehension.
The issue of how to represent God is a concern both ancient and contemporary. In this wide-ranging and authoritative study, renowned biblical scholar Mark Smith investigates the symbols, meanings, and narratives in the Hebrew Bible, Ugaritic texts, and ancient iconography, which attempt to describe deities in relation to humans. Smith uses a novel approach to show how the Bible depicts God in human and animal forms—and sometimes both together. Mediating between the ancients’ theories and the work of modern thinkers, Smith’s boldly original work uncovers the foundational understandings of deities and space.
This groundbreaking volume presents a new translation of the text and detailed interpretation of almost every word or phrase in the book of Judges, drawing from archaeology and iconography, textual versions, biblical parallels, and extrabiblical texts, many never noted before. Archaeology also serves to show how a story of the Iron II period employed visible ruins to narrate supposedly early events from the so-called "period of the Judges." The synchronic analysis for each unit sketches its characters and main themes, as well as other literary dynamics. The diachronic, redactional analysis shows the shifting settings of units as well as their development, commonly due to their inner-textual reception and reinterpretation. The result is a remarkably fresh historical-critical treatment of 1:1-10:5.--Publisher's description.
There is still much disagreement over the origins and development of Israelite religion. Mark Smith sets himself the task of reconstructing the cult of Yahweh, the most important deity in Israel's early religion, and tracing the transformation of that deity into the sole god - the development of monotheism.
A one-stop accounting reference Packed with vital information culled from the extensive For Dummies accounting, bookkeeping, and auditing libraries, Accounting All-in-One For Dummies is a powerful, one-stop reference. Accounting All-in-One For Dummies is a comprehensive resource on a variety of accounting concepts. You’ll get up to speed on: setting up your accounting system; recording accounting transactions; adjusting and closing entries; preparing income statements and balance sheets; planning and budgeting for your business; handling cash and making purchase decisions; and more. Ways to report on your financial statements How to make savvy business decisions Auditing and detecting financial fraud Accounting All-in-One For Dummies is a one-stop reference for students studying the application of accounting theories and a valuable desk reference for accounting professionals in the workforce.
Warfare exerts a magnetic power, even a terrible attraction, in its emphasis on glory, honor, and duty. In order to face the terror of war, it is necessary to face how our biblical traditions have made it attractive -- even alluring. In this book Mark Smith undertakes an extensive exploration of "poetic heroes" across a number of ancient cultures in order to understand the attitudes of those cultures toward war and warriors. Smith examines the Iliad and the Gilgamesh; Ugaritic poems commemorating Baal, Aqhat, and the Rephaim; and early biblical poetry, including the battle hymn of Judges 5 and the lament of David over Saul and Jonathan in 2 Samuel 1. Smith's Poetic Heroes analyzes the importance of heroic poetry in early Israel and its disappearance after the time of David, building on several strands of scholarship in archaeological research, poetic analysis, and cultural reconstruction.
First published in 2013. This two-part, eight-volume, reset edition draws together a range of sources from the early modern era through to the industrial age, to show the changes and continuities in responses to the social, political, legal and spiritual problems that self-murder posed. Part II, Volume 7 contains 1800–1850: Legal Contexts, Religious Writings and Medical Writers.
One of the leading scholars of ancient West Semitic religion discusses polytheism vs. monotheism by covering the fluidity of those categories in the ancient Near East. He argues that Israel's social history is key to the development of monotheism.
In 2011, National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association joint task forces released proposed criteria for Alzheimer' disease diagnosis. These proposals included revisions to the nearly 30-year-old NINDS-ADRDA criteria for Alzheimer's diagnosis and added criteria for diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease. The same year the American Psychiatric Association proposed new criteria for major and minor neurocognitive disorders (the entities previously known as dementia and mild cognitive impairment, respectively). These new criteria reflect the research and clinical advances in identifying mild cognitive impairment and offer new opportunities for prevention, treatment, and management of neurodegenerative conditions. A major focus of this book is on the mild cognitive impairment prodrome of the common dementias. In addition to discussing the most common neurodegenerative conditions, many rare neurodegenerative conditions are highlighted. Most chapters include an autopsy-confirmed case presentation from the authors' files. Following the case presentation, those chapters present current diagnostic criteria, epidemiology, neuropathology/neurophysiology, genetics, neuroimaging studies as relevant, associated clinical features, differential neuropsychological features and possible interventions for each disorder. The pace of change in research and practice in the field of normal cognitive aging and dementia is increasing almost as fast as the median age of the population. The massive baby boom population bubble is currently entering the age of risk for neurodegenerative conditions. Neuropsychologists will play a major role in refining and applying these diagnoses, and in developing, testing, and refining interventions for these diagnoses, and in caring for this population. This book is intended to prepare neuropsychologists and others interested in neuropsychology to serve this fastest growing segment of our population.
God in Translation offers a substantial, extraordinarily broad survey of ancient attitudes toward deities, from the Late Bronze Age through ancient Israel and into the New Testament. Looking closely at relevant biblical texts and at their cultural contexts, Mark S. Smith demonstrates that the biblical attitude toward deities of other cultures is not uniformly negative, as is commonly supposed. He traces the historical development of Israel's "one-god worldview, " linking it to the rise of the surrounding Mesopotamian empires. Smith's study also produces evidence undermining a common modern assumption among historians of religion that polytheism is tolerant while monotheism is prone to intolerance and violence.
Walter Cardinal Kasper has written, “It is time, it is the right time, to speak of God.” This book invites readers to use their God-given ability to work through important questions that many people have about God today: Why is God so angry in the Bible? Is the biblical God male or female (or what)? Who is Satan? Why do people suffer? By exploring the Bible’s answers to these and other biblical questions, people can come to understand better their living and loving God.
The story of a man who survived Treblinka, to be haunted by his memories for 50 years—and ultimately, to be killed by them More than 800,000 people entered Treblinka and fewer than 70 came out. Hershl Sperling was one of them. He escaped. Why then, 50 years later, did he jump to his death from a bridge in Scotland? The answer lies in a long-forgotten, published account of the Treblinka death camp, written by Hershl Sperling himself in the months after liberation, discovered in his briefcase after his suicide, and reproduced here for the first time. Including previously unpublished photographs, this book traces the life of a man who survived five concentration camps, and details what he had to do to achieve this. Hershl’s story, from his childhood in a small Polish town to the bridge in faraway Scotland, is testament to the lasting torment of those very few who survived the Nazis’ most efficient and gruesome death factory. The author personally follows in his subject’s footsteps from Klobuck, to Treblinka, to Glasgow.
This festschrift honors Aloysius Fitzgerald, F.S.C. The essays largely reflect the honoree's interests in the poetic and prophetic material of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near Eastern context of that material. The volume includes an introduction by Joseph Jensen, O.S.B. and the following articles: Leslie J, Hoppe, O.ftM., "Vengeance and Forgiveness: The Two Faces of Psalm 79" (pp. 1-22); Mark S. Smith, "The Poetics of Exodus 15 and Its Position in the Book" (pp. 23-34); Susan F. Mathews, "The Power to Endure and Be Transformed: Sun and Moon Imagery in Joel and Revelation 6" (pp. 35-49); Gregory J. Polan, O.S.B., "Zion, the Glory of the Holy One of Israel: A Literary Analysis of Isaiah 60" (pp. 50-71); Maribeth Howell, O.P., "A Closer Look: Isaiah 35:110" (pp. 72-80); Mark D. Futato, "Sense Relations in the 'Rain' Domain of the Old Testament" (pp. 81-94); John J. Ferrie, Jr., "Singing in the Rain: A Meteorological Image in Isaiah 42:10-12" (pp. 95-104); Irene Nowell, O.S.B., "Psalm 88: A Lesson in Lament" (pp. 105-18); Dale Launderville, O.S.B., "Anti-monarchical Ideology in Israel in Light of Mesopotamian Parallels" (pp. 119-28); Edward G. Mathews, Jr., "Water in the First Creation Account of Genesis I in the Commentary on Genesis of Ephrem the Syrian" (pp. 129-44); Deirdre Dempsey, "The Verb Syntax of the Idol Passage of Isaiah 44:9-20" (pp. 145-56); Alice Ogden Bellis, "The New Exodus in Jeremiah 50:33-38" (pp. 157-68); Lawrence Boadt, C.S.P., "Re-Examining a Preexilic Redaction of Isaiah 1-39" (pp. 169-90).
Mark Twain's letters for 1874 and 1875 encompass one of his most productive and rewarding periods as author, husband and father, and man of property. He completed the writing of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, published the major collection Sketches, New and Old, became a leading contributor to the Atlantic Monthly, and turned The Gilded Age, the novel he had previously coauthored with Charles Dudley Warner, into one of the most popular comedies of the nineteenth-century American stage. His personal life also was gratifying, unmarred by the family tragedies that had darkened the earlier years of the decade. He and his wife welcomed a second healthy daughter and moved into the showplace home in Hartford, Connecticut, that they occupied happily for the next sixteen years. All of these accomplishments and events are vividly captured, in Mark Twain's inimitable language and with his unmatched humor, in letters to family and friends, among them some of the leading writers of the day. The comprehensive editorial annotation supplies the historical and social context that helps make these letters as fresh and immediate to a modern audience as they were to their original readers. This volume is the sixth in the only complete edition of Mark Twain's letters ever attempted. The 348 letters it contains, many of them never before published, have been meticulously transcribed, either from the original manuscripts (when extant) or from the most reliable sources now available. They have been thoroughly annotated and indexed and are supplemented by genealogical charts, contemporary notices of Mark Twain and his works, and photographs of him, his family, and his friends.
Leading the Way to Victory is the official history of the 60th Troop Carrier Group, featuring unpublished first-person accounts by participating veterans and expertly written by retired USAF Colonel Mark C. Vlahos, combat veteran and former Vice Wing Commander of 314th Airlift Wing at the Little Rock Air Force Base. The December 7, 1941, surprise attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II. Just six months later in May 1942, flying new C-47 transport aircraft, the 60th Troop Carrier Group led the way as the first U.S. TCG to deploy to England and the European Theater of Operations in World War II. Leading the way to victory, the 60th TCG’s first mission—dropping U. S. paratroopers outside of Oran, North Africa—was not only the first combat airborne mission in U.S. Army history, but also the longest airborne mission of the entire war. This drop spearheaded Operation TORCH, also known as the Invasion of North Africa, by taking key Axis airfields just inland from the amphibious landing zones. The 60th TCG went on to fly some of the first combat aeromedical evacuation missions and the first combat mission towing CG-4A “Waco” gliders during Operation HUSKY—the Invasion of Sicily. As the new airborne, air land, aeromedical evacuation, and glider missions matured in World War II, the 60th TCG continued to play a major role, paying in blood for valuable lessons learned in the school of hard knocks. The group later flew dramatic missions into Yugoslavia, supporting Partisans as part of the secret war in the Balkans, an episode of World War II history still all but unknown today and dropped British paratroops in the airborne invasion of Greece. The Group was inactivated at the end of the war. Drawing on official United States Army Air Forces microfilm records, operational records in the National Archives, photographs from both collections, published historical materials, and many personal accounts, author Mark C. Vlahos’ expertly written and highly readable volume is certain to become the standard history and go-to reference for the 60th TCG. This work offers scholars and lay readers alike an authoritative, informative, and engaging saga of the Group’s battles, adversity, hardships, and triumphs from inception through the Allied victory in Europe.
Now in a revised and updated Second Edition, this handy guide to eye care uses evidence from the latest clinical trials to deliver practical advice directly applicable to the challenges of daily ophthalmic practice. Helpful illustrations and tables support the text and improve outcomes.
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