Here we give some recommendations what to read and where to buy books.
BOOKS REGARDING JUDAISM and JEWISH TRADITION
The JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH features the oldest-known complete Hebrew version of the Holy Scriptures, side by side with JPS’s renowned English translation. Its well-designed format allows for ease of reading and features clear type, an engaging and efficient two-column format that enables readers to move quickly from one language to another, and an organization that contemporary readers will find familiar.
The Hebrew text of this TANAKH is based on the famed Leningrad Codex, the Masoretic text traceable to Aaron ben Moses ben Asher, ca. 930 CE. Ben-Asher researched all available texts to compile an authoritative Bible manuscript. In 1010 CE his work was revised by Samuel ben Jacob, a scribe in Egypt. Lost for centuries, the manuscript was eventually discovered in the mid-nineteenth century and became known as the Leningrad Codex. This edition adapts the latest BHS edition of the Leningrad text by correcting errors and providing modern paragraphing.
By: Jewish Publication Society Inc. (Editor)
Publisher: Jewish Publication Society (January 1, 2001)
Date: January 1, 2001
ISBN-10: 0827606974
ISBN-13: 978-0827606975
Biblical Words and Their Meaning
When first published in 1983, Biblical Words and Their Meaning broke new ground by introducing to students of the Bible the principles of linguistics, in particular, on lexical semantics -- that branch that focuses on the meaning of individual words. Silva's structural approach provides the interpreter with an important lexical tool for more responsible understanding of the biblical text and more effective use of standard exegetical resources.
By: Moisés Silva
Publisher: Zondervan
Date: January 3, 1995
ISBN-10: 0310479819
ISBN-13: 978-0310479819
Books of Prophets & Holy Writings (24 Vol.)
This set provides the benefit of owning two sets in one, since each volume features both the complete Hebrew Mikraoth Gedoloth as well as a concise, modern English translation of the text with extensive commentary. In addition, each and every Rashi is translated, as are selections from the Ramban, Sforno, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, from Talmudic and Midrashic sources, and numerous other commentaries never before translated.
By: A. J. Rosenberg
Publisher: Judaica Press
Date: January 1, 2005
ISBN-10: 1880582368
ISBN-13: 978-1880582367
Calendar and Community: A History of the Jewish Calendar, 2nd Century BCE to 10th Century CE
This volume traces the development of the Jewish calendar from its origins until it reached, in the 10th century CE, its present form. Drawing on a wide range of literary, documentary, and epigraphic sources, this is the first comprehensive book to have been written on this subject. Stern shows that the Jewish calendar evolved during this period from considerable diversity (a variety of solar and lunar calendars) to unity. This consolidation of the calendar is one element in the unification of Jewish identity in later antiquity and the early medieval world.
By: Sacha Stern
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date: December 13, 2001
ISBN-10: 0198270348
ISBN-13: 978-0198270348
Judaism: A Historical Presentation
This is a fantastic introduction to Judaism. Its method is to trace the trends of Jewish thought and practice through the ages, and thereby painting a picture of Judaism that grows page by page. First it begins with the Patriarchs and the uniqueness of their vision, and then it moves to the Torah and the distinctive elements of its thought and practice, and then to the rest of the Bible and its history.
By: Isidore Epstein
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date: May 30, 1959
ISBN-10: 0140135529
ISBN-13: 978-0140135527
Settings of Silver: An Introduction to Judaism
In four sections, the author covers the history of Judaism. Section One includes basic beliefs, what it means to be a Jew, the role of Torah, and the Jewish view of God. Section Two covers faith, practices and customs, including holydays, marriage and family law and ritual, dietary laws, and beliefs surrounding death and the afterlife. Section Three is a history of Judaism, from its foundations to the early part of the 20th century, with a look to mysticism, literature, philosophy and daily life in the Jewish community. In Section Four the author continues the history of Judaism up to the present day, including the Holocaust, the State of Israel, the effects of modernism on Judaism, and the future of Judaism.
Engaging, timely, and appropriate for persons of all religious backgrounds, this enduring work belongs in the library of anyone (Jews included) who wants to understand Judaism and the Jewish people.
By: Stephen M. Wylen
Publisher: Paulist Press
Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN-10: 080913960X
ISBN-13: 978-0809139606
The Book of Our Heritage (3 Vol. Set)
This beloved classic, completely revised and annotated for the contemporary reader, explores the holidays, Festivals and fast days of the Jewish calendar and explains their laws and customs. Midrashic commentaries and insights of great Jewish thinkers and spiritual leaders enhance the heartwarming, inspiring text. 3 volume gift boxed set. Individual volumes not sold separately.
By: Eliyahu Kitov
Publisher: Philipp Feldheim
Date: January 1, 1979
ISBN-10: 0873067630
ISBN-13: 978-0873067638
BOOKS REGARDING THE APOSTOLIC WRITINGS OR B'RIT CHADASHAH
The Jewish Annotated New Testament
For non-Jewish readers interested in the Jewish roots of Christianity and for Jewish readers who want a New Testament that neither proselytizes for Christianity nor denigrates Judaism, this is an essential volume that places these writings in a context that will enlighten students, professionals, and general readers.
Although major New Testament figures–Jesus and Paul, Peter and James, Jesus’ mother Mary and Mary Magdalene–were Jews, living in a culture steeped in Jewish history, beliefs, and practices, there has never been an edition of the New Testament that addresses its Jewish background and the culture from which it grew–until now. In The Jewish Annotated New Testament, eminent experts under the general editorship of Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler put these writings back into the context of their original authors and audiences. And they explain how these writings have affected the relations of Jews and Christians over the past two thousand years.
An international team of scholars introduces and annotates the Gospels, Acts, Letters, and Revelation from Jewish perspectives, in the New Revised Standard Version translation. They show how Jewish practices and writings, particularly the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, influenced the New Testament writers. From this perspective, readers gain new insight into the New Testament’s meaning and significance. In addition, thirty essays on historical and religious topics–Divine Beings, Jesus in Jewish thought, Parables and Midrash, Mysticism, Jewish Family Life, Messianic Movements, Dead Sea Scrolls, questions of the New Testament and anti-Judaism, and others–bring the Jewish context of the New Testament to the fore, enabling all readers to see these writings both in their original contexts and in the history of interpretation. For readers unfamiliar with Christian language and customs, there are explanations of terms and concepts.
By: Amy-Jill Levine (Editor), Marc Z. Brettler (Editor)
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (November 15, 2011)
Date: November 15, 2011
ISBN-10: 0195297709
ISBN-13: 978-0195297706
Doukhan, a scholar of Jewish heritage, shows how careless interpretations of Scripture can spawn anti-Semitism. He examines the traditional theories (supersessionism and dispensationalism) and offers a third option.
By: Jacques B. Doukhan
Publisher: Review & Herald Publishing
Date: August 30, 2004
ISBN-10: 0828017727
ISBN-13: 978-0828017725
Secrets of Daniel: Wisdom and Dreams of a Jewish Prince in Exile
This commentary solves several longstanding problems and sheds new light on many aspects of the cryptic prophecies of Daniel. Fresh insight is provided regarding such questions as: Whatever happened to Daniel’s tomb? Is Michael “one of the chief princes” or is he “the first of the chief princes”? Why did King Nebuchadnezzar forget his dream? Why did Daniel undertake his three-week fast during Passover? Jacques Doukhan re-creates the world of Babylon, explains obscure allusions, and finds hidden patterns within the prophesies that help to clarify their meaning. His research in ancient Jewish sources and knowledge of the original languages makes this book a worthy contribution to the literature.
By: Jacques B. Doukhan
Publisher: Review & Herald Publishing (March 1, 2000)
Date: March 1, 2000
ISBN-10: 0828014248
ISBN-13: 978-0828014243
Secrets of Revelation: The Apocalypse Through Hebrew Eyes
Ethereal worship, scary beasts, ominous trumpets, terrible plagues, and ultimate paradise. The book of Revelation is a powerful tapestry woven from Old Testament imagery, such as the plagues of Egypt and the confrontation on Mount Carmel. Thus the Old Testament provides the key to unlock the code of Revelation.
Jacques B. Doukhan, of Jewish heritage, mines the Tanakh to uncover new meaning in the battle of Armageddon and the millennium. He ties the symbolism of the book to the sanctuary service of ancient Israel, showing how the seven sections of the book correspond to the seven feasts of Judaism. He argues that the prophecies of Revelation foretell the eventual discrediting of secularism (Egypt), the resurgence of conservative religion (Babylon), and a final coalition of the two movements in the climactic events before the second coming of Christ to defeat sin and save His people.
By: Jacques B. Doukhan
Publisher: Review & Herald Pub Assn (March 31, 2002)
Date: March 31, 2002
ISBN-10: 0828016453
ISBN-13: 978-0828016452
