A Cultural Handbook to the Bible

by John J. Pilch

Overview

The task of interpreting the Bible — which was written by and to people living in very different cultural contexts from contemporary Western society — can seem monumental. The opposite is also true: people can easily forget that studying the Bible is a type of cross-cultural encounter, instead reading their own cultural assumptions into biblical texts.

In A Cultural Handbook to the Bible John Pilch bridges this cultural divide by translating important social concepts and applying them to biblical texts. In short, accessible chapters Pilch discusses sixty-three topics related to the cosmos, the earth, persons, family, language, human consciousness, God and the spirit world, and entertainment. Pilch's fresh interpretations of the Bible challenge traditional views and explore topics often overlooked in commentaries. Each chapter concludes with a list of useful references from cultural anthropology or biblical studies, making this book an excellent resource for students of the Bible.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802867209
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/21/2012
Pages:	319
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

John J. Pilch (1936–2016) taught biblical literature at Georgetown University for eighteen years, and also served as associate editor of Biblical Theology Bulletin for forty years. He was well known for his studies of biblical texts within their sociohistorical contexts

Table of Contents

Preface xi

1 The Cosmos 1

1 Hell 1

2 Heaven 6

3 Earth 11

4 Imaginary Mountains in Matthew 15

5 A New Sky and a New Earth 21

Further Reading 25

2 Earth 27

1 Desert and Wilderness 27

2 Caves 32

3 Swamps 37

4 Snakes 42

5 Dragons 47

6 Mirrors and Glass 52

Further Reading 56

3 Persons 59

1 Citizen 59

2 People Are Not a Nation 64

3 "Visiting Strangers" and "Resident Aliens": Insights from 1 Peter 68

4 Jesus and the Samaritans 73

5 Individuals? or Stereotypes? 78

6 Status by Gender and Age 83

7 Names 88

8 Photina: The Samaritan Woman 93

9 Naming the Nameless in the Bible 98

Further Reading 103

4 Family 105

1 Virgin 106

2 Marriage 110

3 Family 116

4 Adultery 121

5 Rape 128

6 A Noble Death 133

7 Final Words 138

Further Reading 144

5 Language 147

1 "How Do You Read?" 147

2 The Ten Words 153

3 The Art of Insult 158

4 The Power of the Curse 163

5 No Thank You! 167

6 "Who Touched Me?" 172

7 The Evil Eye 176

Further Reading 181

6 Human Consciousness 183

1 Dreams 183

2 Seeing God 189

3 Jesus Walking on the Sea 194

4 Resurrection Appearances 199

5 Journeys to the Sky 204

6 Paul's Call to Be an Apostle 209

7 Paul the Apostle in Cultural Context 214

8 Divine Darkness 219

Further Reading 224

7 God and the Spirit World 227

1 God in Middle Eastern Perspective 228

2 God in the Parable of the Talents/Pounds 233

3 God and Lying Spirits 238

4 The Middle Eastern Jesus 243

5 Spirits: Other-Than-Human Persons 247

Further Reading 252

8 Entertainment 253

1 The Sound of the Flute 253

2 Singing in One Voice 257

3 "After They Had Sung a Hymn" 263

4 Solomon's, the Best of All Songs 268

5 Games, Amusement, and Sports 273

6 The Bawdy Bible 278

7 Films That Illuminate the Bible 283

Further Reading 288

Index of Authors 291

Index of Subjects 293

Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Literature 296

Editorial Reviews

John H. Elliott
— University of San Francisco
"A Cultural Handbook to the Bible is a splendid resource for teachers (at any level), preachers, and general readers seeking to bridge the gaps (geographical, historical, social, cultural) separating us today from biblical times and everyday life in antiquity."

Joan C. Campbell
— Atlantic School of Theology
"From beginning to end, John Pilch breaks the cultural world of the Bible wide open, enabling readers along the whole theological spectrum to be more considerate readers of texts that derive from a social system vastly different from our own. With this aid at their side, readers of the Bible will avoid common misinterpretations of biblical terms, symbols, behaviors, values, and more. This is a must-have resource for theologians, preachers, and students."

Bruce J. Malina
— Creighton University
"John Pilch's expertise in Middle Eastern culture shines through in pointed scenarios concerning the cosmos, the earth, persons, family, language, human consciousness, God and the spirit world, and entertainment."

Jerome H. Neyrey
— University of Notre Dame
"Pilch's Cultural Handbook to the Bible is so interesting that readers will find it hard to stop reading. Very accessible for a wide range of readers - college students, seminarians, theologians, laypersons. . . . Materials from this book would give lots of fizz and snap to sermons."

Peter C. Phan
— Georgetown University
"In a highly accessible style yet with deep and wide scholarship, John Pilch, an international authority on the biblical social world, leads us, like a trustworthy tour guide, through the highways and byways of the ancient world. Thanks to his work, the Bible becomes alive to us again as God's Word in human words. I most strongly recommend this handbook to both scholars and general readers."

Douglas E. Oakman
— Pacific Lutheran University
"An award-winning predecessor volume by John Pilch (The Cultural Dictionary of the Bible) proved enormously useful for my undergraduate biblical-studies classroom. This new compilation of articles once again demonstrates Pilch's rich knowledge of biblical culture and provides the readers with many satisfying insights. A Cultural Handbook to the Bible will well serve students, clergy, and university-level teachers."

Halvor Moxnes
— University of Oslo
"Once more Pilch has given us what we have come to expect from him — thorough knowledge from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures giving new and unexpected insights into the texts of the Bible. Short essays on a wide range of topics provide answers to the curious Bible reader, and bibliographies give students tools to pursue their own explorations into the fascinating world of the Bible. This is a book to enjoy and learn from!"

Interpretation 
“An important and accessible resource for scholars, pastors, and laity alike; it will be useful for all readers who wish to explore biblical categories in an ancient Near Eastern setting.”
 
Review & Expositor 
“The book is easy to read and very insightful concerning ancient Mediterranean culture. . . . Anyone with an interest in the biblical world will find A Cultural Handbook to the Bible a worthwhile read.”
 
Reviews in Religion and Theology 
“This fascinating book is an excellent introduction to all kinds of topics concerned with the ancient Middle Eastern culture of the Bible. . . . I would wholeheartedly recommend this work, written in a wonderfully free style. Read with discernment, disagree, discuss, but do not dismiss.”
 
Journal for the Study of the New Testament 
“Introduces general readers and undergraduate students to the fascinating world of biblical anthropology.”
 
Review of Biblical Literature
“This book is one that could be used by students who are getting into the social and cultural world of the Bible. . . . It is a good book for preachers or Bible school lecturers who want to share the insights of social and cultural anthropology in a distilled and very accessible way to an audience. The book is also a good reference source for scholars.”
 
Southwestern Journal of Theology 
“An excellent collection of Pilch’s insights into the biblical world.”
 
Congregational Libraries Today
“A solid reference work. . . . Highly recommended for clergy, seminarians, and other students of the Bible.”
 
Booklist (American Library Association) 
“An insightful collection of articles that helps place the Bible in a historically accurate cultural context.”
 
Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly 
“Pilch is never dull, and the objective of this book is laudable. Its value lies in its raising questions that every interpreter of Scripture needs to ask.”
 

From the Publisher