Like clockwork, the latest Review of Biblical Literature has appeared and there are a few reviews of books in the area of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and cognate disciplines — though pickings are a bit sparse this week. I would recommend the work on John Allegro — he was truly an interesting character in the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the biography by his daughter is a facinating read. Magic mushrooms anyone?

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

• Carasik, Michael (ed. and trans.), The Commentators’ Bible: The JPS Miqra’OT Gedolot: Exodus. Reviewed by Adele Berlin
• Kiuchi, Nobuyoshi, A Study of HÌ£Ä?tÌ£Ä?’ and HÌ£atÌ£tÌ£Ä?’t in Leviticus 4-5. Reviewed by Reinhard Achenbach
• Matthews, Victor H. and James C. Moyer, The Old Testament: Text and Context. Reviewed by Phillip Camp

Second Temple Studies

• Brown, Judith Anne, John Marco Allegro: The Maverick of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Reviewed by Jason Kalman and Tobias Nicklas

There are a number of reviews in this week’s Review of Biblical Literature that will interest Hebrew Bible specialists. Note the two positive reviews of Campbell’s FOTL commentary on 2 Samuel (one in French), while Romer gives the Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible a mixed review. I should also note that Auld’s work on Amos is a reprint of his 1986 Guide. For those interested in translation issues, there is also a review of Poythress and Grudem’s theologically conservative opposition to the TNIV.

Special note should be made of Jodi Magness’ massive (and decisive) 15 page review of Hirschfeld’s Qumran in Context. She concludes: “Hirschfeld’s interpretation and other alternative interpretations of Qumran are contradicted by the physical connection between the scroll caves and the settlement and by the presence of numerous features that are unparalleled at other sites. These features… “—are physical expressions of this community’s halakah, which involved maintaining the highest possible level of ritual purity. This accounts for the absence of these features at other sites. Rarely does archaeology so clearly reflect a system of religious beliefs and practices.” I encourage you to read her full review.

• Rainer Albertz, Geschichte und Theologie: Studien zur Exegese des Alten Testaments und zur Religionsgeschichte Israels. Review by Manfred Oeming
• A. Graeme Auld, Amos (T and T Clark Study Guides; previously Sheffield Guides). Review by Nahum Roesel
• Antony Campbell, 2 Samuel(Forms of the Old Testament Literature, 8). Reviews by A Graeme Auld and Jacques Vermeylen (in French)

There is also some relevant Second Temple and Rabbinic works reviewed, as well as some broader works related to biblical studies.

• Yizhar Hirschfeld, Qumran in Context: Reassessing the Archaeological Evidence. Review by Jodi Magness
• Johannes Tromp, The Life of Adam and Eve in Greek: A Critical Edition. Review by Devorah Dimant
• Amram Tropper, Wisdom, Politics, and Historiography: Tractate Avot in the Context of the Graeco-Roman Near East. Review by Daryl Jefferies
• Philip Davies, ed., Yours Faithfully: Virtual Letters from the Bible. Review by Alice Bach
• James D. G. Dunn and John Rogerson, eds., Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Review by Thomas Romer
• Vern S. Poythress and Wayne A. Grudem, The TNIV and the Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy. Review by Joseph Matos

As has become my custom of late, below are the Hebrew Bible (full, unedited, and even with a few bonus reviews from the “other” section!) entries from the latest Review of Biblical Literature, as well as some sundry comments by yours truly.

I was curious to see what Kraus said about The Book of Psalms: Composition and Reception, as I am reviewing it for another journal (Kraus evidently enjoyed the volume since he notes no shortcomings). If the recent recovery of the Leviticus scroll fragments has whet your appetite, then judging from Nitzan’s review, Secrets of the Cave of Letters sounds like an interesting read. There is also a very positive (albeit not very techincal) review of Logos Bible Software Scholar’s Library Silver Edition (for more on biblical studies software, go here). Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t draw your attention to the review of Mowinckel’s He That Cometh by Jim West of the Biblical Theology Weblog. (Note the other review of Mowinckel’s classic is by Heinz-Josef Fabry, not Fabry Heinz-Josef as in the email and on the webpage).

• Stephen L. Cook, The Social Roots of Biblical Yahwism. Reviewed by Kenton Sparks
• John Eaton, Meditating on the Psalms. Reviewed by Philippus J. Botha and Brian Russell
• Rodney J. Hutton, Fortress Introduction to the Prophets. Reviewed by Innocent Himbaza
• Patrick D. Miller and Peter W. Flint, eds., The Book of Psalms: Composition and Reception. Reviewed by Thomas Kraus
• Sigmund Mowinckel, He That Cometh: The Messiah Concept in the Old Testament and Later Judaism (Translated by G. W. Anderson). Reviewed by Heinz-Josef Fabry [N.B. Review in German] and James West
• Jonathan A Draper, ed., Orality, Literacy, and Colonialism in Antiquity. Reviewed by James Loader [N.B. The review is in German]
• Richard A. Freund, Secrets of the Cave of Letters: Rediscovering a Dead Sea Mystery. Reviewed by Bilha Nitzan
• Scholar’s Library Silver Edition (Logos Bible Software) Reviewed by Jan Van Der Watt