"For generations, the book of Genesis has been treated by scholars as a collection of documents by various hands, expressing different factional interests, with borrowings from other ancient literatures that mark the text as derivative. In other words, academic interpretation of Genesis has centered on the question of its basic coherency, just as fundamentalist interpretation has centered on the question of the appropriateness of reading it as literally...

Follows the author's work as he searches for the Biblical city of Sodom, the archaeological evidence of its existence, and what may have taken place that wiped it off the map.

"The inimitable Jane Yolen has teamed up with Barbara Diamond Goldin (a prolific author in her own right) to retell Bible stories from the point of view of twelve women (in nine chapters, as some come in pairs). After each story, there is a reflection "imagine" piece written from the voice of each woman (written by Barbara) and a poem about her (written by Jane). Intermixed with the main text are sidebars called "midrash" in the singular or "midrashim"...

"The Next Verse by best-selling author Jay Payleitner is a surprising, eye-opening devotional that takes 60 familiar and beloved Bible passages and encourages readers to read them in their context. They will see how these verses correspond to the next, previous, or surrounding verses-passages that explain, expand, seemingly contradict, and surprise. This unique devotional brings to the surface what many Christians already recognize: they hold numerous...

Craig G. Bartholomew and Ryan P. O'Dowd provide an informed introduction to the Old Testament wisdom books Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. Establishing the books in the context of ancient Near Eastern wisdom traditions and literature, the authors move beyond the scope of typical introductions to discuss the theological and hermeneutical implications of this literature.

For readers looking to experience God's grace and plan of salvation for the first time, or who would like to share the message of hope with someone they know, John 3:16 is the perfect place to start. Based on Max Lucado's bestselling book 3:16: The Numbers of Hope, The 3:16 Promise is a 64-page evangelistic booklet that journeys word-by-word through John 3:16, the passage Max calls the "Hope Diamond" of Scripture. This twenty-six-word parade of hope...