I recently accquired this volume when I ordered Bock's BECNT on Luke. When I bought it, I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but having thumbed throught it and incorporated it into my scripture reading, I thought I'd point it out for those who haven't seen it yet. If you're familiar with C.K. Barrett's New Testament Backgrounds: Selected Documents, it's similar, only more specific. After a brief overview of primary sources, the synoptic gospels are treated, followed by the fourth gospel. With each pericope covered, excerpts are offered from revelant primary sources that would inform the reading of a text historically/contextually. In the introduction, they refer to it as a "poor man's Strack and Billerbeck" (in English, obviously). I think I paid under $15, definately a great price for a valuable resource.
2 comments:
I bought the book last year in the Student ETS Baker pub. sale but I have never used it.
I was confused at first as to how to use it exactly? I thought that I was needing to use it in conjunction with the other background books (part of a series I believe) that he wrote with the same intentions.
I am glad that you posted on it, because I have grabbed it of the shelf and more clearly understand how to use it now and so, ya, it looks helpful.
The moral of the story...reading a books introduciton carefully helps actually "introduce" the book to the reader! How about that!:)
The introduction and the preface are actually my favorite parts of books. I know that's kind of odd, but hey, that's me. It is also keyed to Bock's larger work "Jesus According to Scripture," though it can be used by itself alongside your scripture reading.
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