Books by David Instone-Brewer
This exhaustive survey of exegesis by the predecessors of the rabbis before 70 CE shows that they... more This exhaustive survey of exegesis by the predecessors of the rabbis before 70 CE shows that they did not interpret Scripture out of context, did not look for any meaning in Scripture other than what they regarded as the plain sense, and did not change the text to fit their interpretation, though later rabbis did all these things. If the conclusions of this work are correct, it demands a fresh examination of the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament.
Jewish background shows us that Jesus did allow divorce for grounds defined in the OT, but did no... more Jewish background shows us that Jesus did allow divorce for grounds defined in the OT, but did not allow divorce for the new "any matter divorce" which was becoming popular in the early first century. He said that remarriage after this invalid type of divorce was equivalent to adultery, because they were still married.
Dating and analysis of traditions in the first half of the second Order of Mishnah, Tosephta and ... more Dating and analysis of traditions in the first half of the second Order of Mishnah, Tosephta and Talmuds which can be dated before 70CE.
Dating and analysis of traditions in the first Order of Mishnah, Tosephta and Talmuds which can b... more Dating and analysis of traditions in the first Order of Mishnah, Tosephta and Talmuds which can be dated before 70CE.
Rabbinic and ancient Near Eastern background to understanding the biblical teaching on divorce.
Survey of OT interpretation in Palestinian Judaism before 70 CE concentrating on exegeses which s... more Survey of OT interpretation in Palestinian Judaism before 70 CE concentrating on exegeses which survive in rabbinic literature.
Papers by David Instone-Brewer
Tyndale Bulletin, 2001
The first half of this study explored 1 Corinthians 7 in the light of the Graeco-Roman Greek and ... more The first half of this study explored 1 Corinthians 7 in the light of the Graeco-Roman Greek and Latin marriage and divorce papyri.1 These papyri showed that much of 1 Corinthians 7 has its basis in Graeco-Roman vocabulary and social structures. The believers at Corinth were facing the problem that divorce under Graeco-Roman law was legally complete when the dowry was returned and the couple separated. Comparisons with Jewish marriage and divorce papyri show that the lifestyle and morals that Paul wishes the Corinthians to adopt are based primarily on the Jewish interpretation of the Old Testament. This is illustrated from both Greek Jewish papyri, which show a Judaism thoroughly embedded in the Graeco
Rabbinic Perspectives: Rabbinic Literature and the Dead Sea Scrolls, 2006
Bulletin for Biblical research, 2008
Bulletin for Biblical research, 2009
The Journal of Theological Studies, 2006
Faith and Thought , 2012
The discovery of the Qumran Bible manuscripts helped confirm the theory that there were many diff... more The discovery of the Qumran Bible manuscripts helped confirm the theory that there were many different forms of the Hebrew Bible before a Standard one was chosen to be preserved as the Masoretic text, so first century Jews had many Hebrew Bibles available to them. Subsequent discoveries have reversed that conclusion. It now appears likely that first century Jews had already decided which text form of the Hebrew text was the oldest, and that many of the variant readings were conscious paraphrases of this older text.
Most unusual insights, alongside a popular style of writing-he has opened my mind and touched my ... more Most unusual insights, alongside a popular style of writing-he has opened my mind and touched my heart, making scripture and truth come alive. A must read for those who want to be on the cutting edge of vital 21st century issues."-Gerald Coates, founder of Pioneer, speaker, author and broadcaster "A fresh and intriguing approach to the figure of Jesus in the Gospels. It is widely recognized that Jesus scandalized some of his contemporaries, especially the religious elite, but Instone-Brewer takes this idea much further. He draws on his extensive knowledge of rabbinic literature to show us in detail how much of Jesus' behaviour and teaching must have appeared shocking. But Instone-Brewer wears his learning lightly. His lively style and the parallels he draws with our own society will appeal to a wide range of readers.-Professor riChard BauCkham, fBa, frse "A thought-provoking book packed with background material that is both well-researched and well written. It brings new colours to the Gospels and helps explain the scandalous teaching and behaviour of Jesus. Read it and see why the gospel is called 'good news.'"-ian Coffey, author and teacher "Applied theology at its best-a scholar painstakingly working to understand the thought-world of the first century New Testament, and a pastor painstakingly applying its message to a whole host of twenty-first century problems. Written in an accessible, engaging and appropriately humorous style… you will be illumined, challenged and immensely helped. Highly recommended!"-dr steve Brady, Principal, moorlands College, Christchurch Revd Dr David Instone-Brewer is a Baptist Minister who was seconded to the academic world by his denomination. He is now the Senior Research Fellow in Rabbinics and the New Testament at Tyndale House in Cambridge. He has written several academic books and articles on early Judaism and the Bible, as well as regular contributions to Christianity magazine. Other interests include computer programming and lowbrow movies.
The Evangelical quarterly, May 4, 2004
I was being interviewed for what would be my first church pastorate, and I was nervous and unsure... more I was being interviewed for what would be my first church pastorate, and I was nervous and unsure what to expect. The twelve deacons sat in a row in front of me and took turns asking questions, which I answered as clearly as I could. All went smoothly until they posed this ...
Evangelical Quarterly: An International Review of Bible and Theology
HIPHIL Novum, Mar 3, 2020
The law of Leviticus 20:13 contains a curious non-symmetry: "a man ['ish&#39... more The law of Leviticus 20:13 contains a curious non-symmetry: "a man ['ish'] may not lie with a male [zakar']" If the purpose of the law was to forbid sexual activity between two people of the same sex, we would expect two identical terms for "man" to emphasise their similarity. The paper looks at two possible ways to account for this non-symmetry: it may be due to merging legislation from two sources, or the two terms may be synonymous. While surveying the concept of homoerotic inclination in the large corpus of Akkadian texts, the cognate term zikaru is found in two of these texts where its meaning of "male" implied heteroerotic inclination. If this meaning existed also in Hebrew, the two types of male who must not lie together may refer to "any male" ('ish) and a "heteroerotic male" (zakar). In this case, sexual activity between two homoerotically inclined males may still be regarded as immoral, but it was a capital crime only if a heteroerotic male was involved. The possibility of this interpretation means it is no longer certain that Leviticus condemned all homoerotic activity.
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Books by David Instone-Brewer
Papers by David Instone-Brewer