The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently

by Amy-Jill Levine, Marc Zvi Brettler

Overview

The editors of The Jewish Annotated New Testament show how and why Jews and Christians read many of the same Biblical texts – including passages from the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Psalms – differently. Exploring and explaining these diverse perspectives, they reveal more clearly Scripture’s beauty and power.  
Esteemed Bible scholars and teachers Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler take readers on a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. Passages include the creation of the world, the role of Adam and Eve, the Suffering Servant of Isiah, the book of Jonah, and Psalm 22, whose words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” Jesus quotes as he dies on the cross.

Comparing various interpretations – historical, literary, and theological - of each ancient text, Levine and Brettler offer deeper understandings of the original narratives and their many afterlives. They show how the text speaks to different generations under changed circumstances, and so illuminate the Bible’s ongoing significance. By understanding the depth and variety by which these passages have been, and can be, understood, The Bible With and Without Jesus does more than enhance our religious understandings, it helps us to see the Bible as a source of inspiration for any and all readers.  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062560162
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/19/2023
Pages:	512
Sales rank:	146,448
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

AMY-JILL LEVINE is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and Department of Jewish Studies. She has also taught at Swarthmore College, Cambridge University, and the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. She is the author of many books, including The Misunderstood Jew and Short Stories by Jesus, and she is the co-editor of the Jewish Annotated New Testament. 

MARC ZVI BRETTLER is the Bernice and Morton Lerner Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at Duke University.  He has also taught at Brandeis University, Yale University, Brown University, Wellesley College, and Middlebury College. He is the author of many books, including How to Read the Bible and The Creation of History in Ancient Israel, and is the co-editor of the Jewish Annotated New Testament.  

Table of Contents

Preface ix

A Note on Translations and Abbreviations xv

Chapter 1 On Bibles and their Interpreters 1

Same Stories, Different Bibles 3

Christian and Jewish Bibles 7

On Interpretation 14

Interpreting Divinely Revealed Texts 21

Jewish Interpretations: Two Jews, Three Opinions 26

Christian Interpretation: Aligned with Belief 32

Chapter 2 The Problem and Promise of Prophecy 41

Prophecy 43

Prooftexts 49

Polemics 54

Possibilities 60

Chapter 3 The Creation of the World 67

In the Beginning 69

Making Order from Chaos 74

Wind, Spirit, Wisdom, Logos 82

"Let Us Make Humankind …" 88

Later Jewish Interpretation 93

Chapter 4 Adam and Eve 99

Death, Domination, and Divorce 101

The Garden of Eden 105

Eating Forbidden Fruit 112

The Garden of Eden in the Bible Outside of Genesis 119

Original Sin in the Hebrew Bible? 121

Adam and Eve in Early Judaism 123

Later Jewish Tradition 128

Chapter 5 "You Are a Priest Forever" 135

Priesthood in Ancient Israel 137

Jesus the High Priest, After the Order of Melchizedek 141

Genesis 14: The First Appearance of Melchizedek 148

Psalm 110: An Enigmatic Royal Psalm 154

Melchizedek in Later Jewish Tradition 165

The Problem of Supersessionism in the Epistle to the Hebrews 171

Chapter 6 "An Eye for an Eye" and "Turn the Other Cheek" 179

Antitheses or Extensions? 181

But I Say to You… 186

On an Eye for an Eye 201

The Hebrew Bible's Context 206

The Struggle Between Justice and Mercy 212

Chapter 7 "Drink My Blood": Sacrifice and Atonement 219

The Sacrificial Lamb 221

Sacrifices in Ancient Israel 227

Passover 236

Human Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible 238

Nonsacrificial Atonement 241

Sacrifice in Postbiblical Judaism 245

The Blood of Circumcision 248

The Blood of the Covenant 252

Chapter 8 "A Virgin Will Conceive and Bear a Child" 255

To Fulfill What Had Been Spoken 257

Isaiah in His Context 261

From "Young Woman" to "Virgin" 271

From Prediction to Polemic 275

Chapter 9 Isaiah's Suffering Servant 285

By His Bruises We Are Healed 287

The "Suffering Servant" in His Historical Context 295

The Servant's History in Later Jewish and Christian Traditions 304

Chapter 10 The Sign of Jonah 313

Jesus and the Sign of Jonah 315

The Story of Jonah in Its Earliest Historical Context 320

Jonah in Christian Eyes 332

Jonah in Jewish Eyes 337

Chapter 11 "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?" 345

Jesus and Psalm 22 347

An Aside: Other Psalms in the New Testament 354

Psalm 22 in the Scriptures of Israel 358

When Psalms Become Prophecy 368

Psalm 22 in Jewish Sources 371

Chapter 12 Son of Man 381

Human and/or Divine 383

In Search of the Son of Man 387

"Son of Man": From Human to Superhuman 393

The Son of Man Elsewhere in the New Testament 404

The Postbiblical Future of the Son of Man 408

Chapter 13 Conclusion: From Polemic to Possibility 413

The New Covenant: "'At That Time,' Says the Lord…" 415

In the Interim 419

What We Learn 423

Acknowledgments 427

Notes 429

Author Index 467

Primary Texts Index 475

Subject Index 485

Editorial Reviews

"In an age where polemics and talking past one another is common, the appeal to respectful interpretation and dialogue is refreshing and helpful. Perhaps it is not too much to expect that we see ourselves as others see us or see our sacred texts as others see them.  Highly recommended." — Dr. Ben Witherington, III, Amos Professor of NT for Doctoral Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary

“This exploration invites both Jews and Christians to look at texts whose meanings we take for granted and see them from the other side. It is a delightful read through a mind-opening adventure that will do more for Jewish-Christian relations than many official documents." — Carolyn Osiek, author of A Woman's Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity

“Imbued with the best of modern biblical scholarship, which particularly shines in the moving treatment of the Sermon on the Mount, and written clearly and beautifully, this accessible study is highly recommended for all students of the Bible.” — Mark S. Smith, author of The Early History of God

“A must read for all concerned with peace and well-being in our civil societies in their rich diversity.” — Kathy Ehrensperger, Executive Editor of The Encyclopedia of Jewish-Christian Relations

“A book like this has been greatly needed. It should get wide use.” — Tony Campolo, author of Red Letter Christianity 

“A real gem of a book and badly needed. Scholars of the highest caliber, they lay out the logic and consistency of each religious interpretation, thus nurturing mutual, informed respect and dialogue. Highly recommended.” — Steve McKenzie, Professor of Religious Studies, Rhodes College

“Impeccable . . . remarkable, accessible.” — Publishers Weekly

“Jews and Christians read the Bible with different histories, interpretations, contexts, and emphases. How can the two understand each other better? No two persons are better suited to answer this question than Brettler and Levine. It requires expertise in the Bible itself and in the history of interpretation. These two respected scholars bring that dual expertise with style, clarity, wit, and visible honesty. They replace ignorance with mutual respect, and replace polemics with possibilities. Truly a book for everyone.” — Richard Elliott Friedman, author of The Exodus and Who Wrote the Bible?

"How can Jews and Christians read the Scriptures they share without denigrating each other’s interpretations? This book is an extraordinary effort to guide us through our readings of the Bible while respecting the differences of our traditions. The world has been waiting two thousand years for this book!"   — Susannah Heschel, Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor, Dartmouth College

“Fascinating . . . The chapter on the original meanings of sections of the Sermon on the Mount is alone worth the price of admission. A rich and important offering.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Tackles the worthy yet weighty task of examining the Jewish scriptures through both Jewish and Christian eyes, seeking to promote further understanding between adherents . . . A thorough, readable addition to the consistently fecund Jewish-Christian conversation.” — Kirkus

“This new project…[looks] at the various reinterpretations of the text in the first centuries BCE and CE, how they diverged according to Christian and Jewish belief, and the subtle and not-so-subtle polemics that were then developed…effectively showing how the separate interpretations may never converge, but the integrity of each can be appreciated.” — Library Journal

“Incisive and accessible in content and welcoming in tone, the book express very well a point I sought to convey throughout my career: ‘The more one knows of Israel’s scripture, the more meaningful the New Testament becomes.’” — Christian Century

"Seeks to offer insight into how two faiths can have such disparate understandings of the same text [and] can help Jews and Christians understand each other better." — The Times of Israel

“A Top 10 Notable Book of the Year” — Center for Hebraic Thought

“The authors seek to open a dialogue that will allow everyone to have a better understanding of the text. [The book is] easy to read, perfect for Jewish-Christian dialogue groups, and will appeal to anyone interested in understanding the Bible.” — The Reporter

“No two people have done as much to help educate and challenge Christians as Levine and Brettler.”  — James Martin, SJ, New York Times bestselling author of Learning to Pray

From the Publisher

"In an age where polemics and talking past one another is common, the appeal to respectful interpretation and dialogue is refreshing and helpful. Perhaps it is not too much to expect that we see ourselves as others see us or see our sacred texts as others see them.  Highly recommended."

Dr. Ben Witherington

"Seeks to offer insight into how two faiths can have such disparate understandings of the same text [and] can help Jews and Christians understand each other better."

The Times of Israel

The authors seek to open a dialogue that will allow everyone to have a better understanding of the text. [The book is] easy to read, perfect for Jewish-Christian dialogue groups, and will appeal to anyone interested in understanding the Bible.

The Reporter

Jews and Christians read the Bible with different histories, interpretations, contexts, and emphases. How can the two understand each other better? No two persons are better suited to answer this question than Brettler and Levine. It requires expertise in the Bible itself and in the history of interpretation. These two respected scholars bring that dual expertise with style, clarity, wit, and visible honesty. They replace ignorance with mutual respect, and replace polemics with possibilities. Truly a book for everyone.

Richard Elliott Friedman

A real gem of a book and badly needed. Scholars of the highest caliber, they lay out the logic and consistency of each religious interpretation, thus nurturing mutual, informed respect and dialogue. Highly recommended.

Steve McKenzie

A Top 10 Notable Book of the Year

Center for Hebraic Thought

A must read for all concerned with peace and well-being in our civil societies in their rich diversity.

Kathy Ehrensperger

A book like this has been greatly needed. It should get wide use.

Tony Campolo

"How can Jews and Christians read the Scriptures they share without denigrating each other’s interpretations? This book is an extraordinary effort to guide us through our readings of the Bible while respecting the differences of our traditions. The world has been waiting two thousand years for this book!"  

Susannah Heschel

Incisive and accessible in content and welcoming in tone, the book express very well a point I sought to convey throughout my career: ‘The more one knows of Israel’s scripture, the more meaningful the New Testament becomes.’

Christian Century

Imbued with the best of modern biblical scholarship, which particularly shines in the moving treatment of the Sermon on the Mount, and written clearly and beautifully, this accessible study is highly recommended for all students of the Bible.

Mark S. Smith

This exploration invites both Jews and Christians to look at texts whose meanings we take for granted and see them from the other side. It is a delightful read through a mind-opening adventure that will do more for Jewish-Christian relations than many official documents."

Carolyn Osiek

08/28/2020

Levine (New Testament, Vanderbilt Univ.) and Brettler (Judaic studies, Duke Univ.) had previously collaborated to produce The Jewish Annotated New Testament. This new project focuses on the lenses by which Christians call the Old Testament and Jews frequently refer to as the Tanakh is interpreted. For Christians, that would be Jesus, while Jews look to their shared experience as filtered through the Talmud. Using stories and passages most familiar to Christians, Levine and Brettler attempt to reconstruct possible ways these passages might originally have been heard. They then look at the various reinterpretations of the text in the first centuries BCE and CE, how they diverged according to Christian and Jewish belief, and the subtle and not-so-subtle polemics that were then developed. VERDICT Previously, Levine and Brettler have provided support for the idea that Christians and Jews should view the New Testament as Jewish literature. Here, they go a step further to argue that the scriptures that some call the Old Testament and others the Tanakh owe their meanings to the communities in which their interpretations have developed, effectively showing how the separate interpretations may never converge, but the integrity of each can be appreciated.—James Wetherbee, Wingate Univ. Libs., NC

Library Journal

2020-08-25
An ecumenical look at the Bible.

Biblical scholars Levine and Brettler, editors of The Jewish Annotated New Testament, tackle the worthy yet weighty task of examining the Jewish Scriptures through both Jewish and Christian eyes, seeking to promote further understanding between adherents of both religions. The authors make clear that while both Jews and Christians have similar beliefs regarding what is variously called the Tanakh, the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Bible, the lenses through which each religion views these Scriptures—as reflecting either the story of Israel or the story of Christ—are quite different. Additionally, the original hearers and readers of these Scriptures viewed the texts through yet a third type of lens. Demonstrating how these three views of Scripture differ from and interact with each other, Levine and Brettler hope “to foster a different future, where Jews and Christians come to understand each other’s positions and beliefs, and at the minimum, respectfully agree to disagree.” To perform this task, the authors present 10 passages or themes from the Tanakh and examine how each has been read in different eras and across various faith traditions. These passages all tie in closely with the Christian understanding of its own faith tradition, yet some may not be as essential to Jewish readers—e.g., the story of Adam and Eve, the priesthood of Melchizedek, the Suffering Servant in Isaiah, the story of Jonah. In each case, the authors provide context for the theme based on other Scriptures and on what scholars know of the language, culture, and events of the time. They go on to explain how the Scripture in question has been viewed by both Christians and Jews and why and how modern believers might be able to find a common ground of understanding and tolerance between these interpretations.

A thorough, readable addition to the consistently fecund Jewish-Christian conversation.

Kirkus Reviews