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

The editors of TheJewish Annotated New Testament show how and whyJews and Christians read many of the same Biblical texts - including passagesfrom the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Psalms - differently. Exploring andexplaining these diverse perspectives, they reveal more clearly Scripture'sbeauty and power.

Esteemed Bible scholars and teachers Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler takereaders on a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted inthe New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts andthen how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. Passages includethe creation of the world, the role of Adam and Eve, the Suffering Servant ofIsiah, the book of Jonah, and Psalm 22, whose words, "My God, my God, why haveyou forsaken me," Jesus quotes as he dies on the cross.Comparing various interpretations -historical, literary, and theological - of each ancient text, Levine andBrettler offer deeper understandings of the original narratives and their manyafterlives. They show how the text speaks to different generations underchanged circumstances, and so illuminate the Bible's ongoing significance. Byunderstanding the depth and variety by which these passages have been, and canbe, understood, The Bible With and Without Jesus does more than enhanceour religious understandings, it helps us to see the Bible as a source ofinspiration for any and all readers.

Supplemental enhancement PDFaccompanies the audiobook.