A Comparative Handbook to the Gospel of Mark: Comparisons with Pseudepigrapha, the Qumran Scrolls, and Rabbinic Literature(1 New Testament Gospels in Their Judaic Contexts)

This comparative handbook is intended to provide scholars of the New Testament with detailed, systematic and accurate resources concerning the Judaic context of the gospel of Mark. It aims to serve as a powerful tool to assist the reader - and commentator - in understanding and commenting on the gospel of Mark. Introductions are provided to help with issues of dating and the development of the literatures concerned. Possible interpretations are also presented, where suitable.

About the Author :
Bruce Chilton, Ph.D. (1976) in Divinity, the University of Cambridge, is Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College. He is a scholar of early Christianity and Judaism. Darrell L. Bock, Ph.D. in Divinity (New Testament, The University of Aberdeen) is Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He also has done post-doctorial work as a Humboldt scholar at the University of Tübingen, Germany. Daniel M. Gurtner is Associate Professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary (St Paul, Minnesota, USA). Jacob Neusner is Professor of Judaic Studies, Bard College. Lawrence H. Schiffman is Ethel and Irvin A. Edelman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University.

Review :
"Any student, scholar, or institution that recognizes the importance of Mark’s Judaic context for interpretation will find this volume indispensable." - Thomas M. Anderson, London School of Theology, in: Religious Studies Review 38:2 (June 2012) "All in all, [...] does A Comparative Handbook of the Gospel of Mark improve and thus supersede the pioneering work of Strack and Billerbeck? [...] the answer, in general must be 'yes'. [...] mainly because of the many non-rabbinic, Aramaic citations from texts which were unknown [...], whose discovery extends the possible sources for the ideas expressed in Mark. These texts are now selected and focused and thus made easily accessible." - Nina L. Collins, in: Novum Testamentum 57 (2015) "Particularly worthy of commendation is that the authors of this volume have successfully created something of a new genre among reference volumes. Whereas lexical aids focus on the semantic ranges and domains of particular words, this text takes a similar approach, except with topics and concepts. [...] I highly recommend this volume to specialists in Mark’s Gospel and particularly to commentators and translators.The editors have done a tremendous service to such scholars by creating this new type of exegetical reference work." - Chris Keith, in: Biblical Theology Bulletin 42 (2012) "...the Handbook serves as an important resource for commentators and other interpreters of Mark's Gospel." - Joel F. Willimans, in: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society "...ein wichtiges Instrument, ältere Sichtweisen zu überwinden und dem zweiten Evangelium in seiner Verortung im Kontext des Frühjudentums auf die Spur zu kommen. ...Die kommentierenden Abschnitte bieten eine Fundgrube für den Kommentator. ...verdienstvollen Handbuch..." - Reinhard von Bendemann, in: Theologische Literaturzeitung 137 (2012) "ein hilfreiches Handbuch, das vielfältiges Material in bündiger Auswahl leicht zugänglich präsentiert und zu dem jeder greifen kann und soll, der das MkEv eingehender vor seinem jüdischen Hintergrund verstehen und interpretieren will. [...] Bezugstexte, auf die in Kommentaren und Sekundärliteratur oft nur auflistend hingewiesen wird, die aber oft wohl gar nicht nachgeschlagen werden, lassen sich hier in Auswahl bequem nachlesen. Das Werk dient damit vor allem der Erhellung des Hintergrunds und dem Aufweis von Verbindungen zum pluriformen Judentum der Zeit. [...] Besonders segensreich wirkt das Handbuch sicher da, wo es Leser dazu animiert, einige der Schriften, die auszugsweise zitiert werden oder auf die verwiesen wird, selbst zur Hand zu nehmen." - Wolfgang Fritzen, in: Biblische Zeitschrift, Jg. 56/2012-1 / Rhema 27.02.12