Collins (Old Testament criticism and interpretation, Yale Divinity School) and Harlow (religion, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI) along with many contributors, investigate the Second Temple period in the development of Judaism from the fourth century BCE to the second century CE. While the bulk of the book consists of annotated entries of people, movements and events affecting the Jewish community, there are essays that summarize modern scholarship followed by explanations of Jewish life in Israel and the diaspora. Sources are examined, including canonical scriptures, apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, epigraphy and Greek commentaries. The book concludes at the beginning of the Talmudic period and the rise of Christianity. With pictures, maps and charts, this is an essential reference work for both historians and students of religion. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

With the full publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls, fresh analysis of the evidence presented can be ? and indeed, should be ? made. Beyond the Qumran Community does just that, reaching a surprising conclusion: the sect described in the Dead Sea Scrolls developed later than has usually been supposed and was never confined to the site of Qumran. / John J. Collins here aims to deconstruct ?the Qumran community? and show that the sectarian documents actually come from a text spread throughout the land. He first examines the Community Rule or Yahad. Rather than confirming the general assumption that this rulebook relates to a monastic-style community living at the site of Qumran, Collins finds instead that the Essene accounts themselves emphasize that they had settlements in every city. He also considers the Teacher of Righteousness, a pivotal figure in the Essene movement, discovering that he was probably active in the first century bce rather than in the Maccabean era. After examining the available evidence, Collins concludes that it is, in fact, overwhelmingly likely that the site of Qumran housed merely a single settlement of this widespread movement.

A Short Introduction brings the erudition of John Collins's well-regarded Introduction to the Hebrew Bible with CD-ROM (2004) to a wider audience. A marvel of conciseness, A Short Introduction provides more student-friendly features than the larger Introduction, including new charts and maps, more illustrations, chapter summaries, illuminating vignettes, and selected bibliographies. A dedicated website includes test banks and classroom resources geared for the busy professor.

The landmark Oxford Catholic Study Bible is available now an upgraded and revised Second Edition. Completely re-written study notes, expanded essays and sidebars make this bible the perfect choice for study and worship.

The heart of this volume remains its extensive Reading Guide that leads the reader through the Scriptures, book by book. References and background information are clearly laid out in the margins of the text, guiding the reader to a fuller understanding of the Bible.

Other outstanding features include: a 15-page glossary of special terms, complete Sunday and weekday lectionary readings for the liturgical years of the Church. 32 beautiful pages of full-color Oxford Bible Maps come with a place-name index for easy reference.

Printed on smooth, durable paper and bound with the highest quality materials, the Oxford Catholic Study Bible is an incredible value. It is an essential resource for both experienced students and first-time readers.

* Articles (Biblical History and Archaeology; Catholic Interpretation of the Bible; Challenges of Biblical Translation; Paul and His Writings)
* Introductory Sectrions (1 & 2 Samuel; 1 & 2 Kings; Major Prophets, Baruch, and Lamentations
* Index to Study Materials

The landmark Oxford Catholic Study Bible is available now an upgraded and revised Second Edition. Completely re-written study notes, expanded essays and sidebars make this bible the perfect choice for study and worship.

The heart of this volume remains its extensive Reading Guide that leads the reader through the Scriptures, book by book. References and background information are clearly laid out in the margins of the text, guiding the reader to a fuller understanding of the Bible.

Other outstanding features include: a 15-page glossary of special terms, complete Sunday and weekday lectionary readings for the liturgical years of the Church. 32 beautiful pages of full-color Oxford Bible Maps come with a place-name index for easy reference.

Printed on smooth, durable paper and bound with the highest quality materials, the Oxford Catholic Study Bible is an incredible value. It is an essential resource for both experienced students and first-time readers.

* Articles (Biblical History and Archaeology; Catholic Interpretation of the Bible; Challenges of Biblical Translation; Paul and His Writings)
* Introductory Sectrions (1 & 2 Samuel; 1 & 2 Kings; Major Prophets, Baruch, and Lamentations
* Index to Study Materials

One philosophical approach to causation sees counterfactual dependence as the key to the explanation of causal facts: for example, events c (the cause) and e (the effect) both occur, but had c not occurred, e would not have occurred either. The counterfactual analysis of causation became a focus of philosophical debate after the 1973 publication of the late David Lewis's groundbreaking paper, "Causation," which argues against the previously accepted "regularity" analysis and in favor of what he called the "promising alternative" of the counterfactual analysis. Thirty years after Lewis's paper, this book brings together some of the most important recent work connecting--or, in some cases, disputing the connection between--counterfactuals and causation, including the complete version of Lewis's Whitehead lectures, "Causation as Influence," a major reworking of his original paper. Also included is a more recent essay by Lewis, "Void and Object," on causation by omission. Several of the essays first appeared in a special issue of the Journal of Philosophy, but most, including the unabridged version of "Causation as Influence," are published for the first time or in updated forms.Other topics considered include the "trumping" of one event over another in determining causation; de facto dependence; challenges to the transitivity of causation; the possibility that entities other than events are the fundamental causal relata; the distinction between dependence and production in accounts of causation; the distinction between causation and causal explanation; the context-dependence of causation; probabilistic analyses of causation; and a singularist theory of causation.

One philosophical approach to causation sees counterfactual dependence as the key to the explanation of causal facts: for example, events c (the cause) and e (the effect) both occur, but had c not occurred, e would not have occurred either. The counterfactual analysis of causation became a focus of philosophical debate after the 1973 publication of the late David Lewis's groundbreaking paper, "Causation," which argues against the previously accepted "regularity" analysis and in favor of what he called the "promising alternative" of the counterfactual analysis. Thirty years after Lewis's paper, this book brings together some of the most important recent work connecting--or, in some cases, disputing the connection between--counterfactuals and causation, including the complete version of Lewis's Whitehead lectures, "Causation as Influence," a major reworking of his original paper. Also included is a more recent essay by Lewis, "Void and Object," on causation by omission. Several of the essays first appeared in a special issue of the Journal of Philosophy, but most, including the unabridged version of "Causation as Influence," are published for the first time or in updated forms.Other topics considered include the "trumping" of one event over another in determining causation; de facto dependence; challenges to the transitivity of causation; the possibility that entities other than events are the fundamental causal relata; the distinction between dependence and production in accounts of causation; the distinction between causation and causal explanation; the context-dependence of causation; probabilistic analyses of causation; and a singularist theory of causation.

Seventeen papers address safety issues associated with the processing of animal food products and protection measures from such hazards as microbial pathogens, the transfer of antimicrobial resistance via food-borne contaminants, residues of pharmaceuticals, and unknown dangers of genetically modified organisms. The seventeen full articles largely address broad overarching issues, but editors Smulders (meat technology and food science, U. of Veterinary Medicine, Austria) and Collins (director, Veterinary Epidemiology and Tuberculosis Investigation Unit, U. College Dublin, Ireland) also present 27 summaries of papers more specifically examining individual microbes or safety techniques. All of the papers seem to have been drawn from the same conference, but the text offers no details. Distributed by Purdue U. Press. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

International experts offer fresh insights into: (1) Review of Scholarship and Context; (2) Near Eastern Milieu; (3) Interpretation of Specific Passages; (4) Social Setting; (5) Literary Context, Including Qumran; (6) Reception in Judaism and Christianity; (7) Textual History; and (8) Theology of Daniel.This publication has also been published in hardback, please click here for details.

Remembering the Caldwells offers a nostalgic view of three neighboring communities rich in history and character. This impressive collection of vintage photographs covers the period from the end of the 19th century to the eve of the millennium. These rare photographs, few of which have been shared with the public, are from the private collections of local families and archivists. Trace within these pages the emergence of a diversity of churches and schools, tour nationally significant historic homes, and explore the transportation system that helped shape the entire region. Remembering the Caldwells also features the Caldwells' connection with Grover Cleveland, from his parents' association with the town to his own residency in Caldwell. Join John J. Collins in this enlightening journey back in

time to discover the people, places, and events that shaped the future of the Caldwells.