Biblical Genres

Ravaged by one brother, silenced and betrayed by another, and abandoned by her father, Tamar—once beloved daughter of the king of Israel, and healer of the court—suddenly finds herself in exile, fleeing for her life. But the story continues where the scriptures end: a dangerous journey and tenacious pursuit of her true identity and calling brings her full circle, to her rightful place in the kingdom.

In order to understand, appreciate, and faithfully preach the word of God, pastors must discern the literary nature of the Bible. Instead of just acknowledging the various genres of Scripture, pastors and teachers should allow these genres to influence how the text is approached and communicated. In The Beauty and Power of Biblical Exposition, they will learn how to both read and preach the Bible as a literary anthology.

Two thousand years ago, when the Romans came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciple Peter cut off the ear of an innocent man. Jesus rebuked Peter and quickly healed the servant's ear - and the Sword of Peter took on supernatural powers. Fast forward to modern day where a Biblical archaeology quest for the Sword of Peter is imperative to both Israel and to the Christian world.

After finding two ancient silver shekels in an old robe, Professor Sam Godfrey and Achava, guardian of Israel and its sacred artifacts, believe they've been chosen to find the rest of the coins. Sam and Achava follow the trail of the robe to a man who tells them they have 30 days to find the rest of the shekels. He warns that if they don't succeed in time, something catastrophic will happen.

Thousands of years ago, just before God flooded the Earth, a man of faith took his family and many animals onto an ark he built in order to survive the coming deluge. Fast forward to modern day where Achava, spiritual guardian of Israel, leads the team on a time travel quest for Noah's ark. Achava is joined by Sam Godfrey, an archaeologist; Anthea, Achava's archrival half-sister; and the newest member of the team, Khassima, a royal dancer who is haunted by her past. Together, the intrepid team uses supernatural forces to travel back to the time of Noah.

Thousands of years ago, Moses was given the stone tablets with God's Commandments. They were kept in the Ark of the Covenant for a time, but they're no longer there. In modern day, Achava is a spiritual warrior. And a wife and a mother-to-be. Now, in their final mission from God, Achava and Sam must find and return the stone tablets of the Commandments of God into the Ark of the Covenant. It's their most dangerous mission ever - not only will Achava have to fight her greatest battle, but she must do it while carrying their child.

Thousands of years ago, a young warrior slew a Nephilim with a sling, some stones...and God's help. In modern day, Achava is the warrior. The avenger. And now, a wife. When Achava, supernatural guardian of Israel, marries Professor Sam Godfrey, she loses some powers. Becoming more human by the hour, Achava can no longer Soul Merge and must rely on her half-sister, Anthea, for such travels. Sam doubts Achava can battle evil without her supernatural abilities.

Modern Genre Theory describes the current state of biblical genre theory (as well as the meaning of form criticism and why it needs to die). Scholar of biblical hermeneutics Andrew Judd then presents a better alternative of interpretation based on the best developments in secular literary theory, linguistics, and rhetorical studies.

God is a covenant making, covenant keeping God. From the dawn of prehistory, God’s dealings with mankind can be understood through the lens of covenant: A binding agreement of unending loyalty and faithfulness. His early covenants with mankind were one-sided, requiring very little from men in return. All of that changed with the birth of the nation of Israel, and her deliverance from slavery in Egypt through Moses. The Mosaic covenant, also known throughout the Bible as “the law”, encompassed the rest of the Old Testament books through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

This is the incredible story of the journey undertaken by two men. Paul and Barnabas left their homes and risked their lives to cross seas and mountains. They were shipwrecked, beaten and faced the threat of robbery and murder. They were almost killed by floods and spent sleepless nights exposed to storms and freezing mountain temperatures. They travelled to places which had never heard the gospel and brought Jews and Gentiles to Jesus.

The Third Millennium paints a blood-chilling picture of the chaos and confusion of the end times as witnessed by one American family as unforgettably narrated by their guardian angel, Michael.

In the 1950s, as a continuation of Moses, Man of the Mountain, Zora Neale Hurston penned a historical novel about one of the most infamous figures in the Bible, Herod the Great. In Hurston’s retelling, Herod is not the wicked ruler of the New Testament who is charged with the “slaughter of the innocents,” but a forerunner of Christ—a beloved king who enriched Jewish culture and brought prosperity and peace to Judea.

When an Orthodox Jew is found shot to death in Montreal, Temperance Brennan is called in to examine the body and to figure out the puzzling damage to the corpse. Unexpectedly, a stranger slips her a photograph of a skeleton and assures her the picture is the key to the victim's death. Before she knows it, Tempe is involved in an international mystery as old as Jesus, a mystery that could rewrite 2000 years of religious history.

Bathsheba is taken against her will by the most powerful man in Israel. A month later, she discovers she carries the evidence of their secret, dangerous encounter. With her husband at war, this pregnancy could mean her death or untold greatness. When the king finds out that she is with child, he immediately summons her husband home from war, a cunning plan in mind. Will the king's plan work? Will her life be spared? Will there be any consequences for the injustice? Will love grow in the middle of pain and give birth to second chances?

In her eventful lifetime, Miriam was many things to many people: protective older sister, song leader, prophetess, leper. But between the highs and the lows, she was a girl who dreamed of freedom, a woman who longed for love, a leader who made mistakes, and a friend who valued connection.

The Gospel According to Judas, by Benjamin Iscariot, sheds new light on the mystery of Judas (including his motives for the betrayal and what happened to him after the crucifixion) by retelling the story of Jesus through the eyes of Judas, using the canonical texts as its basic point of reference. Ostensibly written by Judas' son, Benjamin, and following the narrative style of the Gospels, this re-creation is provocative, compelling, and controversial.

Jesus' apostles were not particularly remarkable men at first glance: fishermen, carpenters, even tax collectors! And yet he said, "It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain" (John 15:16). Little is known for certain about what happened to each of them following the Resurrection, yet ancient traditions abound. What were their final moments like in this life? How did each apostle summon such astounding courage to face trial, tribulation, and martyrdom?

In the ancient hills of Moab, Ruth witnesses the brutal reality of sacrificial worship. Shocked and disillusioned, she renounces the gods she once held sacred, seeing them now as instruments for power and control rather than sources of spiritual guidance.

What can we learn by watching Jesus respond to his mother, when she asks him for help, and he changes the water into wine? What is Jesus saying to Nicodemus, “the up and in,” about being born again and the Spirit? And with the “the down and out” Samaritan Woman at the Well, Jesus shows us how to effectively reach those who have been wounded by religion and relationships.

Very little is known of Mephibosheth from Biblical history. We know that he lived during the rise of the new city of Jerusalem, lived in the palace of David, and undoubtedly witnessed the building of Solomon’s Temple. He would have known of David’s adultery with Bathsheba, his songs and psalms, and the challenges to his power from his son Absalom and others. How did this man, falling from prince to pauper, from able-bodied to a cripple, then restored to the king’s palace, navigate such a turbulent journey?