Christopher B. Hays | Fuller Theological Seminary (original) (raw)

Books by Christopher B. Hays

Cambridge UP, 2024

Few writings have shaped the world as much as the Book of Isaiah. Its lyricism, imagery, theology... more Few writings have shaped the world as much as the Book of Isaiah. Its lyricism, imagery, theology, and ethics are all deeply ingrained into us, and into Jewish and Christian culture more generally. It has been a cultural touchstone from the time when it was formed, and it influenced later Biblical authors as well. The Book of Isaiah is also a complex work of literature, dense with poetry, rhetoric, and theology, and richly intertwined with ancient history. For all these reasons, it is a challenge to read well. The Cambridge Companion to Isaiah serves as an up-to-date and reliable guide to this biblical book. Including diverse perspectives from leading scholars all over the world, it approaches Isaiah from a wide range of methodological approaches. It also introduces the worlds in which the book was produced, the way it was formed, and the impacts it has had on contemporary and later audiences in an accessible way.

Yale University Press, 2024

A fresh, deeply biblical account of God’s expanding grace and mercy, tracing how the Bible’s narr... more A fresh, deeply biblical account of God’s expanding grace and mercy, tracing how the Bible’s narrative points to the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in Christian communities

Discussions of the Bible and human sexuality often focus on a scattered handful of specific passages. But arguments about this same set of verses have reached an impasse, two leading biblical scholars believe; these debates are missing the forest for the trees.

In this learned and beautifully written book, Richard and Christopher Hays explore a more expansive way of listening to the overarching story that scripture tells. They remind us of a dynamic and gracious God who is willing to change his mind, consistently broadening his grace to include more and more people. Those who were once outsiders find themselves surprisingly embraced within the people of God, while those who sought to enforce exclusive boundaries are challenged to rethink their understanding of God’s ways.

Cambridge University Press, 2019

From Cambridge Univ. Press: "Isaiah 24-27 has been an enduring mystery and a hotly contested text... more From Cambridge Univ. Press: "Isaiah 24-27 has been an enduring mystery and a hotly contested text for biblical scholars. Early scholarship linked its references to the dead rising to the New Testament. These theories have remained influential even as common opinion moderated over the course of the twentieth century. In this volume, Christopher B. Hays situates Isaiah 24-27 within its historical and cultural contexts. He methodically demonstrates that it is not apocalyptic; that its imagery of divine feasting and conquering death have ancient cognates; and that its Hebrew language does not reflect a late composition date. He also shows how the passage celebrates the receding of Assyrian power from Judah, and especially from the citadel at Ramat Rahel near Jerusalem, in the late seventh century. This was the time of King Josiah and his scribes, who saw a political opportunity and issued a peace overture to the former northern kingdom. Using comparative, archaeological, linguistic, and literary tools, Hays' volume changes the study of Isaiah, arguing for a different historical setting than that of traditional scholarship."

This study considers the historical, cultural, and literary significance of some of the most impo... more This study considers the historical, cultural, and literary significance of some of the most important Ancient Near East (ANE) texts that illuminate the Hebrew Bible. Christopher B. Hays provides primary texts from the Ancient Near East with a comparison to literature of the Hebrew Bible to demonstrate how Israel's Scriptures not only draw from these ancient contexts but also reshape them in a unique way.

Hays offers a brief introduction to comparative studies, then lays out examples from various literary genres that shed light on particular biblical texts. Texts about ANE law collections, treaties, theological histories, prophecies, ritual texts, oracles, prayers, hymns, laments, edicts, and instructions are compared to corresponding literature in the Pentateuch, Prophets, and Writings of the Hebrew Bible. The book includes summaries and reflection questions to help instructors and students identify key points for comparison. By considering the literary and historical context of other literature, students will come away with a better understanding of the historical, literary, and theological depth of the Hebrew Bible.

T&T Clark Study Guides to the Old Testament, 2022

For legal purposes the Acknowledgements on p. xiii constitute an extension of this copyright page... more For legal purposes the Acknowledgements on p. xiii constitute an extension of this copyright page. Cover design by clareturner.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

Death is a major theme in First Isaiah, although it has not generally been recognized as such. In... more Death is a major theme in First Isaiah, although it has not generally been recognized as such. In this work Christopher Hays offers fresh interpretations of more than a dozen passages in Isaiah 5–38 in light of ancient beliefs about death.
Hays first summarizes what is known about death in the ancient Near East during the Second Iron Age, covering beliefs and practices in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria-Palestine, and Judah/Israel. He then shows how select passages in the first part of Isaiah employ the rhetorical imagery of death that was part of their cultural context; further, he identifies ways in which these texts break new creative ground.
What especially distinguishes Hays’s study is its holistic approach, as he brilliantly synthesizes both literary and archaeological evidence, resulting in new insights.

Mohr Siebeck (Forschungen zum Alten Testament 79), 2011

Death is one of the major themes of ‘First Isaiah,’ although it has not generally been recognized... more Death is one of the major themes of ‘First Isaiah,’ although it has not generally been recognized as such. Images of death are repeatedly used by the prophet and his earliest tradents.
The book begins by concisely summarizing what is known about death in the Ancient Near East during the Iron Age II, covering beliefs and practices in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria-Palestine, and Judah/Israel. Incorporating both textual and archeological data, Christopher B. Hays surveys and analyzes existing scholarly literature on these topics from multiple fields.
Focusing on the text’s meaning for its producers and its initial audiences, he describes the ways in which the ‘rhetoric of death’ functioned in its historical context and offers fresh interpretations of more than a dozen passages in Isa 5–38. He shows how they employ the imagery of death that was part of their cultural contexts, and also identifies ways in which they break new creative ground.
This holistic approach to questions that have attracted much scholarly attention in recent decades produces new insights not only for the interpretation of specific biblical passages, but also for the formation of the book of Isaiah and for the history of ancient Near Eastern religions.

Collected papers from an academic conference of views on the afterlife in the Hebrew Bible, Judai... more Collected papers from an academic conference of views on the afterlife in the Hebrew Bible, Judaism, modern theology as well as interfaith/science and theology discourse and social studies. Helpful overview of standard topics as well as innovative takes in the field.

God and Guns: The Bible against American Gun Culture, 2021

Using the Bible as the foundational source and guide, while also bringing contemporary sociologic... more Using the Bible as the foundational source and guide, while also bringing contemporary sociological data to the conversation, seven biblical scholars and theologians construct a powerful dialogue about gun violence in America, concluding that guns are incompatible with the God of Christian Scripture. God and Guns is the first book to argue against gun culture from a biblical studies perspective. Bringing the Bible into conversation with contemporary sociological data, the volume breaks new exegetical and critical ground and lays the foundations for further theological work. The scholars assembled in this volume construct a powerful argument against gun violence, concluding that a self-identity based on guns is incompatible with Christian identity. Drawing on their expertise in the Bible’s ancient origins and modern usage, they present striking new insights involving psychology, ethics, race, gender, and culture. This collection, carefully edited for clarity and readability, will change conversations—and our culture.

Contributors include T. M. Lemos, David Lincicum, Shelly Matthews, Yolanda Norton, and Brent A. Strawn.

Introduction to the book "Deathless Hopes: Reinventions of Afterlife and Eschatological Beliefs",... more Introduction to the book "Deathless Hopes: Reinventions of Afterlife and Eschatological Beliefs", Zurich and Vienna: LIT, 2018. Interdisciplinary account of eschatological belief.

Leading Experts Introduce the People and Contexts of the Old Testament What people groups intera... more Leading Experts Introduce the People and Contexts of the Old Testament

What people groups interacted with ancient Israel? Who were the Hurrians and why do they matter? What do we know about the Philistines, the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and others?

In this up-to-date volume, leading experts introduce the peoples and places of the world around the Old Testament, providing students with a fresh exploration of the ancient Near East. The contributors offer comprehensive orientations to the main cultures and people groups that surrounded ancient Israel in the wider ancient Near East, including not only Mesopotamia and the northern Levant but also Egypt, Arabia, and Greece. They also explore the contributions of each people group or culture to our understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures.

This supplementary text is organized by geographic region, making it especially suitable for the classroom and useful in a variety of Old Testament courses. Approximately eighty-five illustrative items are included throughout the book.

Contents
Introduction
Bill T. Arnold and Brent A. Strawn
1. The Amorites
Daniel E. Fleming
2. Assyria and the Assyrians
Christopher B. Hays with Peter Machinist
3. Babylonia and the Babylonians
David S. Vanderhooft
4. Ugarit and the Ugaritians
Mark S. Smith
5. Egypt and the Egyptians
Joel M. LeMon
6. The Hittites and the Hurrians
Billie Jean Collins
7. Aram and the Arameans
K. Lawson Younger Jr.
8. Phoenicia and the Phoenicians
Christopher A. Rollston
9. Transjordan: The Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites
Joel S. Burnett
10. Philistia and the Philistines
Carl S. Ehrlich
11. Persia and the Persians
Pierre Briant
12. Arabia and the Arabians
David F. Graf
13. Greece and the Greeks
Walter Burkert†
Indexes

Although 'Theologies of the Old Testament' continue to proliferate, most of these do not interact... more Although 'Theologies of the Old Testament' continue to proliferate, most of these do not interact with the many recent studies of Israelite religion that have appeared. Drawing on archaeology and other ancient Near Eastern material, these studies present a reconstruction of religious life in ancient Israel that ought to be of some importance for the theological interpretation of the biblical text. This collection of essays integrates reconstructions of ancient Israelite religious practice into theologically-oriented interpretation of the Old Testament. In essays ranging from discussion of Sumerian hymns to early Iron Age incense burners, respected biblical scholars and archaeologists provide new insights into the biblical theology of the Christian Bible.

In this volume Hays introduces and demonstrates methods for comparative study between the ancient... more In this volume Hays introduces and demonstrates methods for comparative study between the ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible for those embarking on the process for the first time. H. offers a wider view of texts for the basis of intelligent comparative analysis and creates opportunities for motivated readers to go deeper (p. 6).

A Covenant with Death (originally published as Death in the Iron Age II and in First Isaiah by Mo... more A Covenant with Death (originally published as Death in the Iron Age II and in First Isaiah by Mohr Siebeck, 2011) is a major contribution to the study both of Proto-Isaiah and of death in the ancient Near East. It consists of two parts, one concerning the ritualization of death in the surrounding cultures as well as in Israel and Judah, primarily in Iron Age II, and the second applying the findings to passages in Isaiah concerning death. Hays argues that Isaiah skillfully uses the international language and imagery of the cult of death subversively in support of his religious-political program and his insistence that YHWH is ultimately triumphant over death, as represented by the Neo-Assyrian peril. His thesis is sustained through an abundance of local exegetical insights, which enable one to read with an appreciation of Isaiah's rhetorical subtlety. It raises important methodological questions about the relationship of historical to literary studies. The book is also a significant contribution to the debate on the formation of Isaiah.

Hidden Riches: A Sourcebook for the Comparative Study of the Old Testament and the Ancient Near East, 2014

Papers by Christopher B. Hays

Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages, 2024

is published half-yearly JNSL is an accredited South African journal. It publishes peer reviewed ... more is published half-yearly JNSL is an accredited South African journal. It publishes peer reviewed research articles on the Ancient Near East. As part of the peer review policy all contributions are refereed before publication by scholars who are recognised as experts in the particular field of study.

Cambridge UP, 2024

Yale University Press, 2024

Cambridge University Press, 2019

T&T Clark Study Guides to the Old Testament, 2022

Mohr Siebeck (Forschungen zum Alten Testament 79), 2011

God and Guns: The Bible against American Gun Culture, 2021

Contributors include T. M. Lemos, David Lincicum, Shelly Matthews, Yolanda Norton, and Brent A. Strawn.

Leading Experts Introduce the People and Contexts of the Old Testament What people groups intera... more Leading Experts Introduce the People and Contexts of the Old Testament

Hidden Riches: A Sourcebook for the Comparative Study of the Old Testament and the Ancient Near East, 2014

Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages, 2024

Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets

Background: Very few case reports of ectopic cervical pregnancy with clear photos are available i... more Background: Very few case reports of ectopic cervical pregnancy with clear photos are available in the scientific world literature. Is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality with a pregnancy-related mortality. Cervical pregnancy is more common in pregnancies achieved after assisted reproductive technologies; it occurs in 0.1% of in vitro fertilization pregnancies. The potential morbidity demonstrates the importance of early diagnosis of a cervical ectopic so as early intervention and treatment may be employed. The most common symptom of cervical pregnancy is vaginal bleeding, which is often painless. Case report: A 39 year old woman, G4 P2 C1 A0 L3, two spontaneous vaginal deliveries and last child birth by caesarean section + Pomeroy 15 years back, who underwent three embryo transfer 6.1 weeks ago; referred to the obstetric emergency department with 8 days increasing colic abdominal pain with some vaginal bleeding. Discussion: This is an interesting case report with few bleeding and increasing colic abdominal pain that did not answer to methrotexate and required a hysterectomy as the most viable solution.

Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, 2019

In 2002 Henry T. Aubin published The Rescue of Jerusalem: The Alliance Between Hebrews and Africa... more In 2002 Henry T. Aubin published The Rescue of Jerusalem: The Alliance Between Hebrews and Africans in 701 BC (Soho Press [New York] and Doubleday Canada [Toronto]). Aubin, an award win-ning Canadian journalist, explores Jerusalem’s survival in 701 BCE in the face of an Assyrian invasion of the Levant. Although Aubin is not a credentialed biblical scholar (having only a BA in English literature from Harvard), The Rescue of Jerusalem is well documented with more than twenty-five percent of the almost 400 pages (not counting indices) made up of endnotes and over 400 authors referenced. Aubin’s thesis is that Egypt's Twenty-fifth Dynasty, composed of Kushites, was instrumental in Jerusalem’s deliverance, which allowed Judaism to emerge and later Christianity and Islam.

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Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections, 2012

The Egyptian noun n t r , “god,” provides a plausible explanation for Hebrew נצר in Isa 14:19 and... more The Egyptian noun n t r , “god,” provides a plausible explanation for Hebrew נצר in Isa 14:19 and נצורים in 65:4, both of which have thus far defied positive explanation. In Isa 14 it is perfectly suited to mock the king’s divine aspirations; it commonly refers to the deceased king and to the mummified corpse in Egyptian; it requires a strong negative modifier such as נתעב ; and it is no great stretch to think that Isaiah knew such common Egyptian vocabulary. In Isa 65:4 it avoids an emendation and reveals a far better parallelism (graves/corpses) than other proposed solutions. Isaiah 49:6 has long been understood to employ the same word as 65:4, and it may well reflect an intentional wordplay on the meanings “returning the survivors” and “restoring the corpses.” Finally, the Aramaic term nqr in Deir ‘Alla II.5, 12, 14 has frequently been connected to the Isaianic texts, and a reference to a divinized dead person in makes better sense in the context than a word related to “detached ...

The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures

This volume focuses on Henry Aubin's thesis in The Rescue of Jerusalem: The Alliance between ... more This volume focuses on Henry Aubin's thesis in The Rescue of Jerusalem: The Alliance between Hebrews and Africans in 701 BC (2002) that an army of Egypt's Kushite Dynasty (also known as the Twenty-fifth Dynasty) was influential in saving Jerusalem from capture by Assyrian forces. Eight scholars from a range of disciplines—biblical studies, Assyriology, Egyptology and Nubiology—assess the thesis and explore related ideas. Most of the evaluators tilt in varying degrees toward the plausibility of the book's thesis. The volume concludes with Mr. Aubin's response to each essay.

Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

The characteristically Isaianic term אליל for other gods does not have its roots in an earlier Se... more The characteristically Isaianic term אליל for other gods does not have its roots in an earlier Semitic adjective, as has often been thought. Rather, it was adopted from Akkadian Illil/Enlil into Hebrew because it reflected the rhetoric of Neo-Assyrian rulers. As in Akkadian, it was used in an extended sense to refer to major divinities; and it was retained in the Isaianic tradition presumably because it was a useful term for »false gods«—readily comprehensible even as a new coinage, yet distinct from the terms used for Yhwh. As anti-idol polemics became increasingly prominent and vicious, the latest Isaianic tradents avoided אליל, preferring more overt terms for idols. Eventually, it came to be reanalyzed as an adjective and used as a mere insult: »worthless«.

The Catholic Biblical Quarterly

Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel

International Conference University of Zurich, Faculty of Theology Kirchgasse 9, 8001 Zürich Room... more International Conference University of Zurich, Faculty of Theology Kirchgasse 9, 8001 Zürich Room 200 11th–12th September 2015

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion

The relationship between Egypt and ancient Israel and Judah was far more complex than is often re... more The relationship between Egypt and ancient Israel and Judah was far more complex than is often recognized. Egypt figures prominently in their national myths of origin as a way station for the patriarchs and as the “house of slaves” and starting point of the Exodus. Although no Exodus event can be confirmed from extrabiblical sources, its significance in the Bible suggests an historical kernel. The diverse existing traditions about Egypt in the texts of the Pentateuch and other early biblical writings, combined and written down at a later date, seem to reflect different experiences on the part of the groups that coalesced into IsraelBy the time of the monarchy, there is more direct evidence for Egyptian influence on Israelite culture, particularly in administrative affairs. It is also clear that Egyptian religion was practiced in the Levant at this time and would have been known in Israel and Judah.By the time of the divided monarchy, the historical picture comes into better focus. R...

Biblica, 2009

Most translations of Job 13,4 have Job calling his companions something like "smearers of a ... more Most translations of Job 13,4 have Job calling his companions something like "smearers of a lie" and "worthless physicians". Instead, in light of philological and comparative data, he seems to be comparing his friends to the Rephaim, and false gods. In this way, he complains that they have spoken falsely as sources of wisdom and would mislead their hearers — just as the spirits of the dead were so often said to have done. The verse might thus be translated in this way: "You, however, are blatherers of lies, and false oracles, all of you.

Vetus Testamentum, 2012

Job 1:21a makes better sense when understood in light of the Egyptian idea of death as a return t... more Job 1:21a makes better sense when understood in light of the Egyptian idea of death as a return to the womb of the mother goddess; that mythology provides a much more likely context than the idea of “Mother Earth,” which is attested only in texts that are (or are likely to be) quite late. As in various other cases in the book (for example, in his expressions of preference for death) Job practices a kind of theological brinksmanship, crossing an apparent line only to pull back in the next breath or the next chapter. In light of the Hathor/womb headrests from the tombs at St. Étienne’s, it may be that Job’s theological rhetoric was not merely a literary invention.

Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 2012

Building on an earlier article arguing that the Egyptian goddess Mut (Eg. mwt) is the deity refer... more Building on an earlier article arguing that the Egyptian goddess Mut (Eg. mwt) is the deity referred to by Isaiah 28’s “covenant with death” (Heb. mwt), this paper analyzes the available iconographic data related to Mut from the Iron Age Levant and Third Intermediate Period Egypt, and then reconsiders West Semitic names that include the element -mwt. It concludes that Mut was known rather well in Palestine at that time as a protective deity, strengthening her identification with the figure in Isaiah 28.

Old Testament essays, 2020

Ezekiel’s underworld is characterised by hierarchy and gradation. Insofar as that is also true of... more Ezekiel’s underworld is characterised by hierarchy and gradation. Insofar as that is also true of sacred spaces in the Bible, Ezekiel’s underworld can also be imagined, heuristically, as a kind of unholy temple. Each of the three primary descriptions of holy space in the Hebrew Bible (the Priestly tabernacle, Solomon’s temple, and Ezekiel’s temple) has three primary graded spaces (inner sanctum, outer sanctum, and court). Ezekiel’s underworld has three primary graded spaces: Sheol, the Pit, and the extremities of the Pit. In each case, the farther one moves in from the entrance, the more unholy the space. Like the tabernacle and temples, Ezekiel’s underworld also has further gradations within the primary space, and these finer gradations of unholiness are marked by factors such as the length of the passage dedicated to a nation and the presence of associates in the nation’s sphere of influence. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2020/v33n3a8

fifteeneightyfour: Academic Perspectives from Cambridge University Press, 2019

Christopher B. Hays sits down with Matt Lynch to discuss one of the most important and hotly cont... more Christopher B. Hays sits down with Matt Lynch to discuss one of the most important and hotly contested sections of Isaiah. Among the only Old Testament texts to mention resurrection from the dead, Isaiah 24-27 have long perplexed and intrigued biblical scholars. In this episode, we talk about these texts and … corn whisky, colonizing Mars, and other important subjects related to Chris’ recent book.

Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2020

This is the full version of the review published in briefer form in Catholic Biblical Quarterly.

September 11-12, 2015, Zurich

This conference will examine the subject of eschatology in Jewish and Christian traditions from a... more This conference will examine the subject of eschatology in Jewish and Christian traditions from an
international and interdisciplinary perspective. Issues such as the hope of resurrection, apocalyptic scenarios,
and cosmic redemption have been a hotbed of religious invention, renewal, and innovation with significant
social consequences.
The questions of eternal life and a revolution of the human condition will not go away. Eschatological beliefs even fund
acts of terror. Their contemporary political significance is immense.
Before asking how to relate constructively to such phenomena, we need to attend to the historical articulation of the eschatological imagination and ask what theology can learn from it. Thus, important junctures in the multifaceted development of eschatological beliefs require careful attention in the diachronic descriptive task. In biblical studies, the roots of beliefs about supernatural afterlife in pre-Christian times have been the subject of heated debate in numerous recent books. What are the historical contexts in which such beliefs have gained new shape?
Contributions in biblical studies probe the fundamental social and political role of eschatological traditions. Such classic texts have given rise to the many different ways in which the eschatological imagination, like a powerful source of energy, erupts or works out in different forms, be it individually,
collectively, in an authoritarian or an emancipatory way. Among the eschatological breeding grounds that draw afresh on ancient traditions, How have eschatological beliefs been translated into social and political practice there?
In other contexts, eschatological traditions have also been abused for acts of terror. This stands in contrast to another function of prominent eschatological traditions, which have funded the quest for justice and care of the weak with fresh inspiration.
To some observers, such phenomena make eschatological beliefs appear simply like unfathomable,
random acts of pious souls immune to critical and constructive interaction. By contrast, there was a flurry of work in eschatology in 20th century protestant academic theology. What shape might the age-old message of eschatological hope take in this context?
This is an important task also in the dialogue between theology and the natural sciences. In particular, the theory of biological evolution has gained dramatically in public attention. It contrasts the typically eschatological imagery of sudden, dramatic change and redemption with slow and incremental processes, often under the pressure of natural selection. But with what justification has tradition singled out humanity,
among all creation, for eschatological redemption? Or does evolutionary biology by itself suggest greater modesty in our hopes for the future?

International Conference University of Zurich, Faculty of Theology Kirchgasse 9, 8001 Zürich Room... more International Conference
University of Zurich, Faculty of Theology
Kirchgasse 9, 8001 Zürich
Room 200
11th–12th September 2015