Matthew 1-2 and the Virginal Conception - (Studies in Judaism) by Roger David Aus (Paperback)

About the Book

Matthew 1-2 and the Virginal Conception examines early Palestinian and Hellenistic Jewish accounts of the birth of Israel's first redeemer, Moses. The author shows how these accounts provide the background of Mary's "virginal conception" of Jesus, Israel's final redeemer, in Matthew 1-2.

Book Synopsis

Matthew 1-2 and the Virginal Conception examines early Palestinian and Hellenistic Jewish accounts of the birth of Israel's first redeemer, Moses. The author shows how these accounts provide the background of Mary's "virginal conception" of Jesus, Israel's final redeemer, in Matthew 1-2.

Review Quotes

"As ever with Aus, there are always plenty of new things for the reader to learn, especially with his typically impressive array of rabbinic interpretations...Ultimately, there are few scholars who can match Aus's proficiency in both rabbinic sources and the NT texts, coupled with a genuinely critical attitude...Is it really worth the risk for historically and literary minded scholars to ignore Aus's profound expertise in such areas any longer?" --Review of Biblical Literature

"Perhaps the most systematic presentation available of all the possible connections between the [Matthean story and elements of haggadic midrash about the birth of Moses]." --Wayne Meeks, Yale University, Review of Biblical Literature

About the Author

Roger David Aus studied English and German at St. Olaf College, and theology at Harvard Divinity School, Luther Theological Seminary, and Yale University, where he received a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies. He is an ordained clergyman of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and pastor emeritus of the German-speaking Luthergemeinde in Berlin-Reinickendorf, Germany. Pastor Aus is author of My Name Is "Legion" Palestinian Judaic Traditions in Mark 5:1-20 and Other Gospel Texts (University Press of America, 2003).