The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently

The editors of The Jewish Annotated New Testament show how and why Jews and Christians read many of the same Biblical texts – including passages from the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Psalms – differently. Exploring and explaining these diverse perspectives, they reveal more clearly Scripture’s beauty and power.

Esteemed Bible scholars and teachers Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler take readers on a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. Passages include the creation of the world, the role of Adam and Eve, the Suffering Servant of Isiah, the book of Jonah, and Psalm 22, whose words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” Jesus quotes as he dies on the cross.

Comparing various interpretations – historical, literary, and theological - of each ancient text, Levine and Brettler offer deeper understandings of the Old Testament’s original narratives and their many afterlives. They show how the text speaks to different generations under changed circumstances, and so illuminate the Bible’s ongoing significance. By understanding the depth and variety by which these passages have been, and can be, understood, The Bible With and Without Jesus does more than enhance our religious understandings; it helps us to see this shared scriptural text as a source of inspiration for any and all readers.

This illuminating work of biblical scholarship reveals the rich layers of meaning within shared scripture:

Jewish and Christian Interpretation: Discover why passages like the creation story and Psalm 22’s “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” are understood in profoundly different ways by each faith. Original Context vs. New Testament Lens: Journey back to what texts like the Suffering Servant of Isaiah meant to their original audiences, and then see how early Christians reinterpreted them to speak of Jesus. Deep Theological Insights: Join renowned scholars Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler as they unpack historical and literary interpretations with clarity and mutual respect. Foundations for Interfaith Dialogue: Explore why key concepts from the Hebrew Bible, quoted directly in the New Testament, became sources of both connection and contention.