Includes bibliographical references (pages 403-415)

Preface: Laying down the law -- 1. The "law" by the numbers and its influence in early Judaism -- 2. The Genesis of it all -- 3. The Exodus and the entrance -- 4. Cracking the Levitical code and counting up the Numbers -- 5. Deuteronomy and the demise of Moses -- 6. Coda : final reflections -- Appendix 1. Citations, allusions, and echoes of the Pentateuch in the NT according to Nestle-Aland [superscript 28] -- Appendix 2. Review of Adam and the Genome -- Appendix 3. Ascending Enoch, or Jesus and falling spirits.

The Torah in context and through the ages. Reading the books of the Law, the Pentateuch, in their original context is the crucial prerequisite for reading their citation and use in later interpretation, including the New Testament writings, argues Ben Witherington III. Here, he offers pastors, teachers, and students an accessible commentary on the Pentateuch, as well as a reasoned consideration of how these books were heard and read in early Christianity. By reading "forward and backward," Witherington advances the scholarly discussion of intertextuality and opens a new avenue for biblical theology. - Back cover.