Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction : "Is God on our side?" The two religions -- "Then God said, 'Let there be light!'" (Gen. 1) -- "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread" (Gen. 2-3) -- "And he built a city" -- Making one's name great -- The well-watered plain of Sodom -- Fulfilling YHWH's promises -- The price of settling too soon -- Entering the "exit story" -- Solomon's wisdom -- Finding the "way out" -- Kissing calves -- "I have found the Book of the Torah in the house of YHWH!" -- What was "Israel" before the monarchy? -- The first fall of Jerusalem : Jeremiah and Ezekiel -- "In the wilderness, prepare the way of YHWH" : envisioning a way out of exile -- The struggle over Jerusalem's restoration -- Seeking "wisdom" under Greek rule, part one : the Ptolemaic Empire -- Seeking "wisdom" under Greek rule, part two : the Seleucid Empire -- From Greece to Rome : longing for God's reign to come -- Enlightenment and empire : reading Jesus from the Locus imperii in the light of the Resurrection -- The gospel of Jesus Christ against the gospel of empire -- "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ" : the Gospel of Mark -- "Strive first for the kingdom of God" : Matthew's Gospel -- Proclaiming jubilee : Luke's Gospel and Acts of the Apostles -- "Savior of the world" : the Gospel of John -- "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" : Paul's counter-imperial Gospel -- "Come out my people" : the Book of Revelation -- Conclusion : hearing and responding to God's call : "Come out, my people!"