The Gospel of John is well-known for its wealth and depth of figurative language, metaphors, and symbols. In this volume, leading scholars in Johannine exegesis utilize a broad variety of methods of interpretation to provide an in-depth discussion of the variety of terms and forms of figurative speech and to explore the conceptual and traditio-historical background of central motifs. Some of the most prominent Johannine images (lamb, king, bread, shepherd, vine, eating and drinking and others,) are discussed with regard to their literary design and theological meaning. The collection aims at opening up paths into the tangled thicket of John's figurative world, it amply demonstrates the close relationship between the different metaphors and images in the Fourth Gospel and opens the view to the inter-relatedness of its theological themes.Contributors: Ruben Zimmermann, Harold W. Attridge, Rainer Hirsch-Luipold, Uta Poplutz, Silke Petersen, Jean Zumstein, Paul N. Anderson, Folker Siegert, Jesper Tang Nielsen, Marianne Meye Thompson, Ulrich Busse, Mary Coloe, Petrus Maritz, Gilbert van Belle, Francois Tolmie, Robert A. Culpepper, Craig R. Koester, Jan G. van der Watt