Hebrew Bible

"Anteriority and Justification: Pragmatic Features of the We-x-qatal Form in Direct Speech in the Book of Genesis"

by William R. Osborne

Old Testament Essays 25/2 (2012): 369-82

Recognizing that scholarship has long struggled with the so-called “freeness” of Hebrew word order in direct speech,... more Recognizing that scholarship has long struggled with the so-called “freeness” of Hebrew word order in direct speech, this study seeks to demonstrate that the primary pragmatic functions of the wexqatal form within direct speech in classical biblical Hebrew are justification and anteriority. Examining the issues of word order and the syntactical opposition between the wayyiqtol and wex-qatal, the work concludes by presenting numerous examples of both functions in Genesis texts. The implications of the study are an improved understanding of clausal relationships within direct speech and improved translations and interpretations of these passages.

Covenant and Myth: Can Reformed Theology Survive without Adam and Eve

by Karl Hand

Australian eJournal of Theology Vol 19, No 1 (2012)

Reformed theology is a diverse movement, and has found many ways to interact with the presence of mythical stories in... more Reformed theology is a diverse movement, and has found many ways to interact with the presence of mythical stories in scripture. There is a strong tendency, however, to draw a 'line in the sand' at the historical existence of Adam because of the function that he plays in the history of the covenants - particularly the 'covenant of works'. This article problematises that line by suggesting that it is possible to build an authentically Reformed and covenantal theology without a historical Adam.

The “Curse of Eve”—Is Pain Our Punishment? Part 2 by Stacia Guzzo

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published in the Feminism and Religion project

In the first part, I posed the question about whether or not the so-called “Curse of Eve” could be interpreted... more In the first part, I posed the question about whether or not the so-called “Curse of Eve” could be interpreted alternatively from the traditional understanding of Genesis 3:16a (the result of Eve’s disobedience being the punishment of painful childbirth for all generations of women). I considered an alternate interpretation of “sorrow” rather than “pain” for the verse, a lens through which the punishment could then be seen as impacting the God-human relationship rather than as a condemnation of pain.

"Un triptyque au coeur du livre de Michée (Mi 4-5)"

by Matthieu Richelle

Vetus Testamentum 62 (2012) 232-247

Many contradictory proposals have been made with regard to the literary structure of Micah 4-5. This study shows that... more Many contradictory proposals have been made with regard to the literary structure of Micah 4-5. This study shows that three coherent units (4:1-7; 4:8-14; 5:1-14) can be distinguished and that they form a triptych, each panel of which uses the same major themes.

Participant Reference In The Saul Narratives: 1 Samuel 9-31

by Charles Grebe

Reassessing Paul's Jewishness: Israel, the Nations, and the Radical New Perspective on Paul (Spanish)

by Carlos Segovia

"Pablo de Tarso, Israel y los gentiles: El nuevo enfoque radical sobre Pablo y el cariz judío de su mensaje." To be published in: Bandue. Revista de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias de las Religiones. Forthcoming.

Traditionally, Paul has been understood as the founder of a new religion, Christianity, different from and opposed to... more Traditionally, Paul has been understood as the founder of a new religion, Christianity, different from and opposed to Judaism. Yet in the mid-20th century William David Davies and Johannes Munck challenged this view. Drawing upon Munck's insights, Krister Stendahl was the first to set forth in the 1960s and the 1970s a radical new imterpretation of Paul's message and mission. According to Stendahl, Paul did not imtend to replace Judaism but to bring the Gentiles into YHWH's allegiance. Lloyd Gaston, John Gager, Neil Elliot, William Campbell, Mark Nanos, Pamela Eisenbaum, Caroline Johnson Hodge, and Paula Fredriksen have contributed to further develop this interpretative line—which contrasts both with the traditional understanding of Paul and with the claims made by James Dunn, Tom Wright, and Daniel Boyarin that Paul tried to reform Judaism from within—in the past thirty years. This brief study summarises the results of their groundbreaking research, analyses their at times contrasting proposals, and reflects upon their fascinating implications.

Tradicionalmente, Pablo ha sido interpretado como el fundador de una nueva religión, el cristianismo, diferente de y, en rigor, opuesta al judaísmo. William David Davies y Johannes Munck cuestionaron a mediados del siglo XX, sin embargo, semejante interpretación. Basándose en los trabajos de Munck, Krister Stendahl fue el primero que propuso en los años 60 y 70 del siglo pasado una nueva interpretación radical del mensaje paulino. Según Stendahl, Pablo no se propuso superar el judaísmo sino, únicamente, integrar a los gentiles en Israel por medio de Cristo. En los últimos treinta años, Lloyd Gaston, John Gager, Neil Elliot, William Campbell, Mark Nanos, Pamela Eisenbaum, Caroline Johnson Hodge y Paula Fredriksen han contribuido a desarrollar esta línea interpretativa, que contrasta tanto con la interpretación tradicional de Pablo como con la pretensión de que éste se habría propuesto reformar el judaísmo, defendida por James Dunn, Tom Wright y Daniel Boyarin. Este breve estudio resume los resultados de dicha investigación, analiza los matices que ella presenta de un autor a otro y reflexiona sobre sus, a decir verdad, novedosas y fascinantes implicaciones.

Isaiah 66:19, 21 and Paul's Gentile Mission: A Contribution to the Contemporary Rereading of Paul as a Jewish Author

by Carlos Segovia

To be published in: Paul and Scripture, ed. Stanley E. Porter and Gregory P. Fewster. Pauline Studies. Leiden: E. J. Brill. Forthcoming in 2015.

Isa 66:18-21 has often been pointed out as a possible subtext for Rom 15:16 (so e.g. Aus and Riesner). In order to... more Isa 66:18-21 has often been pointed out as a possible subtext for Rom 15:16 (so e.g. Aus and Riesner). In order to confirm this, however, ton ethnon in Rom 15:16 must be read as an objective, rather than subjective, genitive, as in fact most scholars (from Michel to Hultgren) do. In my view, those who interpret ton ethnon as a subjective genitive (Denis, Downs) fail to notice the connection between Rom 15:16 and 15:18, where Paul clearly states that Gentiles are the object of his offering, since he has been commissioned to bring them through Christ into God's allegiance. The contention that Isa 66:18-21 deals instead with Gentiles bringing Jews (Donaldson) proves equally misguiding if we take Isa 66:20 to be an interpolation (Westermann) intended to correct the claim (made in vv. 19 and 21) that a mission to the Gentiles will precede Israel's restoration and that priests and Levites will be recruited from converts to the Jewish faith (Blenkinsopp). I will suggest, furthermore, that reading Rom 15:16, 18 in light of Isa 66:19, 21 (a text which, albeit not addressing an unexpectable issue, goes well beyond any claims made in the Second Temple period regarding Gentile inclusion) may shed new light upon the contemporary reading of Paul as a Jewish author---a reading set forth, amidst other scholars, by Stendahl, Gaston, Gager, Stowers, Nanos, and, more recently, Eisenbaum, Johnson Hodge, and Fredriksen.

"Overwriting and Overriding," or What is Not Deuteronomistic

by Cynthia Edenburg

Pre-publication version that appears in Congress Volume: Helsinki, 2010 (20th Congress of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament; M. Nissinen, ed.; Supplements to Vetus Testamentum; Leiden: Brill, 2012), 443-60.

From Joseph to Moses: The Narratives of Exodus 1-2

by Joel Baden

Vetus Testamentum 62 (2012): 133-58.

Biblisch-Hebraeische Poesie und deren Uebersetzung ins Koreanische - Kurzer Ansatz

by Mark Boersma

Eine Einfuehrung in die poetische Sprache der hebraeischen Bibel und deren Uebersetzung ins Koreanische. Eine Einfuehrung in die poetische Sprache der hebraeischen Bibel und deren Uebersetzung ins Koreanische.

A Wall against Transgression: Yiddish Translations of Tanakh

by Andrey Bredstein

Presented at the Graduate Student Conference "Lust,
Laziness, Mayhem, Murder, and Other Transgressions in Early Modern Europe," Austin, TX, April 24, 2003.

Judah in the Sixth Century BCE: A Rural Perspective, Palestine Exploration Quarterly 135 (2003): 35-51.

by Avraham Faust

Copyrights: Palestine Exploration Journal (Maney Publishing);
for online versions of the journal, see: www.maney.co.uk/journals/peq and
www.ingentaconnect.com/content/maney/peq

The Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem is an important historical event. For scholars this date usually marks the end of... more The Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem is an important historical event. For scholars this date usually marks the end of the period of the monarchy or even the end of the Iron Age, the beginning of the exilic period, etc. For many, this date was regarded as a ‘watershed’ (e.g., Bright 1972, 343). But what was the reality in Judah following the 586 BCE events? The Bible informs us that there were people remaining in the land, but seems to give the general impression that they were relatively few and unimportant. This view seems to have been prevalent in modern scholarship until recently, but is now challenged by scholars who claim that the majority of the population remained in Judah after the Babylonian destructions (mainly in rural sites). The debate that has evolved during the past few years over the issue of the settlement and demographic reality in the sixth century BCE has brought the archaeological evidence to the front. But, as is widely known, as yet no material culture of the ‘Babylonian period’ has been identified, and the debate seems to go on.
The present paper aims to tackle the problem from a different direction. After briefly presenting the problem, I will suggest a new method to solve it: since these who claim that Judah was quite densely populated at the time believe that the inhabitants of the region continue to live in their hamlets and villages, an examination of continuity in excavated Iron Age rural settlements might hold the key to solving the issue. The data from various regions will be analyzed and contrasted in light of the new method, and the similarities and differences will then be used to reconstruct the processes the different regions went through during the Iron Age – Persian Period Transition.

The Bible, the First Amendment, and the Public Schools in Odessa, Texas

by Mark Chancey

Is Baptism a Male Birthing Ritual? By Michele Stopera Freyhauf

by Michele Stopera Freyhauf

Originally published on the Feminism and Religion Project.

Quite a number of years ago I had a conversation with one of my professors, a feminist theologian, who posed the... more Quite a number of years ago I had a conversation with one of my professors, a feminist theologian, who posed the question “Why do I need a man to purify my baby with the waters of baptism?  Is there something wrong or impure about the blood and water from a mother’s womb – my womb?”  Before you jump and shout the words Sacrament or removal of original sin, this question bears merit in exploring, especially in today’s world where women are taking a serious beating religiously, politically, and socially.  In today’s world, violations and rants are causing women to stand up and say STOP!  This is MY Body.  This outcry was provoked by chants of ethical slurs against women– Slut! Prostitute! Whore!  The cry got even louder when the issue of religion and government was raised in the fight of healthcare coverage of contraception. The cry got even louder with the enactment of the laws in Virginia and Texas (and many other states to follow suit) that forces women to undergo transvaginal ultrasounds in early stage abortions.  The mandatory insertion of a wand into a woman’s vagina (mandated by the government, mind you), is a violation and has women crying RAPE!

"Are You For Us, Or For Our Adversaries?": A Feminist and Postcolonial Interrogation of Joshua 2-12 for the Contemporary Church

by Carolyn Sharp

Review essay of Ben Sommer's excellent book, Bodies of God

by Aaron Koller

Pinhas und Anti-Pinhas? Priestertum und Gewalt im 1Makk und 1QM. In: Berlejung, Angelika; Heckl, Raik (Hg.): Ex oriente Lux. Studien zur Theologie des Alten Testaments (Festschrift für Rüdiger Lux zum 65. Geburtstag), ABG 39, Leipzig 2012, 199-224.

by Tobias Funke

Prophecy and Porneia in Shenoute’s Letters: The Rhetoric of Sexuality in a Late Antique Egyptian Monastery

by Caroline Schroeder

Ironic Representation, Authorial Voice, and Meaning in Qohelet

by Carolyn Sharp

The Fruit of Her Hands: Women in the Old Testament

by Corinne Blackmer