Judaism Books

Book Synopsis“This very handy introduction takes a conceptual approach to biblical law, organizing this subject in terms of its ancient legal sources, social institutions, judicial procedure, crime and punishment, property and contracts, personal rights and status, and family relationships from betrothal to inheritance. Because of its thematic arrangement, this presentation speaks to the selective reader who seeks specific information and also to the comprehensive student who seeks a broad understanding of the ancient Hebrew legal system. Long out of print, Hebrew Law in Biblical Times (1964) now appears in an improved, second edition. While retaining the original character of Falk's style and observations, this book has been edited to serve the modern reader and researcher. Falk’s 1977 addenda have also been included, along with a comprehensive bibliography of his lifetime publications.”Trade Review"The work discusses an array of issues having to do with how Hebrew Law was structured and applied. It is not easy to envision what the Law "looked like" in action by merely reading the Hebrew Scriptures. This volume makes for a helpful introduction to this subject, and the endnotes contain sources for more in-depth analysis. A few charts and maps as well as an ancient source index round out the study." --Charles H. Ray, in The Conservative Theological Journal (August 2004) "This new edition of Falk's 1964 volume has been thoroughly edited to remove various typographical defects in the first version. Changes and additions are limited to addenda by the author (pp. 179-201), a resume of Falk's published work through 1999 (pp. 203-20), and an updated citation index (pp. 221-41). Unfortunately, Falk passed away during the volume's preparation, but in his absence Eisenbrauns and J. W. Welch, the editor, seem to have produced an attractive and useful book... There is much of value in Falk's book. Perhaps its most beneficial feature is that the discussion is conveniently arranged in standard legal categories, such as the administration of justice, property law, contracts, debt, marriage, divorce, etc. In each section, Falk brings together not only the pertinent laws of the Pentateuch but also related texts from the narrative, prophetic, and wisdom texts of the Hebrew Bible. Near Eastern laws and rabbinic tradition are also prominently included in the discussion. These features alone make the book a valuable reference tool. Moreover, we should not overlook the positive benefits offered by pre-critical readings of the biblical text. Among the most important of these is the insight gained when we observe efforts to compare and harmonize diverse pieces of legislation on the same topic. Although some scholars will not accept these pre-critical solutions (with good reason), the observations alone are telling for a serious and critical study of the laws. Furthermore, in some cases, it turns out that "pre-critical" readings provide useful solutions that critical scholars, in our zeal for the diachronic, have overlooked. The impetus behind this republication of Falk's volume seems to have been didactic, with the editor motivated by a desire to use the book in training lawyers at Brigham Young University. I, for one, share the editor's assessment and plan to use the book in my classes on biblical law. But readings in Falk will need to be generously supplemented with selections that accentuate the uniqueness of the various Hebrew legists and the diachronic character of the law and codes they promulgated." --Kent Sparks, Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania in JNES, April 2004.Table of ContentsPreface to the First EditionPreface to the Second Edition1. The SourcesThe Source MaterialLaw and ReligionTerms of LawLaw MakingIdentity and Change2. Tribe, Nation, and StatePatriarchal SocietyThe SettlementKingshipRoyal AdministrationThe Synagogue3. Administration of JusticeThe CourtsDivine JudgmentProcedure4. Crime and PunishmentResponsibilityThe CrimesPunishmentCompensation and Restitution5. Things and ContractsPropertyRestrictions and OwnershipContractsBarter and SaleDebt and DistressPartnership and AgencyHire6. PersonsWomenInfantsForeignersSlaves7. FamilyThe Father’s HouseMatrilocal MarriageConcubinagePolygynyEndogamy and Exogamy8. Marriage and DivorceMarriage TermsBetrothalBride-Price and DowryThe NuptialsDivorceWidowhood9. ChildrenPatria PotestasAdoption10. SuccessionFreedom of DispositionLegal SuccessionAddendaBibliographyCitation Index

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Book SynopsisBy means of a threefold approach—typological analysis of literary forms, investigation of religious ideology, and study of didactic aims and methods—Weinfeld shows that the deuteronomic composition was the creation of scribal circles who began their work some time prior to the reign of Josiah and were still at work after the fall of Judah. Includes a 46-page detailed appendix on deuteronomic phraseology. This volume is a reprint of the 1972 Oxford edition.Table of ContentsABBREVIATIONSINTRODUCTIONPART ONE: THE TYPOLOGY OF DEUTERONOMIC COMPOSTIONI. THE ORATIONS1. The Valedictory Address2. The Prophetic Oration3. The Liturgical Oration4. The Military Oration5. The Sitz im Leben of the OrationsII. TREATY FORM AND PHRASEOLOGY—AFFINITIES WITH THE ANCIENT NEAR-EASTERN TREATY FORMULAE1. The Covenant of the Plains of Moab2. The Curses3. Law-Code versus TreatyIII. THE SCRIBAL ROLE IN THE CRYSTALLIZATION OF DEUTERONOMY1. The Scribes and the ‘Book of the Torah’2. Rhetorical TechniquePARTS TWO AND THREEIntroduction: the Relationship between the Priestly and Deuteronomic documentsPART TWO: DEMYTHOLOGIZATION AND SECULARIZATIONI. THE CONCEPT OF GOD AND THE DIVINE ABODEII. SACRAL AND FESTAL OBSERVANCES1. Sacrifice and Holy Donations2. The FeastsIII. PURITY AND IMPURITY IN THE DEUTERONOMIC CONCEPTION OF HOLINESSIV. SECULAR TRENDS IN DEUTERONOMY1. The Judicial Reform2. The Laws of Asylum3. The Laws of Warfare4. Sin and PunishmentPART THREE: DEUTERONOMIC LITERATURE AND WISDOM LITERATUREI. WISDOM SUBSTRATA IN DEUTERONOMY AND DEUTERONOMIC LITERATURE1. The Concept of Wisdom2. Wisdom Content in Deuteronomy3. The Fear of GodII. HUMANISMIII. DIDACTICISMIV. THE DOCTRINE OF REWARD1. Life and Good2. The Possession of the Land3. TheodicyAPPENDICESA. Deuteronomic PhraseologyB. Hosea and DeuteronomyBIBLIOGRAPHYADDENDAGLOSSARIESINDEX OF SOURCESINDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCESSUBJECT INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe Bible says that YHWH alone is God and that there is none like him—but texts and artwork from antiquity show that many gods looked very similar. In this volume, scholars of the Hebrew Bible and its historical contexts address the problem of YHWH’s ancient look-alikes, providing recommendations for how Jews and Christians can think theologically about this challenge.Sooner or later, whether in a religion class or a seminary course, students bump up against the fact that God—the biblical God—was one among other, comparable gods. The ancient world was full of gods, including great gods of conquering empires, dynastic gods of petty kingdoms, goddesses of fertility, and personal spirit guardians. And in various ways, these gods look like the biblical God. Like the God of the Bible, they, too, controlled the fates of nations, chose kings, bestowed fecundity and blessing, and cared for their individual human charges. They spoke and acted. They experienced wrath and delight. They inspired praise. All of this leaves Jews and Christians in a bind: how can they confess that the God named YHWH was (and is) the true and living God, in view of this God’s profound similarities to all these others?The essays in this volume address the theological challenge these parallels create, providing reflections on how Jews and Christians can keep faith in YHWH as God while acknowledging the reality of YHWH’s divine doppelgängers. It will be welcomed by undergraduates studying religion; seminarians and graduate students of Bible, theology, and the ancient world; and adult education classes.Trade Review“A thoughtful book that addresses the strong similarities and differences between Israel's main deity, Yahweh, and other deities in ancient Israel and beyond (especially the Moabite god Chemosh). Readers will benefit from glimpsing the volume's authors attempting to treat the fraught question of Yahweh's apparent lack of uniqueness. The volume additionally discusses a number of related theological problems, including Christian supersessionism. A rich work.”—Mark S. Smith,Helena Professor of Old Testament Literature and Exegesis, Princeton Theological SeminaryTable of ContentsEditor’s PrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsPart 1. The Problem at LargeChapter 1. God and the Gods: History of Religion as an Approach and Context for Biblical TheologyPatrick D. Miller Jr.Chapter 2. Canaan—Israel—Christianity:The Case for a Vertical EcumenismOthmar Keel, translated by Armin SiedleckiChapter 3. More Than One God? Three Models for Construing the Relations Between YHWH and the Other GodsBob BeckingChapter 4. Who Is Like You Among the Gods? Some Observations on Configuring YHWH in the Old TestamentJ. Andrew DearmanChapter 5. Why Should the Look-Alikes Be a Problem?Robert GoldenbergPart 2. Chemosh as a Case StudyChapter 6. Theological Approaches to the Problem of God’s Ancient Look-AlikesCollin CornellChapter 7. Chemosh Looks Like YHWH, but That’s OkayJosey Bridges SnyderChapter 8. YHWH and Chemosh: An Investigation of Look-Alike Gods Using the Moral Foundations TheoryM. Patrick GrahamChapter 9. YHWH, Chemosh, and the Rule of FaithBrent A. StrawnChapter 10. Is There a Counterpart in the Hebrew Bible to New Testament Anti-Semitism?Jon D. LevensonPart 3. Other Case StudiesChapter 11. Miqreh and YHWH: Fate, Chance, Simultaneity, and ProvidenceStephen B. ChapmanChapter 12. “Can a Woman Forget Her Nursing Child?” Divine Breastfeeding and the God of IsraelChristopher B. HaysChapter 13. Bulls and Horses, Gods and Goddesses: The Religious Iconography of Israel’s NeighborsP. M. Michèle DaviauList of ContributorsIndex of AuthorsIndex of ScriptureSubject Index

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