Old Testaments Books

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Book SynopsisThe Song of Songs is a fascinating text. Read as an allegory of God’s love for Israel, the Church, or individual believers, it became one of the most influential texts from the Bible. This volume includes twenty-three essays that cover the Song’s reception history from antiquity to the present. They illuminate the richness of this reception history, paying attention to diverse interpretations in commentaries, sermons, and other literature, as well as the Song’s impact on spirituality, theological and intellectual debates, and the arts.

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Book Synopsis This book is the first of two volumes that aim to produce something not previously attempted: a synthetic history of Muslim responses to the Bible, stretching from the rise of Islam to the present day. It combines scholarship with a genuine narrative, so as to tell the story of Muslim engagement with the Bible. Covering Sunnī, Imāmī Shī'ī and Ismā'īlī perspectives, this study will offer a scholarly overview of three areas of Muslim response, namely ideas of corruption, use of the Biblical text, and abrogation of the text. For each period of history, the important figures and dominant trends, along with exceptions, are identified. The interplay between using and criticising the Bible is explored, as well as how the respective emphasis on these two approaches rises and falls in different periods and locations. The study critically engages with existing scholarship, scrutinizing received views on the subject, and shedding light on an important area of interfaith concern.

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Book SynopsisHuman leadership is a multifaceted topic in the Hebrew Bible from a synchronic as well as diachronic perspective. A large range of distributions emerges from the successive sharpening or modification of different aspects of leadership. While some of them are combined to a complex figuration of leadership, others remain reserved for certain individuals. Furthermore, it can be considered a consensus within scholarly debate, that concepts of leadership have a certain connection to the history of ancient Israel which is, though, hard to ascertain. Following a previous volume that focused on the Pentateuch and the Former Prophets (BZAW 507), this volume deals with different concepts of leadership in selected Prophetic (Hag/Zech; Jer) and Chronistic literature Ezr/Neh; Chr). They are examined in a literary, (religious-/tradition-) historical and theological perspective. Special emphasis is given to phenomena of transforming authority and leadership claims in exilic/post-exilic times. Hence, the volume contributes to biblical theology and sheds new light on the redaction/reception history of the texts. Not least, it provides valuable insights into the history of religious and/or political “authorities” in Israel and Early Judaism(s).

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first detailed investigation of the translation of the Hebrew verbs of Chronicles into Greek, especially from the perspective of two diachronic developments: that of the Hebrew verbal system and that of the trend toward a more literal translation of the Bible. The translation provides a view of the Hebrew verbal system in the Hellenistic period (approx. 150 BCE) as part of the continuum in the development of the Hebrew verbal system from classical biblical Hebrew to Mishnaic Hebrew. The translation also testifies to the trend in the process of the translation of the Bible from the freer (but still literal) translation of the Pentateuch and Samuel/Kings to the slavishly literal translation of Aquila.Trade Review"There is much to commend about this thoughtful and ambitious book. Good has managed to produce a readable and clearly structured and argued book about a complex mass of textual and linguistic data. It is a carefully executed work in terms of accuracy and thoroughness and this reflects Good’s dedication and focus in going about his research." Robert Rezetko, Radboud University Nijmegen

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Book SynopsisIn this study, the war stories from the Old Testament book of Kings are compared to ten extrabiblical texts. Narratological analysis is applied to deconstruct the ideology of the respective literary compositions. The Old Testament ideology of war seems to be neither typically Israelite, as Gerhardt von Rad put it, nor commonly Ancient Near Eastern, as Manfred Weippert thought it to be. This poses the question whether the reading experience of biblical war stories is so very different from, for instance, Assyrian royal inscriptions, both in terms of its literary value and its ideological bias. Narratological analysis turns out to be a strong tool for explaining the similarities and distinctive features of the respective texts.

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Book SynopsisThis book investigates the character of the Peshitta in Psalms 90-150 in order to facilitate the proper use of this version in textual criticism. It identifies the Peshitta’s translation techniques and it discusses the version’s interpretation of difficult passages in the Hebrew text. The question of the Hebrew Vorlage behind the Peshitta Psalter is raised. Also investigated here is the relationship between the Peshitta Psalms and the LXX and Targum, and an assessment of the supposed influence of these versions on the Peshitta Psalter is offered. Inquiry is made into the theology of the translation, the identity of the translators, and the relationships among the manuscripts of the Peshitta Psalter. This text is designed as a tool for scholars who, when confronted by critical questions in the Psalter, seek to understand the readings preserved in the Peshitta.

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Book SynopsisThis books brings together specialists of diverse ancient mediterranean culture working on the formation of a "Moses mythology", from a comparative perspective, between Judea, Greece, Egypt and Rome. The concrete outcome of this comparative inquiry is the common translation and commentary of the fragments of the mysterious Artapanus. Ce volume rassemble des spécialistes de différentes cultures du monde méditerranéen ancien autour de la formation d'une "mythologie de Moïse", entre la Judée, la Grèce, l'Egypte et Rome. Le résultat pratique de cette enquête comparatiste débouche sur la traduction et le commentaire des fragments du mystérieux Artapan.Trade ReviewThis is a very insightful volume on the extremely complex matter of the various traditions of Moses. All essays are of a high standard. They contribute to the recovery of the vitality of Hellenistic literatures across the ancient eastern Mediterranean world and to the realization that the nonbiblical traditions are more than muddled versions of the canonical text. - Phillippe Guillaume in: Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Vol. 10 (2010).Table of ContentsContributions by: Daniel Barbu, René Bloch, Philippe Borgeaud, Sabrina Inowlocki-Meister, Caterina Moro, Thomas Römer, Matthieu Smyth, Youri Volokhine, and Claudio Zamagni

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Book SynopsisThis study addresses the way in which a psychoanalytic model of mourning relates to a set of Jewish apocalypses concerned with the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. These texts respond to the traumatic symbolic loss of Zion and attempt to heal it through the apocalyptic narrative, the visionary experiences of the seers, and the emotional transformation that results from the interplay of the two. The seers react with rage, paralysis, and self-annihilating sentiments, and hence these texts resemble incomplete, stalled mourning, or melancholia. Through the course of their narratives and a 'working-through' of the Jewish past, true mourning and psychological recovery occur, prompting visions of the establishment of an ideal society in the future.Table of ContentsIntroduction: “If I Forget You, O Jerusalem”: Traumatic Memory and the Fall of Zion Chapter One: Apocalyptic Melancholia and the Trauma of History Chapter Two: Ezekiel: “Desolate Among Them” Chapter Three: 4 Ezra: “Because of My Grief I Have Spoken” Chapter Four: 2 and 3 Baruch: “Cease Irritating God” Conclusion: The Apocalyptic Cure: Recovering the Future by Working-through the Past Epilogue: Apocalyptic Melancholia and 9/11

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Book SynopsisTo better understand the phenomenon of Literature in the Second Degree – in Jewish and Biblical studies often characterized as parabiblical or Rewritten Bible – the current volume applies the theories of Gerard Genette to ancient and medieval literature from various cultures. Literature in the Second Degree realigns earlier (authoritative) texts to the dynamics of developing cultures and their changing cultural memories. In the case of authoritative base texts, Literature in the Second Degree reaffirms their authority by way of interpretative actualization. In the case of non-authoritative base texts it replaces them to effect cultural forgetting. Far from being just literary forgery (pseudepigraphy), Literature in the Second Degree has an important function in the development of the ancient and medieval cultures.Table of ContentsAbbreviations Preface Introduction In the Second Degree: Ancient Jewish Paratextual Literature in the Context of Graeco-Roman and Ancient Near Eastern Literature Armin Lange I. Ancient Judaism Hypertextuality and the ―Parabiblical‖ Dead Sea Scrolls George J. Brooke The Book of Jubilees as Paratextual Literature Jaques T. A. G. M. van Ruiten II. Graeco-Roman World Trojan Palimpsests: The Relation of Greek Tragedy to the Homeric Epics Annemarie AmbühlThe Homeric Epics as Palimpsests Georg Danek III. Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East From Ritual to Text to Intertext: A New Look on the Dreams in Ludlul Bēl Nēmeqi Beate Pongratz-Leisten Priestly Texts, Recensions, Rewritings and Paratexts in the Late Egyptian Period Sydney H. Aufrère IV. Late Ancient and Medieval Paratextual Literature Rabbinic Paratexts: The Case of Midrash Lamentations Rabba Philip S. Alexander Some Considerations on Enoch/Metatron in the Jewish Mystical Tradition Felicia Waldman Three Latin Paratexts from Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (―Sulpicia,‖ ―Seneca‖—―Paulus,‖ Carmen navale) Kurt Smolak Paratextual Literature in Early Christian Art (Acta Pauli et Theclae) Renate J. Pillinger Paratextual Literature in Action: Historical Apocalypses with the Names of Daniel and Isaiah in Byzantine and Old Bulgarian Tradition (11th–13th Centuries) Anissava Miltenova

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Book SynopsisThe Qumran discoveries have demonstrated that much of the earliest interpretation of Hebrew Scripture was accomplished through rewriting: production of revised editions of biblical books, or composition of new works drawing heavily upon Scripture for their organization and content. This study advances our understanding of the nature and purpose of such rewriting of Scripture by examining the compositional methods and interpretive goals of the five Reworked Pentateuch manuscripts from Qumran Cave 4 (4Q158, 364–367). This analysis, along with a comparison of the 4QReworked Pentateuch manuscripts to the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Temple Scroll, provides a clearer picture of how early Jewish communities read, transmitted, and transformed their sacred textual traditions.

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Book SynopsisThe theme of this volume in honour of Eep Talstra is ‘Tradition and Innovation in Biblical Interpretation’, with an emphasis on the innovative role of computer-assisted textual analysis. It focusses on the role of tradition in biblical interpretation and of the innovations brought about by ICT in reconsidering existing interpretations of texts, grammatical concepts, and lexicographic practices. Questions addressed include: How does the role of exegesis as the ‘clarification of one’s own tradition, in order to understand choices and preferences’ (Talstra) relate to the critical role which Scripture has towards this tradition? How does the indebtedness to tradition of computer-driven philology relate to its innovative character? And how does computer-assisted analysis of the biblical texts lead to new research methods and results?Table of ContentsList of Contributors Preface Janet Dyk and Wido van Peursen 1. Tradition and Innovation in Biblical Scholarship: An Introduction Wido van Peursen and Janet Dyk PART ONE: TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN THE BIBLE ITSELF 2. A Story of Three Prophets: Synchronic and Diachronic Analysis of Jeremiah 26 Joep Dubbink 3. ‘Against you, Daughter of Babylon!’ A Remarkable Example of Text-Reception in the Oracle of Jeremiah 50–51 Eric Peels 4. ‘Reading Jeremiah Makes Me Angry!’ The Role of Jeremiah 32[39]:36–41 in Transformation within the ‘Jeremianic’ Tradition Janneke Stegeman 5. Beyond ‘Singers and Syntax’: Theological and Canonical Reflections on Psalm 8 Carl J. Bosma 6. Where is God? Romans 3:13–18 as an Addition to Psalm 14 Eveline van Staalduine–Sulman 7. Reading Qohelet as Text, Author, and Reader Timothy Walton 8. Tradition through Reading—Reading the Tradition: Reflections on Eep Talstra’s Exegetical Methodology Louis Jonker PART TWO: TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN THE RECEPTION OF THE BIBLE 9. Between Stigmatizing and Idolizing the Bible: On the Reception of Genesis 12:10–20; 20; 26:1–11 Cornelis Houtman 10. ‘Out of Egypt I Have Called My Son’: Matthew 2:15 and Hosea 11:1 in Dutch and American Evangelical Interpretation Gert Kwakkel 11. Daniel’s Four Kingdoms in the Syriac Tradition Wido van Peursen 12. The Identity of Israel’s God: The Potential of the So-called Extra-Calvinisticum Cornelis van der Kooi 13. A Jewish Childbirth Amulet from the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana Margaretha Folmer PART THREE: TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN LINGUISTIC AND COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES TO THE BIBLE 14. Computer-Assisted Tools for Textual Criticism Emanuel Tov 15. On Biblical Hebrew and Computer Science: Inspiration, Models, Tools, and Cross-Fertilization Ulrik Sandborg-Petersen 16. Persuasive Hebrew Exercises: The Wit of Technology-Enhanced Language Learning Nicolai Winther-Nielsen 17. Judging Jephthah: The Contribution of Syntactic Analysis to the Interpretation of Judges 11:29–40 Klaas Spronk 18. Masoretic Tradition and Syntactic Analysis of the Psalms Luis Vegas Montaner 19. Who is Speaking—Who is Listening? How Information Technology Can Confirm the Integrity of the Text Oliver Glanz 20. Jerusalem’s Comforters in Isaiah 40:1–2: Participant Tracking in a Prophetic Text Reinoud Oosting 21. Hebrew hāyāh: Etymology, Bleaching, and Discourse Structure Frank Polak 22. The Lexeme סָבִיב Christo H. J. van der Merwe 23. Language, Structure, and Strategy in Isaiah 53:1–6: אָכֵן , Word Order, and the Translator Lénart J. de Regt 24. אָבִי in Job 34:36 Constantijn J. Sikkel Dissertations under the Guidance of Eep Talstra Publications by Eep Talstra Index of Sources Index of Modern Authors

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Book SynopsisAttempts to reconstruct the compositional history of the book of Isaiah confine themselves mainly to chapters 1-12 and 28-39, supposed to shroud the basic core of any early collection of Isaianic texts. Other investigations which verge on the group of prophecies concerning the nations in Isa 13-23 rarely delve into exegetical details to the extent that the reader of Isaiah would feel convinced to stand here on familiar grounds. Even others, overtly restricted to a small pericope inside Isa 13-23, often neglect the significance of this larger context. This book provides a thorough analysis of Isaiah 18-20, concerned with Egypt and Kush, from the earliest stages to their final contextualisation within the developing corpus of the Isaianic prophecies regarding the nations.

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Book SynopsisIn prophetic and poetic literature of the Old Testament references to textual participants are inconsistent with regard to their gender, number and person characteristics. Oliver Glanz for the first time provides a systematic study of the phenomenon of participant-reference shifts. The study is restricted to the book of Jeremiah and reflects upon the methodological conditions that should guide the analysis of participant-reference shifts. Focusing on computer assisted pattern recognition the research suggests that Jeremiah's participant-reference shifts should not be understood from a diachronic perspective. Understanding the origin and function of participant-reference shifts rather from the perspective of syntax, text grammar and rhetorics proves to be more consistent with the textual evidence. With this insight participant-reference shifts no longer have to distort textual coherence.

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Book SynopsisUsing the VU University syntactically analyzed, hiearchically structured database of ancient languages, the authors compared the Masoretic text of Kings to the Syriac Peshitta translation. The core question in this comparison is: which deviations between the two texts are related to the requirements of the distinct language systems, which are related to other aspects of the translation process, and which are related to the transmission history of the translated text? Though linguistic and text-historical approaches differ in method and focus, research into ancient biblical translations must take both into account. On the basis of a synoptic matching at clause level, corresponding phrases within the clauses are matched, and corresponding words within phrases. A choice out of a wealth of detailed differences thus brought to light are discussed at the syntactic level at which the phenomenon best fits: word, phrase, clause and above the clause.

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Book SynopsisSolomon is one of the more complex and fascinating characters in the history of Israel. As a king he is second only to David. As the king who gave Israel its temple he is unsurpassed. As the prototype of the sage his name lives on in numerous biblical and non-biblical writings. As the magician of later tradition he has established himself as a model for many other aspirants in this field. This volume contains the proceedings of an international conference on Solomon that was held at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the University of Leuven, September 30 – October 2, 2009 and discussed various aspects of this multifaced character as he appears in Jewish, early Christian, and Islamic tradition.Table of ContentsIsaac Kalimi, The Rise of Solomon in the Ancient Israelite Historiography Pekka Särkiö, Solomon in History and Tradition Wolfgang Zwickel, Der Tempel Salomos im Kontext der Ikonographie und der archäologischen Funde Joseph Verheyden, Josephus on Solomon Pablo A. Torijano, Solomon and Magic Gerhard Langer, Solomon in Rabbinic Literature Albert L.A. Hogeterp, King Solomon in the New Testament and Jewish Tradition Tobias Nicklas, Christus und die Oden Salomos Peter Busch, Solomon as a True Exorcist: The Testament of Solomon in Its Cultural Setting Jacques van der Vliet, Solomon in Egyptia Gnosticism Witold Witakowski and Ewa Balicka-Witakowska, Solomon in Ethiopian Tradition Jules Janssens, The Ikhwan as-Safa’ on King-Prophet Solomon

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Book SynopsisThe Biblical Qumran Scrolls paperback edition presents in three volumes all the Hebrew biblical manuscripts recovered from the eleven caves at Qumran. It provides a transcription of each identifiable fragment in consecutive biblical order together with the textual variants it contains. These manuscripts antedate by a millennium the previously available Hebrew manuscripts. They are the oldest, the best, and the most authentic witnesses to the texts of the Scriptures as they circulated in Jerusalem and surrounding regions at the time of the birth of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. The purpose is to collect in three paperback volumes all the biblical editions originally published in a wide variety of books and articles.

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Book SynopsisThe Biblical Qumran Scrolls paperback edition presents in three volumes all the Hebrew biblical manuscripts recovered from the eleven caves at Qumran. It provides a transcription of each identifiable fragment in consecutive biblical order together with the textual variants it contains. These manuscripts antedate by a millennium the previously available Hebrew manuscripts. They are the oldest, the best, and the most authentic witnesses to the texts of the Scriptures as they circulated in Jerusalem and surrounding regions at the time of the birth of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. The purpose is to collect in three paperback volumes all the biblical editions originally published in a wide variety of books and articles.

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Book SynopsisThe Biblical Qumran Scrolls paperback edition presents in three volumes all the Hebrew biblical manuscripts recovered from the eleven caves at Qumran. It provides a transcription of each identifiable fragment in consecutive biblical order together with the textual variants it contains. These manuscripts antedate by a millennium the previously available Hebrew manuscripts. They are the oldest, the best, and the most authentic witnesses to the texts of the Scriptures as they circulated in Jerusalem and surrounding regions at the time of the birth of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. The purpose is to collect in three paperback volumes all the biblical editions originally published in a wide variety of books and articles.

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Book SynopsisOn the occasion of the twenty-first conference of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, Brill and the editorial board of Vetus Testamentum present this publication of ten articles published in the journal between 1950 and today. Most of them have been seminal in one way or another, and all, we think, continue to repay close study. The selection was made so as to illustrate the diversity of subject matter, scholarly approach, and geographic provenance that characterizes Vetus Testamentum.

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Book SynopsisIn Job the Unfinalizable, Seong Whan Timothy Hyun reads Job 1-11 through the lens of Bakhtin’s dialogism and chronotope to hear each different voice as a unique and equally weighted voice. The distinctive voices in the prologue and dialogue, Hyun argues, depict Job as the unfinalizable by working together rather than quarrelling each other. As pieces of a puzzle come together to make the whole picture, all voices in Job 1-11 though each with its own unique ideology come together to complete the picture of Job. This picture of Job offers readers a different way to read the book of Job: to find better questions rather than answers.

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Book SynopsisIn The Antiochene Crisis and Jubilee Theology in Daniel’s Seventy Sevens, Dean R. Ulrich explores the joint interest of Daniel 9:24-27 in the Antiochene crisis of the second century B.C.E. and the jubilee theology conveyed by the prophecy’s structure. This study is necessary because previous scholarship, though recognizing the jubilee structure of the seventy sevens, has not sufficiently made the connection between jubilee and the six objectives of Daniel 9:24. Previous scholarship also has not adequately related the book’s interest in Antiochus IV to the hope of jubilee, which involves the full inheritance that God has promised to his people but that they had lost because of their compromises with Antiochus IV.

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Book SynopsisIn this study on the kābôd of YHWH biblical texts are approached from a canonical perspective, and the synchronic approach prevails over the diachronic. Ben Sira characterized Ezekiel as the prophet who saw the appearance of the glory of God. This characterization is not based on the number of occurrences of kābôd in Ezekiel. The peculiarity of Ezekiel is that kābôd is used almost exclusively as a hypostasis of YHWH. Ezekiel’s description of the kābôd of YHWH is more elaborate than any other Old Testament writer’s, and it highlights the dual and paradoxical nature of the divine kābôd as both defying verbal description and being potentially visible. This research highlights especially the importance of the visible aspect.

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Book SynopsisIn The Wandering Throne of Solomon: Objects and Tales of Kingship in the Medieval Mediterranean Allegra Iafrate analyzes the circulation of artifacts and literary traditions related to king Solomon, particularly among Christians, Jews and Muslims, from the 10th to the 13th century. The author shows how written sources and objects of striking visual impact interact and describes the efforts to match the literary echoes of past wonders with new mirabilia. Using the throne of Solomon as a case-study, she evokes a context where Jewish rabbis, Byzantine rulers, Muslim ambassadors, Christian sovereigns and bishops all seem to share a common imagery in art, technology and kingship.Trade Review"Overall, this is an extremely intelligent and rich piece of work that demonstrates a deep knowledge of Solomonic lore while continually challenging readers to consider a range of associated questions, ranging from the technological competition between Christian and Islamic cultures to attitudes towards wealth and technology. It also engages meaningfully with abstract notions of the exotic the faraway and the mysterious in a way that is highly illuminating. And perhaps most importantly, Iafrate demonstrates a nuanced and logical approach to the unpacking and interpretation of ideas and symbols that have changed hands many times in their history and which remain – at least to some degree – unknowable." - Nicholas Morton, Nottingham Trent University, in: Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 29/1 (2018) "Durch ihren vergleichenden Ansatz und die enge Verknüpfung von Texten und Objekten gelingt Iafrate eine überzeugende Analyse, die nicht nur Verflechtung, sondern auch Abgrenzung aufzeigt. Über die angestrebte Perspektive hinaus kann die Studie auch als eine Kultur- und Ideengeschichte der mittelalterlichen Salomo-Rezeption gelesen werden. Sie regt dazu an, die Bedeutung des Throns, der anderen salomonischen Objekte und auch der Person Salomos in bestimmten Aspekten zu vertiefen, z.  B. hinsichtlich Auffassungen von Königtum, symbolischer Kommunikation und politischer Rhetorik." - Christian Alexander Neumann, in: QFIAB 98 (2018) "This book is excellent... I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Christian apocrypha and in "Abrahamic" legends more generally. While the author does not speak about a particular text, she reveals much about the world in which the apocrypha were made. Her work highlights the importance of looking beyond religious and even textual boundaries." - Gavin McDowell, in: Apocrypha 28 (2017)Table of ContentsIntroduction: A Map of the Wanderings Between Legend and Reality: the Place of the Throne Notes on the Mediterranean Circulation of the Throne A Debate of Longue Durée Flying on the Throne: Chronological and Geographical Span of the Journey The Limits of the Mediterranean Chapter one: A King of Small Things An Aesthetics of Prestige: Claiming Solomon’s Treasure The Cup The Pillars The Table The Transfer of Metal-Working Techniques Unfamiliar yet Beautiful: Sabres and Cuirasses Casting Bronze like Hiram: Lamps and Vessels Working “à l’œuvre Salomon”: Spurs, Saddles, Furniture Conclusions Chapter two: The Solomonic Throne in Constantinople The Magnaura Throne The Throne in Byzantine Chronicles A Throne for a New Solomon The Case of the Golden Plane Tree Courtly Automata The Organ as a Soundtrack for the Empire Sharing Elements of Kingship: Silks and Precious Objects in Circulation Conclusions Chapter three: The Throne of the Rabbis Scholarship on the Throne The Throne in Midrashic Literature The Relationship between Legends and Reality Midrash Esther Rabbah Midrash Leviticus Rabbah Targum Sheni: between Ekphrasis and Reality? Enlivening the Scene: the Echoes of the Magnaura The Wandering of the Throne The Reception of Midrashim about the Throne in Other Contexts Conclusions Chapter four: The Throne of Solomon in the Islamic World Jewish Sources for Arabic and Persian Accounts Lions and Griffins: a Lost Solomonic Throne? Building Solomon’s Throne on Persian Royal Ruins: Takht-i Sulaymān Mapping Solomon’s Kingdom Flying Thrones and Flying Carpets Conclusions Chapter five: The Throne of Solomon in the Christian West My Kingdom for a Lion: Papal and Imperial Seats Henry VI and the Sedes Sapientiae Sedes Sapientiae and Divine Wisdom A Seat for the Virgin Rabanus Maurus Guibert de Nogent Nicholas de Clairvaux Richard of Saint-Laurent The Sedes Sapientiae as the Throne of Solomon: a Marian Interference The Throne of Solomon as Spiritual Ladder Conclusions Chapter five: A Literary Abode for the Throne The City of Brass The Jüngere Titurel Conclusions Appendix: Weather Lore and the Throne of Solomon Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Peshitta is the Syriac translation of the Old Testament made on the basis of the Hebrew text during the second century CE. Much like the Greek translations of the Old Testament, this document is an important source for our knowledge of the text of the Old Testament. Its language is also of great interest to linguists. Moreover, as Bible of the Syriac Churches it is used in sermons, commentaries, poetry, prayers, and hymns. Many terms specific to the spirituality of the Syriac Churches have their origins in this ancient and reliable version of the Old Testament. The present edition, published by the Peshitta Institute in Leiden on behalf of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, is the first scholarly one of this text. It presents the evidence of all known ancient manuscripts and gives full introductions to the individual books. This volume contains Preface. - Genesis; Exodus.Trade Review'This magnificent series provides a reliable base from which to compare the Syriac Old Testament with the Hebrew Vorlage and the Greek and Aramaic versions.' James H. Charlesworth, Religious Studies Review, 1980. 'Dem wissenschaftlichen Interesse ist ... ein reiches Studienmaterial zur Verfügung gestellt, während der Text selbst erleichtert erscheint und gut lesbar geworden ist.' R. Köbert, Biblica, 1980. '...un monument qui défiera les siècles.' F.L., Revue Biblique, 1975. '...this authoritative edition is an indispensable source not only for the biblical text but also for early eastern Christianity.' M.P. Weitzman, Journal of Theological Studies, 1987.

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Book SynopsisThe Peshitta is the Syriac translation of the Old Testament made on the basis of the Hebrew text during the second century CE. Much like the Greek translations of the Old Testament, this document is an important source for our knowledge of the text of the Old Testament. Its language is also of great interest to linguists. Moreover, as Bible of the Syriac Churches it is used in sermons, commentaries, poetry, prayers, and hymns. Many terms specific to the spirituality of the Syriac Churches have their origins in this ancient and reliable version of the Old Testament. The present edition, published by the Peshitta Institute in Leiden on behalf of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, is the first scholarly one of this text. It presents the evidence of all known ancient manuscripts and gives full introductions to the individual books. This volume contains Job.

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Book SynopsisThe Peshitta is the Syriac translation of the Old Testament made on the basis of the Hebrew text during the second century CE. Much like the Greek translations of the Old Testament, this document is an important source for our knowledge of the text of the Old Testament. Its language is also of great interest to linguists. Moreover, as Bible of the Syriac Churches it is used in sermons, commentaries, poetry, prayers, and hymns. Many terms specific to the spirituality of the Syriac Churches have their origins in this ancient and reliable version of the Old Testament. The present edition, published by the Peshitta Institute in Leiden on behalf of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, is the first scholarly one of this text. It presents the evidence of all known ancient manuscripts and gives full introductions to the individual books. This volume contains Judges and Samuel.

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Book SynopsisThe Peshitta is the Syriac translation of the Old Testament made on the basis of the Hebrew text during the second century CE. Much like the Greek translations of the Old Testament, this document is an important source for our knowledge of the text of the Old Testament. Its language is also of great interest to linguists. Moreover, as Bible of the Syriac Churches it is used in sermons, commentaries, poetry, prayers, and hymns. Many terms specific to the spirituality of the Syriac Churches have their origins in this ancient and reliable version of the Old Testament. The present edition, published by the Peshitta Institute in Leiden on behalf of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, is the first scholarly one of this text. It presents the evidence of all known ancient manuscripts and gives full introductions to the individual books. This volume contains Kings.

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Book SynopsisThis volume presents the Syriac text of the books of Chronicles as well as a critical apparatus in respect of the textual witnesses.Trade Review'There are now not many volumes to go before this excellent edition of the Syriac Old Testament shall be complete!’ Martin Parmentier, International Journal in Philosophy and Theology, 2001.

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Book SynopsisThe Peshitta is the Syriac translation of the Old Testament made on the basis of the Hebrew text during the second century CE. Much like the Greek translations of the Old Testament, this document is an important source for our knowledge of the text of the Old Testament. Its language is also of great interest to linguists. Moreover, as Bible of the Syriac Churches it is used in sermons, commentaries, poetry, prayers, and hymns. Many terms specific to the spirituality of the Syriac Churches have their origins in this ancient and reliable version of the Old Testament. The present edition, published by the Peshitta Institute in Leiden on behalf of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, is the first scholarly one of this text. It presents the evidence of all known ancient manuscripts and gives full introductions to the individual books. This volume contains Apocalypse of Baruch and 4 Esdras.

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Book SynopsisJeremiah’s Scriptures focuses on the composition of the biblical book of Jeremiah and its dynamic afterlife in ancient Jewish traditions. Jeremiah is an interpretive text that grew over centuries by means of extensive redactional activities on the part of its tradents. In addition to the books within the book of Jeremiah, other books associated with Jeremiah or Baruch were also generated. All the aforementioned texts constitute what we call “Jeremiah's Scriptures.” The papers and responses collected here approach Jeremiah’s scriptures from a variety of perspectives in biblical and ancient Jewish sub-fields. One of the authors' goals is to challenge the current fragmentation of the fields of theology, biblical studies, ancient Judaism. This volume focuses on Jeremiah and his legacy.Trade Review"Some of the contributors raise fundamental, and for certain readers undoubtedly unsettling, issues about the historical figure of Jeremiah, the nature of the interpretational process from which it emerged and the continuation of this process beyond the canonical forms in which it has been preserved. The editors, for their part, are to be congratulated for their efforts towards bringing scholars into dialogue with one another. Finally, it should not go unnoticed that they invited both established and upcoming scholars to contribute to the volume, which allows for new perspectives on some well-known problems." - H. Debel, in: Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses (2018)Table of ContentsContents Part 1: Hebrew Bible 1 Exegesis, Expansion, and Tradition-Making in the Book of Jeremiah Robert R. Wilson 2 A New Understanding of the Book of Jeremiah. A Response to Robert R. Wilson Georg Fischer 3 Ancient Editing and the Coherence of Traditions within the Book of Jeremiah and throughout the .נביאים A Response to Robert R. Wilson Florian Lippke 4 Prophets, Princes, and Kings: Prophecy and Prophetic Books according to Jeremiah 36 Friedhelm Hartenstein 5 King Jehoiakim’s Attempt to Destroy the Written Word of God (Jeremiah 36). A Response to Friedhelm Hartenstein Lida Panov 6 Scribal Loyalty and the Burning of the Scroll in Jeremiah 36. A Response to Friedhelm Hartenstein Justin J. White 7 The Nature of Deutero-Jeremianic Texts Christl M. Maier 8 The “Deuteronomistic” Character of the Book of Jeremiah. A Response to Christl M. Maier Thomas Römer 9 A Gap between Style and Context? A Response to Christl M. Maier Laura Carlson 10 Deutero-Jeremianic Language in the Temple Sermon. A Response to Christl M. Maier William L. Kelly 11 Formulaic Language and the Formation of the Book of Jeremiah Hermann-Josef Stipp 12 Mysteries of the Book of Jeremiah: Its Text and Formulaic Language. A Response to Hermann-Josef Stipp Georg Fischer 13 What Does “Deuteronomistic” Designate? A Response to Hermann-Josef Stipp Elisa Uusimäki 14 Less than 300 Years. A Response to Hermann-Josef Stipp Fabian Kuhn 15 Why Jeremiah? The Invention of a Prophetic Figure Reinhard G. Kratz 16 Was Jeremiah Invented? The Relation of an Author to a Literary Tradition. A Response to Reinhard G. Kratz Bernard M. Levinson 17 The Question of Prophetic “Authenticity.” A Response to Reinhard G. Kratz Olivia Stewart 18 Jeremiah: The Prophet and the Concept. A Response to Reinhard G. Kratz Zafer Tayseer Mohammad Part 2: Ancient Jewish Literature 19 Confessing in Exile: The Reception and Composition of Jeremiah in (Daniel and) Baruch Judith H. Newman 20 Scribal Culture of the Hebrew Bible and the Burden of the Canon:Human Agency and Textual Production and Consumption in Ancient Judaism. A Response to Judith H. Newman Mladen Popović 21 The Meanings of the Jerusalem Temple in Baruch. A Response to Judith H. Newman Zhenshuai Jiang 22 Text Reception and Conceptions of Authority in Second Temple Contexts. A Response to Judith H. Newman Phillip M. Lasater 23 The Use and Function of Jeremianic Tradition in 1 Enoch: The Epistle of Enoch in Focus Loren T. Stuckenbruck 24 Jeremiah, Deuteronomy and Enoch. A Response to Loren T. Stuckenbruck John J. Collins 25 Is Enoch also among the (Jeremianic) Prophets? A Response to Loren T. Stuckenbruck Ryan C. Stoner 26 Jeremiah’s Scriptures in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Growth of a Tradition Eibert Tigchelaar 27 Modelling Jeremiah Traditions in the Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls. A Response to Eibert Tigchelaar George J. Brooke 28 New Material or Traditions Expanded? A Response to Eibert Tigchelaar Anja Klein 29 Unities and Boundaries across the Jeremianic Dead Sea Scrolls. A Response to Eibert Tigchelaar James Nati 30 Jeremiah, Baruch, and Their Books: Three Phases in a Changing Relationship Matthias Henze and Liv Ingeborg Lied 31 The Reception of a Reception: The Influence of 1 Baruch on the Structure of 5 Ezra. A Response to Matthias Henze and Liv Ingeborg Lied Veronika Hirschberger 32 Textual and Material Contexts. A Response to Matthias Henze and Liv Ingeborg Lied Nathalie LaCoste 33 Retelling the Story of Exile: The Reception of the Jeremiah Tradition in 4 Baruch in the Perspective of the Jewish Diaspora Jens Herzer 34 The Eagle and the Basket of Figs in 4 Baruch. A Response to Jens Herzer Robin D. Young 35 The Development of the Jeremiah Figure in 2 Baruch and 4 Baruch. A Response to Jens Herzer Boyeon Briana Lee 36 Jeremiah as Mystagogue: Jeremiah in Philo of Alexandria Gregory E. Sterling 37 Philo and Jeremiah: A Mysterious Passage in De Cherubim. A Response to Gregory E. Sterling René Bloch 38 Jeremiah as Hierophant: Jeremiah in Philo of Alexandria. A Response to Gregory E. Sterling Franz Tóth 39 “I am the Man”: The Afterlife of a Biblical Verse in Second Temple Times James Kugel Part 3: Early Christian and Rabbinic Literature 40 The Reception of Jeremiah and the Impact of Jeremianic Traditions in the New Testament: A Survey Jörg Frey 41 Jeremiah in the Book of Revelation. A Response to Jörg Frey Adela Yarbro Collins 42 The Jeremianic Covenant Theology and its Impact in the Gospel of Matthew. A Response to Jörg Frey Veronika Niederhofer 43 The Commissioning of Paul: Light from the Prophet Jeremiah on the Self-Understanding of the Apostle? Lutz Doering 44 The Apostle Paul in the Prophetic Matrix of Jeremiah. A Response to Lutz Doering Kipp Davis 45 Like a Priest Exposing His Own Wayward Mother: Jeremiah in Rabbinic Literature Ishay Rosen-Zvi 46 Jeremiah in Rabbinic Theology and Baruch in Rabbinic Historiography. A Response to Ishay Rosen-Zvi Shlomo Zuckier 47 Probing the Rabbis’ Criticism and Silence with Regard to Jeremiah. A Response to Ishay Rosen-Zvi Jordash Kiffiak Author Index Ancient Sources Index Subject Index

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Book SynopsisIn this book Helen Paynter offers a radical re-evalution of the central section of Kings. Reading with attention to the literary devices of carnivalization and mirroring, she demonstrates that it contains a florid satire on kings, prophets and nations. Building on the work of humorists, literary critics and biblical scholars, the author constructs diagnostic criteria for carnivalization (seriocomedy), and identifies an abundance of these features within the Elijah/Elisha and Aram narratives, showing how literary mirroring further enhances their satirical effect. This book will be of particular interest to students and scholars concerned with the Hebrew Bible as literature but will be valued by those who favour more historical approaches for its insights into the Hebrew text.

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Book SynopsisIn Hebrew Lexical Semantics and Daily Life in Ancient Israel, Kurtis Peters hitches the world of Biblical Studies to that of modern linguistic research. Often the insights of linguistics do not appear in the study of Biblical Hebrew, and if they do, the theory remains esoteric. Peters finds a way to maintain linguistic integrity and yet simplify cognitive linguistic methods to provide non-specialists an access point. By employing a cognitive approach one can coordinate the world of the biblical text with the world of its surroundings. The language of cooking affords such a possibility – Peters evaluates not only the words or lexemes related to cooking in the Hebrew Bible, but also the world of cooking as excavated by archaeology.Trade Review'...for the student of Biblical Studies, historian or archaeologist, this book is both interesting and informative.' Michael Glasby, University of Edinburgh, The Expository Times 128 (10)

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Book SynopsisIn Hollow Men, Strange Women, Robin Baker provides a masterly reappraisal of Israel's experience during its Settlement of Canaan as narrated in the Book of Judges. Written under Assyrian suzerainty in the reign of Manasseh, Judges is both a theological commentary on the Settlement and an esoteric work of prophecy. Its apparent historicity subtly encrypts a grim forewarning of Judah's future, and, in its extensive treatment of otherness, Judges explores the meaning of God’s covenant with Israel. Robin Baker's scholarly and perceptive reading draws on a deep understanding of ancient Hebrew and Mesopotamian symbolic codes to interpret the riddles in this many-layered text. The Book of Judges reveals complex literary configurations from which past, present, and future are simultaneously presented.Table of ContentsTable of Contents PREFACE 1. INTRODUCTION: ‘A SPOIL OF DIVERS COLOURS ON BOTH SIDES’ 2. ‘O MIRROR OF OUR FICKLE STATE’: RIDDLES, WORDS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS OF ILLUSION 3. NOT QUITE AT HOME: GEOGRAPHY AND OTHERNESS 4. ‘LET ME FEEL THE PILLARS ON WHICH THE HOUSE STANDS’: THE ROLE AND SYMBOLISM OF THE BOOK’S RHETORICAL ARCHITECTURE 5. THE TANGLED ROOTS OF DEBORAH’S TREE: MESOPOTAMIA, EGYPT AND THE SOUL OF JUDGES 6. ‘THIS BROKEN JAW OF OUR LOST KINGDOMS’: DEATH AND COSMIC WARFARE 7. PAST AS PARABLE, HISTORY AS HONEY: JUDGES AS HISTORIOGRAPHY 8. EPILOGUE: JUDGES AND THE DEUTERONOMIST BIBLIOGRAPHY General Index Index of Biblical References

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Book SynopsisThe biblical book of Job is a timeless text that relates a story of intense human suffering, abandonment, and eventual redemption. It is a tale of profound theological, philosophical, and existential significance that has captured the imaginations of auditors, exegetes, artists, religious leaders, poets, preachers, and teachers throughout the centuries. This original volume provides an introduction to the wide range of interpretations and representations of Job—both the scriptural book and its righteous protagonist—produced in the medieval Christian West. The essays gathered here treat not only exegetical and theological works such as Gregory’s Moralia and the literal commentaries of Thomas Aquinas and Nicholas of Lyra, but also poetry and works of art that have Job as their subject.Trade Review“This Companion is a substantial contribution to the study of medieval Christian exegesis and, needless to say, the larger history of interpretation of Job.” Paul M. Blowers, Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan College. In: Speculum, Vol. 94, No. 2 (April 2019), pp. 537-538.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations and Diagrams Notes on Contributors Abbreviations Introduction Franklin T. Harkins and Aaron Canty I. EXEGETICAL AND THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES 1 Job in the Ancient Versions and the Pseudepigrapha Angela Kim Harkins 2 Job in Patristic Commentaries and Theological Works Kenneth B. Steinhauser 3 Job’s Sin in the Moralia of Gregory the Great Carole Straw 4 Job in the Glossa ordinaria on the Bible Lesley Smith 5 From the Fiery Heaven to the Fire of Hell: Job in the Sentences Commentaries of Albert the Great, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas Franklin T. Harkins 6 Christ and the Eternal Extent of Divine Providence in the Expositio super Iob ad litteram of Thomas Aquinas Franklin T. Harkins 7 A Passionate Dispute over Divine Providence: Albert the Great’s Commentary on the Book of Job Ruth Meyer 8 Nicholas of Lyra’s Literal Commentary on Job Aaron Canty 9 Job in the German Reformation Ronald K. Rittgers II. VERNACULAR AND POPULAR PERSPECTIVES 10 Look upon My Affliction (Job 10:15): The Depiction of Job in the Western Middle Ages Gamble L. Madsen 11 The Book of Job in Latin Biblical Poetry of the Middle Ages Greti Dinkova-Bruun 12 The Book of Job and the Figure of Job in Old English Literature Martin Chase 13 Patience on Pilgrimage: Job in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales Jane Beal 14 Job and the Wycliffites J. Patrick Hornbeck II Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn The Present State of Old Testament Studies in the Low Countries fifteen leading scholars from Belgium and the Netherlands give an overview of their work. This collection celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap brings together the results of high quality research on many fields, from computer-assisted analysis to biblical theology, from the archaeology of Palestine to early rabbinic exegesis, from logotechnical analysis to delimitation criticism. It shows that Old Testament research in Belgium and the Netherlands is multifaceted and innovative.

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Book SynopsisIn The Text of the Hebrew Bible and its Editions some of the top world scholars and editors of the Hebrew Bible and its versions present essays on the aims, method, and problems of editing the biblical text(s), taking as a reference the Complutensian Polyglot, first modern edition of the Hebrew text and its versions and whose Fifth Centennial was celebrated in 2014. The main parts of the volume discuss models of editions from the Renaissance and its forerunners to the Digital Age, the challenges offered by the different textual traditions, particular editorial problems of the individual books of the Bible, and the role played by quotations. It thus sets a landmark in the future of biblical editions.Table of ContentsContributors are: Anneli Aejmelaeus, Ignacio Carbajosa Pérez, Sidney White Crawford, Natalio Fernández Marcos, Russell E. Fuller, Michael Graves, Ronald S. Hendel, Jan Joosten, Arie van der Kooij, Armin Lange, Martin Meiser, Andrés Piquer Otero, Alison Salvesen, Michael Segal, Brent A. Strawn, Pablo Torijano Morales, Emanuel Tov, Julio Trebolle Barrera, Kristin De Troyer, Eugene Ulrich, Ronny Vollandt, and Richard D. Weis.

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Book SynopsisIn The Making of Israel C.L. Crouch presents the southern Levant during the seventh century BCE as a major period for the formation of Israelite ethnic identity, challenging scholarship which dates biblical texts with identity concerns to the exilic and post-exilic periods as well as scholarship which limits pre-exilic identity concerns to Josianic nationalism. The argument analyses the archaeological material from the southern Levant during Iron Age II, then draws on anthropological research to argue for an ethnic response to the economic, political and cultural change of this period. The volume concludes with an investigation into identity issues in Deuteronomy, highlighting centralisation and exclusive Yahwism as part of the deuteronomic formulation of Israelite ethnic identity.Trade Review"This book [...] is deeply instructive and amazingly engaging. It should not be overlooked by anyone wishing to understand either the book of Deuteronomy or the History of Israel." Jim West, Quartz Hill School of Theology, Philippines Baptist Theological Seminary "I can thoroughly recommend the book and hope that we might see more such careful studies from her." Lester L. Grabbe, University of Hull

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