Introduction & General

Abstract

Introduction & General Isaac Kalimi, Joseph E. Jensen, David A. Bosworth, Andrew W. Litke, Lesley R. DiFrancisco, Edward M. Cook, and Richard A. Taylor 1532. Shmuel Aḥituv, Esther Eshel, Zeʾev Meshel, and Tallay Oman, To Yhwh of Teman and His ashera: The Inscriptions and Drawings from Kuntillet ʿAjrud ("Ḥorvat Teman") in Sinai (Treasures of the Past; Jerusalem: Yad Ben-Zvi Press and Israel Exploration Society, 2015). Pp. 151 (Hebrew). N.I.S. 142. ISBN 978-965-217-385-0. This book presents the inscriptions and drawings that were found during archaeological excavations at Kuntillet ʿAjrud in 1975–1976 conducted under the supervision of Zeʾev Meshel from Tel Aviv University. This First Temple period archaeological site is situated in the northwestern part of the Sinai Peninsula. According to the evidence of the artifacts, the settlement was founded at the initiative of the Kingdom of Israel. The significance [End Page 516] of this settlement was highlighted by the discovery there of drawings and written sources in Hebrew and Phoenician. Chap. 1 discusses the structure, special features and archaeological finds from the site. Chap. 2 focuses on the ancient drawings. Chap. 3 presents the written sources and their interpretation. Chap. 4 includes a synthetic discussion and summation. The volume contains numerous illustrations. A bibliography, index of sources, and a table of contents in English conclude the volume.—I.K. 1533. David Alexander and Pat Alexander (eds.), Zondervan Handbook to the Bible (5th ed.; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017). Pp. 816 + Col. Illus. $44.99. ISBN 978-0-310-53794-6. This edition of the Handbook consists of 127 articles by 70 international scholars offering background and guidance for better understanding of the histories, lands, cultures, artifacts, rituals, events, peoples, and individuals that appear within the Bible, accompanied by more than 700 color photographs and illustrations. A section-by-section guide to the Bible includes notes on key words, and questions about interpretation. A "Rapid Fact-finder" locates key people, places, events, and teachings both within the Bible and within the Handbook itself.—J.E.J. 1534. Noga Ayali-Darshan, Treading on the Back of Sea: The Combat between the Storm-god and the Sea in Ancient Near Eastern Literature (Biblical Encyclopaedia Library 33; Jerusalem: Bialik Institute, 2016). Pp. 406 (Hebrew) + viii (English). N.I.S. 111. ISBN 978-965-536-203-9. This book is a collection of all versions of the narrative of the combat between the Storm-god and the Sea as it appears in different ANE texts. A.-D. examines various literary sources in order to discover the origin of this myth, as well as to trace changes of detail that reflect the source's location and the influence of a specific culture on the plot. Each chapter consists of the presentation of different texts, according to their geographic location, and a summary of its content. In chap. 1, A.-D. surveys the traces of the motif in Egyptian literary texts, such as The Astarte Papyrus, incantations, Hymn to Ramesses III and Tale of the Two Brothers. Chap. 2 features the Hurro-Hittite Song of the Sea, The Pišaiša Myth, The Release of the Goddess from the Sea, The Song of Hedammu, and The Song of Ullikummi. In chap. 3, A.-D. reviews the motif in Ugaritic literature as represented by Baal's Struggle Against the Sea in the Baal Cycle and Baal and Anat's Fight Against the Sea Creatures. Chap. 4 focuses on Mesopotamian literature, in particular the Babylonian myth of Enūma Eliš. Chap. 5 concerns the traces of the motif in biblical literature, with special attention to instances of the Lord's Conflict with the Sea. Chap. 6 treats the motif as it appears in the Letter from the Mari Envoy at Aleppo and in the Sea and Astarte at Emar. Finally, in chap. 7, A.-D. discusses the transformations of the myth in terms of their locations. An epilogue, bibliography, indexes of sources, personal and geographical names, and a table of contents for the volume in English conclude the whole.—I.K. 1535. Katell Bertholet...