Other Writings/Traditions

Abstract

Other Writings/Traditions Christopher T. Begg, Thomas Hieke, William J. Urbrock, and J. Edward Owens Christopher T. Begg Catholic University of America Thomas Hieke Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz William J. Urbrock University of Wisconsin Oshkosh J. Edward Owens OSST, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio TX 1618. [1 Samuel 4 according to Josephus, Ant. 5.355–362] Michael Avioz, "1 Samuel 4 in Josephus' Antiquities 5.355–362," JNSL 47 (1, 2021) 1-17. My paper explores Josephus's exegetical skills in elucidating the biblical text, taking his retelling of 1 Samuel 4 in Ant. 5.355–362 as a test case. The historian's retelling of the Samuel text which recounts the fall of the Elides and the destruction of the Shiloh sanctuary is twice as long as the former passage. While acknowledging Josephus's apologetical tendencies in his Antiquities, my article seeks to demonstrate that his hermeneutical concerns in his retelling of the above biblical account is equally significant. I begin by analyzing the biblical passage and its textual difficulties and gaps, and then proceed to examine Josephus's additions, omissions, and changes, as well as the question of his textual Vorlage for the 1 Samuel 4 passage. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] Google Scholar 1619. [Levitical Temple Singers in Rabbinic Sources] Hallel Baitner, "Levitical Singers in Rabbinic Sources: Echoes of an Ancient Dispute," JSJ 52 (2, 2021) 228-56. The Hebrew Bible reflects ambiguity concerning the historical existence of the Levites as a group distinguished from the priesthood. Postexilic and late Second Temple sources also present a variety of voices concerning the extent to which Levites participated [End Page 580] in the temple's worship. My article argues that, while rabbinic sources appear to present a straightforward, retrospective description of the Levites as a group of temple-singers who were clearly subordinate to the priests and responsible for temple singing, a closer reading reveals differences of opinion about the group and its activity. Disagreements concerning the exact place in the temple in which the Levites used to sing reflect significantly different views concerning the status of the Levites in the temple and the importance of their singing. This rabbinic dispute echoes similar late Second Temple period controversies, and sources from the two periods may shed reciprocal light on each other. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] Google Scholar 1620. [Reimaging of Angels, Watchers, and Giants in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam] Kelley Coblentz Bautch and Jonathan Kaplan (eds.), "Introduction," Hen 41 (2, 2019) 181-87. As guest editors of a thematic issue of Henoch devoted to early Jewish, Christian, and Islamic reconceptualizations of earlier traditions about "angels, watchers, and giants," B. and K. provide an introduction to the topic that surveys previous scholarly work on the subject as well as the essays featured in this issue. Their essay concludes with a bibliography of relevant studies. For abstracts of those articles of particular interest to OTA readers, see ##1621, 1663.—C.T.B. Google Scholar 1621. [Demons in Josephus] Carson M. Bay, "Demons in Flavius Josephus," Hen 41 (2, 2019) 204-25 [see #1620]. Demons, as they appear in Josephus's corpus, help situate Josephus, qua firstcentury Roman-Jewish author, between a Hellenistic culture informed by classical antiquity and a Jewish culture informed by Jewish Scripture and tradition. Whether as individual beings or as some impersonal force, the daemonic in Josephus's writings aligns far more with the daemons of the Classical and Hellenistic Greek milieu than it does with Jewish literature from the Hebrew Bible to the NT. However, Josephus's daemons do reflect the influence of Jewish tradition as well. Thus, daemons allow Josephus's writings to be seen as the product of intercultural influence and exchange. My essay seeks to demonstrate this claim by providing a sequential and comprehensive assessment of Josephus's treatment of daemons and the daemonic throughout his corpus and then by offering a comparative survey of related literature earlier than or contemporary with Josephus. This survey shows where Josephus's daemons are both different from and similar to ancient Hellenistic and Jewish traditions in their...