Song 7:2–6 is (in)famous for how the man describes his beloved, from feet to head, with one seemingly ridiculous metaphor after another. While the aesthetic sense of these metaphors may seem odd to westerners, it was highly unlikely to be such for its original audiences. Thus, the fundamental question for biblical scholars, especially those concerned with metaphor is: How does the poet employ the visual similarities in the metaphorical imagery to allow readers/hearers access to how the man both perceives and conceptualises the physical beauty of his beloved? In other words, how can we as readers take the metaphors seriously without obliterating the metaphorical imagery? This article seeks to answer this question by employing a complexity approach which integrates poetic rhythm (additionally borrowing the concept of deceptive cadence from music), linguistic approaches to poetic parallelism, the use of emotion in lyric poetry, and metaphor analyses. This symphony of analyses hopes to explain how the metaphors function as a unity within the poetry’s rhythm, building toward a peak to express the man’s desire and excitement for his beloved. It concludes by offering an interpretation of the final verse’s interpretively difficult description of the woman’s hair as crimson, explaining how the woman’s head as Mount Carmel during a fiery sunset serves as a fitting conclusion to the poem that provides a befitting climactic closure for conveying the man’s desire for his beloved.

The idea of “many children, many blessings” in Ps 127:5 resonates with African traditional belief systems. However, in contemporary Nigeria, modernisation has introduced inescapable variables that make large families undesirable. In spite of this, many Nigerians still produce many children, apparently relying on the traditional belief that God determines one’s number of children, and possibly also on Ps 127:5. Applying the historical-critical and descriptive methods, the article assessed the relevance of Ps 127:5 in contemporary Nigeria and found that the text reflects the ancient Israelite context wherein parents depended on the number of their children in socio-economic terms, a situation which also resonates with the premodern African context. The modern Nigerian context, however, brought about changes in the pattern of parent-child interdependence such that now even peasant parents have to send their children to school and do all the manual work alone. In view of the high rate of unemployment, even many university graduates still have to depend on their parents. With this transition, large families come with implications such as hunger, poor health, and inadequate or lack of Western education for the children. Moreover, raising large families now has to contend with global issues such as overpopulation and family planning. To this end, a pastoral application of Ps 127:5 in Nigeria now has to respond to issues that come with large families.

This study identifies unique aspects present in Princess Khnumet’s diadem through a hybrid approach incorporating Van Straten’s four-phase iconographic methodology and semiotics. Van Straten’s first phase identifies the materials, colours, and techniques that are present in Khnumet’s diadem. The second phase deals with the iconographic significance of the colours and motifs on the jewellery piece. The third phase discusses the use of iconographical themes to identify a theme that represented Khnumet’s diadem in its entirety. The fourth phase makes use of the historical, cultural, and social background of the Twelfth Dynasty, Middle Kingdom, to determine the influences that may have affected the design of the jewellery piece. Lastly, the discussion identifies how certain aspects were repeatedly present in Khnumet’s diadem, from which one can deduce how certain themes were predominantly selected. This study thus illustrates that the individual motifs are interconnected to the broader iconographical theme within a jewellery piece.

This article explores the intricate tapestry of symbolic and ritualistic elements interwoven in the purification rites of the Old Testament. Elucidating the ancient religious practises of the Israelites, this scholarly exposition unravels the profound significance and ethnological underpinnings of purification rituals as documented in sacred or biblical narratives. The Old Testament, a cornerstone of Judeo-Christian tradition, provides a rich repository of symbolic expressions and rituals designed to purify individuals and communities from impurities and sins. Through a meticulous scrutinisation of biblical references and historical context, this article unmasks the multifaceted interplay between symbolism and ritual in the Old Testament. To do this, symbolic and ritualistic theoretical frameworks are applied to the discourse. The findings and discussion show that the performative dimensions of purification rites highlight the importance of collective participation in spiritual purification, bolstering the communal responsibility for maintaining ritual purity. By navigating through the layers of symbolism and ritual, this scholarly discourse endeavours to offer a comprehensive understanding of how purification rituals serve as a profound expression of the Israelite religious philosophy, configuring their cultural identity and spiritual belief systems.

This article examines all evidence of the word combination προαίρεσις πνεύματος, which represents a linguistic and intellectual peculiarity of the LXX Ecclesiastes. It explains in which way the choice of words and the stylistic devices of the LXX translator, who is also a poet, puts into context the relation of προαίρεσις πνεύματος in LXX Ecclesiastes to Genesis 2–3 (serpent) and Job 1–2 (Satan), as well as to 1Sam 16:14 etc. (evil spirit), 1Kgt 22:19–23 par. 2Chr 18:18–22 (lying spirit) and Zach 13:2 (unclean spirit) and traces the vanity and nothingness in this world back to the purpose of the spirit.

This article explores how the noun ’āšam is used in Leviticus 5 and focuses especially on the argument that the noun has two meanings. A brief look at a number of translations and the way commentators have translated the different occurrences of the noun will support this argument, but many of these commentators do not offer any explanations for why this is so. This article attempts to fill this gap. It is argued that ’āšam has two meanings, one being a general umbrella meaning and one referring to the sacrifice. From a methodological perspective, much of this article consists of a synchronic reading of Leviticus 5, with some engagement with other texts in Leviticus, especially chapter 4. The article also examines the diachronic debates around this chapter and especially around the history of the ’āšam. The author argues that the Priestly author coined an umbrella term for Leviticus 5 because of the more serious nature of the trespasses in this chapter.

Various unlawful sexual relationships are the topic of Leviticus 18, concentrating (vv. 7–18) on women within the extended family who may not be approached. A comparable but condensed list of taboo relationships is stated in the Qur’anic Surah al-Nisa’ (The Women) 4:22–23. The first objective of the article is to give an account of the way the respective directives are expressed. Prohibitions in Lev 18:7–18 are, for example, introduced by the formula, “The nakedness of … do not uncover,” usually followed by a reason, e.g., “the nakedness of … she is.” The Qur’anic portion begins with the restriction, “And do not marry” (Q al-Nisa’ 4:22), or “Forbidden to you [are]” (Q al-Nisa’ 4:23). Secondly, individual taboos which are shared, or only found in either of the two sources, are scrutinised. Thirdly, the arrangement of the items in the two lists is investigated. Fourthly, the literary contexts of the biblical and Qur’anic portions are juxtaposed.

This article begins by considering the relationship between textual variants and the canonical text, arguing for a fuller presence of significant variant readings alongside the canonical text, in line with contemporary textual critical scholarship and their associated eclectic critical editions. Alongside such eclectic critical editions and their appropriation within Bible translation, this article suggests that a community-based approach like Contextual Bible Study could be used to return significant and relevant variants to ordinary African readers and hearers of the Bible. The article argues that LXX 3 Reigns 12:24p–t is such a significant and relevant textual variant, offering as it does a remarkable resonance with contemporary South African concerns about state capture. The article analyses 24p–t as a significant textual variant in text critical terms, as significant narrative literature in its own right, as a coherent economic narrative analysis concerning the cause of the division of the united monarchy, and as a potential resource for Contextual Bible Study work within the contemporary South African context of state capture.

This article discusses two written works by Enheduanna of Akkad. The aim is to understand the texts through a close reading and draw out any information offered about Enheduanna herself. The first text is Ninmešarra, or the Exaltation of Inanna. This is the most famous of Enheduanna’s authored works. It discusses her exile from Ur and acts as a praise hymn for Inanna. The textual analysis highlights the significance of Enheduanna’s writing style and use of first-person narration in conveying her experience of expulsion. The second text discussed is Inninšagurra, or Queen of Vast Heart. While it offers fewer instances of first-person narration, it still highlights a sense of internal struggle that can be related to what is known of Enheduanna’s life. These texts are thematically similar in their depictions of Inanna and the author, which this article discusses in terms of the question of early first-person narration as a form of autobiographical writing.

The verb šḥt is worthy of investigation. It is a prominent verb of destruction that occurs throughout the Hebrew Bible. It is also polysemous. Furthermore, its basic meaning has not yet been determined in the various reference works and it defies the traditional wisdom that specific stems have specific meanings. Great advances have been made in utilising cognitive linguistic (CL) methodologies to interpret the Hebrew Bible (HB). We are not aware of any robust attempt at using insights from CL to investigate the meaning of šḥt. For this study, we utilised frame semantics (FS) and several other CL methodologies to gain insight into the semantic force of šḥt in the HB.