Biblical History Research Articles

Phineas, Son of Eleazar, in Pseudo-Philo’s Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum

Abstract In contrast to the biblical tradition, the figure of Phineas saw considerable development in Second Temple traditions. Numerous studies have appeared recently, yet the Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum, which shows awareness of such traditions and reworks them creatively, has been overlooked by scholars. The present contribution aims to investigate the significant testimony of Pseudo-Philo, who constructs a complex and versatile character in his rewriting of biblical history – one who is responsible for the purity of worship against any idolatrous drift and who is the guardian of the Law and its understanding. Moreover, Phineas occupies a central position in the eschatological scenario, since he will be taken up to heaven like Elijah until his return in the last days, when, after his death, he will participate in the divine judgment.

Refusing Change Invites Failure: The Most Stubborn Figures in Biblical History and Their Implications for Contemporary Christian Thought and Practice

Refusing Change Invites Failure: The Most Stubborn Figures in Biblical History and Their Implications for Contemporary Christian Thought and Practice

References to Scripture in the Old Polish History of the Three Kings. Quotations, Allusions, Echoes

The article analyzes the references to Scripture in Historyja trzech kroli (History of the Three Kings), an Old Polish apocryphal work preserved in a copy from 1544. The references to the Bible are divided into quotations, allusions and echoes. Quotations were introduced either by reference to a particular location or author of the biblical text, or to an unspecified “prophet” or “evangelist.” Sometimes they were not signaled in any way. Then the quotation could only be identified by recognizing the passage to which it refers. Allusions to the Old and New Testaments mostly consisted of references to characters, places, and events, without quoting the text of Scripture itself. The featured echoes most often consisted of narrative parallelisms between the story of the Wise Men from the East and the first Church. References to Scripture in the apocryphal work served to emphasize typology and create parallelisms between biblical history and the story of the three kings. The text emphasizes the role of the Gentiles in salvation history while belittling the role of Israelites.

Radiocarbon chronology of Iron Age Jerusalem reveals calibration offsets and architectural developments

Reconstructing the absolute chronology of Jerusalem during the time it served as the Judahite Kingdom's capital is challenging due to its dense, still inhabited urban nature and the plateau shape of the radiocarbon calibration curve during part of this period. We present 103 radiocarbon dates from reliable archaeological contexts in five excavation areas of Iron Age Jerusalem, which tie between archaeology and biblical history. We exploit Jerusalem's rich past, including textual evidence and vast archaeological remains, to overcome difficult problems in radiocarbon dating, including establishing a detailed chronology within the long-calibrated ranges of the Hallstatt Plateau and recognizing short-lived regional offsets in atmospheric 14C concentrations. The key to resolving these problems is to apply stringent field methodologies using microarchaeological methods, leading to densely radiocarbon-dated stratigraphic sequences. Using these sequences, we identify regional offsets in atmospheric 14C concentrations c. 720 BC, and in the historically secure stratigraphic horizon of the Babylonian destruction in 586 BC. The latter is verified by 100 single-ring measurements between 624 to 572 BC. This application of intense 14C dating sheds light on the reconstruction of Jerusalem in the Iron Age. It provides evidence for settlement in the 12th to 10th centuries BC and that westward expansion had already begun by the 9th century BC, with extensive architectural projects undertaken throughout the city in this period. This was followed by significant damage and rejuvenation of the city subsequent to the mid-eight century BC earthquake, after which the city was heavily fortified and continued to flourish until the Babylonian destruction.

The Primal Testament: Parallels between Evolutionary and Biblical History

Evolutionary biology is regarded with suspicion in some theological circles. However, the era of DNA sequencing, allowing linear side-by-side comparisons of our genome with those of related species, has revealed how our genetic “text”—that is, our genome—has incrementally developed, and has provided compelling insights into our evolutionary history. This paper presents examples of mutations in our genetic text that have generated features of our characteristically human biology. It is suggested that our genetic text be thought of as the Primal Testament, analogously to the Old and New Testaments that describe the history of God’s dealings with humankind. There are clear differences between the Primal Testament and those of the scriptures. The Primal Testament describes an impersonal and nonmoral history. But the three testaments have in common their witness to God’s purposes, their accounts of God’s creation of new realities (biological organisms, Israel, and the church), and their depictions of richer conceptions of life (successively, biological, personal/communal, and the Spirit-indwelt zoe aionios). The three testaments all describe contingent histories arising from God’s gift of freedom to the creatures. The histories alike describe ambiguities, suffering (even extinctions), goal-directedness, and incompleteness as they together anticipate God’s consummation of all things in the New Creation.

Spiritual-semantic approach as a methodological basis for the analysing religious music (on the example of V. Stepurko’s cycle “Monologues of the Ages”)

Spiritual-semantic approach as a methodological basis for the analysing religious music (on the example of V. Stepurko’s cycle “Monologues of the Ages”)

Ветхозаветные образы в великом каноне Андрея Критского и в «Книге скорбных песнопений» Григора Нарекаци

The Great Canon, composed in the early 8th century by St. Andrew, the archbishop of Gortyna in Crete, became an integral part of the Great Lent services of the Orthodox Church and thus acquired the status of the main penitential hymnographic work. It abounds with examples from the Old and New Testaments: St. Andrew describes persons and events from biblical history, starting from the creation of the first man, and uses them to reflect the moral state of man, deriving from their actions both warnings and reproofs, as well as examples of hope and trust in the mercy of the Creator. The mystical poem The Book of Lamentations, written by the Armenian hymnographer Grigor, a monk and vardapet of the Narek monastery, in the very first years of the 11th century (presumably in 1002), also sets the incitement of a repentant mood in the soul of the reader together with contrition for sins as one of its aims, in which it intersects very closely with the Great Canon. A certain similarity in the approach to the use of biblical figured between these two penitential works, although belonging to different Christian traditions, had been noted by those few researchers who were familiar with both the Great Canon and The Book of Lamentations, but a closer study of this similarity – or, on the contrary, differences in the approach of the authors – has not yet been undertaken. This paper will attempt to compare the exegetical principles of these great Christian poets on the examples taken from the Old Testament.

A Journey into Other Faiths

We live in a world of diversity, and so it is with people’s religious beliefs and how they approach their religious practices in relation to a deity and their social and relational lives. Bible history has taught us that God has always allowed religious diversity. The biggest threat to the world is not poverty, health, and economic challenges but rather religious intolerance, the fear of compromising our faith, bias, and prejudice about other faiths. This article narrates the author’s experience and journey as a Pentecostal scholar in dialogue with other faiths. It argues that it is possible to study other religions without losing one’s own faith insofar as the various methods and principles for the study of religions can be applied. The article promotes the use of dialogue and spiritual discernment as tools to engage with people of other faiths. These approaches therefore become means of moving together toward life.

Linguistic Equivalence in Muslim-Idiom Translation

Muslim-idiom translations use a range of strategies to properly contextualise biblical messages and to engage their audience. Most of these are not new or unusual. The rendering of divine titles may be subject to various different kinds of legitimate equivalence, as well as semantic and social constraints, and these issues are part of biblical history. Similarly, euphemisms, fundamental to human interaction, have always been a part of biblical textual history and cannot be banned from modern translations. And the formulaic key expressions of Islam, closely paralleling those of the Bible, contribute valuably to the literary stock which can be used to achieve engagement. Concerns about these issues are ultimately a matter of trust in translators’ loyalty to the biblical source text.

Euhemerus and Euhemerism in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries.

This paper looks at the way in which scholars of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries conceptualized the relationship between sacred history and pagan mythology through the lens of their approach to the ancient Greek writer Euhemerus. It argues that the popular contemporary tendency to equate Euhemerism with the historical interpretation of pagan mythology is the product of early eighteenth century French mythography, during which time scholars divested the study of pagan myth from the study of biblical history and thereby sought for new, non-Christian, hermeneutical traditions through which to analyze the origins of pagan mythology more generally.

Augustine and the Jews

Abstract The essay discusses the main topics of ‘Augustine and the Jews.’ It opens with the question where, according to Augustine, the name ‘Jew’ comes from. It then proceeds to his use of the designations ‘Hebrew’ and ‘Israelite’ parallel (and partly in contrast) to ‘Jew.’ Mainly according to The City of God a brief biblical history of the Jews is outlined. Augustine’s theological valuation of the Jews turns out to be partly positive, but mainly negative. The same applies to the (rather often discussed, but frequently misunderstood) ‘sign of Cain.’ The analysis of Aduersus Iudaeos shows Augustine’s ‘provocation’ of the Jews. By and then in the course of the overview, the question of Augustine’s (likely) ‘anti-Judaism’ is briefly dealt with. Finally, the essay discusses Augustine’s acquaintance with ‘real’ i.e. contemporary Jews, draws some conclusions, and presents a concise overview of subjects requiring further research.

Farmer-Pastor Affinity in the Old Testament: Lessons for Pastoral Ministry Today

In most real life situations, everything produces its kind. In the same vein, most things also generate their nature. This is also Biblically founded as God even had to create man in His own image. Biblical history confirms the existence of different classes of people, by nature, functions and role for example the priests, kings, and prophets of the Old Testament. Most of these roles were prerogative of certain groups. Most priests came from the priestly family of Levi. Most kings came from the house of David. Most prophets were drawn from among the sons of prophet. One situation that is glaringly different and calls for study, is the few instances where the appointment of some people into pastoral office tends to depart from that pattern. It is of note that many Old Testament pastoral agents were originally farmers. The correlation between farming and pastoral care calls for examination. This research, Farmer-Pastor affinity in the Old Testament, is a response to the need to examine and explore the meaning, nature, implications and import of the ‘farmer to pastor graduation.’ Using exegetical and expository methods to study selected Biblical personages reflecting this affinity, Descriptive and Analytical methods will also be employed to fully uncover and critically situate the import of this farmer-pastor affinity. By analyzing the Farmer-pastor affinity in some passages of the Old Testament, it will be possible to determine and comprehend the theological direction of this affinity towards some objective application. The findings, conclusions and recommendations will not only add to scholarship but they definitely promise to benefit pastoral care attitude today.

Data on Jeroboam II’s Reign Supplied by the History of Solomon

Abstract The article examines the potential of episodes related in the biblical history of Solomon to serve as sources for the history of Jeroboam II, King of Israel. It first suggests that the “Acts of Solomon”, the source available to the author of Solomon’s history, was written in Judah in the late eighth century BCE, after the fall of the Northern Kingdom. It then examines five episodes that depict Solomon’s operations: (a) his district list (1 Kgs 4:7–19); (b) the list of six cities that he built (9:15b, 17b–18); (c) the sails he initiated from the Gulf of Eilat to Ophir (9:26–28; 10:11–12, 16–22); (d) his presentation as mediator in the international trade of horses and chariots (1 Kgs 10:28–29); and (e) the concept of the United Monarchy as reflection of Jeroboam II’s kingdom. The article concludes that of these episodes, only the account of Solomon’s sails to Ophir rests on the reality of Jeroboam’s time and memorialized his cooperation with the King of Tyre in the maritime sail to Ophir and the extraction of gold from this remote country.

The Possession of History and the Dispossession of Silwan’s Palestinians

Since 1967, the slogan “restoring Jerusalem to its Jewish glory” has served as a rallying cry for the further colonization of the occupied eastern part of the city by the Israeli government and settler organizations alike. Jewish settlement in Jerusalem’s Palestinian neighborhoods invokes moral claims to Jewish sovereignty based on biblical history and material claims to pre-1948 properties of Jews in these neighborhoods. This essay examines Jewish settler groups’ utilization of Israel’s political-legal infrastructure to advance their colonization projects at the very heart of Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem. More specifically, it examines an area of Silwan where Ateret Cohanim, through its representatives, has initiated eviction lawsuits against dozens of Palestinian families in the Israeli magistrate court, alleging trespass of Jewish-endowed waqf land established in the 1880s. As elsewhere in East Jerusalem, some of the targeted families in Silwan were originally displaced either from areas that became Israel after 1948 or from the Old City in 1967.

History and Spiritual Formation: Baron Friedrich von Hügel's Spiritual Nurture

Baron Friedrich von Hügel (1852-1925) viewed history as the crux of institutional religion. He also believed that our response to God needs to include all three “Elements of Religion”: the “Intellectual Element” (rational and theological), “Mystical Element” (experiential and devotional) and “Institutional Element” (sacramental, community, tradition and history). Given the role of history in the Baron's “Institutional Element,” it is not surprising that history played a significant role in his spiritual nurture of five individuals. Prayerful reflection upon the historical Christ was central to Evelyn Underhill's conversion. Learning about secular history broadened Gwendolen Greene, enabling her to appreciate Christian mystical texts more fully. Biblical history helped in the formation of Henri Garceau. However, von Hügel's use of history in the spiritual formation of Juliet Mansel and his daughter, Gertrud, had mixed results, and is a reminder of the need to be attentive to both individual differences and maturity levels when using history for spiritual formation. This article builds upon prior research about von Hügel as a spiritual director through the inclusion of unpublished letters from several archives, plus focusing upon one area that has not been extensively discussed in previous studies: the role of history in the Baron's spiritual nurture.

ARCHIMANDRITE ANTONIN (KAPUSTIN) AS CREATOR RUSSIAN PALESTINE (ACCORDING TO THE MATERIALS OF THE JERUSALEM DIARY)

In an article based on the diaries of arch. Antonin (Kapustin) presents his active work in the creation of Russian Palestine. As the fifth head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, arch. Antonin continued the work of the first Russian missionaries, strengthened Russia's presence in the Holy Land and raised its authority. As a learned archaeologist, archeographer, historian, arch. Antonin made an invaluable contribution to the study of biblical history and the preservation of the shrines of the Christian East. One of the main achievements of arch. Antonina consists in acquiring land plots in the Holy Land, which had a special historical significance and in the future allowed maintaining the authority of Russia and the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in the Holy Land.

A Philosophical Investigation into African Philosophy as a Prototype of Greek Philosophy

Africa is often considered by the westerners as a continent of emotional and sentimental nature and as a result lacking in the criticality that would make the people philosophical. However, it must be remembered that civilisation has its cradle in Africa, precisely in Egypt. It must also be noted that most of the important figures in the world history as well as the biblical history in one way or the other travelled to Africa, for instance, the Ionian philosophers, Moses, Jesus Christ and a host of others. Hence, they were undoubtedly influenced by the Egyptian thought. The blatant denial and the unbearable unwillingness of the western world to accept this crystalline fact is what spurred the researcher to carry out this study. The writer, therefore primarily employed the reflective and analytical methods to achieve the purpose of the study, that the Greek Philosophy has its origins in Africa.

Cultural Encounter, Race, and a Humanist Ideology of Empire in the Art of Trecento Venice

Cultural Encounter, Race, and a Humanist Ideology of Empire in the Art of Trecento Venice

Pre-Revolutionary (before 1917) Russian Historiography of the Hasmonean State: Directions, Themes, Researches

In the paper Russian pre-revolutionary (before 1917) historiography of the Hasmonean state (167-63 BC) is considered. These works are divided by the author into four groups (categories) according to aims of the scholars within each group and their social-cultural environment. 1) “Theological” group is represented by the scientists from Orthodox seminaries and academies (T.I. Butkevich, I.G. Troitskiy, F.P. Arfaksadov et al.). These scholars referred to the history of Hasmoneans, which was already included in the historical narrative, for validate the biblical history within the Christian apologetics framework. 2) “Rational-critical” group is represented by the works of researchers who have received a university education and tended towards the materialistic concept of history. N.M. Nikolsky, A.I. Tyumenev and others embedded the content related to the Hasmonean state into formed by them rationalized concept of ancient and world history. 3) The “traditionalist” category merged articles and monographs of the bearers of the Jewish tradition, who had received both religious and secular education (S.M. Dubnov, M.Ya. Khashkes, Yu.I. Gessen, et al.). They referred to the Hasmonean history as to a period of Jewish independence and used it for the development of Jewish national secular identity in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as for the popularization of Jewish history as an organic part of the general historical process. 4) The “foreign” group, unlike the others, is distinguished not by the goal-setting principle, but by its generic characteristics. This group includes pre-revolutionary publications of foreign researchers in Russian (F.W. Farrar, E. Renan, J. Wellhausen, H. Hertz, et al.), which were most often used by representatives of other groups. As a result of the study, the conclusion is made about the greatest viability of the “rational-critical group”, which was developed during the Soviet period, while most representatives of other categories were excluded from the scientific environment, changed their views, or became part of the “bourgeois” historical science.

Ancient Palestine in Soviet Educational Literature

An important component of the Soviet anti-religious discourse was the atheistic education of the youth. In this regard, the problem of representing the ancient Palestinian society, the development of which cannot be fully studied without referring to the religious context, is extremely interesting, since it allows us to analyze the specifics of embedding this “religious” problem to anti-religious discourse. The study showed that within the framework of school education, it was not possible to reconcile the discourse and the history of ancient Palestine, which is why it was deleted from school textbooks until the end of the Soviet era. In higher education, this process was much more complex and proceeded through the rationalization of biblical history and embedding it into the Marxist canon.