Hebrew Bible Research Articles

Patronage, Sectarianism, and Cultural Hegemony

Patronage relationships have been ethnographically found at many locations in the Middle East during the second half of the twentieth century but also detected in ancient Near Eastern sources in more recent times, in every case mostly in connection with political situations. Patronage, however, also operates at the level of mentalities and its expression is equally discovered in worldviews of different cultures. This condition may therefore be observed as well in textualized mental expressions like the Hebrew Bible. In cases exposing sectarianism in the biblical stories, we may assert that patron-client bonds are taken by ancient scribes as the key mode for illustrating domination, subordination and in general an ontological order, transcending socio-politics and impacting also on what we would analytically deem a socio-religious imagination and its ulterior conceptual derivations. This paper seeks to relate clues and examples of patronage and sectarianism in the Hebrew Bible while focussing on their socio-cultural background. These expressions, in the history of the production of the biblical texts, would end up manifesting a particular cultural hegemony of a biblical ontology articulated by patronage dynamics in the southern Levant since the Persian period, but especially in connection with the Hasmonean rise to power, centred in Jerusalem.

The apple of God's eye: a biblical account of holiness

Abstract In this article, an exercise in Jewish philosophy, I propose a taxonomy that can account for and organize all of the many species of holiness that we find in the Hebrew Bible. Each species admits of precise definition. Moreover, the genus as a whole can be unified by a guiding metaphor, suggested by the Bible itself. Holiness, according to this metaphor, is bestowed by a certain type of gaze, and ultimately by occupying the centre of the field of God's attention.

Shaking Up the People

Abstract This article makes the case that Hos 14:2–3 is the earliest positive call to return (שׁוב) to YHWH in the Hebrew Bible and asks why it is precisely here that repentance is spoken of no longer negatively in reproach but positively in exhortation. First, it argues for a pre-exilic dating of Hos 14:2–5 by referring to Jer 2:35; 3:22; 4:8; 23:20, and 30:24. These passages in Jeremiah quote or allude to Hos 14:5, which speaks of the divine wrath being turned away from Israel. Second, the study argues that it was in the reflection on the fall of the Northern Kingdom that the words of Hosea were collected and expanded upon. In doing so, the scribes sought to make the downfall of the Northern Kingdom understandable as YHWH’s responsibility and to shake up the people: for the divine wrath to disappear, Israel must now return to YHWH.

Semantic properties of prepositions

Abstract In Biblical Hebrew, both min ‘from’ and be ‘in’ are used to mark causing arguments (Agents, Instruments, Reasons, …). Reference works list the thematic roles each preposition can mark, but do not address the differences between the two. We argue that the contrast is one of ‘dominance’: min-causers are more dominant than be-causers. They can fully determine the effect, whereas the effect of a be-causer can be altered or prevented. This distinction derives from the spatial meanings of these prepositions based on an abstract spatial representation of the causal domain. The object of min is a Source or Origin, which is interpreted as being the instigator of a causal chain, and thus having dominance over that chain from instigation to effect. By contrast, the Locative preposition be describes a location close to a Ground, which is interpreted as being able to cause an effect, but not necessarily in a dominant way.

Ancient Travellers, Intercultural Contact, and the Fear of Gods

Although the fear of Yhwh has been presented as an intrinsic feature of the ancient Israelite religion, the fear of God(s) is not limited to the people of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, and similar ideas of fearing deities occur in various texts produced by neighbouring cultures in the ancient eastern Mediterranean. This article investigates the prosocial role of this virtue in situations of human mobility and intercultural contact in the light of the Hebrew Bible and the Odyssey. First, I analyse those Hebrew Bible texts in which the fear of God(s) characterizes or is presented as being intelligible to non-Israelite people in situations involving movement and cultural encounter (Gen 20:11; 42:18; Exod 1:17, 21; Deut 25:18; Jon 1:9). Second, I explore the fear motif in other texts from the ancient eastern Mediterranean region and argue that biblical scholars have overlooked illuminating intertexts found in ancient Greek literature. I especially highlight the interpretative importance of the Odyssey, which frequently stresses the prosocial role of the virtue of fearing deities in the context of travel and contact with outsiders. In so doing, the Odyssey helps us see how the Hebrew Bible texts portraying the fear of God(s) as a universalistic virtue are rooted in and belong to a broader ancient Mediterranean milieu.

Patronage in Ancient Palestine and in the Hebrew Bible: A Reader ed. by Emanuel Pfoh (review)

Patronage in Ancient Palestine and in the Hebrew Bible: A Reader ed. by Emanuel Pfoh (review)

Understanding the Synoptic Transfiguration Pericope as a Yahwistic Divine Council Scene

Abstract: Scholars have attempted to identify traditions that could possibly stand behind the Synoptic transfiguration pericope. However, they have not come to a consensus about this issue; consequently, there is significant disagreement about what tradition(s) may have influenced the pericope. In this article, I argue that the Yahwistic divine council motif in the Hebrew Bible should be considered as a likely source that almost certainly influenced the Synoptic transfiguration pericope in terms of its elements and structure. The benefit of this novel approach is that it coherently accounts for several crucial elements that appear in the pericope.

From Mere Precious Metal to Divine Weapon: The Despoliation Motif and the Fate of the Temple Vessels

Abstract: This study examines the transformation of the motif of the despoliation of the temple vessels in the Hebrew Bible. Opening with a comparison between 2 Kgs 24:13 and 2 Kgs 25:13–17, I proceed to analyze the representation of the fate of the vessels in the books of Chronicles, Jeremiah, Ezra, and Daniel. As suggested by Peter R. Ackroyd, the cultic vessels emerged as a “continuity theme” in the exilic and postexilic literature. In this article, I explore how this literary phenomenon triggered changes in the perception and depiction of the despoliation(s) of the temple vessels at the hands of the Babylonians. These changes paved the way for what was initially portrayed as mere precious metal to become a token of continuity, and, in a surprising twist, God’s “secret weapon” in the land of Judah’s exile.

Viewing the Evil Eye in the Scripture: Reclaiming the Magical Thinking in Modern Times

Abstract The eye is a complex anthropological term in the Old Testament theology. The eye represents insight, mindfulness, but also it is an entrance for malefic influences. This article will scrutinize the magical function of the eye in the Hebrew Bible, as well as the connection of the eye with evil. The Hebrew terms of the Masoretic Text will be compared to the Greek translation of the Septuagint and the Hellenistic mindset in order to perceive similarities and differences between both cultures.

Authorship and the Hebrew Bible ed. by Sonja Ammann, Katharina Pyschny and Julia Rhyder (review)

Authorship and the Hebrew Bible ed. by Sonja Ammann, Katharina Pyschny and Julia Rhyder (review)

The Challenges Involved in Teaching Biblical Hebrew to Students With Dyslexia: Some Observations

ABSTRACTStudying Biblical Hebrew is increasingly considered a viable option for students with dyslexia. This presents particular challenges not just for the students but also for their teachers, because the pedagogical methods for teaching ancient languages have traditionally depended on strategies that create difficulties for dyslexic students. This paper outlines the particular challenges of Biblical Hebrew for teachers of students with dyslexia and makes some proposals for addressing those challenges. Responding to dyslexia research, this paper considers the effects of phonological, morphological, and other deficits; outlines teaching and assessment strategies; and argues that learning Biblical Hebrew can be a transformative experience for students with specific learning difficulties.

Sacrifice in Judaism and its Challenges to Christian Religious Worship in Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis

This comparative analysis explores the concept of sacrifice in Judaism and its challenges to Christian religious worship in Nigeria. Sacrifice holds significance in both faith traditions, influencing worship practices in diverse ways. The study focuses on theological implications, historical contexts, and contemporary relevance of sacrificial practices in Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism, sacrifice historically played a central role in religious worship, with rituals of animal offerings serving as means of atonement, thanksgiving, and communion with God. The Hebrew Bible outlines detailed instructions for sacrificial practices, emphasizing purity, obedience, and spiritual intent. However, with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the practice of animal sacrifice ceased, leading to new interpretations of sacrifice within Jewish theology. In Nigeria, Christianity has become dominant, coexisting with traditional religious practices involving sacrificial offerings to deities and spirits. The introduction of Christianity in Nigeria has presented challenges to traditional sacrificial practices, resulting in theological debates, cultural conflicts, and shifts in religious identity among Nigerian Christians. The tension between traditional sacrificial rituals and Christian teachings on sacrifice has influenced religious worship practices in Nigeria, showcasing the complexities of religious syncretism and cultural adaptation. This analysis examines the challenges that the concept of sacrifice poses to Christian religious worship in Nigeria, exploring how the legacy of sacrificial practices in Judaism influences Christian perspectives on sacrifice, redemption, and divine worship. By comparing sacrificial traditions in Judaism and Christianity, this study aims to deepen understanding of how religious beliefs, cultural traditions, and theological perspectives interact and evolve in diverse religious contexts. Keywords: Sacrifice, Judaism, Christianity, Religious Worship, Nigeria, Comparative Analysis, Theology, Rituals, Syncretism, Cultural Adaptation

The Hebrew Bible and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract The complex relations between Hebrew Bible interpretation and the discipline of the Philosophy of Religion were last discussed in detail a decade ago (Gericke 2012). In the years that followed, the associated literature was seen as samples of a recent return to philosophy of religion as auxiliary discourse, albeit one that had yet to obtain a clear research profile (Schmid 2019). Shortly thereafter, evidence of a variety of philosophical approaches to the HB/OT as a distinct emergent current was provided (Keefer 2022). The original contribution of this article and its objective is to supplement and compliment the related research by way of an update on the relations between the Bible and Philosophy with special attention to Philosophy of Religion.

Diffusionism and the Hebrew Bible

The Diffusionist model has been used to explain cultural similarities in many fields of the humanities including anthropology, archaeology and ancient history. Diffusionism has often formed the presuppositions of those who have attempted to explain the similarities between certain elements of the Hebrew Bible and texts from other cultures of the Ancient Near East. This paper questions the appropriateness of Diffusionism as an explanation for common features found in ancient Israel and the Near East. Four particular cases of similarity are examined to test the merits of Diffusionism: accounts of the Flood, laws concerning the ‘goring ox’, biblical covenants and Near Eastern treaties, and creation accounts.

Hosea 2. Introduction, translation from Biblical Hebrew and commentary by L. E. Kogan, V. R. Gordon and M. M. Yurovitskaya

Hosea 2. Introduction, translation from Biblical Hebrew and commentary by L. E. Kogan, V. R. Gordon and M. M. Yurovitskaya

Returning the King and the Women to the Beginning of the Song of Songs

Abstract The male lover portrayed in Song 1:2–4 was once ubiquitously considered to be a king. Recent interpreters, however, have understood the word “king” to be either a hypocorism (a nickname of affection) or an epithet for a “bridegroom.” Earlier interpretation also recognized a group of women in the opening scene, but this too is disappearing today. To address these exclusions, I present a close analysis of the grammar and offer an alternative perspective to what is identified as enallage (a substitution of one grammatical form for another) but which also inadvertently suppresses the women’s presence. Next, I investigate how the Song’s “king” became denuded of his royal meaning, including through a reliance on some dubious interpretations of Akkadian poetry. I also explore literary themes in the Hebrew Bible—women’s celebratory praise and a hitherto undiscovered case of subtle soundplay called “hidden paronomasia”—to show why the Song’s “king” should be understood as a royal personage. Finally, by comparing this scene in the Song to the Sumerian love poem Dumuzi-Inanna G, I show how the Song opens with a prominent ancient Near Eastern motif of love literature—the entrance or bringing of the royal consort into the palace, lauded by a group of rejoicing women.

Identification of the network structure of the Hebrew Bible texts based upon the notion of the otherworld and the afterlife

In this paper, we apply the methods of graph theory to reveal hidden relations within the corpus of the Hebrew Bible texts. The structure of relations between different texts was studied based upon their interpretation of the otherworld and the afterlife. We have identified 43 most relevant texts that contained concepts related to the notion of the otherworld and constructed a graph representing the relations between the considered texts. The obtained graph was decomposed into 3 densely connected subgraphs using the Louvain method. An initial interpretation has been given to the results of the decomposition. Furthermore, we used different ranking methods to determine the most important texts forming the network structure of the intertextual connections. It turned out that there is an invariant set of texts that can be interpreted as having the larger influence or importance on the development of the idea of the otherworld. These texts are Proto-Isaiah, Qoheleth, Job, Psalms, and Proverbs as well as 1 Samuel, Ezekiel, and Book of Genesis. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the notions, associated with these texts, reveals that there are several concepts that are likely to be associated with the most influential texts.

Pursuing Partners: Traveling for Marital Partners in the Hebrew Bible

Pursuing marital partners far from home can be a complicated endeavor, and the motives to travel for a companion can be a combination of pushes from one’s locality and pulls toward something new. In the Hebrew Bible, several narratives concern pursuing a partner far from home, but the motives of the person traveling have not seen much scholarly attention. In this contribution, the entangled motives are traced in three select narratives (Judg 14; Gen 24; Tob) that each represents a specific category of pursuing a partner. Samson pursues a known partner, Isaac and his family pursue an unknown partner, and Tobias unknowingly pursues a partner. These three narrative categories are explored utilizing the framework of actor-network theory to tease out the entangled human and non-human actants that affect the motives and the pursuit itself. This contribution reveals that motives are always entangled in more extensive networks, agency is distributed among various actants, and no pursuit of a companion in the Hebrew Bible is exactly like another.

A Public Theological Reflection on Biblical Antecedents of Protocols for Managing Pandemics

Abstract This article is a public theological discourse, arguing that the protocols, such as handwashing, social distancing, and face-covering, used to halt the spread of COVID-19, have biblical antecedents. Some observers contend that church leaders failed to inspire biblical hope, faith and courage when they focused on promoting the preventive protocols. It can be argued that promoting these protocols was a means of promoting biblical hope, faith, and courage in the face of the pandemic. In the Hebrew Bible, priests were commanded to wash their hands and feet before going into the tent of meeting. Isolation or quarantine was imposed on anyone with a suspected skin disease until examinations confirmed the disease or otherwise. Though these protocols were mostly for religious ceremonial and ritualistic purposes, they might have helped to halt the spread of infectious diseases. The article thus provides an exegesis of Exodus 30:17–21 and Leviticus 13:1–8, 45–46.

Derrida Escaping the Deserts of Moral Law

This paper gives an account of the most significant elements of Derrida’s ethical thought, drawing on the desert of the Hebrew Bible, which Derrida associates with a moral law that is ethically troubling. Partly with reference to Kierkegaard’s account of the story of Abraham and Isaac, Derrida examines how ethical law can become subordinate to the sovereignty of the power apparently at the source of ethics which may then destroy moral law. The political equivalent of this is the decision proposed by Carl Schmitt, drawing on Kierkegaard. Derrida’s famous statement that “deconstruction is justice” is the recognition that justice, and ethics in general, is caught between the formality of law and the violence of the sovereign power. One outcome of this is sacrifice as substitution, where ethics becomes recompense for violation through sacrifice. Sacrifice is the offering of a substitute. The substitution becomes repeated and itself is then the source of violence contravening some sense of ethics. Derrida’s attempts to escape from these deserts include a poetics which recognises the subjective and the aesthetic in the interpretation of law. It also includes the development of a form of sacrifice which is the individual responding to violation in an individualised way which cannot be substituted.