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INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF BIBLICAL STUDIES VOLUME 53
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INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF BIBLICAL STUDIES VOLUME 53
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FOUNDED BY FRIDOLIN STIER EDITED BY BERNHARD LANG WITH SUPPORT OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF PADERBORN, GERMANY
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INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF BIBLICAL STUDIES Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete Revue Internationale des Études Bibliques
edited by
BERNHARD LANG
VOLUME 53, 2006–2007
LEIDEN • BOSTON 2008
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This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data LC Control number 54022523
ISSN 0074–9745 ISBN 978 90 04 16551 9
© 2008 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change.
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
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EDITORIAL STAFF Bernhard Lang (BL) Damian Lazarek (DL) Esther Brünenberg (EB) Dennis Lewandowski (Lew)
CONTRIBUTORS Christoph Buysch, Aachen (CB) Bernd Feininger, Gengenbach (BF) Michael Hartmann, Tübingen (MH) Paul Albertus Kruger, Stellenbosch/South Africa (PAK) André Lemaire, Paris/France (AL)
Thomas Naef, Lausanne/Switzerland (TN) Manuel Rahmann, Paderborn (MR) Wolfgang Schenk, Saarbrücken (WSch) Hans-Christoph Schmitt, Erlangen (HCS) Stefan Szymik, Lublin/Poland (SS) Michael Wohlers, Hannover (MW)
Address of the editorial office International Review of Biblical Studies Universität Paderborn Faculty of Arts and Humanities, N3/IZBG Warburger Str. 100 D-33098 Paderborn, Germany
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CORRECTION
IRBS 48:1522 is incomplete as it lacks, by mistake, the author and the title of the book in which the article is included. The missing information is: John Fenton, More about Mark; SPCK, London (2001) 97–113. The article is also summarised in IZBG 37:1928.
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ABBREVIATIONS ABG ABR ACra Aevum AGJU AJA AJBA AJBI Altertum ANES Ang. Anton. AOAT ASEs ATh AThR AtK AUSS BaptQ BAR BASOR
Arbeiten zur Bibel und ihrer Geschichte, Leipzig/Germany Australian Biblical Review, Melbourne/Australia Analecta Cracoviensia, Cracow/Poland Aevum, Milan/Italy Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des Urchristentums, Leiden/The Netherlands American Journal of Archaeology, Boston, Massachusetts/USA The Australian Journal of Biblical Archaeology, Sydney/Australia Annual of the Japanese Biblical Institute, Tokyo/Japan Altertum, Berlin/Germany Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Leuven/Belgium Angelicum, Rome/Italy Antonianum, Rome/Italy Alter Orient und Altes Testament, Münster/Germany Annali di storia dell’esegesi, Bologna/Italy Acta Theologica, Bloemfontein/South Africa Anglican Theological Review, Evanston, Illinois/USA Ateneum Kaplanskie, Wroc∑awek/Poland Andrews University Seminary Studies, Berrien Springs, Michigan/USA
BZ BZAW BZNW
The Baptist Quarterly, London/UK Biblical Archaeology Review, Washington D.C./USA Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Baltimore, Maryland/USA Bonner Biblische Beiträge, Berlin/Germany Bulletin for Biblical Research, Winona Lake, Indiana/USA Bulletin du Centre Protestant d’Études, Geneva/Switzerland Beiträge zur Erforschung des Alten Testaments und des antiken Judentums, Bern/Switzerland Beit Mikra, Jerusalem/Israel Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium, Leuven/Belgium Biblical Interpretation, Leiden/The Netherlands Biblica, Rome/Italy Bijdragen. Tijdschrift voor filosofie en theologie, Amsterdam/The Netherlands Bibel und Kirche, Stuttgart/Germany Bibel und Liturgie, Klosterneuburg/Austria The Bible Translator, Reading/UK Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, Manchester/ UK Biblische Notizen, Salzburg/Austria Bobolanum, Warsaw/Poland Biblical Research, Chicago, Illinois/USA Bibliotheca Sacra, Dallas, Texas/USA Biblical Theology Bulletin, South Orange, New Jersey/USA Biblisch-Theologische Studien, Neukirchen-Vluyn/Germany Berliner Theologische Zeitschrift, Berlin/Germany Beiträge zur Wissenschaft vom Alten und Neuen Testament, Stuttgart – Berlin – Cologne – Mainz/Germany Biblische Zeitschrift, Paderborn/Germany Beihefte zur ZAW, Berlin/Germany – New York/USA Beihefte zur ZNW, Berlin/Germany – New York/USA
CBQ CBQ.MS
The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Washington, D.C./USA The Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series, Washington, D.C./USA
BBB BBR BCPE BEAT Beit Mikra BEThL BI Bib. Bijdr. BiKi BiLi BiTr BJRL BN Bobolanum BR BS BTB BThSt BThZ BWANT
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CBR CDios Coll. Com(P) CoTh CRAI CrSt CThMi CTJ CV CzST DBAT
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Currents in Biblical Research, London/UK La Ciudad de Dios, Madrid/Spain Collationes. Vlaams Tijdschrift voor Theologie en Pastoraal, Gent/ Belgium Communio, Pozna…/Poland Collectanea Theologica, Warsaw/Poland Comptes Rendus des séances de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, Paris/France Cristianesimo nella Storia, Bologna/Italy Currents in Theology and Mission, Chicago, Illinois/USA Calvin Theological Journal, Grand Rapids, Michigan/USA Communio Viatorum, Prague/Czech Republic Czestochowskie Studia Teologiczne, Cz\stochowa/Poland
DBM DJD DSD
Dielheimer Blätter zur Archäologie und Textüberlieferung der Antike und Spätantike, Heidelberg/Germany Deltio Biblikon Meleton, Athens/Greece Discoveries in the Judaean Desert, Oxford/UK Dead Sea Discoveries, Leiden/The Netherlands
Encounter Ephem. ErIs EstE ET EThL ETR EuA Evangel EvTh ExAu
Encounter, Indianapolis, Indiana/USA Ephêmérios, Athens/Greece Eretz-Israel, Jerusalem/Israel Estudios Eclesiásticos, Madrid/Spain The Expository Times, Edinburgh/UK Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses, Leuven/Belgium Études Théologiques et Religieuses, Montpellier/France Erbe und Auftrag, Benediktinische Monatszeitschrift, Beuron/Germany Evangel, Edinburgh/UK Evangelische Theologie, Gütersloh/Germany Ex Auditu, Allison Park, Pennsylvania/USA
FAT FNT FRLANT
Forschungen zum Alten Testament, Tübingen/Germany Filologia Neotestamentaria, Córdoba/Spain Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments, Göttingen/Germany Fundamentum Fundamentum, Riehen/Switzerland fzb Forschung zur Bibel, Würzburg/Germany GlLern Glaube und Lernen, Göttingen/Germany Gr. Gregorianum, Rome/Italy GregPa Gregorios ho Palamas, Thessaloniki/Greece HBS HBT HebStud Hen. Hermenêutica HlD Hokhma HThR HTS HUCA
Herders Biblische Studien, Freiburg/Germany Horizons in Biblical Theology, Leiden/The Netherlands Hebrew Studies, Madison, Wisconsin/USA Henoch, Turin/Italy Hermenêutica, Cachoeira – Bahia/Brasil Heiliger Dienst, Salzburg/Austria Hokhma, Caudry/France Harvard Theological Review, Cambridge, Massachusetts/USA Hervormde Teologiese Studies, Pretoria/South Africa Hebrew Union College Annual, Cincinnati, Ohio/USA
IBSt Ichthys IDS IEJ IKaZ IKZ
Irish Biblical Studies, Belfast/UK Ichthys, Århus/Denmark In die Skriflig, Potchefstroom/South Africa Israel Exploration Journal, Jerusalem/Israel Internationale katholische Zeitschrift “Communio”, Cologne/Germany Internationale Kirchliche Zeitschrift, Bern/Switzerland
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Interp. IThQ
Interpretation, Richmond, Virginia/USA Irish Theological Quarterly, Maynooth/Ireland
JAAS JANER JANES JbDEI
Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, Silang, Cavite/Philippines Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Leiden/The Netherlands Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society, NewYork/USA Jahrbuch des Deutschen Evangelischen Instituts für Altertumswissenschaft des Heiligen Landes, Hannover/Germany Journal of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, Georgia/USA Jewish Bible Quarterly, Jerusalem/Israel Jahrbuch für Biblische Theologie, Neukirchen-Vluyn/Germany Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Atlanta, Georgia/USA Judaism, New York/USA Journal of Early Christian Studies, Baltimore, Maryland/USA Jahrbuch für evangelikale Theologie, Wuppertal/Germany Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, San Diego, California/ USA Journal of Field Archaeology, Boston, Massachusetts/USA Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism, Sheffield/UK Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Chicago, Illinois/USA Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages, Leiden/The Netherlands Journal of the Oriental Society of Australia, Sydney/Australia The Jewish Quarterly Review, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/USA Journal of Religious & Theological Information, Binghamton, New York/USA Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, London/UK Journal for the Study of Judaism, Leiden/The Netherlands Journal for the Study of the New Testament, London/UK JSNT Supplement Series, London/UK Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, London/UK JSOT Supplement Series, London/UK Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha, London/UK JSPE Supplement Series, London/UK Jewish Studies Quarterly, Tübingen/Germany Journal of Semitic Studies, Manchester/UK Jerusalemer Theologisches Forum, Münster/Germany Journal of Theological Studies, Oxford/UK
JBL JBQ JBTh JCS Jdm JECS JETh JETS JFA JGRChJ JNES JNWSL JOSA JQR JRTI JSHJ JSJ JSNT JSNT.S JSOT JSOT.S JSP JSP.S JSQ JSSt JThF JThS KaKe KuD KUSATU
Katorikku Kenkyu. Catholic Studies, Tokyo/Japan Kerygma und Dogma, Göttingen/Germany Kleine Untersuchungen zur Sprache des Alten Testaments und seiner Umwelt, Waltrop/Germany
LASBF Liber annuus. Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, Jerusalem/Israel lectio difficilior lectio difficilior. European Electronic Journal for Feminist Exegesis; www.lectio.unibe.ch; Bern/Switzerland LeDiv Lectio Divina, Paris/France Leqach Leqach. Mitteilungen und Beiträge; Forschungsstelle Judentum, Theol. Fakultät, Leipzig/Germany LHBOTS Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies, London/UK LNTS Library of New Testament Studies, London/UK LouvSt Louvain Studies, Louvain/Belgium LSTS Library of Second Temple Studies, London/UK LTP Laval Théologique et Philosophique, Québec/Canada LV(L) Lumière & Vie, Lyon/France Maarav MDOG
Maarav. A Journal for the Study of the Northwest Semitic Languages and Literatures, Rolling Hills Estate, Cal./USA Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft, Berlin/Germany
ix
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MSR MThZ
Mélanges de Science Religieuse, Lille/France Münchener Theologische Zeitschrift, St. Ottilien/Germany
NEAr
NRT NT NTM NTOA NTS NT.S
Near Eastern Archaeology (formerly “Biblical Archaeologist”), Atlanta, Georgia/USA Neotestamentica, Pretoria/South Africa Nederduitse Gereformeerde Teologiese Tydskrif, Cape Town/South Africa Nouvelle Revue Théologique, Tournai/Belgium Novum Testamentum, Leiden/The Netherlands New Testament Monographs, Sheffield/UK Novum Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus, Freiburg/Switzerland New Testament Studies, Cambridge/UK Supplements to Novum Testamentum, Leiden/The Netherlands
OBO Or. Orient OTE OTS
Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis, Freiburg/Switzerland Orientalia, Rome/Italy Orient, Tokyo/Japan Old Testament Essays, Pretoria/South Africa Oudtestamentische Studiën, Leiden/The Netherlands
Neotest. NGTT
PEQ Palestine Exploration Quarterly, London/UK PJBR The Polish Journal of Biblical Research, Cracow/Poland PosLuth Positions Luthériennes, Paris/France PozST Pozna…skie Studia Teologiczne, Pozna…/Poland Proceedings EGL Proceedings: Eastern Great Lakes and Midwest Biblical Societies, & MWBS Buffalo – New York/USA Prooftexts Prooftexts: A Journal of Jewish Literary History, Baltimore, Maryland/USA Protest. Protestantesimo, Rome/Italy PRSt Perspectives in Religious Studies, Richmond, Virginia/USA PSB The Princeton Seminary Bulletin, Princeton, New Jersey/USA PSV Parola Spirito e Vita, Bologna/Italy PzB Protokolle zur Bibel, Salzburg – Klosterneuburg/Austria Qad. QD Qsel QC
Qadmoniot, Jerusalem/Israel Quaestiones Disputatae, Freiburg/Germany, Basel/Switzerland, Vienna/Austria Quaestiones selectae. Zeszyty Naukowe, Wroclaw/Poland The Qumran Chronicle, Cracow/Poland
RB RBB RBL RdQ REB RevAg RevBL RHPhR RHR RicStBib RSPhTh RSR RStB RStR RTeol RThom RThPh
Revue Biblique, Paris/France Revista Biblica Brasileira, Fortaleza/Brasil Ruch Biblijny i Liturgiczny, Cracow/Poland Revue de Qumrân, Paris/France Revista Eclesiástica Brasileira, Fortaleza/Brasil Revista Agustiniana, Madrid/Spain Review of Biblical Literature, Atlanta/USA Revue d`Histoire et de Philosophie Religieuses, Paris/France Revue de l`Histoire des Religions, Paris/France Ricerche Storico Bibliche, Bologna/Italy Revue des Sciences Philosophiques et Théologiques, Paris/France Recherches de Science Religieuse, Paris/France Ricerche Storico-Bibliche, Bologna/Italy Religious Studies Review, Valparaiso, Indiana/USA Roczniki Teologiczne, Lublin/Poland Revue Thomiste, Toulouse/France Revue de Théologie et de Philosophie, Lausanne/Switzerland
x
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RTL RTR
Revue Théologique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve/Belgium Reformed Theological Review, Doncaster/Australia
Sal. Salm. SBAB SBB SBET SBL SBL.DS SBL.MS SBL.SPS SBob SBS ScC ScEs Schrift ScrB ScripSc Scriptura SCS SEÅ Sef. Sem. Semeia SFra SGn SJOT
Salesianum, Rome/Italy Salmanticensis, Salamanca/Spain Stuttgarter Biblische Aufsatzbände, Stuttgart/Germany Stuttgarter Biblische Beiträge, Stuttgart/Germany Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology, Edinburgh/UK Society of Biblical Literature SBL Dissertation Series, Atlanta, Georgia/USA SBL Monograph Series, Atlanta, Georgia/USA SBL Seminar Paper Series, Atlanta, Georgia/USA Studia Bobolana, Warsaw/Poland Stuttgarter Bibelstudien, Stuttgart/Germany La Scuola Cattolica, Milan/Italy Science et Ésprit, Ottawa/Canada Schrift, Baarn/The Netherlands Scripture Bulletin, Birmingham/UK Scriptura Sacra, Opole/Poland Scriptura, Stellenbosch/South Africa Sino-Christian Studies, Taiwan/Taiwan Svensk Exegetisk Årsbok, Uppsala/Sweden Sefarad, Madrid/Spain Semitica, Paris/France Semeia, Atlanta, Georgia/USA Studia Franciszkanskie, Pozna…/Poland Studia Gnieznienskie, Gniezno/Poland Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, Oslo/Norway – Stockholm/ Sweden – Copenhagen/Denmark Scottish Journal of Theology, Edinburgh/UK Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series, Cambridge/UK Studien zum Neuen Testament und seiner Umwelt, Linz – Freistadt/Austria Studia Plockie, P∑ock/Poland Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses, Waterloo/Canada Slaskie Studia Historyczno-Teologiczne, Katowice/Poland Studia Theologica, Oslo/Norway Studia Teologiczne, Bia∑ystok/Poland Studia Gda…skie, Gda…sk/Poland Studien zur Umwelt des Neuen Testaments, Göttingen/Germany Studia Theologica Varsaviensia, Warsaw/Poland Southwestern Journal of Theology, Fort Worth, Texas/USA
SJTh SNTS.MS SNTU Sploc SR SSHT ST STeol StGda StUNT STV SWJT TAik TarST TBe Tel Aviv ThD Theol. Theol(A) Theologika ThQ ThR ThRev ThZ TrinJ TS TSAJ
Teologinen Aikakauskirja, Helsinki/Finland Tarnowskie Studia Teologiczne, Tarnów/Poland Theologische Beiträge, Haan/Germany Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv/Israel Theology Digest, St. Louis, Missouri/USA Theology, London/UK Theologia, Athens/Greece Theologika. Revista Biblico-Teologica, Lima/Peru Theologische Quartalschrift, Munich/Germany Theologische Rundschau, Tübingen/Germany Theological Review, Beirut/Lebanon Theologische Zeitschrift, Basel/Switzerland Trinity Journal, Deerfield, Illinois/USA Theological Studies, Washington D.C./USA Texte und Studien zum Antiken Judentum/Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism, Tübingen/Germany
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TTh TThZ TTK TuK TynB
Tijdschrift voor Theologie, Nijmegen/The Netherlands Trierer Theologische Zeitschrift, Trier/Germany Tidsskrift for Teologi og Kirke, Oslo/Norway Texte und Kontexte, Berlin/Germany Tyndale Bulletin, London/UK
UF US
Ugarit-Forschungen, Münster/Germany Una Sancta, Meitingen/Germany
Verbum et Ecclesia Verbum et Ecclesia, Pretoria/South Africa VF Verkündigung und Forschung, Gütersloh/Germany VH Vivens Homo, Bologna/Italy VoxPa Vox Patrum, Antyk chrzescijanski, Lublin/Poland VoxScrip Vox Scripturae, Sao Paulo/Brasil VT Vetus Testamentum, Leiden/The Netherlands VT.S Supplements to Vetus Testamentum, Leiden/The Netherlands VV Verbum Vitae, Kielce/Poland WdO Wiez WMANT WO WrPT WST WThJ WUB WuD WUNT ZABR ZAC ZAH ZAW ZDMG ZDPV Zion ZKT ZNKUL ZNSBP ZNT ZNW ZPäTh ZThK
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Die Welt des Orients, Göttingen/Germany Wiez, Warsaw/Poland Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament, Neukirchen Vluyn/Germany Die Welt des Orients, Göttingen/Germany Wroclawski Przeglad Teologiczny, Wroclaw/Poland Warszwaskie Studia Teologiczne, Warsaw/Poland The Westminster Theological Journal, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/ USA Welt und Umwelt der Bibel, Stuttgart/Germany Wort und Dienst, Bielefeld/Germany Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, Tübingen/Germany Zeitschrift für Altorientalische und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte, Wiesbaden/Germany Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum, Berlin/Germany – New York/ USA Zeitschrift für Althebraistik, Stuttgart, Berlin, Cologne/Germany Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, Berlin/Germany – New York/USA Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, Wiesbaden/Germany Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins, Wiesbaden/Germany Zion, Jerusalem/Israel Zeitschrift für Katholische Theologie, Vienna/Austria Zeszyty Naukowe KUL, Lublin/Poland Zeszyty Naukowe Stowarzyszenia Biblistów Polskich, Warsaw/ Poland Zeitschrift für Neues Testament, Tübingen/Germany Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft, Berlin/Germany – New York/USA Zeitschrift für Pädagogik und Theologie, Frankfurt/Germany Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche, Tübingen/Germany
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TEXT – VERSIONS
Text of the OT – Masorah 1 Thomas Römer et al., Guide de la Bible hébraïque. La critique textuelle dans la Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia This brief introduction and guide explains the critical apparatus of the Biblia Hebraica, especially its many abbreviations. Also noted and translated are the Hebrew words and abbreviations of the massoretic apparatus. Very useful for the French student and specialist. Labor et Fides, Genève (2006) 1–78
2 Armin Lange et al., Pre-Maccabean Literature from the Qumran Library The following papers are included in this thematic issue of DSD: A. Lange, PreMaccabean literature from the Qumran library and the Hebrew Bible; E.M. Schuller, Prayers and Psalms from the pre-Maccabean period; Lester L. Grabbe, The Law, the Prophets, and the rest: the state of the Bible in pre-Maccabean times; E. Tov, The writing of early scrolls and the literary analysis of Hebrew Scripture; L.H. Schiffman, Pre-Maccabean halakhah in the Dead Sea scrolls and the biblical tradition. – It appears that 13 manuscripts of different biblical books are preserved from before 175 BCE (Exod, Lev, Deut, Sam, Jer, Ps, Job, Koh). Before Maccabean times, there is no evidence that the existence of different textual traditions was felt to be a problem. DSD 13/3 (2006) 271–361 (BL)
3 George J. Brooke, The Books of Chronicles and the Scrolls from Qumran One of the Dead Sea scrolls (4QSama) indicates that Chronicles preserves evidence for a Hebrew text of Samuel that is earlier than that of the Masoretic Text. Some sections of the books of Chronicles have been of influence in the Qumran library. VT.S 113; Robert Rezetko et al. (eds.), Reflection and Refraction; Brill, Leiden (2007) 35–48
4 Lea Himmelfarb, The Identity of the First Masoretes The proto-masoretes, i.e. the first custodians of the sacred text of the Hebrew scriptures, were the priests of the Jerusalem temple. Sef. 67/1 (2007) 37–50 (BL)
Greek (OT): general ★ manuscripts ★ studies 5 Alfred Rahlfs et al. (eds.), Septuaginta. Second Edition Rahlfs (1865–1935) published in 1935 the two-volume critical standard edition of the Septuagint. The present edition represents a revision, though a minimalist one, largely restricted to correcting and improving the readability of the critical apparatus. The revisions have been made by Robert Hanhart, a noted expert on the Septuagint; see R. Hanhart in VT 55, 2005, 450–460. This most welcome edition is designed to place the Greek text of the OT into the hands of all those who wish to work critically with
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the now proliferating vernacular translations of the Septuagint in English, French, and German. – Highly recommended as a basic tool for biblical research. Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft/Hendrickson/Alban Books, Stuttgart (2006) LXXII/1–1184; 1–941 (BL)
6 Heinz-Josef Fabry et al. (eds.), Im Brennpunkt: Die Septuaginta. Band 3 The following papers are included in this volume: H.-J. Fabry, Neue Aufmerksamkeit für die Septuaginta; S. Kreuzer, Die Septuaginta im Kontext alexandrinischer Kultur und Bildung; A. Schenker, Gibt es eine graeca veritas für die hebräische Bibel? (Hag); H. Engel, Erfahrungen mit der Septuaginta-Fassung des Jeremiabuches im Rahmen des Projekts “Septuaginta deutsch”; D. Böhler, “Treu und schön” oder nur “treu”? Sprachästhetik in den Esrabüchern; A. Cordes u.a., Übersetzungstechniken und Interpretationen im Septuagintapsalter; M. Rösel, Nomothesie; N. Fernández Marcos, Der Barberini-Text von Hab 3; E. Blum, Die Rede von Gott in den Psalmen LXX; H.-W. Jüngling, Der Mensch in Schöpfung und Zeit (Spr LXX); R. Egger-Wenzel, Vom Schlachtopfer zum Hebeopfer der Lippen (Sir); W. Kraus, Die Septuaginta als Brückenschlag zwischen Altem und Neuem Testament? (Dtn 32); J. Schnocks, Totenerweckung im Väterlob des Sirachbuches? – The thesis of A. Schenker, well argued, adds to the interest of this collection: the Masoretic text represents a revision of an earlier Hebrew text, and this earlier text can only be reconstructed with the help of the Septuagint. BWANT 174; Verlag W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart (2007) 1–336 (BL)
7 Melvin K.H. Peters (ed.), XII Congress of the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies. Leiden 2004 Seventeen papers are included in the published proceedings of the Leiden congress. The papers deal with the following subjects: L.J. Greenspoon, the Kaige recension (L.J. Greespoon), translation theory (Th. Van der Louw), the project of the new English translation of the LXX ( J. Cook, J. Schaper), the elusive Hebrew vowels in the Vorlage of LXX (S. Schorch), Greek Joshua (M. van der Meerr), Luke 1:42 (S. van den Eynde), 1 Sam 30:1 (A. Aejmelaeus), Greek Job (C.E. Cox), John Chrysostom and the LXX (M. Cimosa), lamnazeah in the Psalm headings (H. Ausloos), Allêlouia ( J. Smith), enclitic personal pronouns in the Psalter (R. Sollamo), Canticles (not eroticized in LXX, J.-M. Auwers), the Ebed-Yahweh songs (W. Dafni), the sequence of the prophetic books (M. Aussedat), the preposition “en” in Ezekiel (K. Hauspie). Septuagint and Cognate Studies 54; Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, Ga. (2006) X/1–323
8 Wolfgang Kraus et al. (eds.), Septuagint Research: Issues and Challenges in the Study of the Greek Jewish Scriptures Twenty-two papers on as many aspects of Septuagint research are included in this collective volume. Here is a list of the papers that deal with the LXX in general: W. Kraus and R.G. Wooden, Contemporary Septuagint Research; C. Boyd-Taylor, In a mirror, dimly – reading the Septuagint as a document of its times; A. Pietersma, Exegesis in the Septuagint: possibilities and limits (the Psalter as a case in point); B.G. Wright, Translation as Scripture: the Septuagint in Aristeas and Philo; W. Kraus, Contemporary translations of the Septuagint: problems and perspectives. The other papers deal with individual books of the LXX and the reception of the LXX in the New Testament. Septuagint and Cognate Studies 53; Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, Ga. (2006) XV/1–414 (BL)
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9 Sylwester Jédrzejewski, Septuaginta – Biblia helle…skiego judaizmu Mit der fortschreitenden Entfremdung der Beziehungen zu semitischen Sprachen und offensichtlicher Notwendigkeit der Integration innerhalb der hellenistischen Welt haben Juden eine Quelle gebraucht, die das Bewahren der eigenen Identität ermöglichte. Die LXX befriedigte diese Bedürfnisse auf eine Art und Weise, die das Bewusstsein der eigenen Integrität bewahrte und das Erkennen des eigenen Ethos ermöglichte. Etwas Neues sind darin die philosophische Interpretation der alttestamentlichen Traditionen und eine den hellenistischen Prinzipien entsprechend gefasste Anthropologie. Die besondere Offenheit der LXX, die ihren Ausdruck in der hermeneutischen Akzeptanz der gesellschaftlichen und religiösen – darunter auch messianischen – Tendenzen fand, war der Grund dafür, dass die LXX allgemein im Judaismus angenommen wurde, sowohl in der Diaspora, als auch in Palästina. Die spätere Ablehnung der LXX zeigt deutlich, dass die damaligen Schriftgelehrten sie nicht nur als eine Übersetzung betrachteten, sondern in ihr eine mögliche Entwicklung der biblischen Offenbarung erkannten, die sie nicht akzeptieren konnten. RBL 58/4 (2005) 245–262 (SS)
10 Carl W. Griffin, Digital Imaging: Looking Toward the Future of Manuscript Research While microfilm has been the standard medium for manuscript photography since the 1950s, digital imaging is beginning to revolutionize manuscript research by providing broader and lower-cost access to higher-quality manuscript images. New digital imaging technologies like ‘multi-spectral imaging’ are also capable of improving the legibility of damaged texts far beyond that achievable with conventional film. The potential of these new technologies for manuscript research may be seen with digital imaging projects focusing on such important texts as the Codex Sinaiticus and the Herculaneum papyri. For all its advantages, digital imaging poses further technological and archival challenges. CBR 5/1 (2006) 59–72 ✩
11 Ulrich Johannes Schneider, Codex Sinaiticus. Geschichte und Erschließung der “Sinai-Bibel” This illustrated brochure tells the story of one of the most important Greek manuscripts of the Bible. Translated and adapted from an English publication edited by the British Library, it provides basic information on the subject and announces a new international research project. Unfortunately, no information about recently found new pages from this codex is given. For more information, the reader is referred to the following website: www.codex-sinaiticus.net. – The publication is available from Universitätsbibliothek, Beethovenstr. 6, D-04106 Leipzig, Germany. Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig, Leipzig (2006) 1–48 (BL)
12 Larry W. Hurtado (ed.), The Freer Biblical Manuscripts: Fresh Studies of an American Treasure Trove The Freer Gallery of Art in Washington owns important Greek biblical manuscripts acquired by Charles Freer in Egypt in the early 1900s. Represented are the four gospels, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Psalms, the Minor Prophets (a papyrus codex), and the Pauline epistles. Ten papers offer insight into the codicology, palaeography, textual variants, and history of the manuscripts that date from the third, fourth, and fifth centuries CE. Text-Critical Studies 6; Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, Ga. (2006) X/1–308 (BL)
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13 Emanuel Tov, Biliteral Exegesis of Hebrew Roots in the Septuagint? Occasionally, the Septuagint translators disregarded one of the letters of a Hebrew word in order to extract the meaning from just two of the consonants. This is especially the case of weak verbal forms. VT.S 113; Robert Rezetko et al. (eds.), Reflection and Refraction; Brill, Leiden (2007) 459–482 (BL)
14 Evangelia G. Dafni, Genesis 1–11 und Platos Symposion. Überlegungen zum Austausch von hebräischem und griechischem Sprach- und Gedankengut in der Klassik und im Hellenismus The LXX translators wanted to proclaim the Old Testament belief to the Hellenistic world via the Greek language. At the same time they wanted to prevent that polytheistic concepts were introduced into the world of the Old Testament via the language. The LXX has thus adopted the refined forms of expression of Plato’s work, which represents the first and only completely handed-down philosophic work of the antique Greeks, and changed them as necessary. The Platonic linguistic forms in the LXX can be seen as a type of Old Testamental meta-language of great theological importance. This meta-language was created due to philosophic reflection about linguistic and mental constructs of the Old Testament. This paper discusses this metalanguage exploring the connections between the Speech of Aristophanes in Plato’s Symposion and Gen 1–11. OTE 19/2 (2006) 584–632
15 Johann Cook, Intertextual Readings in the Septuagint This paper demonstrates that the Greek translator of the book of Proverbs paid attention to immediate textual context, the book of Proverbs as a whole, and even outside sources such as the book of Isaiah. NT.S 124; Cilliers Breytenbach et al. (eds.), The New Testament Interpreted; Brill, Leiden (2006) 119–134 (BL)
16 Cécile Dogniez, Les noms de fêtes dans le Pentateuque grec Le présent article essaie de montrer comment, dans les différents calendriers festifs du Pentateuque grec qui traduisent assez fidèlement leur modèle hébreu, les traducteurs parviennent à dire en grec la fête juive, dans ses désignations tant générales que particulières. Alors qu’ils auraient pu parfois dire les choses autrement, les Septante ont su trouver dans la langue grecque des équivalents lexicaux adaptés à la réalité hébraïque, sans pour autant procéder à de véritables innovations lexicales. En outre, si quelques noms de fêtes grecs choisis par les traducteurs juifs d’Alexandrie n’ont eu aucune postérité, d’autres en revanche ont survécu. JSJ 37/3 (2006) 344–366
17 Andreas Vonach, Der Ausdruck mlkt h“mjm in Jer 7,18-MT und Jer 44,17.18.19.25-MT und die unterschiedlichen Übersetzungen in der LXX The Hebrew expression mlkt h“mjm is translated as stratia tou ouranou in Jer 7:18-LXX, but as basilissè tou ouranou in Jer 51(44-MT):17.18.19.25-LXX. In this essay it is argued, that the reason for these different translations is neither found in the hebrew Vorlage of Jer-LXX, nor in various greek translators of the book of Jeremiah. It more points to the translation-technique of the LXX-translators. The former word ( Jer 7) is spo-
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ken to the people living in Judah, whereas the latter ( Jer 51/44) addresses the Judaean people living in Egypt. This was a good opportunity for the translator to give his text also a current topic for his Alexandrian audience, which from time to time was quite prepared to take part at the feasts and the worshipping of the goddess Isis. This thesis, that Jer 51-LXX is a good testcase for the translation-technique of giving the text also a current value, can moreover be beard out by the fact that the actions of women are more emphasized in Jer 51-LXX than in Jer 44-MT. PzB 15/1 (2006) 61–73
18 Jan de Waard, Difference in Vorlage or Lexical Ignorance: a Dilemma in the Old Greek of Proverbs Anhand einiger Beispiele aus dem Buch der Sprüche demonstriert der Verf. das literarische Problem der ‘lexikalischen Ignoranz’, das in sprachlicher Unwissenheit eines Übersetzers bezüglich der Bedeutung eines (meistens) selten verwendeten Begriffes besteht. Mit diesem Phänomen lassen sich einige Abweichungen zwischen diversen antiken Textzeugen plausibler als mit der Annahme unterschiedlicher Vorlagen erklären. Die als Beispiele untersuchten Verse sind Spr 25,20; 6,3; 25,26 und 23,28. JSJ 38/1 (2007) 1–8 (DL)
19 Folkert Siegert, La Bible des premiers chrétiens The Bible that the early Christians had at their disposal was the Jewish Bible (later on referred to as the “Old Testament”), as translated into Greek by translators that all were Jewish. This latter Bible, later on called the “Septuagint”, was abandoned by the Rabbis and only transmitted by Christians, thus becoming the Christian Bible, before there was a “New” Testament. ASEs 22/2 (2005) 409–419
Greek (NT) 20 Kurt Aland (ed.), Synopsis of the Four Gospels. Greek-English Edition. Twelfth Edition This well-known bilingual synopsis of the four gospels is remarkable for its extensive text-critical apparatus. More variant readings are listed here than in the standard editions of the Greek New Testament. The English (Revised Standard Version, text of 1971) is given on the page facing the Greek text, and also has a critical apparatus, this time not listing ancient manuscript authorities but various English bibles such as the King James Version and the American Standard Version (1901). For the present edition, variant readings from papyri 90–111 have also been listed (mainly fragments from Matthew and John; the relevant papyri are mainly kept in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford). The user should be warned to use the present edition, and not very early ones, because the text-critical apparatus of the early editions of this synopsis is not reliable. – Aland, the original editor, died in 1994. German Bible Society/Hendrickson/Alban Books, Stuttgart (2001) XXX/1–361 (BL)
21 Larry W. Hurtado, The Earliest Christian Artifacts: Manuscripts and Christian Origins Most early-Christian manuscripts, unlike contemporary pagan ones, are codices, and Hurtado suggests (tentatively) that it may well be that Christians developed their own, characteristic form of book. Hurtado also comments extensively on the use of abbreviated “nomina sacra” (such as KS for kyrios = Lord) and the staurogram (chi-rho or taurho, superimposed) as other distinctive features of early-Christian books. The tau-rho
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staurogram, first attested ca. 200 CE, may be the first quasi-pictorial reference to the crucifixion of Christ. W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich. (2006) XIV/1–248 (BL)
22 J. David Miller, The Long and Short of lectio brevior potior The slogan that favours the shorter over the longer text (of NT passages) as the more original one is fundamentally flawed. BiTr 57/1 (2006) 11–16 (BL)
23 Andrew J. Brown, The Gospel Commentary of Theophylact, and a Neglected Manuscript in Oxford A notable manuscript of Theophylact’s commentary on the Gospels, formerly owned by William Grocyn and Thomas Linacre, has belonged to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, for 470 years. The same volume also contains two leaves from a Gospel lectionary. Long overlooked by textual critics, this codex has at last attained its place as Greek New Testament minuscule 2879 and lectionary 2436. In editing the Greek New Testament text from 1514 onwards, Erasmus made considerable use of Theophylact manuscripts at Basle, whereby the work of Theophylact became a major ingredient in the formation of the Textus Receptus. There remains a need for a reliable critical edition of Theophylact’s commentaries. NT 49/2 (2007) 185–196
24 Barbara Aland, Welche Rolle spielen Textkritik und Textgeschichte für das Verständnis des Neuen Testaments? Frühe Leserperspektiven Current methodological discussion within the field of New Testament studies focuses today on the influence of the work and its history, and is often motivated by newer findings in linguistics and literary criticism. Such inquiry is broadened through its correlation to reception theory, i.e. that inquiry that focuses on how readers understood the work during the course of its transmission or reception. By contrast to the above, textual criticism is that science that tries to discover the ‘original text’ as exactly as possible. Here the author poses the question, to what extent do the ‘witnesses’ (e.g. manuscripts, versions, quotations, etc.) of textual criticism also function as interpreters and ‘receivers’ of the text. In all three of the topics handled here she is aware of an interaction between text and reader. NTS 52/3 (2006) 303–318
Aramaic – Syriac – Arabic – Coptic – Armenian – Latin 25 David-Christopher Böhme et al., Hoseas Botschaft als Prophetie. Targum Jonathan zu Hosea 1–3 The comparison of Hos 1–3 MT and TgJ results in the following: TgJ specifies Hosea’s mission as “prophecy”. TgJ refrains from speaking of Hosea’s marriage and refers to the idolatry of the people of God instead. Here, TgJ perceives everything as “idolatry” which is not worship of God. Even the mentioning of God as “my husband” (2,18MT) is replaced in TgJ by remarking that Israel will one day be zealous for the worship of the Lord. The mentioning of “God’s engagement” is avoided as well and replaced by the phrase “I will hold you in front of me” (2,21). Central theological themes in TgJ are: God’s shekinah (2,5.25); memra (1,7 etc.); law (1,9); worship (2,4 etc.); prayer (2,4.23); messiah (3,5); repentance (1,3.5 etc.). Furthermore, one can see in TgJ an effort to update the text of the Book of Hosea, which is achieved by several references to Israel’s situation of diaspora. BN 131 (2006) 17–38
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26 Massimo Pazzini et al., Il libro di Michea secondo la versione siriaca (Peshitto) In this periodical, the Syriac versions of the texts of Amos, Jonah (LASBF 53, 2003, 185–208; IRBS 52:34) and Hosea (LASBF 54, 2004, 119–139; IRBS 52:35) have already been published. The books of Joel and Obadiah have appeared on other publications. The project to publish the Twelve Minor Prophets has reached half way through with the publication of the book of Micah in this paper. The remaining books are already on their way and are expected to publish (complete) within next two years. LASBF 55 (2005) 27–39
27 John Granger Cook, A Note on Tatian’s Diatessaron, Luke and the Arabic Harmony Die Frage, ob für die Rekonstruktion von Tatians Diatessaron die sog. Arabische Harmonie benutzt werden kann, ist umstritten. Zugleich ist die Annahme verbreitet, dass die Reihenfolge der Arabischen Harmonie mit der Östlichen Harmonie weitgehend übereinstimmt. Das Lukasevangelium bietet das Material für den Erzählfluß der Arabischen Harmonie, gerade am Anfang und am Ende. Am Anfang und am Ende scheint auch das Johannesevangelium eine wesentliche Rolle zu spielen. Dieses Ergebnis stellt die weitverbreitete Annahme in Frage, dass das Matthäusevangelium die gesamte Harmonie Tatians geprägt hat. ZAC 10/3 (2006) 462–471
28 Tjitze Baarda, The Reading ‘Who Whished to Enter’ in Coptic Tradition: Matt 23.13, Luke 11.52, and ‘Thomas’ 39 This paper investigates the usage of the verb ouòsh/ouesh by Coptic translators of New Testament passages. The author concludes that this verb could be used to render specific aspects of Greek verbs and it therefore is not necessarily the translation of either thelein or boulesthai by which it is often mechanical replaced in modern ‘retranslations’ into Greek. NTS 52/4 (2006) 583–591 (DL)
29 Michael E. Stone, Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha and Armenian Studies. Collected Papers. Volume II This second volume of Stone’s scholarly papers deals with things Armenian. For the present context, the following papers are relevant: An Armenian Psalter in the Library of Northwestern University; The old Armenian version of Isaiah; Guidelines for editions of Armenian biblical texts (with a list of major Armenian biblical manuscripts; see also p. 621, referring to Shahe Ajamian’s “Grand Catalogue of Armenian Biblical Manuscripts”). Orientalia Lovaniensia Analects 145; Uitgeverij Peeters, Leuven (2006) XVIII/467–939
30 Roger Gryson (ed.), Biblia Sacra Vulgata Originally edited by Robert Weber in 1969 and revised for the fourth (1994) edition by Gryson, this is the standard critical edition of the Latin version of the Bible, the Vulgate. Manuscript readings are duly noted in the apparatus, and the two versions of the Psalms are printed on facing pages (with the left page going the Gallican Psalter, the one commonly associated with the Vulgate version). Noteworthy is the fact that the third and fourth books of Esdras are included in this edition, and placed after the New Testament (3 Esdras Vulgate = 1 Esdras Septuagint; 4 Esdras Vulgate = 2 Esdras Septuagint). – Recommended as a standard resource for biblical study. – The book, a reprint of the 1994 edition, is available in the US from Hendrickson Publishers, and in the United Kingdom from Alban Books. Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft/Hendrickson/Alban Books, Stuttgart (2005) XLIII/1–1980 (BL)
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31 Margherita Morreale, De los sustitutos de la Vulgata en el s. XVI: la Biblia de Santes Pagnino emmendada por Benito Arias Montano The polyglot Bible edited by B. Arias Montano (1572) includes the Latin Bible as translated by Santes Pagnini (1527) from the Hebrew. Sef. 67/1 (2007) 229–236 (BL)
Modern translations: general ★ English ★ German ★ French ★ others 32 Wim François, Petrus Sutor et son plaidoyer contre les traductions de la Bible en langue populaire (1525) In 1525 the Parisian theologian and Carthusian Petrus Sutor published De tralatione Bibliae. In this work he explained in detail why the lay people’s reading of the Bible was completely unnecessary for their salvation, was anything but advantageous, and was probably even harmful. Simple lay people, illiterate and consumed by their dayto-day worries, were intellectually incapable of understanding the Scriptures. The Bible was better reserved for people who had the time and space for study, who led a spiritual life, and who preferably were disposed toward contemplation. After all, it was Christ Himself who had wanted it in this way (Matt 7,6; Luke 4,20). Only the latter group was able to pierce the Bible’s literal layer and grasp its deeper allegorical sense. Sutor argued that Bible translations had to be avoided. The Church would do better to keep to the Vulgate. The “termini” in the Vulgate had been permanently fixed by the Fathers after profound assessment, and signified the Catholic faith in a perfect way. These fixed theological-technical formulations should never be altered by recentlydevised arguments and new translations; not least because they were often the vehicle for erroneous teachings. EThL 82/1 (2006) 139–163
33 Jacobus A. Naudé, A Socioconstructive Approach to the Training of Bible Translators This paper is about the training of Bible translators in the light of the recent developments in Translation Studies namely the tendency of the internationalizing of ideas about translation as well as the enlarging of Western Translation Theory by integrating non-Western thought about translation. Starting from earlier ideas of translator training the move towards constructivism as proposed by Kiraly (2000) is described. It is indicated how the socioconstructive approach can benefit the training of Bible translators by empowering the learner to act responsibly, autonomously and competently. Social constructivism provides not only an epistemological basis for the development of knowledge-building communities, but also a variety of tools that can be used to promote and pursue learning in such communities. OTE 19/3 (2006) 1225–1238
34 Peter Unseth, Analyzing and Using Receptor Language Proverb Forms in Translation Translating proverbs is unusually complex: understanding their meaning in the source language is challenging and then finding or creating appropriate artistic forms in the receptor language (RL) is a special problem. The goal of this paper is to present some specific ideas on how to explore the structure of RL proverbs in preparation for translating biblical proverbs into the RL, and then suggest some ways of applying the findings in a given language. The author suggests a three-phase plan: (1) Collecting a number of proverbs in the RL; (2) Analyzing the techniques used by the RL in forming proverbs; (3) Practicing deliberately applying these techniques in translating nonbiblical proverbs, then later biblical proverbs. BiTr 57/2 (2006) 79–85, 57/4 (2006) 161–170
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35 Barrie Evans et al., “Equivalence” in the Presence of “Otherness” In this article the authors look at the notion of “equivalence,” and consider whether it is an adequate criterion for translation in itself, or whether it should be supplemented with further criteria. They argue that this is particularly necessary where differences between the original and receptor cognitive contexts make “equivalence” unlikely or even impossible. This situation is, in fact, relatively frequent and translation criteria are therefore needed to address such situations realistically. In addition to attempted equivalence, translators must be aware of places where the “otherness” of the message impedes their attempts at equivalence. The fact that they are trying to put aside the otherness of the original language to adopt the otherness of the receptor tongue, should not hide from them the fact that there is an otherness in the message that needs to be maintained. If they are successful, they will enable the reader to enter into the process of a self-changing dialogue with the text. BiTr 57/3 (2006) 138–153
36 Gerrit J. van Steenbergen, World view theory and Bible translation This paper provides an overview of world view theory in general and its relationship with cross-cultural communication in particular. Different world view models and their theoretical underpinnings are evaluated in view of their applicability to the task of Bible translation. Based on research in the book of Isaiah the paper seeks to demonstrate that it is possible to define verifiable variables that can be applied in the analysis of world view. This is further illustrated by an application of the same comparison of the same analytical method to the Pökot culture in north-western Kenya. The comparison of the two world view systems shows the implications of incongruent world views for Bible translation. Finally, the paper also suggests areas in world view theory and analysis that are in need of further development. OTE 19/1 (2006) 216–236
37 David J. Clark et al., Section Headings: Purposes and Problems Section Headings (SHs) have become increasingly common in Bible translations over the past 50 years, and nowadays they are almost routine. But what are the principles on which one decides where to put them and what to put into them? This article summarises the issues in seven rubrics: the purposes of SHs, the time to prepare SHs, the placement of SHs, the content of SHs, the structure of SHs, the formulation of SHs, and the identification of SHs. Afterwards it asks how to handle situations where different goals of SHs are in conflict with one another. BiTr 57/4 (2006) 194–203
✩ 38 Alec Gilmore, A Concise Dictionary of Bible Origins and Interpretation Originally published in 2000 as “A Dictionary of the English Bible and Its Origins” (IRBS 47:43), this one-volume dictionary now appears in an enlarged and re-titled new edition. New articles deal mainly with issues of interpretation – see “intertextuality”, “reader response” and “feminist readings”. Our wish, expressed in IRBS 47, to include articles on the divine name (Kyrios, LORD, Yahweh) and inclusive language still awaits realization. To continue our earlier list, I would also suggest the addition of entries on the English Standard Version (ESV, 2001) and the New English Translation (known as the NET bible). (P. 137, left column: read Harry Orlinsky.) Nevertheless, this is an interesting addition to the shelf of bible dictionaries. T & T Clark, London (2006) XV/1–228 (BL)
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39 Michael J. McClymond, Through a Gloss Darkly: Biblical Annotations and Theological Interpretation in Modern Catholic and Protestant English-Language Bibles This article represents a first effort at characterizing the theological and interpretive functions of biblical annotations in modern Roman Catholic and Protestant Bibles. It argues that annotations are not simply subservient to their texts, but typically express a theological agenda. This became clear in the battle over annotations among Protestants and between Protestants and Catholics during the 16th and 17th centuries. It is also evident in the present examination of both Bishop Richard Challoner’s annotations (1750) to the English-language Catholic Bible and the notes in the Scofield Reference Bible (1909). The article concludes with a discussion of five basic functions that biblical annotations serve. TS 67/3 (2006) 477–497
40 David E.S. Stein (ed.), The Contemporary Torah: A Gender-Sensitive Adaptation of the JPS Translation The New Jewish Publication Society Version (NJPS) is here presented in revised form. Here are a few examples of the new renderings (with the old one in brackets): we are honest people (Gen 42:11; we are honest men); a parent sells a daughter (Exod 21:7; a man sells his daughter); good with words (Exod 4:10; a man of words). The divine name (tetragrammaton) is not translated at all but simply left in Hebrew letters (yhwh). The Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia (2006) XLII/1–412 (BL)
✩ 41 Elberfelder Bibel (2006) Originally published in 1855 (NT) and 1871 (complete Bible), the German Elberfeld translation is known as the most literal version of the original text. Subsequent revisions, the 1992 and the present, 2006 one, have made an effort to make some passages more readable without compromising the basic literalism. The new edition has deleted the awkward and actually wrong “die Himmel” in Gen 1,1 (replacing it by the singular, der Himmel), replaced the archaic “frohlocken” by “jauchzen” (Ps 25,2). The subjunctive is also no longer used (compare Ps 10,18 in the various editions of the Elberfeld Bible). Strangely, the word Sheol, left untranslated (Ps 116:3; 139:8; Hab 2:5; Jonah 2:3 etc.), is given the article “der” instead of “die”. Still, this is a major Bible in German. Each of the testaments has its own pagination. – The publisher is to be congratulated on the production of this beautifully printed and well-bound volume. Recommended. R. Brockhaus Verlag, Wuppertal (2006) X/1–1175; 1–409, chronological tables, maps (BL)
42 Kirchenrat der Evangelisch-reformierten Landeskirche des Kanons Zürich, Zürcher Bibel 2007 The new German “Zurich Bible” stands in the tradition of a biblical translation published in 1931 which then could legitimately claim to be the first German version that satisfies scholarly requirements. The new Zurich Bible began as a revision but gradually came to be a completely new version, powerful in style and language, almost always leaning toward the literal, but successfully aspiring to be literary. Two features immediately strike the reader: the preference for Hebrew forms of names in the Old Testament (such as Schaddai as a divine name, Joschijahu for Josiah, etc.), and in the New Testament an occasional attempt to use language that does not screen out women. Thus in the Sermon on the Mount, it is not just “sons of God” that the peacemakers will be called, but “sons and daughters of God”. Each of the books is prefaced by a brief introduction about author, date, and essential message. A very long glossary is appended; it actually forms a basic dictionary of biblical history and theology. In crit-
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ical questions, the introductions and the glossary are up to date. Interestingly, the term Quellenscheidung, once the hallmark of German biblical criticism, is never mentioned. German-speaking biblical scholars will adopt this version as the standard one. – The translation does not include the apocrypha. Genossenschaft Verlag der Zürcher Bibel beim Theologischen Verlag Zürich, Zürich (2007) 1–1340; 1–434; 1–165; maps (BL)
43 Ulrike Bail et al., Bibel in gerechter Sprache In der Befreiungstheologie, der feministischen Theologie und im jüdisch-christlichen Dialog sehen die Verf. ihr nach fünf Jahren abgeschlossenes Projekt einer “gerechten” Bibelübersetzung verwurzelt. Dementsprechend bilden eine geschlechtergerechte Sprache, Gerechtigkeit im Hinblick auf den jüdisch-christlichen Dialog und soziale Gerechtigkeit die Schwerpunkte bei der Übertragung des hebr./aram./griech. Textes ins Deutsche. Allerdings wird dabei die Texttreue den Anliegen der Verf. häufig und mit Absicht geopfert, was eine wachsende Kritik an dieser Bibelausgabe zur Folge hat. Der Hauptvorwurf richtet sich darauf, dass hier die Übersetzungsarbeit mit der Kommentierung des eigentlichen Textes vermischt wurde, wodurch das Endprodukt in manchen Teilen keine Übersetzung, vielmehr eine Fortschreibung der hebr. Vorlage darstellt. Zur Vorstellung des Projektes siehe z.B.: www.bibel-in-gerechter-sprache.de, und BiKi 62/1 (2007) 54–59 [M.-T. Wacker]; vgl. auch H. Kuhlmann, Die Bibel – übersetzt in gerechte Sprache? Grundlagen einer neuen Übersetzung, Gütersloh 2005. Zur Kritik an dieser Bibelausgabe vgl. u.a. ThQ 186/4 (2006) 343–345 [W. Groß], BiKi 62/1 (2007) 46–53 [L. SchwienhorstSchönberger] und Christ in der Gegenwart Nr. 8/07, 61–62 [T. Söding]. Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh (2006) 1–2400 (DL)
44 Olivier-Thomas Venard, The Cultural Background and Challenges of La Bible de Jérusalem The “Bible de Jérusalem”, from the original texts translated into modern, literary French, is the first really modern Catholic biblical translation project, and thus far the most successful one. Venard describes in much detail the origin of the project. It was originally suggested by Father Thomas Chifflot OP, editorial director of the Editions de Cerf in Paris, who won the professors of the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem to do and supervise the translation, and supply the copious notes. Venard’s paper includes excerpts of unpublished archival material. He also comments on the collaborations of literary figures such as Paul Claudel. LNTS 316; Philip McCosker (ed.), What Is It that Scripture Says? Essays in Biblical Interpretation, Translation and Reception; T & T Clark, London (2006) 111–134 (BL)
45 Nicola Matschke, Zeitgenössische französische Bibelübersetzungen: exemplarische textlinguistische und stilistische Übersetzungsprobleme The author sketches the history of French Bible translations and then compares three versions: Louis Second, Bible de Jérusalem, Bible en français courant. The texts considered in detail are Psalm 23, Luke 1:26–38, and Philippians 2:1–11, on the basis of an interlinear version of the original Hebrew or Greek passage. According to Matschke, the biblical authors never intended to write a text that is immediately understandable; instead, they use sacred language. Studien zur romanischen Sprachwissenschaft und interkulturellen Kommunikation 33; Peter Lang Verlag, Bern (2006) XIII/1–298 (BL)
46 Jean-Marie Auwers, Traduire le livre de Tobie pour la liturgie Since 1996, several teams have been at work in order to complete the liturgical translation of the Old Testament. Now that the enterprise is drawing to a close, the author who had been among the first translators presents the undertaking through the particular
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case of the book of Tobit which has been freshly retranslated for liturgical use. Liturgical translation does not claim to outclass existing translations, but occupies a special position: that of public proclamation. RTL 37/2 (2006) 179–199
✩ 47 F.I.J. van Rensburg, Psalmberyming in Afrikaans The article maps the process by means of which the versification of the Hebrew Psalms in Afrikaans, with its goal of acceptance by the relevant clerical bodies and their ecclesiastical community as a whole, ran its course. The process is illustrated by the history of the two versifications officially commissioned and approved by the mainstream Afrikaans churches; namely those of Totius (professor J.D. du Toit) and professor T.T. Cloete, more than half a century separated in time and trend (1937 and 2001 respectively). Verbum et Ecclesia 27/3 (2006) 1077–1094
48 S. van Helden et al., Die sosio-historiese en sosio-linguistiese aspekte van die leksikale veranderings van die 1936- en 2001-psalmomdigtings The singing of the psalms is historically associated with the accuracy of meaning transmitted by Scripture by means of user-friendly language usage. The renewing of an aging language is important for subsequent generations to facilitate meaningful interpretative singing of the psalms. By elimination of the large amount of archaic lexical expressions of the 1936 rhyme from the 2001 version, a clear movement in the reformative religious register of Afrikaans was achieved. The 2001 rhyme accelerates the process of elimination of such archaic and inaccessible words replacing them with available Afrikaans synonyms to facilitate an effective transfer of meaning. Simplification is the most prominent linguistic force that manifests itself in the 2001 rhyming of the psalms. IDS 40/2 (2006) 199–220
49 J.A. Naudé et al., Reanimating orality. The case for a new Bible translation in Southern Sotho The two currently used translations of the Southern Sotho Bible (1909 or 1989) lean heavily on the reader’s ability to understand a written text. In view of the fact that the Southern Sotho religious community consists preponderantly of members not able to read written texts the authors suggest another vehicle for the transfer of religious thought in Bible translation. Pivotal to this paper is the issue of translation strategy as applicable to the particular audiences in question. Consequently, this paper argues for a rhythmical and sonorous translation, which is clearly audible and understandable. OTE 19/2 (2006) 723–738
50 Tuulia Toivanen, Runoilija raamatunsuomentajana: Lassi Nummen vaikutus uuden käännöksen kieleen The third Finnish Bible translation was completed in 1992. One of the members of the translation committee was the Finnish modernist poet Lassi Nummi. This article concerns the poet as Bible translator among other professionals of religious language. The author focuses on the Book of Job, which has been considered poetic and important by many writers in the history of literature. By comparing Nummi’s proposals to those of the other committee members, he explores to what extent Nummi’s influence can be found in the Finnish version of the Book of Job. Nummi’s view of syntactic fluency, such as the use of object or verb choices, has clearly influenced the translations and the documents reveal that the poet member held a considered opinion on the metaphors of morning light or the names of monsters. TAik 112/3 (2007) 195–213
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51 Cao Jian, The Chinese Mandarin Bible: exegesis and Bible Translating In recent years, scholars have posed various questions about the role of Bible translating in China. Increasingly, translations of the Bible are viewed as an aspect within the context of cultural exchange rather than an exclusive religious phenomenon. Nevertheless, this new research interest in the nature and significance of the Bible in China is only in its initial stages. There is still a lack of textual analyses of the different translations and their translating strategies. This article deals with Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky’s 1874 version of the Old Testament. This was the first OT translation in Mandarin, which was spoken by the majority of the Chinese population. It was widely distributed until the twentieth century and to a large extent became the basis for the OT translation of the 1919 standardized Union Version, which is still in use today. In the paper Genesis 1–4 is cited as an example to show Schereschewsky’s exegetical principles in translating. BiTr 57/3 (2006) 122–138
52 Junko H. Nakai, The Impact of the Bible on the Evolution of Modern Japan Even if Japan has never become a Christian nation, the translation of the Bible into Japanese did have a considerable impact on modern Japan. This article explores the influence of the biblical text through the impact it had on a variety of influential figures in modern Japanese history and language. BiTr 57/3 (2006) 115–122
53 Adam R. Sikora, Teksty biblijne w ≤piewniku Szymona Krofeja z 1586 roku. Najstarsze fragmenty Pisma •wi\tego po kaszubsku? In diesem Artikel werden biblische Texte besprochen, die im 1586 erschienenen Gesangsbuch von Pastor Bytow enthalten sind. Das kleine Werk gilt in Pommern als erstes in kaschubischer Sprache geschriebenes Buch. Neben einer Sammlung von religiösen Liedern aus der Reformationszeit enthält es biblische Texte aus dem AT und NT. Zu den längsten zusammenhängenden biblischen Abschnitten zählen drei Psalmen 124, 127 und 128, das “Vater unser” aus dem Matthäusevangelium und drei Cantica aus dem Lukasevangelium (Magnificat, Benedictus und Nunc dimittis). Im Gesangsbuch befinden sich auch weitere 21 biblische Verse, die in verschiedene Gebete eingefügt sind. Bei allen diesen Texten dürfte es sich um die ältesten biblischen Passagen handeln, die aus dem Deutschen übersetzt und in der Sprache der Einwohner von Pommern gedruckt wurden. SFra 15 (2005) 115–124 (SS)
54 Adam R. Sikora, Teksty biblijne t∑umaczone na kaszubski w katechizmie Micha∑a Pontanusa z 1643 roku (cz. I) In dem im Jahr 1643 erschienenen “Kleinen Katechismus” von Micha∑ Pontanus, findet man zahlreiche Texte des Alten Testaments in der kaschubischen Sprache gefasst, u.a. sieben Psalmen (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) und 20 weitere Fragmente aus dem Alten Testament. Insgesamt sind es 155 Verse des Alten Testaments, die als eines der ältesten Zeugnisse des kaschubischen Schriftgutes überhaupt gelten. Bevor der Verf. aber all diese Texte erörtern wird, bespricht er zunächst in diesem ersten Teil des Aufsatzes die wichtigsten Einzelheiten in Bezug auf den Übersetzter der Texte, deren historischen Kontext und Adressaten der Übersetzung. SFra 15 (2005) 125–141 (SS)
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THEOLOGICAL AND EXEGETICAL APPROACHES Theological Foundations Inspiration – authority ★ canon (OT, NT) 55 G.K. Beale, Myth, History, and Inspiration: A Review Article of Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns Beale reviews the book of Peter Enns, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the problems of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids 2005). He widely discusses Enns’s incarnational model in relation to “history” and “myth” and Enns’s use of the term “diversity” in place of “error” as well as the issue of socially constructed cultures, presuppositions, and biblical interpretation. The response to Beale by Peter Enns is to be found in the same fascicle pp. 313–326. JETS 49/2 (2006) 287–312 and response by P. Enns 313–326 (BF)
56 Bernard M. Levinson, “Du sollst nichts hinzufügen und nichts wegnehmen” (Dtn 13,1): Rechtsreform und Hermeneutik in der Hebräischen Bibel Cultures having a tradition of prestigious or authoritative texts must inevitably confront the problem of literary and legal innovation. Ancient Israel’s development of the idea of divine revelation of law creates a cluster of constraints that one would expect to impede legal revision or amendment. As a test-case, the article examines the doctrine of trans-generational punishment: the notion that God punishes sinners vicariously and extends the punishment due them to three or four generations of their progeny. A series of inner-biblical and post-biblical responses to the rule demonstrates, however, that later writers were able to criticize, reject, and replace it with the alternative notion of individual retribution. Thus it was the formative canon itself which fostered critical reflection on the textual tradition and resulted in intellectual freedom. ZThK 103/2 (2006) 157–183
✩ 57 Pieter M. Venter, Kanon: Eenheid en diversiteit An analysis of the present post modern situation indicates resistance to the idea of “canon” understood in terms of a normative final collection of literature. The disciplines of textual criticism and canon history show that canons function in a larger social context and cannot be understood only in terms of its literary aspect. At present two parallel viewpoints on canon are found in the Christian church. The “objective” viewpoint stresses the final literary form of the Biblical canon. It cannot, however successfully indicate the unity of the canon without acknowledging the social context of the users of the canon. The “subjective” viewpoint clearly indicates the contingent aspect of the canon, but has problems with the way its authority operates. The probable way to go about the postmodern society is to acknowledge the paradigmatic character of the canon’s contents and the dynamical process of canonization and decanonization in which a canon is involved. HTS 62/4 (2006) 1369–1393
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58 Raik Heckl, Der biblische Kanon – Glaubenszeugnis der Generationen des Anfangs Biblical texts are the result of an ongoing theological discussion by many generations. At the same time such a discussion gradually constitutes coherence between these texts through a process of textual reception and textual production. The corpus of biblical texts thus reveals a history of faith based on a personal identification with the evidence of transmitted texts. In this way the Scripture not only constitutes coherence between believers of one generation, but it also links believers of that generation with those of previous generations. Historical Bible criticism makes it possible to uncover this identification process. It also offers a contemporary link with the rich history of biblical faith. At the same time, however, it prevents from claiming the Bible for topical interests. KuD 53/2 (2007) 145–157
59 Bernard Gosse, La Constitution du corpus des écritures à l’époque perse, dans la continuité de la tradition biblique Le livre d’Isaïe a joué un rôle essentiel dans la relecture de l’histoire d’Israël à l’époque perse, à travers la constitution d’un premier corpus des écritures. On remarque des rapprochements étroits entre les rédactions du livre d’Isaïe et celle du Psautier, surtout le quatrième livre avec la prise en compte de la disparition de la dynastie davidique, ce qui suppose une remise en cause de la ferveur messianique des commentateurs des textes du retour de l’exil comme en Za 6,9–15 où la couronne n’est pas une couronne royale destinée à Zorobabel. Dans la continuité du Psautier, les cantiques occupent aussi une place capitale dans le processus de relecture de l’histoire d’Israël: ainsi, celui d’Ex 15 met en perspective le salut de l’exode et celui du retour de l’exil. Transeuphratène, supplément 10; Gabalda, Paris (2003) 1–238
60 Andreas Schüle, Kanonisierung als Systembildung. Überlegungen zum Zusammenhang von Tora, Prophetie und Weisheit aus systemtheoretischer Perspektive Religions, especially book religions, are said by N. Luhmann to reduplicate reality, arranging it as a system that consists of the realm of immanence and a transcendent realm. Schüle argues that prophecy in ancient Israel emphasized divine transcendence, while the Tora and, later, the sapiential canon, completed the system by balancing the transcendent with the immanent. Günter Thomas and Andreas Schüle (eds.), Luhmann und die Theologie; Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt (2006) 211–228
61 Bernd Janowski, Canon et construction de sens. Perspectives vétérotestamentaires The history of the Canon generally focuses on the final state of the Scriptures. In dialogue with Jan Assmann’s works about cultural memory and with Jörg Rüsen’s studies on the sense of history, Bernd Janowski examines the synergy that gives its meaning to the process of establishing the Canon, i.e., its coherence and direction. He exemplifies his argument by his reading of some key texts: the Credo of Deut. 26:1–11, the announcement of the Infant Immanuel (Isa. 7:14) resumed in Isa. 9 and 11, and the short composition opening the Psalter (Ps. 1, 2 and 3). ETR 81/4 (2006) 517–541
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62 Lee Martin McDonald, The Biblical Canon: Its Origin, Transmission, and Authority From its first, 1988 edition, entitled “The Formation of the Christian Biblical Canon”, an already substantial book of 205 pages, this book has grown to more than double size. It has established itself as a major handbook on the formation of the biblical canon from the biblical period to the early fifth century CE, the time of Jerome and Augustine. In keeping with recent scholarship, McDonald follows Sundberg and others who date the Muratorian canon to the fourth (rather than second) century CE. Overall, the book is more interesting in its discussion of the emerging NT canon and the patristic period than in its sketch of how OT literature came to form a recognizable body of literature. Hendrickson Publishers/Alban Books; Peabody, Mass. (2007) XLI/1–546 (BL)
63 Peter Lampe, Die Wirklichkeit als Bild. Das Neue Testament als ein Grunddokument abendländischer Kultur im Lichte konstruktivistischer Epistemologie und Wissenssoziologie Lampe, who teaches NT exegesis in Heidelberg, presents his philosophical creed, a blend of constructivism and the sociology of knowledge. Accordingly, the early-Christian world view is their construction of a reality, rather than reality itself. The author discusses the resurrection of Christ, the new creation of human believers (to which Paul refers in the context of baptism), the Lord’s Supper, and the proclamation of the kingdom of God. But even those who are not specifically interested in present-day theories of cognition will find interesting suggestions in this book, e.g. on Moses and Elijah as the two prophets referred to anonymously in Rev 11:3ff. – See also P. Lampe, NTS 43 (1997) 347–366. Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn (2007) 1–246 (BL)
64 David L. Dungan, Constantine’s Bible: Politics and the Making of the New Testament Dungan tells the story of the Christian Bible in the early fourth century CE, with a focus on how it was shaped by Eusebius, advisor to Emperor Constantine. Constantine adopted the canon described by Eusebius, and had master copies of the NT produced. The NT as we read it now was put together and textually finalized due to imperial intervention. (Regrettably, there is no discussion of the Muratori canon and its dating to the fourth century by Sundberg.) Fortress Press Minneapolis, Min. (2007) XII/1–224 (BL)
65 Reimund Bieringer et al., L’avenir de la Bible Three approaches to reading the Bible: religious fundamentalism, scientific fundamentalism of the historical-critical scholars, and ethical fundamentalism (presupposing in each case, that exact truth can be found in the Bible) are all deficient. What counts, eventually, is to begin a dialogue between the reader and God, and this dialogue is open-ended, not canonically fixed in the canon, argue R. Bieringer and D. Pollefeyt. Bijdr. 65/4 (2004) 393–416
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Hermeneutics – Methods Biblical interpretation in general: manuals ★ basic perspectives ★ individual problems 66 John H. Hayes et al., Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner’s Handbook. Third Edition This handbook, compiled by J. Hayes and C.R. Holladay, offers a high-quality introduction to traditional exegetical methods (such as literary criticism, form criticism), relatively new ones (structuralist and canonical criticisms), and fashionable ones (ethnic and gender-oriented approaches). The original edition has been almost completely rewritten, and an appendix now offers guidance for those interested in doing exegesis with the help of electronic and internet tools. Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Ky. (2007) XI/1–236 (BL)
67 Helmut Utzschneider et al. (eds.), Lesarten der Bibel. Untersuchungen zu einer Theorie der Exegese des Alten Testaments Sixteen papers (all in German) comment on current approaches to biblical studies, from text-pragmatic exegesis (Chr. Hardmeier) and canonical readings (G. Steins) all the way through feminism (R. Jost), intertextuality (S. Seiler) and reception history (S. Gillmayr-Bucher). Of particular interest is the paper by S.A. Nitsche who argues that prophetic books were meant for dramatic reading (for which he invokes the paragraphing of the Isaiah scroll found in Qumran). In a remarkable essay, E. Blum suggest that one should no longer use the term “Formgeschichte” for it is non-Gunkelian; instead, “Gattungsforschung” should be used as the correct term. Verlag W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart (2006) 1–319
68 Eckart Reinmuth et al., Proseminar Neues Testament. Texte lesen, fragen lernen This is a brief, essentially reader-oriented seminar for the German theology student’s first academic encounter with NT texts. Each chapter includes study tasks, notes, and a topical bibliography. A glossary of exegetical and linguistic terms is appended. – The authors teach at the University of Rostock, Germany. Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn (2006) 1–99 (BL)
✩ 69 Werner Kahl, Die Bibel unter neuen Blickwinkeln. Exegetische Forschung im Umbruch In diesem eine neue Serie einleitenden Artikel zeichnet der Verf. die Entwicklungslinien in moderner exegetischer Forschung von der historisch-kritischen und strukturalistischen Exegese bis zu rezeptionsästhetischen und postmodernen Auslegungsansätzen. Das von ihm anschließend vorgestellte Integrationsmodell doppelt-kontextueller Bibelinterpretation soll eine produktive Vernetzung unterschiedlicher exegetischer Zugänge ermöglichen. BiKi 61/3 (2006) 166–170 (DL)
70 Yehoshua Gitay, Literary Criticism versus Public Criticism: Further thoughts on the Matter of Biblical Scholarship The Biblical text is approached by the general reader as a literature manifested in a book format with a theological orientation. Professional Biblical critics employ scientific
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analytical tools that might challenge the concept of a Biblical book as a complete work, presenting instead the Biblical literature as literary fragments with no concept of the whole. The recent attempt to bridge between scholarship and a theologically oriented reading of the Bible as a whole seems to create a methodological confusion in the realm of scholarship. Thus, this essay seeks to explore the roots of the confusion through a clearer definition of the essence of Biblical professional criticism on the one hand, and a theological reading of the Bible as a whole, on the other. OTE 19/2 (2006) 633–649
71 Stephen D. Moore, A Modest Manifesto for New Testament Literary Criticism: How to Interface with a Literary Studies Field that is PostLiterary, Post-Theoretical, and Post-Methodological A tale of two disciplines, this article critically surveys the ways in which New Testament scholars have adopted and adapted major developments in literary studies of the past two decades, notably poststructuralism, postcolonial studies, cultural studies, queer theory, and masculinity studies. Cultural studies, the article argues, is the literary studies phenomenon that most tellingly sets the fox among the chickens; likewise in biblical studies, cultural studies constitutes the most serious (and salutary) threat to the inherited identity of the discipline. More broadly, the article contends that all of the major recent developments in literary studies are post-methodological in thrust, and thus constitute a timely challenge to biblical scholars to acknowledge their own fetish for methodology, understand what impels it, and move beyond it. BI 15/1 (2007) 1–25
72 Gerda de Villiers, Oor Eksegese en Metodes: Die Reëls van die Spel This article examines briefly the virtues and vices of an immanent reading of biblical texts. Due to the fact that Jurie le Roux – specially honoured in this issue – is known as a historical critical scholar, a synchronie methodology is exposed from a diachronic angle. The history and the philosophy underlying a so-called structural analysis are highlighted, the value of this methodology for biblical exegesis is appreciated. Nevertheless, it is pointed out that a structural analysis should not mistakenly be regarded as a hermeneutical tool. Furthermore, the theory of the aesthetics of reception of Hans Robert Jauss is dealt with in a very cursory manner as another possible approach toward dealing with biblical texts. However, a critical attitude is called for as it appears that every methodology has its own apparatus that is designed for a particular purpose. Scholars who wish to work in an interdisciplinary way, should do so in a critical and responsible manner. OTE 19/3 (2006) 823–830
73 Geir Otto Holmås, En teologisk hermeneutikk i studiefaget det nye testamente i profesjonsutdannelsen? Et innspill til faglig-didaktisk nytenkning This article presents and discusses models for critical theological hermeneutics which have recently been proposed by biblical scholars, with a view to their relevance for New Testament studies in theological education. It aims at challenging the traditional way of thinking about the role of biblical studies among the theological disciplines and the didactic practices in current curricula. It is argued that today a biblical hermeneutics is called for a strategy which is more appropriate for doing theology, which shows heightened sensitivity to the hermeneutical and contextual factors involved in the interpretations, which gives serious attention to the formative role of the biblical message in the interaction between text and life experiences, and which develops a true selfawareness and reflexivity in interpretation. TTK 77/3 (2006) 162–181
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74 Petri Luomanen et al., Raamattu ja kirkko postmodernissa ajassa: Raamatuntutkimuksen näkökulmia Jyri Komulainen suggested in his article in TAik 111/4 (2006) 345–358 that canonical criticism and narrative theology might provide “new” useful tools for the church to interpret the Bible and define its own post-modern identity. The present article demonstrates problems inherent in these approaches, pointing out that Biblical scholars began to apply new methods as early as in the 1970s and 1980s. It is also argued that critical exegetical methods – broadly understood – may help the church to promote hospitality, tolerance and dialogue, all of which are essential in a post-modern situation. TAik 111/6 (2006) 611–629
75 Iain Provan, “How Can I Understand, Unless Someone Explains It to Me?” (Acts 8:30–31): Evangelicals and Biblical Hermeneutics This article explores the question: What kind of biblical hermeneutics ought evangelical Christians to embrace for themselves and to advocate to others? It takes as its starting point the Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics (1982) and subjects this document to an extended critical reflection. The Statement, it is concluded, is in various ways an unsatisfactory articulation of evangelical hermeneutics, if hermeneutics is about helping people to perceive “what the biblical revelation means and how it bears on our lives” (Chicago Statement, Article IX). In the second part of the article, an alternative articulation is then attempted. BBR 17/1 (2007) 1–36
76 James Alfred Loader, Reading and controlling the text It is argued that not only ‘colonialists’ or powerful establishments use the control of texts in their own interests, but that this is also done by religious groups at the other end of the power spectrum. Those who resist ‘imperialist’ or ‘colonialist’ powers, often revert to text control in order to entrench the way in which those texts are read. They manipulate the meaning of the text by curtailing alternative reading possibilities and therefore seek to wield power over the reader in order to achieve their own ends. Three examples are given: the tradition in which the Masoretic network flourished, typical Protestant use of the Bible as antidote to papal hegemony, and more recent Liberation Theology as a system of resistance to colonialist hegemony. Concluding thoughts are offered on the meaning of tolerance in this regard and the ethics of scholarly discourse pertaining to the control of texts. OTE 19/2 (2006) 694–711
77 Richard S. Briggs, What Does Hermeneutics Have to Do with Biblical Interpretation? In common usage, ‘hermeneutics’ is a word often used interchangeably with ‘interpretation’. This has especially become so in biblical studies, but a review of how the word ‘hermeneutics’ came to prominence in biblical scholarship suggests that there is value in continuing to keep it as a concept distinguishable from interpretation. The omnipresence of the word in contemporary biblical studies obscures some of the specific roles that hermeneutics is well suited to perform. The potential benefits of hermeneutics in this more limited sense for biblical interpretation are discussed with respect to the two main hermeneutical theorists of the late twentieth century: Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur. The Heythrop Journal 47/1 (2006) 55–74
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78 Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Hermeneutics as cross-cultural encounter: Obstacles to understanding It is a curious fact that while most people intuitively understand the potential for misunderstanding in face-to-face cross-cultural conversations, no such difficulty is anticipated when reading cross-culturally. Thus Westerners automatically assume they can read the Bible without taking account of its origins in an ancient Mediterranean culture that was sharply different to anything in the modern West. This article describes the problem and then explores six major obstacles to cross-cultural communication (written as well as oral) that play a role in Western attempts to read a Mediterranean Bible. HTS 62/2 (2006) 559–576
79 Peter-Ben Smit, Biblische Hermeneutik im Spannungsfeld persönlicher und kirchlicher Identität In biblical studies it is more often than not assumed that (religious) identity does not play any role of importance anymore in the academic interpretation of the Bible. This short study questions this assumption by drawing its attention to the significance of the interpreter’s identity for his/her interpretation. The example used to demonstrate this is that of exegesis as done by Old Catholic students of theology, drawing on the Old Catholic doctrine of Scripture, Old Catholic identity (as perceived by these students) and autobiographical criticism as a means of approaching the interface of personal identity and the interpretation of a text. It is concluded that there is hardly an “Old Catholic exegesis” in terms of a specific method or approach, but that there is and must be an Old Catholic exegesis in terms of the interaction of Old Catholic identity and theology with biblical texts. IKZ 96/3 (2006) 135–151
80 Murray A. Rae, History and Hermeneutics Descartes (d. 1650) argued that historical knowledge is intrinsically unreliable, and theologians have often come to share this view. Rae suggests that this claim is unwarranted. The biblical view of Jesus and of God’s purposes for and involvement in history should not be dismissed merely because they are testimonial in character or because they have been mediated through tradition. The book’s final chapter is entitled: “The ecclesial reading of Scripture”. T & T Clark, London (2005) 1–168
81 Philip Chia, Local and Global: Biblical Studies in a “Runaway World” This essay begins with a sketch of current global society and its challenges to biblical studies to provide as resources for humanity in search of a direction for a “runaway world.” To consider the future of biblical studies as a discipline, the author postulates that public relevance is a definite direction to go instead of secluding itself as a private elite professional community musing with its academic knowledge. SCS 1 (2006) 83–106
82 Barbara Green, This Old Text: An Analogy for Biblical Interpretation The essay reviews how the Bible has been approached as Scripture across three main periods of pre-critical appropriation and then explains, with consistent reference to the analogy, what changes in Modernity and beyond as well as what remains stable. It concludes with a consideration of the interface between biblical studies and biblical spirituality. BTB 36/2 (2006) 72–83
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83 Daniel Landgrave, Notas sueltas sobre Fe y Política, A Partir De La Escritura The author proposes a review on the faith-politics relation based on the Scriptures. A series of reflections about the social edges of The Word and hermeneutics is presented, found on the actual existence. He focuses on Jesus figure and the kingdom message to end with ecclesiological consequences. Qol 41 (2006) 3–52
84 Angela Kim Harkins, Theological Attitudes toward the Scriptural Text: Lessons from the Qumran and Syriac Exegetical Tradition The author examines how current textual-critical views and premodern attitudes toward the scriptural text offer today’s theologians helpful perspectives on the Scriptures. The Qumran and Syriac exegetical traditions provide premodern examples of how interpretive communities of faith can read the Scriptures in a way that is both attentive to their literary form and richly theological. TS 67/3 (2006) 498–516
✩ 85 Christo H.J. van der Merwe, Biblical Exegesis, Cognitive Linguistics and Hypertext When one understands biblical exegesis as a process of reading, i.e. an instance of the comprehension of a literary text, reality of the near impossibility of the challenges that face scholars of the Hebrew Bible is thrown into greater relief. Not only the variety of information types needed to interpret an ancient text is appreciated anew, but also the inadequacies of many of the existing primary sources of information are highlighted, e.g. those of the BH dictionaries and grammars. After providing the grounds for these statements, it is illustrated by means of a few examples that hypertext technology may play a pivotal role in strategies to address these ‘impossible challenges’. However, it is also argued that such a venture requires much more team work, in particular multidisciplinary research, and a greater involvement of private enterprise than what Biblical scholars are normally used to. VT.S 109; André Lemaire (ed.), Congress Volume Leiden 2004; Brill, Leiden (2006) 255–280
86 Mirja Kutzer, Die Gegenwelt des Erfundenen. Fiktionale Texte als Medium biblischer Verheißung The biblical narratives were read as factual and also as fictional texts during their history of reception. The biblical texts permit that insofar, as they are poetic in a specific sense: Mainly their purpose is not to describe facts of history, but to make clear the meaning of the past for the presence. In this way the events leave their historical contexts and become exemplary and universal. By formulating textual worlds, which are in contrast to everyday life, the narratives of the bible are getting media of promise. Her truth does not primarily consist in their reference, but what the world of the text “shows” their recipients. PzB 15/1 (2006) 25–46
87 Knut Backhaus et al., Historiographie und fiktionales Erzählen. Zur Konstruktivität in Geschichtstheorie und Exegese K. Backhaus and Gerd Häfner, two Munich NT exegetes, both committed to constructivism, seek to argue that ancient historiography, including that of Luke, is to be understood not as a depiction of reality, but as the creation of an image of reality; as
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a result, fact and fiction cannot be separated clearly. In one chapter, Häfner comments critically on J. Schröter’s recent attempt to renew historical Jesus research on the basis of the notion of “memory”. BThS 86; Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn (2007) XI/1–164 (BL)
88 James H. Charlesworth, Towards a Taxonomy of Discerning Influence(s) Between Two Texts Starting from his earlier suggestion that the Rule of the Community influenced directly the Gospel of John, the author now distinguishes more exactly different kinds of direct influence and indirect influence through a text or a person or a shared topos. He adds some caveats and reduces positivism to absurdity. NTOA 57; Dieter Sänger et al. (Hgg.), Das Gesetz im frühen Judentum und im Neuen Testament; Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen (2006) 41–54 (DZ)
Historical-critical methods 89 Douglas A. Knight, Rediscovering the Traditions of Israel. Third Edition Originally written in 1968 as a survey of German and Scandinavian traditio-historical scholarship with the focus on G. von Rad, M. Noth, and I. Engnell, this book has become an English-language classic on an essentially German (and only marginally English) approach in OT studies. The present third edition includes a postscript in which the author argues that “our traditio-historical research in the future should include . . . a clear expectation that popular culture and nonelite viewpoints will be considered in our search for the prehistory of a given text” (315). Studies in Biblical Literature 16; Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, Ga. (2006) XVIII/1–360 (BL)
90 Louis Jonker, Reading with one eye closed? Or: What you miss when you do not read biblical texts multidimensionally The methodological discussion between historical critics and text-immanent readers of the Old Testament is often articulated in terms of the distinction between synchrony and diachrony. Numerous scholars have shown in the debate that this distinction is artificial. Although one could distinguish between synchronic and diachronic perspectives, they cannot be separated. This paper is an attempt to take stock of how the author’s own methodological thoughts have developed since the formulation of a multidimensional model in his dissertation (1993). Jonker argues that present methodological discussions should even go beyond the traditional distinction of synchrony and diachrony. OTE 19/1 (2006) 58–76
91 Vincent Pizzuto, Religious Terror and the Prophetic Voice of Reason: Unmasking Our Myths of Righteousness Christian fundamentalism, a growing phenomenon behind US military aggression, is not only an inadequate response to Islamic extremism, but more importantly it is dangerous because both ideologies share a presumption of their own righteousness and each divinely sanctions its acts of aggression toward the other. As an interpretive starting point, historical criticism becomes a much needed “prophetic voice of reason,” whereby inspired texts are examined honestly and in light of the historical limitations they contain. A critical examination of biblical tradition demonstrates that violence and cruelty are not tangential to biblical narratives, but intrinsic to them. The criteria to determine what is ethically demanded by the biblical texts must be sought in the future
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world toward which biblical narratives point, but in which they themselves do not fully participate. BTB 37/2 (2007) 47–53
92 Wido van Peursen et al., Computer-Assisted Analysis of Parallel Texts in the Bible. The Case of 2 Kings xviii–xix and Its Parallels in Isaiah and Chronicles In literary-critical and text historical studies of the Bible the comparison of parallel texts plays an important role. Starting from the description of the proximity of parallel texts as a continuum from very close to very loose, this article discusses the way in which the computer can facilitate a comparison of various types of parallel texts. 2 Kings 18–19 and Isaiah 37–38 are taken as an example of two closely related texts. The Kings chapters and their parallels in 2 Chronicles 32 occupy a position at the other side of the continuum. These chapters differ so much, that it is sometimes impossible to establish which verses should be considered parallel. The computer-assisted analysis brings to light some striking correspondences that disappear in traditional synopses such as Ben David’s Parallels in the Bible. These observations have an impact on our evaluation of the Chronicler’s user of his sources and his literary taste. VT 57/1 (2007) 45–72
Sociology – anthropology – psychology 93 Louise J. Lawrence, Structure, Agency and Ideology: A Response to Zeba Crook Responding to Zeba Crook’s essay on ‘structure’ and ‘agency’, and his critical remarks on the author’s Ethnography of the Gospel of Matthew, this article first addresses Crook’s criticisms of this work, arguing that it is not rightly characterized as an ‘all agency’ approach. It then discusses Crook’s own proposals concerning the different ratios of agency and structure in different cultures. This response argues that all cultures involve agency, and all cultures involve agents acting in structured ways, and that a better focus might be on the importance of hierarchy, power and ideology within social structures, since the ability of individuals to exercise transformative agency depends on their position. Literature, as the author argued in her Ethnography, provides a significant way in which the marginal or weak can exercise a form of agency, as is the case within Matthew’s specifically constructed literary world. JSNT 29/3 (2007) 277–286
94 Zeba A. Crook, Structure versus Agency in Studies of the Biblical Social World: Engaging with Louise Lawrence Taking Louise Lawrence’s ethnographic study of the Gospel of Matthew as a starting point, this article questions whether the structure vs. agency debate in social theory can be settled by proclaiming (or presupposing) one over the other. Indeed, sociological theory has been moving towards recognizing that society, and alongside it culture, must include both. This theoretical question matters for the understanding of the New Testament world. Can one, for instance, assume a single ratio of structure to agency for the ancient and the modern worlds? The author suggests that other aspects of a culture should be brought to bear on this question, namely collectivism and individualism. Surely, a collectivistic culture (the biblical world) will operate with a different degree of structure than will an individualistic culture (North America and parts of Europe). JSNT 29/3 (2007) 251–275
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95 Gerald Klingbeil, Bridging the Gap: Ritual and Ritual Texts in the Bible Ritual studies, a recent discipline founded (it seems) by R. Grimes in the 1980s, has found at least two prominent followers among Old Testament specialists: Frank Gorman and G. Klingbeil. In the 1990s, Klingbeil began publishing papers on Old Testament rituals, especially in ZAW, Bibl, VT, and BBR, plus an important monograph on Leviticus 8 (A Comparative Study of the Ritual of Ordination, Lewiston 1998). The present book adds a more explicitly theoretical dimension to Klingbeil’s work. He offers primarily an introduction to ritual studies for theologians, but also makes frequent reference to Old Testament themes. A brief appendix (pp. 145–252) lists “ritual texts in the Pentateuch”, beginning with the offering of Cain and Abel and Noah’s alter in Genesis all the way to the commandment to construct an altar at Mt. Ebal toward the end of Deuteronomy. BBR supplements 1; Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, Ind. (2007) XIV/1–304 (BL)
96 Zeba A. Crook, Methods and Models in New Testament Interpretation: Engagement with Louise Lawrence’s Literary Ethnography Critical report on, and review of, L.J. Lawrence, An Ethnography of the Gospel of Matthew: A Critical Assessment of the Use of the Honour and Shame Model in NT Studies (WUNT II.165), 2003. Lawrence is critical of the work of B.J. Maline; she suggests to pay attention to the theoretical work of literary critic M. Bakhtin and anthropologist J. Pitt-Rivers. Crook argues that certain views attributed to Malina and his school are misrepresented by Lawrence. RSR 32/2 (2006) 87–97 (BL)
97 Elian Cuvillier et al., Bible et psychanalyse The following papers are included in this thematic issue of ETR: E. Cuvillier, Bible et psychanalyse: quelques elements de réflexion; M.-L. Veyron-Maillet, Polysémie d’un texte: analyse narrative et psycho-anthropologique de Luc 7,11–17; E. Cuvillier, Nourriture et repas dans le premier Evangile: approache narrative et psycho-anthropologique; P. Barret-de Charentenay, Une apocalypse iconographique: la Madonna del Prato de Piero della Francesca; D. Gauch, La psychanalyse au risque de la foi; H. Rey-Flaud, La religion de la lettre: le judaisme selon Freud; J.-D. Causse, Métaphore paternelle: judaïsme et christianisme. Une lecture de J. Lacan. – The collection demonstrates that in France, the Freud-Lacan paradigm is still preferred to other approaches; thus there is nothing about C.G. Jung, Y. Masquelier or E. Drewermann; all recent French contributions to psychological exegesis listed on pp. 159–160 therefore belong to the same, broadly Freudian, school. ETR 82/2 (2007) 157–266 (BL)
98 Matthias Beier, A Violent God-Image: An Introduction to the Work of Eugen Drewermann This is the first full-scale English introduction to the work of the Catholic church’s most interesting critic in Germany. This being said, it must be added that Beier also makes an intelligent and lasting contribution to the study of this psychoanalyst-theologian and writer by presenting the results of his research on Drewermann’s biography and personal background (interviewing Drewermann and his siblings). The four chapters of this well-written study are on: fear and evil (a summary of Drewermann’s early academic work on Gen 2–11, esp. 3 and 4:1–16); war and Christianity; recovering the non-violent God-image of Jesus; a psychoanalytical study of the Catholic clergy. The causa Drewermann is not closed with this book; Beier has opened it, and it will stay open for quite some time to come. Continuum, New York (2006) XI/1–388 (BL)
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99 Cornelis den Hertog, The “Want-to-Be” of the Divine Name: A Psychoanalytical Reading of Exodus 2:23–4:17 J. Lacan often quoted the elusive divine name “I am what I am”; D.W. Winnicott also took interest in the passage. The divine statement in Exod 3:14, den Hertog argues, is a “subject metaphor” – a metaphor designating the ego of Moses, posited against Pharaoh. Journal for Lacanian Studies 4/1 (2006) 76–98
100 Jean-Marie Jaspard, Signification psychologique d’une lecture “fondamentaliste” de la Bible This article warns against the mass use of the label “fundamentalist” and outlines the psychological profile of the religious trend towards fundamentalism. The interpretation of the Bible by the believer and the non-believer can go from a literal position (“fundamentalist”) to an open position (“symbolic” understanding). A psychological analysis of the different attitudes brings to light several parameters, such as the need to base one’s faith on historically recognized realities and on a logic of relationship and conventions as much as on a logic of reason. Access to symbolic understanding depends on a cultural and religious environment which stimulates autonomy; maintaining a “fundamentalist” position is a result of personal factors, education and the social group. RTL 37/2 (2006) 200–216
Literary studies: narrative criticism – discourse analysis – intertextuality – rhetoric – performance 101 Ute E. Eisen, Methodologische Grundlegung der Narratologie Before presenting her own narratological analysis of selected chapters of the book of Acts, the author offers a long and detailed introduction to narratology. The sections B, C, and D of the methodological consideration are already focused on Acts. NTOA 58; U.E. Eisen, Die Poetik der Apostelgeschichte; Academic Press Fribourg, Fribourg (2006) 44–139 (BL)
102 Mary E. Mills, Reading the Old Testament as Story: Text and Reader in Dialogue The purpose of this article is to reflect on approaches to reading the OT as narrative and to do this within the framework of moral perspective. Despite the lack of a single unitary message which every reader of an OT narrative will own as ‘the’ moral vision of a passage there are significant possibilities for the use of biblical material to reflect on the content of the concept of morality. The boundaries for these are formed on the one hand by the text itself and, on the other, by the receptivity of each reader. ScrB 36/2 (2006) 74–90
103 Ilse Müllner, Zeit, Raum, Figuren, Blick. Hermeneutische und methodische Grundlagen der Analyse biblischer Erzähltexte This paper gives a brief introduction to basic features of narrative which are at the same time central categories of narratology like time, space and character. In the 1990ies narratology has expanded its topic as well as questioned its hitherto mainly structuralist framework. Biblical Studies are extended between the probably not appropriate alternatives of literary and historical studies. Also biblical narrative seems to be both: literary work and – in quite a different way than the modern term would suggest – historiography. Narratology, if it sees itself as part of the cultural studies, can bridge this gap while still be rooted in literary criticism. PzB 15/1 (2006) 1–24
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104 Andries G. van Aarde, Vertellersperpektiefanalise van Nuwe-Testamentiese tekste The aim of the present article is to explain how interactive relationships in a narrative discourse reveal the perspective from which a narrator presents a narration. This perspective pertains to what technically is referred to as “narrative point of view”. The relatedness of this concept to the notion “focalization” is explained by illustrating the narrator’s situation with regard to the role time, space, and characterization play in the poetics of a narrative. The article is concluded with a discussion of the concept the “narrator’s ideological perspective”. HTS 62/3 (2006) 1111–1143
105 Andries G. van Aarde, Genre en plot georiënteerde narratief-kritiese eksegese van Evangeliemateriaal: Inleiding tot narratiewe kritiek As the first part of a three articles contribution to methodology and hermeneutics, which argues for combining historical criticism and narrative criticism, this article shows how genre orientation can provide hermeneutical cues for determining an appropriate exegetical model and method. It aims to apply Gérard Genette’s narratology as a narrative-critical model for the exegesis of Gospel material. The article focuses on the role plot analysis fulfills in narrative criticism. This discussion is illustrated with examples from the Gospels of Mark, Luke, Matthew and John. The article concludes with a preface to the second article in which aspects such as point of view and focalization, time and space, and characterization will be discussed, also applied to Gospel material. HTS 62/2 (2006) 657–677
106 Andries G. van Aarde, Die narratiewe blikhoek in die mikrovertelling oor die genesing van die koninklike se seun deur Jesus in Johannes 4:43–54 The article forms the third part of an essay that aims to introduce narratological codes applicable to the exegesis of New Testament texts. From the perspective technically referred to as “narrative point of view”, the present article applies the narrator’s situation with regard to the role time, space and characterization play in the poetics of a narrative to an exegetical analysis of John 4:43–54, focusing on the “narrator’s ideological perspective” in John’s gospel. HTS 62/4 (2006) 1439–1451
107 Cynthia Long Westfall, Introduction to Discourse Analysis Theory Discourse analysis developed in the 1980s in various linguistic schools in Europe, the US, and South Africa, often in the context of biblical translation (E.A. Nida). Westfall explains the key concepts such as structure, paragraph cohesion, prominence, focus, markedness, etc. Numerous examples from the Pauline letters are subjected to discourse analysis. LNTS 297; Cynthia L. Westfall, A Discourse Analysis of the Letter to the Hebrews; T & T Clark International, London (2005) 22–87 (BL)
108 S. Teófilo Correa, Intertextualidad y Exégesis Intra-bíblica. ¿Dos caras de la misma moneda? Breve análisis de las presuposiciones metodológicas Starting from the postulate that every scholar study must be backed up by a proper methodology, this paper sets out to briefly analyze the methodological presuppositions of intertextuality and intra-biblical exegesis as approaches oriented toward text studies and their related aspects. DavarLogos 5/1 (2006) 1–13
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109 Robby Waddell, Intertextuality, Revelation, Pentecostalism: The Roundabout of Meaning Waddell surveys “intertextuality” studies in literary criticism and biblical studies (esp. in research on the book of Revelation) to suggest that he feels most comfortable with the approach used by S. Moyise: the intertext (or source text) affects the new passage, but the new passage also implies a certain understanding of the intertext. Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series 30; Robby Waddell, The Spirit of the Book of Revelation, Deo Publishing, Blandford Forum (2006) 38–96 (BL)
110 Sandra Hübenthal, Transformation und Aktualisierung. Zur Rezeption von Sach 9–14 im Neuen Testament This thesis seeks to demonstrate that the recent exegetical shift from “exegesis of quotations” to “intertextual analysis” (S. Moyise) is meaningful. To make the point, the author studies five themes: the king of peace (Zech 9:9); the one who is pierced (12:10); the beaten shepherd and the scattered sheep (13:7); living water (14:8); the temple without merchants (14:21). Especially the “piercing” and “living water” traditions show a remarkable development in their NT reception and in the liturgical reception which the author also considers. SBB 57; Verlag Katholisches Bibelwerk, Stuttgart (2006) 1–403
111 Young Mog Song, The principle of Reformed intertextual interpretation There has been a growing interest in intertextuality as a hermeneutical category in contemporary current biblical studies. The texture of a particular text is thickened and its meaning extended by its interplay with other texts, especially when the reader recognizes that the repetition of similar phrases and subject matter form part of an integral whole. The concept of intertextuality in this article firstly challenges the traditional approach that assumes that there is one meaning in a text that can be deduced when the author’s intention is determined. Secondly, it disagrees with the New Criticism in which only the autonomous text plays the dominant interpretive role. The reader is considered to be merely a passive consumer of the text. Thirdly, it differs from the post-structural/deconstructional way which declares “the death of the author”. HTS 62/2 (2006) 607–634
112 Jan Joosten, Le discours persuasif dans l’Ancien Testament. Jalons pour une analyse de la rhétorique biblique The author analyzes Jeremiah 6:1–9, utilizing the categories of classical rhetoric such as disposition, elocution, and invention. He also calls for scholarly attention to the sophisticated nature of ancient Hebrew rhetoric. PosLuth 55/1 (2007) 37–52 (BL)
113 Alain Décoppet, L’analyse rhétorique de Roland Meynet. Une méthode pour comprendre la Bible? The method of the linguist R. Meynet SJ, known for his work on rhetorical structures in biblical texts, is here briefly presented and recommended. The author also offers a Meynetian reading of Psalm 1. See also: R. Meynet, Traité de rhétorique biblique, Paris 2007; L’Evangile de Luc, Paris 2005. Hokhma 91 (2007) 2–18 (BL)
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114 Duane F. Watson, The Rhetoric of the New Testament: A Bibliographic Survey The reading of NT writings, esp. the Pauline letters, from the perspective of ancient rhetorical theory dates (presumably) from the 1940s, but gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s. The earliest contribution I chanced upon in this bibliography dates from 1854 (F. Köster, p. 125). Watson documents both the literary output of exegetes committed to this approach and the ancient sources they use. The bibliography is systematically arranged according to biblical books but unfortunately lacks an index. – A basic tool for NT study. (Available from Deo Publishing, P.O.B. 6284, Blandford Forum, DT11 1AQ, United Kingdom) Tools for Biblical Study; Deo Publishing, Blandford Forum (2006) 1–182 (BL)
115 George A. Kennedy, Nuovo Testamento e critical retorica This is an Italian translation of G.A. Kennedy, New Testament Interpretation through Rhetorical Criticism (University of North Carolina Press, 1984). Passages considered include John 13–17; the speeches in the book of Acts; 2 Cor; 1/2 Thessalonians, Galatians, and Romans. Studi biblici 151; Paideia Editrice, Brescia (2006) 1–214
116 Marc J. Debanné, Enthymemes in the Letters of Paul The enthymeme, a rhetorical figure of the form “Socrates is mortal, for he is human”, is often used in the Pauline letters. For an earlier, partial study of the subject of “premises analysis”, see D. Hellholm, in: T. Engberg-Pedersen (ed.), Paul in His Hellenistic Context, Minneapolis 1995, 119–179. – Essential reading for rhetorical critics. LNTS 303; T & T Clark International, London (2006) XVI/1–294
117 Yehoshua Gitay, Religion and Authority: The Role of Rhetoric as the Voice of Morality – a Prolegomenon This paper focuses on speech as an instrument of the human organs. We don’t see speech but we hear it and the words create pictures in our minds that stir our imagination. This paper deals with the effect of speech upon the hearers and discusses the role of the verbal effect known as Rhetoric, on Biblical Religion. Furthermore, the paper claims that Biblical Rhetoric, as an argumentative discourse is, at the end of the day, a manifestation of democracy in terms of the struggle between the proclamation of authority and the voice of human criticism that challenges the ultimate. Hence, speech is instrumental in forcing authority to explain or justify its deeds, therefore, substituting the power of authority with a matter of rational human persuasion. Scriptura 90/3 (2005) 859–866
118 David Rhoads, Performance Criticism: An Emerging Methodology in Second Testament Studies This paper argues for the centrality of performance in the life of the early church, an area of study that has been traditionally neglected. In light of some emerging trends, it proposes establishing of “performance criticism” as a discrete discipline in New Testament studies to address this neglect. In Part 1, the author lays out some features of oral cultures, the potential interplay between written and oral media, and the origins in orality of Second Testament writings. Then, he seeks to identify the various features of a performance event – performer, audience, material setting, social circumstances, and so on – as a basis to construct and analyze performance as the site of interpretation for Second Testament writings. In Part 2, he shows how performance criticism could draw upon resources from many established and some new disciplines
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of biblical scholarship as contributors to performance criticism. Finally, he suggests that performance criticism might engage the interpreter in the actual performing of texts, and he lays out the potential research benefits of such an exercise. BTB 36/3 (2006) 118–133, 36/4 (2006) 164–184
119 Pieter J.J. Botha, New Testament Texts in the Context of Reading Practices of the Roman Period: The Role of Memory and Performance Study of New Testament documents is often subject to the inappropriate assumption that “reading” entails disembodied decoding of inherent meanings. Reading is a complex activity which is part of a cultural system, to be understood within pertinent technological parameters. Memory was heavily emphasised in communication practices of the Roman Period, and a cultural-historical understanding of texts from that period should relate to such features. Scriptura 90/3 (2005) 621–640
Contextual exegesis: postcolonialism ★ feminism 120 André Kabasele Mukenge, Lire la Bible dans le contexte africain. Approche et perspectives Die Lebendigkeit biblischer Texte als Wort Gottes verlangt nach einer Aktualisierung dieser Texte im Kontext der jeweiligen Leser. Anhand gewählter Texte und Themen zeigt der Verf. welches Potenzial afrikanische Kultur als Kontext biblischer Lektüre besitzt, welche biblische Bücher (Ex, Am, Offb) und Themen (Befreiung aus der Sklaverei, soziale Gerechtigkeit, nationale Erneuerung, Stellung der Frau) besonderes Interesse in afrikanischen Gesellschaften erhalten. Als eine ‘neue Quelle der Information’ wird diese kontextuelle Vorgehensweise in der kurzen Würdigung von J. Barton auf S. 443–445 ausgezeichnet. VT.S 109; André Lemaire (ed.), Congress Volume Leiden 2004; Brill, Leiden (2006) 401–418 (DL)
121 Gerrie F. Snyman, Racial Performance and Religious Complicity: Racialised Discourse and Perpetrator Culture A review is presented of Kelley’s (2002) Racializing Jesus. Race, Ideology and the Formation of Modern Biblical Scholarship, in terms of the following question: “If the argument about Western culture’s complicity in racism is taken seriously, how does one move forward towards a hermeneutic that is racially sensitive but not racist?” In terms of the current trend of African discontent with the role of Western hermeneutics in Africa, the article questions the validity of the (general) accusation of Western complicity in the perpetration of racism when the accuser as victim appears to exploit categories of Western hermeneutics. Scriptura 90/3 (2005) 595–607
122 Gerald West, The vocation of an African biblical scholar on the margins of biblical scholarship Adopting a somewhat autobiographical stance, but risking also generalisations, the article reflects on the vocation of an African biblical scholar. Recognising the particular socio-historical contexts of South African biblical scholarship, the article begins with the story of a white male English-speaking South African biblical scholar situating himself within the broader South African and African scholarly terrain. From this specific social location, the article broadens out to examine the theoretical frames that shape the vocation of the African biblical scholar, to interrogate the accountability the African biblical scholar has to his/her local community and the responsibility she/he has towards
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the discipline of biblical studies, to analyse the relationship between criticality and faith, and to reflect on how all of this impacts on the pedagogy of the African biblical scholar. OTE 19/1 (2006) 307–336
123 Ernest van Eck, The Word is life: African theology as biblical and contextual theology This article reflects on the development of African theology from its beginning up to the end of the twentieth century. A critical assessment of this development and the current state of African theology is given. The future and possible shortcomings of African theology are also discussed. It is argued that for African theology to make a difference in a multi-cultural and multi-contextual Africa, it should consider being contextual and Biblical. For Christians the Word means life, is life, and promises life in its fullness. If African theology purports to be Christian, this should also be one of its premises. HTS 62/2 (2006) 679–701
124 Christo Lombaard, The relevance of Old Testament science in/for Africa: two false pieties and focussed scholarship The innumerable calls for Old Testament scholarship to be (more) relevant to the African continent have fallen into a number of traps, or ‘false pieties’. Two of these are the preference for hermeneutics to exegesis, and the conviction that the discipline must, and can, be inherently African / contextual / relevant. The constituencies of the academic pursuit of the Old Testament – university, church and society – cannot be better served, though, than by studies of the highest academic quality in the field. OTE 19/1 (2006) 144–155
125 Louis Jonker, From Multiculturality to Interculturality: Can Intercultural Biblical Hermeneutics be of any Assistance? First, this paper argues that a move from multiculturality to interculturality is needed in the South African society. Second, it investigates the intricate concept of “culture” which is shown as a very complex phenomenon what makes interculturality even more complex to analyze and achieve. Third, it is argued that certain developments in biblical hermeneutics could be of assistance in facilitating a move from multiculturality to interculturality in society. In this part of the article, a concept of intercultural biblical hermeneutics and its transformative potential is presented. Scriptura 91/1 (2006) 19–28
126 Jeremy Punt, Why not Postcolonial Biblical Criticism in (South) Africa: Stating the Obvious Or Looking for the Impossible? Postcolonial biblical criticism is eminently suitable for a context characterised by the lingering colonial legacy, the continuous threat of neo-colonialism, and the position of displaced persons and refugees. This article considers possible reasons for the failure of postcolonial criticism to impact upon biblical studies in (South) Africa on a large scale, when it offers such obvious hermeneutical potential, spin-offs, as well as the opportunity to approach the Bible from a different than the traditional vantage point. Scriptura 91/1 (2006) 63–82
127 Jeremy Punt, Using the Bible in post-apartheid South Africa: Its influence and impact amidst the gay debate The Bible has generated a significant reception history in the first decade of democratic, post-apartheid South Africa. Its reception history testifies to how the Bible was
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considered to be important across a broad spectrum of society, also contributing to believers’ lives and sense of self amidst the enormous changes in the country. Recent documents and decisions of the Dutch Reformed Church on homosexuality and the ensuing debates, highlight the influence and impact of Bible use in South Africa today. Examining different hermeneutical approaches to the Bible and using insights from reception theory, a number of interesting trends in the ongoing use and influence of the Bible are highlighted and discussed. HTS 62/3 (2006) 885–907
128 Néstor O. Míguez, Latin American Reading of the Bible: Experiences, Challenges and its Practice This article is a brief and unpretentious survey of the historical development of biblical interpretation in Latin America in the last part of the twentieth century, in order to help the reader to understand its present context. The author considers the question of interrelatedness of subjects, methods and context. He reflects on the existing conditions of biblical reading in the continent, according to the new experiences and situations in the framework of globalization. ET 118/3 (2006) 120–129
129 Knut Holter, Interpreting Solomon in colonial and post-colonial Africa The article analyses two sets of cases of how the Old Testament tradition about King Solomon has been interpreted in Africa. The first set dates back to colonial times and exemplifies how the Solomon tradition was linked to the discovery of Great Zimbabwe, in order to provide a biblical counterpart to the colonization of Africa. And the second set exemplifies how contemporary historical-critical Old Testament scholarship in Africa still reflects a hermeneutic framework of colonialism. OTE 19/3 (2006) 851–862
130 M. Coleman et al., Contextualisation of the gospel among Muslims Contextualisation is considered crucial in relating the gospel to culture. However, when reaching Muslims by means of the Christian gospel it is also important to evaluate the concept of contextualisation, as different approaches enable one to understand the mission to Muslims in different ways. There are still divergent views ranging from total rejection of any aspect of the Muslim culture and beliefs to full acceptance of the Muslim religious culture. Various exponents have attempted in different ways to deal with the issue. Phil Parshall is regarded as a leader in this field. This article suggests a holistic Scriptural view rather than accepting contextualisation as a means to relate the gospel to Muslims. This view is intrinsically bound to Scripture and the acceptance of Scripture as the revelation of God. It is argued that Muslims should be approached with great respect while emphasising the true revelation of God in Christ. ATh 26/2 (2006) 94–115
✩ 131 Holly Hearon et al., The Future of Feminist Biblical Scholarship This thematic issue of “Encounter” includes the following papers: H.E. Hearon, The construction of social memory in [feminist] biblical interpretation; E. Schüssler Fiorenza, Reaffirming feminist/womanist biblical scholarship; H.A. Yee, An autobiographical approach to feminist biblical scholarship; W. Gafney, A black feminist approach to biblical studies. Encounter 67/4 (2006) 343–403
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132 Hélène Cillières, L’utilisation des sources canoniques et apocryphes dans les études féministes chrétiennes. Lecture de l’œuvre d’Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza One of the major problems confronting the authors of Christian feminist studies arises from their being part of a religious institution whose bases they criticise. The dilemma seems deep and at the same time inevitable: is it not indeed contradictory for Christian feminists to belong to the Church, heir of a tradition which they condemn as “misogynist and androcentric”? Consequently, they question the concept of canonicity, considered the result of a process of “masculinisation” of the biblical corpus. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza presents an ultimate alternative in her two-volume work, Searching the Scriptures: within the framework of feminist research, she aims to take into account also the Christian apocryphal literature, which had not been “corrupted” by canonisation, and which can therefore shed light on the reality of women’s lives in ancient Christianity. ASEs 22/2 (2005) 445–454
133 Hayah Katz, Methodical Aspects in the Research of the Women Status in the Biblical Period (Hebr., Engl. summary) This article examines to what degree scholars’ personal stance, towards feministic ideology, may influence the conclusions drawn in their research and whether there is an intrinsic difference in the means adopted by disciplines in dealing with this matter. The author concludes that Bible scholars while dealing with gender issues show a proclivity towards interpretations stemming from feministic ideology, while this tendency is practically lacking from studies in the field of the archaeology of ancient Israel. It seems that this difference stems from the value attributed to the Bible as an important foundation document by both Jewish and Christian cultures. This importance attributed to the Bible is responsible for generating, from the outset, the value judgments which find expression in the conclusions drawn by scholars in their research. Beit Mikra 184 (2005) 72–84.93
134 Julia M. O’Brient, Who Needs the Old Testament? Von den Schwierigkeiten und Belastungen christlicher Gemeinden der USA im Umgang mit dem Alten Testament ausgehend, erörtert die Verf. Parallelen in den Interpretationen des ATs durch die westliche feministische Theologie und die palästinensische Befreiungstheologie. Als Interpretationsstrategien im Umgang mit diesem für beide Gruppen problematischen Teil der Bibel werden folgende Zugänge vorgestellt: 1. Kanon im Kanon – manche Teile der Bibel sind mehr autoritativ als andere; 2. Jesus als hermeneutischer Schlüssel für die gesamte Bibel; 3. Verortung im historischen Kontext verbunden mit einer notwendigen Neuinterpretation in der Gegenwart. Abschließend plädiert die Verf. für ‘ideological criticism’ als den angemessenen hermeneutischen Zugang sowohl zum Alten als auch zum Neuen Testament. ThRev 27/1 (2006) 16–33 (DL)
Philosophical criticism 135 Craig Y.S. Ho, The Cross-Textual Method and the J Stories in Genesis in the Light of a Chinese Philosophical Text This article consists of three parts: first, a critical reflection on Archie Lee’s proposal of a “cross-textual” hermeneutics; second, a review of his cross-textual reading of Genesis 1–3; and third, a new reading of some of the J stories in Genesis 2–28 in the light of the teaching of the Chinese philosopher Kâo Tsze is presented. Against Mencius’ view that virtues are innate, Kâo Tsze believes that human nature is neither good nor bad and argues that the two basic instincts “to eat and to mate” are the common nature
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that humans share with other animals. J. Barton praises this paper on pp. 445–448 as a creative supplement to the traditional Genesis interpretation influenced by NT and Christian tradition. VT.S 109; André Lemaire (ed.), Congress Volume Leiden 2004; Brill, Leiden (2006) 419–439
136 J.W. Gericke, The Quest for a Philosophical YHWH (Part 2): Philosophical Criticism as Exegetical Methodology In this article, second in a series, the primary concern lies with providing some introductory thoughts on the exegetical component of philosophical critical analysis, i.e. philosophical-criticism a new form of biblical criticism. In this type of exegesis the practitioner attempts the identification, abstraction and reconstruction of the ontological, metaphysical, moral, theological, epistemological and other assumptions in the biblical discourse so as to examine and discuss the philosophical questions these assumptions give rise to in their relation to one or more of the loci on the agenda of philosophy of religion. For the previous article with focus on the possibility of philosophical-critical analysis in biblical studies see OTE 18/3, 2005, 579–602; IRBS 52:1783. OTE 19/3 (2006) 1178–1192
Literary genres – stylistic devices 137 Flip Schutte, At the foot of Mount Olympus: A theory on myth A cult normally develops around myths and rituals. In this article myth as phenomenon is investigated. Different types and categories of myths are listed, while research done in the past on myths is also dealt with. Furthermore, the issue of ritual accompanying the myth is briefly discussed. This article wants to promote the notion that one does not need any particular worldview, be it mythological, orthodox, fundamentalistic, or biblisistic, to use, understand, and appreciate myths. Even in a postmodern world the value of myths can be appreciated. HTS 62/2 (2006) 577–605
138 Alphonso Groenewald, Mythology, poetry and theology Human beings have always been mythmakers. However, in view of the heavy negative connotations attached to the word “myth”, the aim of this article may, inter alia, be seen as an attempt to “rehabilitate” the word “myth” as a positive term in order to describe one of the most common genres within the Old Testament tradition. The author will indicate that the presence of myth is a common phenomenon in the Bible, and specifically in the Psalter (as poetry). The authors of the Psalms used (re-used) myth, the “mythical” and/or mythical allusions in order to express some of their most profound theologising about Yahweh – the God of Israel – as well as their relationship to that God. HTS 62/3 (2006) 909–924
139 Adeline Johns-Putta, The History of the Epic One could write a heavy tome entitled “the history of the epic”. The present study, written for a series of student textbooks, offers a survey that moves, in great rapidity, from Gilgamesh and Homer past Dante and Tasso to the modern world, in which ancient epic poetry is translated (such as by Alexander Pope), imitated (such as by Milton), or re-created in the form of prose fiction (by Cervantes, Fieling, and others). The book’s emphasis is on modern literature. Its final chapter deals, appropriately, with film. The book includes scholarly notes, a chronology, bibliographies and a filmography. – Regrettably, no mention is made of the one biblical book that includes epic elements: the book of Job. Palgrave Histories of Literature; Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills (2006) VIII/1–259 (BL)
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140 Wilfred G.E. Watson, The Study of Hebrew Poetry: Past – Present – Future Watsen, well known for his own contribution to the study of Old Testament poetry (Classical Hebrew Poetry: A Guide to Its Techniques; third ed. 1994, reprinted with corrections 1995), offers a survey of recent contributions to this field of research. LHBOTS 457; John Jarick (ed.), Sacred Conjectures; T & T Clark International, London (2007) 124–154 (BL)
141 Andreas Wagner (ed.), Parallelismus membrorum The “p. m.”, famously discovered by Robert Lowth, is here discussed by contributors writing on the Old Testament (W. Groß, M. Mark, K. Seybold), the Septuagint (E. Bons), and in other ancient literatures (H. Gzella, G. Moers, M. Streck, J. Genz), including, as a wonderful surprise, in ancient Near Eastern art (Astrid Nunn, pp. 185–237). Martin Mark’s contribution opens a chapter slightly different from that of the study of parallelism, or his main focus in on the “meter” in ancient Hebrew poetry, especially in the Psalms. This most welcome publication is introduced by the editor’s excellent paper on “Parallelismus memborum between poetic device and figure of thought”. OBO 224; Academic Press Fribourg, Fribourg (2007) VIII/1–300
142 Jeremy Corley, Rhyme in the Hebrew Prophets and Wisdom Poetry Using examples from the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah) and wisdom books (Proverbs, Job, Psalms, Ben Sira), this article suggests that the phenomenon of rhyme, while by no means ubiquitous, plays more than a marginal role in classical Hebrew poetry. Rhyme often has the structural function of delimiting poetic units, by marking the opening and closing lines. BN 132 (2007) 55–69
143 Klaus Seybold, Poetik der erzählenden Literatur im Alten Testament Seybold sketches ancient Israel’s narrative culture and characterizes the major narrative genres (esp. myth, folktale, legend, historical narrative, novellas, verse epic) on the basis of selected exemplary texts. The epic genre is represented by the Song of Deborah ( Judges 5; see pp. 212–220), the novellas of Ruth, Joseph (in Gen 37–50) and Esther (on p. 178 compared to tales from the Arabian Nights), while the book of Jonah is treated as a “legend”. Seybold also considers more comprehensive works such as the Yahwist, the Priestly Code, and the Deuteronomistic History. Rhetoric, narrative strategies, poetics, and style figure prominently in this delightful, successful, and completely undogmatic treatise. Kohlhammer Verlag, Stuttgart (2006) 1–331 (BL)
144 H.G.M. Williamson, Once upon a Time . . .? The paper explores the beginnings of Hebrew stories with folmulae such as wayyehî îsh (1 Sam 1:1); îsh hâyâ ( Job 1:1); shne "anâshîm hâyû (2 Sam 12:1). VT.S 113; Robert Rezetko et al. (eds.), Reflection and Refraction; Brill, Leiden (2007) 517–528 (BL)
145 Yairah Amit, Looking at History through Literary Glasses too In the biblical period, history writing either came into being or was energized after the downfall of the northern kingdom in the late eighth century BCE. The paper highlights the contribution of Nadav Na"aman to the study of biblical historiography. Yairah Amit et al. (eds.), Essays on Ancient Israel in Its Near Eastern Context; Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, Ind. (2006) 1–15 (BL)
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146 Baruch Alster, Narrative Surprise in Biblical Parallels Surprise is a common narrative technique, but as it is based on the implied reader’s ‘false impressions’, it undermines the reliability of the narrator, which can be a problem in biblical literature. This article attempts to show that the use of surprise in the Bible corresponds to each story’s literary and theological goals. Investigated are three pairs of parallel narratives: David’s bringing the Ark to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13 and 15; Moses’ sending messengers to Sihon in Deuteronomy 2 and Numbers 21; and the spies’ counsel against conquering the land in Deuteronomy 1 and Numbers 13–14. The first of each pair includes a narrative surprise, while the second conveys the same information without surprise. BI 14/5 (2006) 456–485
147 Jan-Wim Wesselius, From Stumbling Blocks to Cornerstones: The Function of Problematic Episodes in the Primary History and in EzraNehemiah Stories told twice, interruptions of an otherwise continuous narrative, chronological riddles in the text, identical beginning of the next story, ambiguous start of biographies: all of this is still unexplained, and documentary hypotheses cannot fully account for them. Narrative irregularities still form a challenge for the interpreter, and Wesselius shows how frequently this is the case in Genesis to 2 Kings (Primary History) and Ezra-Nehemiah. Riemer Roukema (ed.), The Interpretation of Exodus; Peeters, Leuven (2006) 37–63 (BL)
148 Susanne Gillmayr-Bucher, “Und es gab keinen Antwortenden”. Einseitige direkte Rede in biblischen Erzählungen A characteristic of biblical narrative is the high amount of direct speech. The narrating voice is accompanied by different voices which are engaged in lifely dialogues or present their ideas and reflections in a monologic way. This article focuses on monologic speech and simple unresolved dialogues. Analysing examples from the book of Judges the various occurrences are classified according to their function in the narration. PzB 15/1 (2006) 47–60
149 Bryan Estelle, The Use of Deferential Language in the Arsames Correspondence and Biblical Aramaic Compared This article discusses the use of four identifiable strategies of politeness in the Arsames Correspondence, and Biblical Aramaic, in order to contribute to the understanding of deferential language in these selected texts and in order to contribute to the understanding of the fields of Northwest Semitic languages, generally. These strategies are: the use of the indefinite or unspecified agent, the substitution of third-person forms for second-person and first-person forms including the indexing of social relationships through pronominal changes, deferential use of prepositions, and the use of vocatives and titles (A fifth and final strategy that could be discussed is the one that E.Y. Kutscher identified as the “majestic passive.”). Maarav 13/1 (2006) 43–74
150 Douglas Lawrie, Of proverbs, metaphors and platitudes The point of departure of this paper is that proverbs are related to both metaphors (generally highly valued) and platitudes or stereotypes (generally despised and distrusted). Moreover, it is often said, especially in non-Western societies, that proverbs embody wisdom. Drawing on Kenneth Burke’s “dramatistic” view of language and insights from developmental and cognitive psychology, this paper examines the complicated and
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paradoxical set of relationships between proverbs, metaphors, platitudes and wisdom. It looks at the various answers that scholars have proposed to the questions raised by proverbial wisdom. Finally, it suggests that the Western obsession with novelty may be excessive and may have led to a devaluation and misunderstanding of wisdom. JNWSL 32/2 (2006) 55–83
151 Richard S. Briggs, The Theological Function of Repetition in the Old Testament Canon It is notable feature of the Old Testament that several accounts or passages occur more than once, often in similar but not identical fashion. Such repetitions have often been a key feature leading to source-critical analyses of Old Testament texts, but several different types of examples of repetition are discussed in order to demonstrate that there is a bigger question to hand: why should the Old Testament canon be so marked by repetitions of material large and small? It is suggested that such repetition is not an unforeseen by-product of the editing and collation process, nor is it simply an editorial desire to include all tried and tested texts regardless of overlap. Rather repetition serves a theological function, which comes into focus when one considers Old Testament texts as a form of testimony. In the light of Deuteronomy 19:15 and questions of trustworthy testimony, it is suggested that textual repetition in the Old Testament serves to foreground a claim to the nature of these texts as reliable witness to the God of Israel. Some hermeneutical implications are explored briefly. HBT 28/2 (2006) 95–112
152 Tom Thatcher, Jesus the Riddler: The Power of Ambiguity in the Gospels In the 1968, Herbert Leroy (d. 2005) in his Tübingen thesis suggested that the gospel of John is built on the notion of the “riddle”, arguing that whenever outsiders listened to Johannine discourse, they were led to misunderstandings because they stood outside the Johannine community of knowledge. Later, Thatcher took up the subject, again with a focus on John. The present book, however, extends the enquiry, enlarging it to include the words of Jesus generally, and especially some of the parables. For Thatcher, the Kingdom of God is a community of knowledge, i.e. a group of people who could understand Jesus’ riddles and apply his way of thinking to their own lives. Jesus built his image of the Kingdom by using riddles and parables to subvert and realign normal ways of thinking and acting. – A delightful, illuminating study, highly relevant to understanding Jesus’ role as a “wisdom teacher”. Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Ky. (2006) XXVII/1–188 (BL)
BIBLICAL EXEGESIS Bible as a whole 153 Robert Althann (ed.), Elenchus of Biblica 2003 This famous, practically complete bibliography continues to appear regularly, and its compiler is to be thanked for his fine work. In many cases, books are now listed complete with prices and ISBN numbers. The number of the reviews listed seems to grow. Certain items marked with an asterisk (*) refer to electronic publications, most often to reviews published in the Review of Biblical Literature. The bibliography ends, as usual, with obituary notes; I list some of the names of scholars who died in 2003: Werner Dommershausen, Pierre Bonnard, Ferdinand Dexinger, Walter Rast, and Wilhelm Schneemelcher. May their work be remembered. Elenchus of Biblical Bibliography 19; Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, Rome (2006) 1–955 (BL)
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154 Walter Kasper (ed.), Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche This is a well-priced reprint of the 1990s edition of Germany’s Catholic theological encyclopedia, a work whose authority has been established, several generations ago, in the 1930s (see R. Kany, A Century of Catholic Theology Reflected in Three Editions of the Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, in: Journal of Religious & Theological Information 7, 1905, 9–27). Alphabetically arranged signed articles cover the entire field of theology. Its traditional strength is its coverage of biographical and topographical names as well as of key words of Catholic doctrine and canon law, i.e. its general focus is on ecclesiastical matters. Nevertheless, the book does have articles on the Bible. In fact, about 10% of the densely packed columns are filled with articles such as “Patriarch” (L. Ruppert, who defends the historicity of the biblical patriarchs), “Priesterschrift” (E. Zenger), “Dekalog” (F.L. Hossfeld), “Matthäusevangelium” (A. Sand) and “Korintherbriefe” (H. Merklein), generally reflecting mainstream scholarship represented by sub-editors Ernst Haag (OT) and Karl Kertelge (NT) and marked by a lack of interest in the history of religions. Interestingly, some leading German biblicists do not appear in the list of contributors: N. Lohfink, O. Keel. The reviewer’s browsing led to the discovery of a minor slip (vol. 2, col. 419 read Kutsch, not Kusch) and the prophetic statement that critique of papal pronouncements is both possible and indeed desirable. This statement is attributed to none other than J. Ratzinger, the present pope (vol. 10, col. 392, citing a 1969 publication). – The reprint retains the original size but uses thinner paper and a different binding; each volume has about 1500 cols. Verlag Herder, Freiburg (2006) vols. 1–11 (BL)
155 Joseph Blenkinsopp et al., Old Testament Survey – New Testament Survey The twelve volumes of the well-known New Interpreter’s Bible include comprehensive annotated introductions to individual biblical books and groups of books. All this material is here reprinted in two volumes – one with the OT and one with the NT articles – to make it available to those who cannot afford to buy the complete commentary set. In the OT volume one can find, among other interesting papers, Peter Miscall’s introduction to narrative literature and D. Smith-Christopher’s introduction to the book of Daniel. In the corresponding NT volume, R.C. Tannehill’s “The Gospels and Narrative Literature” is one of the highlights. Regrettably, there are no indexes in this otherwise commendable publication. The New Interpreter’s Bible; Abingdon Press/Alban Books, Nashville, Tenn. (2005) XV/1–577 (Old Testament); XI/1–399 (New Testament)
156 D.A. Carson, Three More Books on the Bible: A Critical Review In diesem Beitrag sind drei neuere, um eine Gesamtschau der biblischen Auslegung bemühte Werke rezensiert: John Webster, Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch, Cambridge 2003 (IRBS 50:2197); Peter Enns, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament, Grand Rapids 2005; N.T. Wright, Scripture and the Authority of God, London 2005 (in Amerika unter dem Titel The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture, San Francisco 2005, erschienen). Die drei Rezensionen bieten jeweils in einem ersten Teil die Zusammenfassung des zu besprechenden Werkes, an die sich in einem zweiten Teil die Kritik des Verfassers anschließt. Alle drei Werke beinhalten in unterschiedlicher Weise interessante und hilfreiche Innovationen, die allerdings auch neue Probleme mit sich bringen. TrinJ 27/1 (2006) 1–62 (DL)
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Digital media Internet ★ Bible software ★ research materials 157 Matthew W. Mitchell, Biblical Studies on the Internet Four websites are visited and assessed: The New Testament Gateway (www.ntgateway.com); iTanakh: Resources for Academic Study (www.itanakh.org); K.C. Hanson’s Homepage (www.kchanson.com); and The Orion center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls (http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il). In the assessment, The New Testament Gateway fares best as a user-friendly website offering many relevant links. RStR 32/4 (2006) 216–218 (BL)
✩ 158 Derek Olsen et al., Using Electronic Technologies in Exegesis This is an excellent survey of electronic resources for biblical studies, presented and analyzed in two sections. The first reviews electronic packages such as Logos Bible Software and Bible Works 7 – the latter is highly recommended. Apple users will appreciate the fact that a package called “Accordance 7” (by Oak Tree Software) is specially designed for them. The second section has an annotated list of websites and link lists useful for biblical studies, including specialized websites on the ancient Near East. John H. Hayes et al., Biblical Exegesis; Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Ky. (2007) 213–230 (BL)
159 Matthias Frey (programmer), Die Bibel 2007. Altes und Neues Testament This is a digital version, for the personal computer (but not for Macintosh), of the revised German Elberfeld Bible of 2006. This is a fairly literal, reliable, and conservative translation, used mainly by German Evangelicals. Between each verse, parallel passages are referenced, and sometimes brief explanations of individual words or expressions are offered. However, one of the viewing options allows the user just to see the continuous text. The disk also includes a little dictionary of Bible names, originally compiled for a printed edition in 1996. Practically all of the persons of the Bible are included, even minor characters. Some of the persons are given relatively long entries ( Jesus, Jeremiah, Qurinius, Rachel, and many more). This is an excellent tool for all who wish to work with a German literal translation of high quality. – One compact disk. R. Brockhaus Verlag, Wuppertal (2007) (BL)
160 Matthias Frey (ed.), Der Bibel.Stick Increasingly, it is not the compact disk but rather a miniature external storage stick, easily plugged into any personal computer, that serves to make large files, or sets of files, available for use. Here the complete text of the German Catholic Einheitsübersetzung is stored on a stick, and can be searched and in various ways manipulated with the help of Frey’s solid and user-friendly program. Compared to a normal compact disk, the stick has the advantage of not only storing the biblical text, but also having extra space ( just under 500 megabites) for storing other texts, e.g. textual selections or one’s notes and working files. Whoever works with the Einheitsübersetzung is currently best served with Der Bibel.Stick. Verlag Katholisches Bibelwerk, Stuttgart (2006) (BL)
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161 Scholar’s Collection 7.1 (Accordance Bible Software) The Hebrew text of the Old Testament (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia), the Novum Testamentum Graece (27th edition), the Septuagint (Rahlfs), the Vulgate, and a few English translations of the Bible (including the Apocrypha): this will always be the “core bundle” a biblical scholar needs on his desk. In the “Accordance” core bundle, all of these texts are included, and much more – such as several other Greek New Testaments (the textus receptus, for example), and the very detailed notes of the New English Translation (known as the NET Bible). And you klick on any word of the Hebrew Bible to see, at the lower margin of your screen, a full morphological analysis. Several other helpful tools are also included in the “core bundle”: the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (ed. by R.L. Harris, 1980), a glossary of biblical Aramaic, a grammar of the Septuagint (F.C. Conybeare et al., 1905), and a Latin dictionary. The surface is well organized and always tidy. Especially designed for Macintosh users, this software package may, within minutes, become your favorite Bible software. Much can be added to it, if you buy additional “unlock codes” for items such as the texts of the Mishnah or the works of Philo and Josephus. It is also not difficult to add, for example, the German Luther Bible (complete with notes), for an additional fee. The reviewer recommends the inexpensive “Training Seminar DVD” which gives a good basic introduction to practically all the features of the Accordance software. – More information can be found on the web; www.accordancebible.com. – One compact disk; the reviewer recommends it with enthusiasm. Accordance; OakTree Software, Altamonte Springs, Flor. (2006) (BL)
162 Die Mac Studienbibel: Stuttgart Original Language Collection All the essential tools for bible study are included in the “standard” version of this software package: texts – Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (complete with apparatus), the Septuagint (ed. Rahlfs), the Greek New Testament (Nestle and Aland, 27th ed., complete with critical apparatus), Vulgate; modern versions – King James Version (with Apocrypha), American Standard Bible; NET Bible (with notes that amount to being a full commentary); – dictionaries: Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament (with all items translated into German and English), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint (ed. J. Lust et al.), dictionary of New Testament Greek (in German by R. Kassühlke, in English by B.M. Newman). The entire package is specially designed for Macintosh users, and has all the virtues – tidiness of the screen, easiness of use, scholarly reliability of the texts and tools – for which OakTree’s “Accordance” software is already well known. This software package is highly recommended. It can be perfected by the purchase of a code that will unlock a few more items already installed on the compact disk; however, another option is to buy not this package but the slightly more expensive, but more comprehensive “Scholar’s Collection 7.1”, also by OarkTree. For those working on the Macintosh, “Accordance” is the trade mark that guarantees quality if not perfection. – For more information, consult www.scholarly-bibles.com. – One compact disk, highly recommended. OakTree Software, Altamonte Springs, Flor.; Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart (2006) (BL)
163 Bibleworks 7 Currently several digital packages for biblical studies are on the market. Among these, “Bibleworks”, first published in 1992, has become the most sophisticated philological tool. It enables the user to work with the Hebrew and Greek original texts and the Septuagint, and one can always view detailed explanations of grammatical forms (and, in the case of the New Testament, also sentence patterns) used in the original language texts. Many clever searches are also possible. Multiple English and other translations can easily be consulted, and even made regularly visible on the screen. Associated with the King James Version is the quaint (though historically interesting) eighteenthcentury biblical commentary by Matthew Henry (d. 1714; after his death completed by others). New in Bibleworks 7 is the NET Bible, a new American biblical translation
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with full exegetical notes; these now constitute the main and most reliable exegetical (and often linguistic) commentary on the Bible included in the package. One German translation, presented as “Herder 2005”, actually is a 1960s or so precursor of the more recent Einheitsübersetzung rather than a new German translation (I would replace it with something else in “Bibleworks 8”; why not include the Nova Vulgata instead?). Laudable, of course, is the package’s effort to make this important tool relevant for scholars working in German, Spanish, French, and a number of other languages. Anyone wishing to work with the original biblical text should use this excellent electronic tool. Highly recommended. – Six compact disks. Bibleworks, Norfolk, Va. (2006) (BL)
164 BibleWorkshop V. Die Bibel – Lesen. Verstehen – Anwenden. Mit dieser neuen Version von BibleWorkshops setzen die Herausgeber zum zehnjährigen Jubiläum der Software neue Standards für eine Multimedia-Bibelplattform. Das offene Programmkonzept ermöglicht die Integration von Modulen und Anwendungen außerhalb der BWS-Familie, welche mit den umfangreichen Wort- und Konkordanzfunktionen durchsucht werden können. Zu den auf den dank der DVD bereits verfügbaren Modulen gehören einige Bibelversionen (u.a. Schlachter 1951 und 2000, Neue Evangelistische Übertragung, Elberfelder 1905, Luther 1912, Vulgata, Kings James Bible, American Standard Bible) und drei Lexika (das Jerusalemer Bibellexikon, griech./deutsch. Strong Lexikon, und das Lexikon ‘Einzigartiges Israel’). Zu besonderen Vorzügen der Software gehört die integrierte Möglichkeit zur Aktualisierung über den Updatemanager. media C GmbH, Rennerod (2007) (DL)
✩ 165 Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament Known as HAL or HALOT, this is the standard Hebrew-English dictionary of the Old Testament, known for its emphasis on etymology, explanation of rare forms, and indication of relevant bibliography (though often a little dated now – but in Hebrew linguistics, progress is not as quick as in other fields of biblical research). The printed version of HALOT, in Brill’s study edition of 2001, comes in two volumes (CXII/1–906, and XIV/907–2094), but as soon as you wish to approach it with very technical questions, it is far from easy to consult. The HALOT Compact Disk produced by OakTree Software and published under the label “Accordance” is specially designed for Macintosh users. It is installed easily and can be used without complications. The first thing the reviewer noticed when opening HALOT on the screen was the clarity and legibility of the Hebrew characters – they are actually better legible than in the printed version. The most basic operations are: searches for specific Hebrew words and word forms (that the user types into a window, using the normal keyboard for Hebrew characters – the equations are quickly learned), searches for biblical passages (and the system has a high degree of tolerance of the forms used to abbreviate biblical books), and, very useful indeed, English words. Mention should also be made of the possibility to link HALOT to other modules of the Accordance series, especially to an edition of the Hebrew Bible. Once you have installed HALOT on your Macintosh computer, you are likely to use it very frequently. This excellent tool saves you much time and makes your lexical research more efficient than ever. – Information can be found on the web; www.accordancebible.com. – One compact disk. Accordance; OakTree Software, Altamonte Springs, Flor. (2006) (BL)
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166 Frederick William Danker (ed.), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature. Based on Walter Bauer’s Wörterbuch Walter Bauer’s Greek-German dictionary went through many editions, the last one being published in 1988 in a revision directed by Kurt and Barbara Aland. Danker’s English version, known as BDAG (Bauer/Arndt/Gingrich/Danker), is not simply derived from the 1988 edition; rather, it represents much independent lexicographic and bibliographic work here incorporated; so even the German user will not fail to benefit from consulting Danker’s 2000 edition, here offered in digital form. For the history of the English edition, see F.W. Danker, Multipurpose Tools for Bible Study, 1993, 117–120, who also points out that the German 1988 edition is not free from errors. BDAG, put on one compact disk by OakTree Software in this firm’s “Accordance” series, is easily installed on the Macintosh (for which it is specially designed) and works well. In fact, only those who use the digital version will be able to make full use of the treasures embodied in BDAG. Let the reviewer add that the search option, when he tested it, was very tolerant of all kinds of misspellings and inaccuracies – a tool, in other words, that is quite friendly even to beginners. OakTree is to be congratulated on the production of this fine and inexpensive tool. – More information can be found on the web; www.accordancebible.com. – The one compact disk stores not only BDAG, but also two fully searchable bibles in English: King James Version and American Standard Bible. Accordance; OakTree Software, Altamonte Springs, Flor. (2003) (BL)
167 Ehud Ben Zvi (ed.), Perspectives on Hebrew Scriptures: Comprising the Contents of Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, volumes 1–4 Thirty research papers are here printed for the first time, after they have been available in the open-access online “Journal of Hebrew Scriptures”, which can be consulted at the following address: www.arts.ualberta.ca/JHS. Added to the articles (pp. 1–552) is a substantial corpus of more than one hundred book reviews (pp. 554–925). It is an excellent idea to make this very useful scholarly material available in print, and we would urge librarians to buy the volume, even though at the time of writing this review (in January 2007), all of the papers included remain accessible online. It may well be that the Journal of Hebrew Scriptures has succeeded in establishing the precedent for future scholarly publishing as a process that involves two stages – the online stage followed by the print stage. Gorgias Press is to be commended for its willingness to publish this substantial volume in an attractive format. Gorgias Press, Picsataway/New Jersey (2006) XXIII/1–934 (BL)
168 Nouvelle Revue Théologique 1921–2000 This compact disk, usable for all current electronic systems, has stored the complete text of the NRTh, the well-known theological journal published in Brussels, Belgium. However, before being able to use the disk, one has to activate the access, which means the user has to send an e-mail message to an electronic address in Belgium, and from there receives a code that enables the user to activate the compact disk on just one computer. While this is an extremely useful resource for theological and exegetical studies, the editor is perhaps a little too protective of the electronic form of the series. – Available from Nouvelle Revue Théologique, 14 blvd. Saint-Michel, B-1040 Bruxelles, Belgium. – 1 compact disk. Nouvelle Revue Théologique, Bruxelles (2005) (BL)
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audio bibles ★ non-biblical electronic media 169 Sven Görtz, Die Bibel. Altes und Neues Testament This audiobook consists of 7 compact disks (“mp 3”) with the spoken text of the OT, and 3 compact disks with the spoken text of the NT. Each disk stores the reading of between nine and twelve hours, and the entire Bible can be listened to in a little more than 105 hours. The reader, b. 1967, has read other books, including Goethe. The speaker’s experience is in evidence throughout, and he is to be recommended for his ability to make the listener hear the difference between poetry and prose. The German translation used is the fairly literal and occasionally a little awkward Elberfeld version published in 1871 (rather than one of the more recent editions of the same translation). Having listened to other audio Bibles in German, the reviewer feels that this one belongs with the top two in quality. – Ten compact disks in a box. Diogenes Hörbuch; Diogenes Verlag, Zürich (2006) (BL)
170 Burkhard Behnke et al., Die Bibel – Das Alte Testament, Das Neue Testament Four speakers (all men) plus a guest speaker (Peter Sodann) read all biblical books, though not the apocrypha such as the books of Tobit and Judith. Disk 1 has the Old Testament audio files, disk 2 those of the New Testament. The guest speaker offers a second – and quite convincing – reading of selected passages: Genesis 6–8, Psalm 23, Matthew 5–7 (Sermon on the Mount). In addition to the audio files, each of the two DVD disks also includes textual files with the full text of the Bible in Luther’s translation (revised text of 1912, again without the apocrypha), otherwise available as vol. 29 of Digitale Bibliothek (Directmedia, Berlin). The quality of the reading is superior to any other audio bible in German that I had occasion to evaluate (see also the assessment given by H. Kurzke in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, December 16, 2006). However, I would have wished the accompanying booklets to be more substantial. – Set of two DVD disks. Aretinus Gesellschaft für Musikarchivierung/Directmedia, Berlin (2006) (BL)
171 Rainer Unglaub, Das erste Buch Mose Published in 2002 and still available in Compact Disk format, this is part of one of the first commercially available German audio bibles. Rainer Unglaub reads Luther’s translation in its 1984 revision. Ironically, this first major attempt is still superior to many, if not most, other attempts to produce a viable audio bible. However, this one does have its flaws. Thus the narrative flow is interrupted by the reader’s insertion of “chapter 1”, “chapter 2”, etc., as if this were part of the text; the insertion reminds the listener that a text is being read, and not a story told. This may well have been what the producer had in mind, but it tends to detract from the story itself. Another problematic feature (not of Genesis, but of other parts of this audio book) is that only one voice is used; a certain variation of voices, including the use of a female one, would certainly have increased the pleasure of listening. Nevertheless, this is an accomplished audio bible, and Germans will certainly enjoy listening to it many times. – Available from IC Medienhaus, Max-Eyth-Str. 41, D-71088 Holzgerlingen, Germany. ERF Verlag, Holzgerlingen (2002), 4 compact disks (BL)
172 Yves Robert Buergi, Die Hörbibel. Hoffnung für alle “Hoffnung für alle” is the title of a dynamic version of the New Testament in German, produced by and for Christians belonging to the more conservative spectrum. Its 2002 edition has been discussed controversially (see IRBS 51:62; 50:76). The Swiss speaker (b. 1932) reads the entire translation. This seems to be the only “dynamic” translation of the NT currently available as a German audio book. Critically, one might argue
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that a variety of speakers, rather than a single one, would have made listening more enjoyable. – Two compact video disks in MP3 format. Brunnen Verlag Basel, Basel (2007) (BL)
173 Roswitha Schilling et al., Mitgehört. Der Originalton zur Zürcher Bibel Passages from the new German Zurich Bible (2007) are here read by Swiss actors. The reading is arranged so that within each text, several voices alternate, generally spoken by a male and a female speaker, which brings some of the texts alive, but is a little irritating in others. The books read in entirety are Ruth, Jonah, and the Song of Songs, but there are also generous selections from other biblical books, esp. from the Psalms and the parables of Jesus. Excerps from extrabiblical text are also included in the collection: Gilgamesh, the Sun hymn of Akhenaten, and some religious texts from late antiquity. The listeners get a guided tour through the Bible in about six hours. Regrettably, the accompanying leaflet does not offer more than a list of the texts read. – Set of 5 compact disks. Theologischer Verlag Zürich, Zürich (2007) (BL)
174 Hannelore Hoger et al., Die schönsten Geschichten aus dem Alten Testament Each of the two compact disks of this series records the readings of a number of wellselected biblical texts, spoken by major German actors. The readings, taken from Luther’s translation, are interspersed with music. All the recordings were made in St. Michael’s of Hamburg, Germany, and originally broadcast. Those who prefer anthologies to continuous readings of longer sections of the Bible are well served with this collection. The two hours of listening to readings and music are well spent. – Two compact disks. Hörbuch Hamburg Verlag, Hamburg (2003) (BL)
✩ 175 A. Kaiser (ed.), Bilder-Conversations-Lexikon, 1837–1841 This is a digitalized version of a four-volume German encyclopedia of general knowledge, specifically designed for the general reader. The reference to illustrations included in the title is meant to highlight the fact that the encyclopedia’s specialty is the insertion of numerous illustrations (actually, 1238 figures and 45 maps), though many entries remain without the benefit of pictorial presentation. Many articles on religion are included; all of them are ecumenical in spirit, demonstrating an enlightened attitude of the early nineteenth-century German bourgeoisie. As usual, the quality is superb, though I have detected one minor mistake in the digitalization – the entry “Keiserkeit” should be read “Heiserkeit”. – A treasure for the cultural historian. – One compact disc. Digitale Bibliothek 146; Directmedia, Berlin (2006) (BL)
176 Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli (ed.), Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens Published in ten volumes between 1927 and 1942, this “Encyclopaedia of German Superstition” defines its subject as essentially meaningless or objectionable beliefs and practices, mostly based on magical notions, and different from true religion, understood as devotion to a supreme power that guides human life. While this encyclopaedia’s definition of, and focus on, “superstition” (rather than popular beliefs), has always remained controversial (see Chr. Daxelmüller’s long introductory essay, written for the
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1987 reprint and included in the digital edition), the volumes are a mine of information and a monument of German learning produced in a problem-ridden period of German history. Due to the lack of a similar, more recent work, scholarship still much depends on the “Handwörterbuch” edited by the Swiss folklorist Bächtold-Stäubli (1886–1941). Martina Goedel of Directmedia is to be thanked for supervising the digitalization and making this an efficient and user-friendly scholarly resource. One cannot but admire the Digitale Bibliothek, the spearhead of Germany’s digital publishing. – One compact disk and instruction booklet. Digitale Bibliothek 145; Directmedia, Berlin (2006) (BL)
177 Legendäre Lexika: Brockhaus – Herder – Herloßsohn – Meyer – Pierer This video-disk (DVD ROM) stores fully and easily searchable digital versions of five classical German encyclopedias of the nineteenth century. The eight volumes of the first Brockhaus (1809–11) takes us back to the days of Goethe, the five huge tomes of the Catholic Herder encyclopedia (1854–57) provide insight into conservative Catholic culture, while Meyer (1905–1909) and Pierer (1857–65) are still worth consulting for hard-to-find factual information, especially in the areas of history, geography, and biography. The much smaller Herloßsohn (1834–38) for women is perhaps added for its entertainment value, though the cultural historian may consult it with profit. Once again, one cannot but admire the technical skill with which Directmedia of Berlin has handled the difficulties of digitalizing the huge and crammed pages with text in type fonts no longer used today. – Recommended for all digital research collections. Digitale Bibliothek, Sonderband; Directmedia, Berlin (2006) (BL)
178 Edward Gibbon, Verfall und Untergang des römischen Imperiums. Bis zum Ende des Reiches im Westen Gibbon (1737–1797) completed his “History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” in 1787, and it was first published in 1776–88. Covering the 2nd to 15th centuries, it ranks as the unrivaled masterpiece of historiography written in the eighteenth century, and still finds its readers. The present compact disk edition offers, for the German reader, the complete text of a new, annotated German translation (first published by Deutscher Taschenbuch-Verlag, 2003), accompanied by Wilfried Hippel’s long, intelligent essay on Gibbon. Whereas the majority of digital books are old, outof-copyright volumes, the Directmedia company now has begun to depart from this approach by including very recently published major works in its unrivaled digital library. German historians can only be grateful for the production of this fine work. – One compact disk. Digitale Bibliothek 161; Directmedia, Berlin (2007) (BL)
179 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Leben und Werk This Compact Disk, edited by Mathias Bertram, offers the text of Goethe’s works, letters, diaries, and conversations, on the basis of the best critical editions currently available. For the works, this is generally the Hamburg edition (published in print by C.H. Beck, Munich) that is here printed without its extensive notes. Added is a chronological table, a folder of 15 portraits, an extended biographical sketch by Anja Höfer (pp. 49–338, complete with basic bibliography and index) and Michael Lösch’s “Who’s who bei Goethe” (pp. 339–1064) – in other words: everything needed for research on Germany’s most important author of early-modern times. The editor is to be thanked for having included the complete corpus of letters and conversations, texts not only hard to come by but also hard to handle in the existing printed editions. Even the most stubborn lover of the printed page will understand the usefulness of at least this section of “Goethe digitalized”. The entire Goethe corpus can be searched easily and efficiently. This excellent, near-complete Goethe library is offered for the miracle price of less than 20 Euros – a bargain. Digitale Bibliothek Sonderband; Directmedia, Berlin (2006) (BL)
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180 Oswald Spengler, Der Untergang des Abendlandes. Ausgewählte Schriften The German historian and philosopher Spengler (1890–1936) held no academic position; living as a high-school teacher and private scholar, he was an outsider. Yet his “Decline of the West” (vol. 1, 1918; vol. 2, 1922) was a best-selling treatise of historical morphology, inspired, it seems, by Nietzsche. The present digital version, based on the best available printed editions, comes close to offering Spengler’s collected works, because it includes, apart from Spengler’s best-known “Untergang des Abendlandes”, several other works, such as “Der Mensch und die Technik. Ein Beitrag zur Philosophie des Lebens” (1931) and the posthumously published fragments, edited in 1966 as “Frühzeit der Weltgeschichte”, where Spengler reasserts his notion of the tragic meaning of history. Spengler was one of the most brilliant German writers of his day. The digital edition will bring an important oeuvre into all scholarly libraries, both private and public. – One compact disk. Digitale Bibliothek 152; Directmedia, Berlin (2007) (BL)
181 Eddy Leon Heinig (ed.), 40.000 Meisterwerke This is a very rich pictorial archive that covers all periods of (mostly, though not exclusively) Western art history up to the early twentieth century. Each item is accompanied by a brief catalogue entry listing the artist’s name (if known), the date, a designation of the period (such as baroque), and the museum location, with occasionally some more information of interest. Disk 1 stores paintings, disk 2 drawings, including etchings, woodcuts, lithographs, and the like. Generally, the resolution of the individual pictorial files is sufficient to allow for close viewing of details, though there is an occasional exception. Due to Directmedia’s unrivaled software that works equally well on the Macintosh and the Personal Computer, all kinds of searches can be done quickly and efficiently within this multi-purpose collection. In the long run, however, art historians are likely to need more specialized pictorial collections, either on individual artists or groups of artists, this general archive demonstrates the viability of the new medium and its potential for development. The box in which the two disks are sold is a little too big, apparently designed to be an eye-catcher in the shop rather than to serve as a convenient cover for the two high-density videodisks. – Highly recommended. The Yorck Project; Zenodot/Directmedia, Berlin (2007) (BL)
182 Vincent van Gogh, Briefe – Gemälde – Zeichnungen. Ed. by Werner Milstein This unique Compact Disk offers a complete, or almost complete, van Gogh library: a German translation of the letters (Sämtliche Briefe, trans. by Eva Schumann, Berlin 1965–68, 6 vols.) and a gallery of more than five hundred oil paintings and (lesser known to the non-specialist) drawings of the artist. Whenever a painting or drawing is mentioned in the letters, one can by mouseclick conjure up the relevant picture, and this is only one of the many technical features for which Berlin’s by now well-known Digitale Bibliothek is known and indeed celebrated. Van Gogh (1853–1890), son of a pastor, was a deeply religious man, as is evident from many of his letters, notably the one dated September 17, 1875 – “Let us also pray so that we become rich in God”. Biblical motifs are scattered throughout his work: The Good Samaritan (1890, after Delacroix), The raising of Lazarus (1889), Angel (1889), Pietà (1889). – A wonderful addition to the fabulously growing digital library. Digitale Bibliothek 142; Directmedia, Berlin (2006) (BL)
183 Robert S. Nelson et al. (eds.), Holy Image – Hallowed Ground: Icons from Sinai This is a beautiful, large-size catalogue of an exhibition held at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California. It includes 272 plates (mostly in colour), an annotated
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catalogue of the icons and other objects shown, and the following papers: R.S. Nelson, Where God walked and monks pray; Th.F. Mathews, Early icons of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine at Sinai; J. Sinaites, The Sinai Codex Theodosianus, K.M. Collins, Visual piety and institutional identity at Sinai. All the papers include substantial notes and bibliographic references. The volume is accompanied by a Compact Disc (DVD format) with a 27-minute film about the Sinai monastery and interviews. – This is an important resource on icons and the visual world of Eastern Christianity. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (2006) XVI/1–304 (BL)
OLD TESTAMENT EXEGESIS Introduction – general 184 Erich Zenger et al., Einleitung in das Alte Testament This is the sixth edition of a book first published in 1995, a survey, by German Catholic authors, of Old Testament research. From the first edition’s 447 pp. the volume grew to 598 pp. Substantial additions have been incorporated by Zenger into the section dealing with the Pentateuch, though the general approach favoured remains the “German”, literary-critical one, while alternative models are not considered. There is also now a long chapter, by H.-J. Fabry, on the textual history of the Bible (pp. 34–59). This is an eminently useful book – at least for those interested in what German scholars think about the individual biblical books. In the case of the book of Psalms, the relevant section is the best summary of the as yet incomplete commentary by Zenger and F.-L. Hossfeld. If the project is to be continued, one should presumably improve the maps, especially the one on p. 589. Studienbücher Theologie; Verlag W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart (2006) 1–598
185 Enrique Sanz Giménez-Rico, Profetas de misericordia. Transmisores de una palabra Five chapters discuss as many sections of the Bible: the story of Joseph in Genesis, the story of Samuel (1 Sam 1–12), Moses as intercessor (with a note on Ignatius of Loyola), the tale of the prophet Jonah, and the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). The interpretative text is accompanied by references to scholarly literature. – Available from: San Pablo, Resina 1, 28021 Madrid, Spain. Teología Comillas; Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid (2007) 1–221
186 Robert P. Gordon, Hebrew Bible and Ancient Versions. Selected Essays The present volume republishes twenty-eight papers by one of the leading British biblical scholars. Several essays survey current debates and may serve as an introduction to the current state of biblical scholarship: Simplicity of the highest cunning; narrative art in the OT (pp. 22–37); Compositeness, conflation and the Pentateuch (pp. 47–56); A story of two paradigm shifts (in prophetic research; pp. 101–119); Where have all the prophets gone? The “disappearing” Israelite prophet against the background of ancient Near Eastern prophecy (pp. 132–148); Present trends and future directions (in research on the prophetic books; pp. 149–153); Comparativism and the God of Israel (pp. 180–196). These essays, read together, form a something like a separate book one could entitle: The present state of OT research. Society for Old Testament Study Series; Ashgate, Aldershot (2006) XXXI/1–375 (BL)
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187 Tremper Longman et al., An Introduction to the Old Testament First published in 1994 and now thoroughly revised for the second edition, this scholarly introduction proceeds book by book, beginning with Genesis and Exodus, and ending with Zechariah and Malachi. Longman belongs to the more conservative end of the varieties of biblical criticism, though it must be said that his judgment is judicious and cautious enough to appeal to a wide variety of students and scholars. Two observations may be singled out for their uncompromising clarity: (1) at the present time scholarship traditional source criticism of the Pentateuch is on the wane in all circles; (2) many scholars have increasingly questioned whether the tools of critical scholarship permit the fine dissecting of biblical books, especially in a book as small as Amos (pp. 47 and 427). For those with specific interest in NT theology, the author has appended a section entitled “approaching the NT” to each of the chapters. Longman, whose co-author R. Dillard has died, is known for his commentary on Ecclesiastes (1998), Daniel (1999), the Song of Songs (2001), and the prophet Nahum (1993). – Recommended. Apollos/Intervarsity Press, Nottingham (2007) 1–528 (BL)
Pentateuch and historical books Pentateuch: general – Yahwist – Elohist – Priestly Code ★ Deuteronomists 188 Russell E. Gmirkin, Berossus and Genesis, Manetho and Exodus The author proposes a new theory regarding the date and circumstances of the composition of the Pentateuch, a theory broadly in keeping with the Copenhagen school of exegetical research. The Hebrew Pentateuch was composed in its entirety ca. 273–272 BCE by Jewish scholars at Alexandria, at a moment that later tradition credited with the translation of the Pentateuch into Greek. The primary evidence is literary dependence of Gen 1–11 upon Berossus’ “Babyloniaca” (278 BCE) and dependence of the exodus story upon Manetho’s “Aegyptiaca” (ca. 285–280 BCE). Moses was presumably modelled after King Nectanebos II (359–343 BCE) or, more precisely, legends connected with the last ruler of Egypt. The present book claims that on the basis of the interpretetion suggested, the chronological framework still adopted by many OT specialists is definitively overthrown, as is the so-called documentary hypothesis. LHBOTS 433; T & T Clark International, London (2006) XII/1–332 (BL)
189 Bernard M. Levinson, The Manumission of Hermeneutics: The Slave Laws of the Pentateuch as a Challenge to Contemporary Pentateuchal Theory The three manumission laws of the Pentateuch (Exod 21:2–6; Lev 25:39–46; Deut 15:12–18), along with their narrative reflex in Jeremiah 34, intrinsically raise the issue of the relative dating, literary relation, and direction of influence of the literary sources of the Pentateuch. They served among the key cases to develop the classical model of the sequence of the legal collections: Covenant Code – Deuteronomy 12–26 – and the Holiness Code (Lev 17–26) which has been challenged recently by some scholars. Still other scholars have challenged the validity of diachronic analysis altogether or have argued that the laws allude to biblical narratives. With the foundations of pentateuchal theory thus in flux, this paper investigates the methodological assumptions involved in both the classical model and its challenges. At a number of points, standard models of text composition that prevail in the discipline, whereby composition and redaction are viewed as mutually exclusive, obscure the sophistication of these texts. Underlying this investigation is the conviction that the analysis of biblical law and legal history provides an essential foundation for the renewal of contemporary pentateuchal theory. VT.S 109; André Lemaire (ed.), Congress Volume Leiden 2004; Brill, Leiden (2006) 281–324
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190 Thomas B. Dozeman et al. (eds.), A farewell to the Yahwist? The Composition of the Pentateuch in Recent European Interpretation The general idea of recent European research on the Pentateuch is that it was the postexilic Priestly group of authors who combined Genesis and Exodus. But as for details, there is much disagreement – and some American scholars do not accept the late dating of the combination of Exodus and Genesis. – Th. Römer, The elusive Yahwist: a short history of research; K. Schmid, The so-called Yahwist and the literary gap between Genesis and Exodus; A. de Pury, The Jacob story and the beginning of the formation of the Pentateuch; J.Chr. Gertz, The transition between the books of Genesis and Exodus; E. Blum, The literary connection between the books of Genesis and Exodus and the end of the book of Judges; Th.B. Dozeman, The commission of Moses and the book of Genesis. Responses by Chr. Levin, J. Van Seters, and D.M. Carr conclude the volume. SBL Symposium Series 34; Atlanta, Ga. (2006) VIII/1–197 (BL)
191 Georg Fischer, The Need for a New Vision of the Torah This paper discusses unresolved issues of Pentateuchal research in three case studies: (1) A narrative like Exod 3–4, divided for a long time by the tools of source criticism, deserves to be treated as a coherent unit. (2) The last stronghold for Pentateuchal theories, the Priestly Code, is in fact quite weak, for the texts ascribed to it are more easily explained as components of their surroundings. (3) A figure like Jacob, in an extensive development over half of the book of Genesis, draws attention to larger compositional units. Altes Testament und Moderne 20; Eckart Otto et al. (eds.), A Critical Study of the Pentateuch; Lit Verlag, Münster (2006) 62–73 (BL)
192 Eckart Otto, The Pentateuch between Synchrony and Diachrony The author first sketches the Pentateuch’s own notion of its literary development in order then to summarize his own notion of textual development out of four original smaller textual units: the primeval history, the patriarchal history, the Moses-Exodus narrative, and the Covenant Code. Altes Testament und Moderne 20; Eckart Otto et al. (eds.), A Critical Study of the Pentateuch; Lit Verlag, Münster (2006) 22–49 (BL)
193 Wilfried Warning, Terminological Patterns and the Decalogue The “terminological reading” of the canonical text shows: First, both versions of the Decalogue seem to be outlined through the thirteen-part terminological pattern based on the particle lo “not”; second, the seven-part verbal links resting on the verbs zkr “remember” in Exodus and nw˙ “rest” in Deuteronomy indicate that both versions have been integrated into the respective narrative context; third, the linguistic linkages founded on the rare words ˙ms “covet”, “w’ “vanity”, tmwnh “likeness; form”, and the root psl “to carve” / “carved image” bring to light the (terminological) interrelatedness of Ex 20,1–17 and Dtn 5,6–21. ZDPV 118/4 (2006) 513–522
194 John Van Seters, The Patriarchs and the Exodus: Bridging the Gap between Two Origin Traditions The two traditions were combined by an author and historian – the Yahwist. “P” must be viewed as an extensive revisionist supplement, but no further editors are needed to account for the present corpus in the continuity between Genesis and Exodus. Riemer Roukema (ed.), The Interpretation of Exodus; Peeters, Leuven (2006) 1–15 (BL)
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195 Tzemah Yoreh, Elohim, the God of Israel (Hebr., Engl. summary) This short article shows that the Jacob-Israel variation used by documentary scholars, to distinguish between the J and E sources, is employed incorrectly. According to the documentary hypothesis, J uses the name Israel beginning in Genesis 37, whereas E uses Jacob in this same pericope. The article submits that the opposite is true, i.e. that E used the name Israel, and J preferred the name Jacob. Beit Mikra 184 (2005) 85–92.93
196 Jeremy Northcote, The Lifespans of the Patriarchs: Schematic Orderings in the Chronogenealogy A remarkable numerical schema is revealed when the lifespan notices for the generations from Adam to Moses in the Masoretic version of the Pentateuch are added together – 12,600 years. It is suggested that this schema has eschatological connotations that relates to the 1,260 days mentioned in Daniel and Revelation. The possibility that the lifespan notices developed from an earlier, progenitor chronology that originally tallied 12,000 years is also discussed, and the relationship between this schema, the surrounding patriarchal narratives and other Near East chronological traditions is examined in terms of the textual development of the Old Testament lifespan tradition. VT 57/2 (2007) 243–257
✩ 197 Thomas C. Römer, The So-Called Deuteronomistic History. A Sociological, Historical and Literary Introduction This is a paperback edition of the original, English version of “La première histoire d’Israël” (2007). Römer suggests a new synthesis of research on a body of literature that is central to the Hebrew Bible. – Recommended as the most sophisticated literary theory on the Deuteronomist(s) currently available. T & T Clark, London (2007) X/1–202
198 Thomas Römer, La première histoire d’Israël. L’Ecole deutéronomiste à l’oeuvre This French version of “The So-Called Deuteronomic History” (2006) offers a new reconstruction of the literary history of what Old Testament critics have termed the Deuteronomistic History. Römer suggests that we should distinguish between a seventhcentury collection of Deuteronomistic books and their collection into a more or less unified corpus in the exilic period. The unified corpus presupposes the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. – The book also includes a survey of the contemporary discussion on its subject (pp. 19–50). The author is among the leading specialists in ancient Israelite prose literature. Le Monde de la Bible 56; Labor et Fides, Genève (2007) 1–216 (BL)
199 Kurt L. Noll, Deuteronomistic History or Deuteronomic Debate? (A Thought Experiment) This study intends to replace Martin Noth’s Deuteronomistic History hypothesis with an approach that makes better use of all available data. Three thesis statements establish a new paradigm for future research. First, to the extent that they have Deuteronomy in view, the Former Prophets represent not a deuteronomistic ideology, but a Deuteronomic debate. Second, the like-minded intellectuals who produced these scrolls did not intend to create authoritative scripture because their writings were not intended for mass consumption. Third, each book of the Former Prophets presents a distinctive pattern of response to Deuteronomy, usually negative but occasionally positive. In sum, what we
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have in the Former Prophets is a conversation with Deuteronomy. What we do not have, except for a few late glosses, is deuteronomism. JSOT 31/3 (2007) 311–345
200 Raymond F. Person, The Deuteronomic History and the Books of Chronicles: Contemporary Competing Historiographies The Deuteronomic History and Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah are historiographies from different competing, contemporary scribal groups, active in the Persian period. See also R.F. Person, The Deuteronomic School, 2002. VT.S 113; Robert Rezetko et al. (eds.), Reflection and Refraction; Brill, Leiden (2007) 315–336 (BL)
201 Uwe Becker, Endredaktionelle Kontextvernetzungen des Josua-Buches Joshua 23–24 is a complex text, built of several textual layers. Some of these layers seek to integrate the book of Joshua with Genesis to Kings. Interestingly, the Septuagint version of Joshua develops this integrative program even further. One implication of this insight is that the notion of a Deuteronomistic History, compiled as a work with a unified perspective (M. Noth), is unwarranted. BZAW 365; Markus Witte et al. (eds.), Die deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerke; de Gruyter, Berlin (2006) 139–161 (BL)
202 Udo Rüterswörden, Erwägungen zum Abschluss des deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerkes The author seeks to defend the unity of the Deuteronomistic History, for this work seems to presuppose the end of the monarchy. Its assessment of the individual kings is retrospective in nature. Erfuter theologische Studien 90; Susanne Gillmayr-Bucher et al. (eds.), Ein Herz so weit wie der Sand am Ufer des Meeres; Echter Verlag, Würzburg (2006) 193–203
203 Eckart Otto, Das postdeuteronomistische Deuteronomium als integrierender Schlußstein der Tora The canonical Pentateuch, with its inclusion of Deuteronomy, is a post-Deuteronomistic composition, as can be seen from an analysis of Deut 34, a text that harks back to Genesis, while separating the Pentateuch from the book of Joshua. Read from the vantage point of the book of Deuteronomy, the entire Pentateuch must be read with law and legal dispositions in mind. BZAW 365; Markus Witte et al. (eds.), Die deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerke; de Gruyter, Berlin (2006) 71–102 (BL)
204 Winfried Thiel, Grundlinien der Erforschung des “Deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerks” Thiel sketches the debates about the Deuteronomistic History, with a focus on the question whether the work has “two textual layers” (school of F.M. Cross) or “three layers” (Göttingen school). BThSt 80; W. Thiel, Unabgeschlossene Rückschau; Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn (2007) 63–81 (BL)
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205 Konrad Schmid, Hatte Wellhausen Recht? Das Problem der literarhistorischen Anfänge des Deuteronomismus in den Königsbüchern It may be advisable to return to Wellhausen’s idea that there was a pre-exilic Deuteronomist whose work ended at 2 Kings 23. This notion has been forgotten by German Protestant exegetes who generally believe that Deuteronomism is an exilic or postexilic phenomenon. See also: K. Schmid, in: ThR 69 (2004) 314–328. BZAW 365; Markus Witte et al. (eds.), Die deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerke; de Gruyter, Berlin (2006) 19–43 (BL)
206 Eckart Otto, Zur Geschichte der deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerke. Anmerkungen zu einem Entwurf von Thomas Römer Der Beitrag setzt sich mit einem neueren Entwurf von Thomas Römer zur Geschichte der deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerke auseinander. Der Titel lautet The So-Called Deuteronomistic History. A Sociological, Historical and Literary Introduction (London 2006). Im Gegensatz zur einlinig dtr Redaktion eines Deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerkes (Dtn – 2 Kön), einer Auffächerung in drei nahe beieinander liegende deuteronomistische Redaktionsgeschichten und einer blockweisen Erweiterung eines vorexilisch-josianischen Geschichtswerks in der Exilszeit sieht Römer eine zeitlich langgestreckte Literaturgeschichte des sogenannten Deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerkes in neuassyrischer, neubabylonischer und persischer Zeit. Im Zentrum steht die Dreischichtigkeit von Dtn 12, die den genannten Epochen zugeordnet wird. ZABR 12 (2006) 354–361 (EB)
207 John Van Seters, The Deuteronomist – Historian or Redactor? From Simon to the Present Richard Simon in the seventeenth century first suggested that the work today generally attributed to the Deuteronomist was a compiler of material that already existed. This theory continued to be elaborated down to our own day, although there is little evidence for it. Van Seters argues that one should abandon this notion and return to the idea of an actual author, as was suggested by Martin Noth. See also IRBS 50:148. Yairah Amit et al. (eds.), Essays on Ancient Israel in Its Near Eastern Context; Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, Ind. (2006) 359–375 (BL)
208 John Harvey, The Structure of the Deuteronomistic History The author of Joshua-Kings structured his history after a land-monarchy-centralized worship rubric. Joshua-Judges and 1–2 Kings bracket the books of Samuel as parallel panels: just as the Deuteronomic promise of land is realized in Joshua only to be compromised in Judges, so the Deuteronomic promise of centralized worship is realized in 1 Kings 1–11 only to be compromised in 1 Kings 12–2 Kings 25. 1 and 2 Samuel is an extended chiasm, the pivotal concern of which is the Davidic monarchy. The Samuel chiasm is itself tied to the parallel panels. SJOT 20/2 (2006) 237–258
209 John Barton, Historiography and Theodicy in the Old Testament One might reconstruct a use for the Deuteronomistic History, despite its great length, as a text with which confession was to be made in the lament liturgies of the exilic age (as surmised by the book of Lamentations and the prophet Zechariah). VT.S 113; Robert Rezetko et al. (eds.), Reflection and Refraction; Brill, Leiden (2007) 27–33
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210 Gary N. Knoppers, Yhwh’s Rejection of the House Built for His Name: On the Significance of Anti-temple Rhetoric in the Deuteronomistic History Inasmuch as the Deuteronomists defend the Jerusalem temple’s reputation in the NeoBabylonian era (and beyond), they discourage the advancement of competing claims by the proponents of other sanctuaries. Yairah Amit et al. (eds.), Essays on Ancient Israel in Its Near Eastern Context; Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, Ind. (2006) 221–238 (BL)
211 Philip Nel, Deuteronomistic ideology of land: from experience to abstract metaphor This paper seeks to provide a socio-cultural perspective of the way in which the relation between the patriarchal family or clan and its real estate was conceptualized in the Deuteronomistic tradition and transposed onto the relationship between Yahweh and Israel as his ‘inheritance’. In terms of the customary laws of Israel, allotted land belonged to the clan or patriarchal family and it was inalienable. In terms of the Deuteronomistic ideology, at a time when Israel was deprived of its land during the exilic period (or possibly before that), the semi-pastoral reality of land tenure was transferred onto the relationship between Yahweh and Israel as his allotted inheritance – so that the people itself became the metaphorical inheritance in Deuteronomy. The land became a means of expressing the ideal accomplishment of a relationship. This metaphorical mapping also gave rise to unexpected and inverse mappings from the experiential domain. OTE 19/1 (2006) 171–182
212 Christian Frevel, Wovon reden die Deuteronomisten? Anmerkungen zu religionsgeschichtlichem Gehalt, Fiktionalität und literarischen Funktionen deuteronomistischer Kultnotizen Two major developments in biblical research form the background to the current discussion: (1) the debate about the (late, rather than “early”) origins of the exclusive worship of Yahweh in Israel, (2) the breakdown of the consensus about the dating of the Pentateuchal sources and the proliferation of new ideas about the development of the Pentateuch and the Deuteronomistic History. BZAW 365; Markus Witte et al. (eds.), Die deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerke; de Gruyter, Berlin (2006) 249–277 (BL)
213 David M. Carr, Empirische Perspektiven auf das Deuteronomistische Geschichtswerk Texts such as the Deuteronomistic History must be seen as memorized didactic texts, transmitted by elites. A comparison between 1 Kings 3:2–15 and 2 Chron 1:1–13 shows that inherent in the process of tradition there is a trend toward textual expansion. BZAW 365; Markus Witte et al. (eds.), Die deuteronomistischen Geschichtswerke; de Gruyter, Berlin (2006) 1–17 (BL)
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Genesis: Primeval History (Gen 1–11) ★ patriarchs (Gen 12–50) ★ Tale of Joseph (Gen 37–50) 214 Andreas Schüle, Der Prolog der hebräischen Bibel. Der literar- und theologiegeschichtliche Diskurs der Urgeschichte (Genesis 1–11) Following J. Blenkinsopp (and others), the author of this Zurich habilitation thesis takes the “priestly” (P) texts within Gen 1–11 as the original text. Everything else, though occasionally grounded in earlier tradition, has been added later. These additions echo a wide variety of other biblical themes and ideas, though Deuteronomism is notably absent. Although not actually stating it, Schüle seems to favour a late, i.e. Hellenistic, date for Genesis. Gen 4:7, with its notion that one’s affective life is visible in one’s physiognomy, may echo Stoic teaching. A Greek background of the “angelic” marriages of Gen 6:1–4 must be postulated; indeed, Gen 6:1ff. is to be understood as an essentially Greek myth, adapted by the Hebrew author. AThANT 86; Theologischer Verlag Zürich, Zürich (2006) XIII/1–442 (BL)
215 Martin Arneth, Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt . . . Studien zur Entstehung der alttestamentlichen Urgeschichte Gen 1–11 is essentially a “priestly” (P) text, subsequently enlarged by the addition of such passages as Gen 2:4–25; 3:1–23; 4:1–26 (and others) in the interest of offering a perspective different from that of P. There is no evidence for a primeval-history text independent of and earlier than P. Arneth indicates the possibility that the text may have received its final form in the early Hellenistic period. FRLANT 217; Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen (2007) 1–268 (BL)
216 André Wénin, D’Adam à Abraham ou les errances de l’humain. Lecture de Genèse 1,1–12,4 Known for his close attention to structure and narrative, Wénin here presents his reading of the first eleven chapters of Genesis. The present book supplants the author’s earlier exegesis offered in “L’actualité des mythes” (1998). The book is full of insights, even in the generally unobtrusive notes. Wénin points out (for example) that the “middle word” in Gen 1:1–31 is the word “four”, dividing the account of creation evenly between the building of the universe and its furnishing with living creatures (humans, animals, plants). A delightful book. Lire la Bible; Editions du Cerf, Paris (2007) 1–254 (BL)
217 Paul R. Williamson, Covenant: The Beginning of a Biblical Idea Covenant is arguably one of the most significant concepts in biblical theology. As well as being part of the glue that unites the Christian canon, covenant plays a prominent role at all the major points in salvation history. However, while its biblical and theological significance is generally acknowledged, there is little consensus over the point at which it is first introduced. While the word is not explicitly mentioned until the sixth chapter of Genesis (‘But I will establish my covenant with you’, Gen 6:18 TNIV), it is suggested by some that the concept has been introduced (implicitly) much earlier, namely in the creation narratives of Genesis 1 and 2. This article attempts to disprove that by critiquing the exegetical arguments used to support the idea of an antediluvian ‘covenant’ in the opening chapters of Genesis. RTR 65/1 (2006) 1–14
218 Roland Boer, The Fantasy of Genesis 1–3 In beginning the search for an adequate theory of literary production in biblical studies, this article seeks to bring together the theoretical sophistication of psychoanalytic studies
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of Genesis 1–3 and the historical concerns of other studies. The argument is that Genesis 1–3 may be understood in terms of fantasy, particularly in its five modes of narrative occlusion, the paradox of emergence and loss, intersubjective desire, the inherent transgression and the empty gesture. The schema of fantasy also offers the groundwork for a theory of literary production: it takes as its starting point the idea that the reality that lies ‘behind’ the text, that seems to inform it, is in fact highly unstable, subject to the unsettling presence of a much deeper, unknown fantasmatic kernel. BI 14/4 (2006) 309–331
219 Andreas Schüle, Die Würde des Bildes. Eine Re-Lektüre der priesterlichen Urgeschichte Die Rede von der Gottebenbildlichkeit des Menschen hat weniger die Gottesbeziehung des Menschen im Blick als vielmehr die Beziehungen zu seinen Mitmenschen, die sich im Verhältnis zum Lebenspartner (Gen 1,26–28), zu Eltern und Kindern (Gen 5,1–3) und zum Nächsten konkretisieren. In diesen Beziehungen ist der Mensch Bild Gottes. Dies bedeutet vor allem, dass er diese Beziehungen als individuelle Person gestalten kann. Inwiefern die Gottebenbildlichkeit die moderne Vorstellung von Menschenwürde prägt, ist davon abhängig, ob Menschenwürde als konkrete Bestimmungs- und Zielaussage menschlichen Lebens verstanden werden kann. EvTh 66/6 (2006) 440–454 (EB)
220 Bernard F. Batto, The Divine Sovereign: The Image of God in the Priestly Creation Account Creation mythology in the ancient Near East includes a battle scene in which a god conquers a foe in order then to create the world and establish his sovereignty over it. Even in Gen 1, this notion, though muted, is not far from the author’s mind. This is particularly evident from the presence of the creator’s “bow”, a weapon, in Gen 9:13–16. Bernard F. Batto et al. (eds.), David and Zion; Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, Ind. (2004) 143–186 (BL)
221 Rubén Soto Rivera, Qué Significa “Bereshit” en Génesis 1,1 Anhand verschiedener Versionen von Gen 1,1 wird hier die Problematik des Beginns der Hebräischen Bibel aufgezeigt. Aufgrund syntaktischer Schwierigkeiten und vor dem Hintergrund weiterer altorientalischer Texte schlägt der Verf. vor bere"“ît mit dem unmittelbar dahinter positionierten Substantiv mamlekût zu ergänzen, wodurch der Anfang von Gen 1,1 mit “Als sich Gott auf seinen Thron setzte, schuf er den Himmel und die Erde …” übersetzt werden kann. Qol 41 (2006) 69–82 (DL)
222 J. Severino Croatto, Reading the Pentateuch as Counter-Text: A New Interpretation of Genesis 1:14–19 When reading the account of the creation of the stellar universe in Genesis 1, the question arises why the sun, the moon and the stars have been created on the fourth day. This paper argues that the passage Gen 1:14–19 is a short myth about the establishment of the solar calendar with the fourth day, the middle of the week, as its central axis. Therefore it is to be seen as the hieros logos of the fixed solar calendar, which is later put into practice in several passages within and beyond the Pentateuch as demonstrated in this paper. The lunar calendar adopted due to influence from Babylon – and converted in the official calendar in the codification of the laws – was an expression of its domination in all areas. Used against this official calendar of Jerusalem the solar calendar was a form of resistance, both in the religious and cultic and in the cultural sense. VT.S 109; André Lemaire (ed.), Congress Volume Leiden 2004; Brill, Leiden (2006) 383–400
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223 Robert K. Gnuse, An Overlooked Message: The Critique of Kings and Affirmation of Equality in the Primeval History The Primeval History in Genesis 2–11 contains symbolic polyvalent narratives with diverse levels of interpretive possibility. One meaningful level of interpretation is to see how the accounts contain a strident critique of kingship, especially the social economic abuses perpetrated by kings. Kings who receive the strident barbs of the author include not only Mesopotamian rulers, but also, by implication, the rulers of Israel and Judah, who likewise abused their powers. BTB 36/4 (2006) 146–154
224 Shawna Dolansky, A Goddess in the Garden? The Fall of Eve The present wording of Genesis 2–3 shows that the goddess has already been demoted in becoming a human woman created by a male god out of another male figure, and her final dedeification is her separation from her former attributes, the serpent and the tree. Sarah Malena et al. (eds.), Milk and Honey; Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, Ind. (2007) 3–21 (BL)
225 Dietmar Neufeld, The Rhetoric of Body, Clothing and Identity in the Vita and Genesis This paper concentrates on the dynamic relationship between body, clothing, and identity. Nakedness and clothing mark the bodies of Adam and Eve with religious, political, and social distinction and other forms of embodied social meaning such as the transition from one state to another, the transformation of bodies of honour to bodies of shame, and the refashioning of the conduits of God’s power who is not about to countenance challenges to his honour as benefactor of the cosmos and humankind. In addition, the surfaces of their bodies are a significant site for the production and display of difference and their physical transformations and regulations essential to maintaining and regulating ancient Israel’s power structures and social organization. In the Vita and Genesis, the management of the bodies of Adam and Eve is integral to the maintenance and definition of social relationship and rank between God and humans, desires, and social identities. Scriptura 90/3 (2005) 679–684
226 Anto PopoviÆ, The Seventh Day of Creation – Genesis 2:1–3. An exegetical-theological analysis of the seventh day (Gen 2:1–3) of Creation (Gen 1:1–2:3) In three steps, this article tries to shed light on the “mystery” of the seventh day of Creation (Gen 2:1–3). The first section of the article examines the specific function of the seventh day within the seven-day structure of the creation narrative in Gen 1:1–2:3. In the second, central section, key phrases in Gen 2:1–3 are analyzed from the exegetical-theological point of view. The third and concluding part connects the seventh day of creation with Jesus’s act of salvation and resurrection, i.e., with the first day of the Christian week. Anton. 81/4 (2006) 633–653
227 Craig Y.S. Ho, The Supplementary Combination of the Two Creation Stories in Genesis 1–3 The Yahwist account (Gen 2:4b–3:24) was written to supplement Gen 1:1–2:4a. The supplementary nature of the Yahwist, well known to interpreters of the Deluge narrative of Gen 6–9, has thus far escaped the attention of interpreters. BEAT 54; Hermann M. Niemann et al. (eds.), Stimulation from Leiden; P. Lang, Bern (2006) 13–21 (BL)
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228 Russell E. Gmirkin, The Rivers of Eden Genesis 2:10–14 shows a geographical interest that is in keeping with Hellenistic mythical geography. The river Pishon can be identified with the river Phasis that flowed into the Black Sea near Colchis (in Hebrew: Havilah). Hecataeus, like the author of Genesis 2, connected the Phasis with the Nile. LHBOTS 433; R.E. Gmirkin, Berossus and Genesis, Manetho and Exodus; T & T Clark International, London (2006) 266–270 (BL)
229 Evangelia G. Dafni, Platos Symposion und die Septuagintafassung von Genesis 2,23f. Methodische Überlegungen zum Austausch von hebräischem und griechischem Sprach- und Gedankengut in der Klassik und im Hellenismus There is no doubt, that a meeting of minds and languages between the Ancient Greeks and the people of the Old Testament took place in the Classical as well as in the Hellenistic period. This fact finds expression especially in the Platonic works. But how did Plato come to consult and criticize very particular Old Testamental formulations and arguments in his works? And how did the Hebrew Scriptures and their Septuagint translators face his endeavour to understand and explain the Hebrew theological and anthropological thought? The purpose of this article is to give some methodological insights into this problem field using as concrete examples the Septuagint version of Gen 2,23f. and the speech of Phaidros in the Platonic Symposion (178a–180b). Special attention has also been paid to the tragedy Alcestis of Euripides. OTE 19/3 (2006) 1139–1161
230 Wilma Ann Bailey, Through the Eyes of a Serpent: A Political/ Economic/Ecological Interpretation of Genesis 3 Die Verf. interpretiert Gen 3 als einen Streit um die Kontrolle von Ressourcen. Die Schlange (maskulin im Hebr.) ist demnach als ein Vertreter der wilden Tiere daran interessiert, welche Nahrungsmittel den Menschen in Konkurrenz zu Tieren zugewiesen wurden, und sie versucht sich der menschlichen Konkurrenz zu entledigen. Den Menschen erscheint die verbotene Frucht nicht wegen des Wissensgewinns und der Gleichstellung mit Gott sondern als eine neue Nahrungsquelle begehrenswert. Ihr Verstoß gegen das göttliche Verbot wird von Gott als ein Anspruch auf den exklusiven Besitz aller Ressourcen des Gartens interpretiert und bestraft. Ein solcher Streit zwischen Menschen und Tieren um die Kontrolle der Ressourcen gehörte in der Wirklichkeit des antiken Nahen Ostens zu alltäglichen Erfahrungen. Encounter 67/1 (2006) 81–86 (DL)
231 William N. Wilder, Illumination and Investiture: The Royal Significance of the Tree of Wisdom in Genesis 3 In der Auslegung der Schöpfungsgeschichte wird oft vorgeschlagen, die Sabbatruhe Gottes sowie den Baum des Lebens als Hinweise auf künftigen Segen für Adam und Eva aufzufassen, der ihnen nach einer ‘Erprobungsphase’ zuteil werden sollte. In diesem Sinne macht der Verf. auf zwei weitere Segenshinweise aufmerksam: 1. den Baum der Erkenntnis, der ohne des Sündenfalls zum Zeichen der Erleuchtung, Rechtschaffenheit und der vizeköniglichen Würde des Menschen geworden wäre; 2. Die Nacktheit der beiden ersten Menschen, die auf eine ausstehende Bekleidung durch ihren Schöpfer – königliche Investitur – hinweist. WThJ 68/1 (2006) 51–69 (DL)
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232 Martin Arneth, “And by these were the nations divided in the earth”: Redactional Techniques in the Primeval History Two case studies: (1) Gen 3:17–19 was not only written after P, but also intentionally drafted in view of Gen 1:29. (2) Gen 9:18–27, related to Lev 20:17, is also post-P. Altes Testament und Moderne 20; Eckart Otto et al. (eds.), A Critical Study of the Pentateuch; Lit Verlag, Münster (2006) 116–125 (BL)
233 Josef Wehrle, Kain und Abel. Der Mensch im Spannungsfeld zwischen der von Gott geschenkten Freiheit und zwischen der eigenen verantworteten Entscheidung für das Gute oder das Böse This paper offers a new German translation and a detailed commentary of Gen 4:1–16 that pays special attention to linguistic issues. The ethical message of this text is that God seeks to stop the escalation of violence and counter-violence. A positive paradigm of a peaceful ending of a fraternal conflict is given in the story about the reconciliation of Abraham and Lot (Gen 13:8). Bibel und Ethik 1; Josef Wehrle et al. (eds.), Gottes Wort – unser Leben; Münster (2007) 4–47
234 Kristin M. Swenson, Care and Keeping East of Eden: Gen 4:1–16 in the Light of Gen 2–3 The rhetorical question Gen 4:9 with the reappearance of the verb “to keep, watch, preserve” from 2:15 but now with a personal subject (“brother”) instead of the object “garden Eden” invites readers to supply the seemingly obvious answer. Guarding the welfare of Eden’s garden is inseparable from guarding the welfare of others, even in the rough land east of Eden. Cain learns that even in such conditions, service to and protection of his place is inseparable from service to and protection of others. Interp. 60/4 (2006) 373–384 (WSch)
235 Waldemar Chrostowski, U