Targums and the transmission of scripture into Judaism and Christianity /
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This collection of seventeen previously published essays and two hitherto unpublished articles examines strategies adopted by ancient Aramaic translators of the Hebrew Bible in their attempts to transmit the meaning of Scripture to their own generations. The intricate interpretations of Targum Pseudo-Jonathan feature prominently: analysis of them suggests a date for the substance of this Targum rather earlier than is commonly assumed. The biblical exegesis of Jerome (ca. 342-420 CE) often reflects Targumic interpretation of Scripture: as well as helping to date items of Jewish interpretation, Jerome's writings also witness to continuing close contacts between Christians and Jews at a crucial stage in the history of both communities. The essays also demonstrate the relationship of the Targums both to other Rabbinic texts and to early translations of the Bible like Septuagint; the versions of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion; and the Peshitta.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789047443865 :
1570-1336 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Interprétations de Möise : Égypte, Judée, Grèce et Rome /
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The present volume is the result of a team research which gathered biblical scholars, philologists, and historians of religions, on the issue of the multiple \'Interpretations of Moses\' inherited from the ancient mediterranean cultures. The concrete outcome of this comparative inquiry is the common translation and commentary of the fragments from the works of the mysterious Artapanus. The comparative perspective suggested here is not so much methodological, or thematic. It is first of all an invitation to cross disciplinary boundaries and to take account of the contributions of diverse cultures to the formation of a single mythology, in the case, a Moses mythology. With respect to Judea, Greece, Egypt or Rome, and further more an emerging christianity and its \'gnostic\' counterpart, the figure of Moses is at the heart of a cross-cultural dialogue the pieces of which, if they can be seperated for the confort of their specific study, mostly gain by being put together. Ce volume est le fruit d'un travail d'équipe, qui a réuni des biblistes, des philologues, et des historiens des religions autour des multiples « Interprétations de Moïse » que nous ont léguées les cultures de la Méditerranée antique. Le résultat pratique de cette enquête comparatiste culmine dans la traduction et le commentaire à « douze mains » des fragments du mystérieux Artapan, qui ouvrent le volume. Le comparatisme proposé dans le présent volume ne se veut ni méthodologique ni thématique, mais vise d'abord à franchir les frontières disciplinaires, tout en envisageant les apports culturels respectifs contribuant à la formation d'une mythologie, en l'occurrence celle de Moïse. Entre la Judée, l'Egypte, la Grèce, Rome, et bien-sûr le christianisme naissant et l'univers « gnostique » qui l'accompagne, la figure de Moïse est au cœur d'un dialogue, dont les pièces, si elles peuvent être disjointes pour la commodité de l'étude, gagnent surtout à être rapprochées.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [269]-293) and indexes. :
9789047443834 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The return of the repressed : Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer and the Pseudepigrapha /
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This study analyzes mythic narratives, found in the 8th century midrashic text Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer (PRE), that were excluded, or 'repressed', from the rabbinic canon, while preserved in the Pseudepigrapha of the Second Temple period. Examples include the role of the Samael (i.e. Satan) in the Garden of Eden, the myth of the Fallen Angels, Elijah as zealot, and Jonah as a Messianic figure. The questions are why these exegetical traditions were excluded, in what context did they resurface, and how did the author have access to these apocryphal texts. The book addresses the assumptions that underlie classic rabbinic literature and later breaches of that exegetical tradition in PRE, while engaging in a study of the genre, dating, and status of PRE as apocalyptic eschatology.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004180611 :
1384-2161 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Syriac idiosyncrasies : theology and hermeneutics in early Syriac literature /
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The study of early Syriac Christianity has for decades been steadily expanding, yet its scope still lags way behind that of research relating to Greek and Latin Christianity. One of the intriguing and understudied topics here is the nature of Syriac Christianity's autonomous identity in late antiquity. This question is intrinsically connected to its genesis from an indigenous Christian Aramaic background as well as its interaction with the neighboring Jewish milieu. This volume unearthes some of the idiosyncracies -- mainly pertaining to trinitarian theology, christology and hermeneutics -- to be found in early Syriac literature before the onslaught of Greek hegemony. The idiosyncrasies analyzed here offer new insights into the nature of that peculiar brand of early Christianity, confirming a model of an indigenous early Syriac tradition gradually entering into a dynamic interaction with Greek influence.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004191112 :
1570-078X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Cantos and strophes in biblical Hebrew poetry II : Psalms 42-89 /
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This volume deals with the poetic framework and material content of the Second and Third Books of the Psalter (Psalms 42-72 and 73-89). It is a continuation of the Psalms Project started in OTS 53 (2006). Formal and thematic devices demonstrate that the psalms are composed of a consistent pattern of cantos (stanzas) and strophes. The formal devices include quantitative balance on the level of cantos in terms of the number of verselines, verbal repetitions and transition markers. A quantitative structural approach also helps to identify the focal message of the poems. Introductions to the design of biblical poetry and the rhetorical centre of the psalms conclude this massive study. The third volume, dealing with the Fourth and Fifth Books of the Psalter (Psalms 90-106 and 107-151), is in preparation.
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Sequel to: Cantos and strophes in biblical Hebrew poetry, with special reference to the first book of the Psalter (Oudtestamentische studiën ; d. 53). :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [561]-566) and index. :
9789004182332 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Aramaica Qumranica : proceedings of the conference on the Aramaic texts from Qumran at Aix-en-Provence (June 30-July 2, 2008) /
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The Aramaic Dead Sea Scrolls represent roughly 13% of the Qumran library and correspond to a wide range of genres and topics. This book consists of the proceedings of a conference on the Aramaic scrolls from Qumran which took place in Aix-en-Provence in 2008. It includes both the papers themselves and a transcription of the discussions. The 22 papers tackle linguistic, exegetical and historical questions, focusing in particular on: the relation of the Aramaic texts to what we know as the Hebrew Bible; their literary genres; the question of their sectarian or non-sectarian provenance; the character of the corpus, and specifically its relevance to the development of apocalypticism and messianism in the Jewish tradition.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004194328 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The Dead Sea scrolls and contemporary culture : proceedings of the international conference held at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem (July 6-8, 2008) /
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This volume contains the proceedings of the international conference held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem in July 2008 in honor of the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. As indicated by its title "The Dead Sea Scrolls and Contemporary Culture," the aim of the conference was to move beyond the strict confines of conventional scholarship and to explore new avenues of research, including the examination of the place of the findings from the Judean Desert in contemporary culture. The book is divided into five main sections: (1) the Identity and History of the Community; (2) the Qumran "Library": Origins, Use, and Nature (2a. Biblical Texts; 2b. Biblical Interpretation; 2c. Sectarian and Non-Sectarian Literature; 2d. Sectarian vis-à-vis Rabbinic Halakha); (3) Christianity in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls; (4) Gender at Qumran; and (5) New Perspectives (5a. Methodological Approaches; 5b. Educational Approaches).
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004196148 :
0169-9962 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Sunnitischer Tafsir in der modernen islamischen Welt : akademische Traditionen, Popularisierung und nationalstaatliche Interessen /
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Previous scholarship on recent Muslim Qurʾanic exegesis has mostly focussed on modernising trends, usually remaining within the confines of a single language area. Transcending this hitherto dominating narrow focus, this book offers a comparative analysis of a body of contemporary Sunnite Qurʾanic commentaries from the Arab World, Indonesia and Turkey. It takes into account both the influence of specific local conditions and the common intellectual heritage they rely on. By paying special attention not only to new developments, but also to the embeddedness of contemporary Qurʾanic exegesis into a more than thousand-year-old intellectual tradition, it provides new insights into the religious, academic, political and social context of exegetical practice in the modern Islamic World. Die Forschung zur neueren muslimischen Koranexegese hat sich bislang weitgehend auf modernisierende Trends konzentriert und sich dabei zumeist innerhalb der Grenzen eines Sprachraums bewegt. Das vorliegende Buch bricht diesen verengenden Fokus auf, indem es einen Korpus von zeitgenössischen sunnitischen Korankommentaren aus der arabischen Welt, Indonesien und der Türkei vergleichend untersucht und der Frage nach ihrer Prägung durch spezifische lokale Bedingungen ebenso nachgeht wie der Analyse des gemeinsamen geistigen Erbes, auf das sie sich stützen. Indem es neben neueren exegetischen Entwicklungen der Einbettung zeitgenössischer Koranexegese in eine mehr als tausend Jahre alte ideengeschichtliche Tradition besondere Aufmerksamkeit widmet, liefert es neue Erkenntnisse über den religiösen, akademischen, politischen und gesellschaftlichen Kontext exegetischer Tätigkeit in der modernen islamischen Welt.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004187238 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Apocalyptic Representations of Jerusalem.
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Jerusalem as a symbolic expression of hope attracts attention and religious adherence in relation to its physical presence. The study identifies, traces and examines apocalyptic representations of Jerusalem, and illustrates what happens when these become experienced reality. The empirical part of the book shows how these representations become living images in two contemporary groups' activity in Jerusalem. Private and public endtime representations of Jerusalem provide meaningful models for interpreting the religious past, present and future. The interplay of these representations also shapes our present images of Jerusalem.
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1 online resource. :
9789047408789
Studying the historical Jesus : evaluations of the state of current research /
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This volume offers critical assessments of Life of Jesus research in the last generation, with special emphasis on work that is quite recent. It will introduce graduate students to the field and will provide the veteran scholar with current bibliography and discussion of the issues. Topics treated include Jesus and Palestinian politics, Jesus tradition in Paul, Jesus in extracanonical Gospels, and Jesus' parables, miracles, death, and resurrection. The contributors are among the most widely recognized and respected Life of Jesus scholars. They include Marcus J. Borg, James H. Charlesworth, James D.G. Dunn, Sean Freyne, Richard Horsley, and Helmut Koester.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004379893
The Reception of Exodus Motifs in Jewish and Christian Literature : "Let My People Go!" /
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The account of the exodus of the Israelite slaves from Egypt under Moses has shaped the theology and community identity of both Jews and Christians across the centuries. Its reception in later scriptures and religious writings, as well as in art and music, continues to inspire liberation movements across the globe. This volume brings together an international group of scholars to explore the re-use of the exodus narratives across a wide range of early Jewish and Christian literature including the Apocrypha and the New Testament. The contributors engage with wider questions of methodology and the impact of social and cultural context on biblical interpretation.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004471122
9789004471115
The Literature of the Sages : A Re-Visioning /
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This volume presents the major works of classical rabbinic Judaism as inter-related aggregates analyzed through three central themes. Part 1, "Intertextuality," investigates the multi-directional relationships among and between rabbinic texts and nonrabbinic Jewish sources. Part 2, "East and West" explores the impact on rabbinic texts of the cultures of the Hellenistic, Roman, and Christian West and the Sasanian East. Part 3, "Halakha and Aggada," interrogates the relationship of law and narrative in rabbinic sources. This bold volume uncovers alliances and ruptures -- textual, cultural, and generic -- obscured by document-based approaches to rabbinic literature.
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This volume abandons the document-based approach of standard introductions and investigates aggregates of classical rabbinic texts through three broad perspectives - intertextuality, east and west, halakhah and aggadah - generating fresh insights that will reset the scholarly agenda. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004515697
9789004515420
Scripture and Knowledge, An Essay on Religious Epistemology.
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At the core of Scripture and Knowledge lies the problem of the nature of religious knowledge. The author argues that religion is a particular framework rather than a particular content or defined set of performances. He sees this framework as epistemological, that is, as one that furnishes believers with a conception of knowledge alternative to that of philosophical reasoning. The thesis on the epistemological nature of religion will be developed by the examination of the concept of scripture as a body of authoritative and even infallible texts. The concept of scripture is presented as one of the constitutive concepts of the epistemological framework of religion. The author argues that the various scriptures and their commentaries should be understood as the arena within which the epistemological process of religion takes place and the central epistemological means by which religious knowledge is made possible.
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1 online resource. :
9789004378919
The missionary lives : a study in Canadian missionary biography and autobiography /
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This book is a survey of the life writings by and about Canadian missionaries at home and abroad, over the last one hundred and thirty years. A general missionary history of Canada appears first, to introduce separate chapters on the forms and themes of this body of literature. The critical problems presented by writing that has resisted modern and post-modern developments are discussed. Partial and fictional life writing, as well as marginal forms, are also explored. The book concludes with general statements about the whole of this literature and its effects. The first attempt at a comprehensive bibliography of Canadian missionary life writing is appended.
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1 online resource (xvii, 169 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 144-166) and index. :
9789004319998 :
0924-9389 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Birthing salvation : gender and class in early Christian childbearing discourse /
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In Birthing Salvation Anna Rebecca Solevåg explores the theme of childbearing in early Christian discourse. The book maps the importance of women's childbearing in Greco-Roman culture and shows how childbearing discourse interfaces with salvation discourse in three early Christian texts: the Pastoral Epistles, the Acts of Andrew and the Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas. Issues of gender and class are explored through an intersectional analysis. In particular, the institution of slavery, and its implications for ideas about salvation in these texts are drawn out. Birthing Salvation offers fresh interpretations of these texts, including the peculiar statement in 1 Tim 2:15 that women "will be saved through childbearing."
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1 online resource (xiv, 287 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 257-274) and index. :
9789004257788 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.