Israel in the wilderness : interpretations of the biblical narratives in Jewish and Christian traditions /
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This collection of essays examines how stories from the biblical narrative of Israel in the Wilderness (Exodus 16-Deuteronomy 34) were interpreted by later Jewish and Christian writers (ca. 400 BCE-500 CE). Stories such as those about manna and water from a rock, the Golden Calf incident, Korah's rebellion, and the death of Moses provided later Jewish and Christian writers with a treasure trove of material for reflection and interpretation. Whereas individual essays investigate how particular literary works, such as Ben Sira, Qumran documents, New Testament writings, the Apostolic Fathers, and Targums, appropriated the biblical text, taken together the essays form an exercise in uncovering the hermeneutical imagination of interpreters during formative periods of Jewish and Christian thought. This volume will be valuable to those interested in ancient Judaism and early Christianity, the history of interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, and the hermeneutical appropriation of sacred texts.
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"All of the essays were written in conjunction with the Scripture in Early Judaism and Christianity Section of the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature"--Introd. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789047432494 :
1388-3909 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The Revelation of the Name YHWH to Moses : Perspectives from Judaism, the Pagan Graeco-Roman World, and Early Christianity /
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The revelation of YHWH's name to Moses is a momentous event according to the Old Testament. The name 'Yahweh' is of central importance in Judaism, and 'Yahwism' became tantamount to Jewish monotheism. As such, this designation of God also attracted the attention of pagan writers in the Graeco-Roman period. And early Christians had to deal with this divine name as well. These three perspectives on YHWH constitute the framework for this volume. It appears that the Name of God and its revelation to Moses constitute a major theme which runs from the book of Exodus through the Old Testament, early Judaism, and early Christianity. It also attracted pagan philosophical interest, both positive and negative. The Name of God was not only perceived from an insider's perspective, but also provoked a reaction from outsiders. The combined perspectives show the fundamental importance of the divine Name for the formation of Jewish and Christian identities.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789047411031
9789004153981
Cain and Abel in text and traditio n Jewish and Christian interpretations of the first sibling rivalry /
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The story of Cain and Abel narrates the primeval events associated with the beginnings of the world and humanity. But the presence of linguistic and grammatical ambiguities coupled with narrative gaps provided translators and interpreters with a number of points of departure for expanding the story. The result is a number of well established and interpretive traditions shared between Jewish and Christian literature. This book focuses on how the interpretive traditions derived from Genesis 4 exerted significant influence on Jewish and Christian authors who knew rewritten versions of the story. The goal is to help readers appreciate these traditions within the broader interpretive context rather than within the narrow confines of the canon.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004205826 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The Day of Atonement : its interpretations in early Jewish and Christian traditions /
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Established at the center of the Torah, the instructions for the celebration of the "Day of Atonement" hold a prominent position (Leviticus 16). The language of atonement, purification and reconciliation represents the variety of concepts that both explore the complex relationships between God and man, between Yahweh and his chosen people Israel, and that set apart the place of encounter-the sanctuary. Leviticus 16 has served as the point of departure for numerous religious and cultural practices and thoughts that have had a formative influence on Judaism and Christianity up to the present day. The essays in this volume form a representative cross section of the history of the reception of Leviticus 16 and the tradition of the Yom ha-Kippurim.
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Proceedings of a conference held July 8-10, 2010 at Johannes Gutenberg-Universitat. :
1 online resource (xvi, 282 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004216808 :
1388-3909 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The significance of Sinai : traditions about Sinai and divine revelation in Judaism and Christianity /
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This volume of essays is concerned with ancient and modern Jewish and Christian views of the revelation at Sinai. The theme is highlighted in studies on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Paul, Josephus, rabbinic literature, art and philosophy. The contributions demonstrate that Sinai, as the location of the revelation, soon became less significant than the narratives that developed about what happened there. Those narratives were themselves transformed, not least to explain problems regarding the text's plain sense. Miraculous theophany, anthropomorphisms, the role of Moses, and the response of Israel were all handled with exegetical skills mustered by each new generation of readers. Furthermore, the content of the revelation, especially the covenant, was rethought in philosophical, political, and theological ways. This collection of studies is especially useful in showing something of the complexity of how scriptural traditions remain authoritative and lively for those who appeal to them from very different contexts.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789047443476 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Samson : hero or fool? : the many faces of Samson /
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Samson is a peculiar character. He is the most powerful of the Israelite judges and three whole chapters in the book of Judges are allocated to him. Yet he demonstrates many weaknesses, not least for the charms of women. In the international conference "Samson: Hero or Fool?" organised at the University of Nijmegen in April, 2008, the texts of Judges 16-18 were studied from different perspectives, investigating how the complex character of this (anti)hero lived on in various ways in the later traditions about him. The contributions discuss also the reception history of the Samson traditions in later Jewish, Christian and Islamic literature, as well as his representation in figurative and performing arts
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Includes index. :
1 online resource. :
9789004262362 :
1388-3909 ;
Golden calf traditions in early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
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The seventeen studies in Golden Calf Traditions in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam explore the biblical origins of the golden calf story in Exodus, Deuteronomy, and 1 Kings, as well as its reception in a variety of sources: Hebrew Scriptures (Hosea, Jeremiah, Psalms, Nehemiah), Second Temple Judaism (Animal Apocalypse, Pseudo-Philo, Philo, Josephus), rabbinic Judaism, the New Testament (Acts, Paul, Hebrews, Revelation) and early Christianity (among Greek, Latin, and Syriac writers), as well as the Qur'an and Islamic literature. Expert contributors explore how each ancient author engaged with the calf traditions-whether explicitly, implicitly, or by clearly and consciously avoiding them-and elucidate how the story was used both negatively and positively for didactic, allegorical, polemical, and even apologetic purposes.
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1 online resource. :
9789004386860 :
1388-3909 ;
Abraham, the nations, and the Hagarite s Jewish, Christian, and Islamic perspectives on kinship with Abraham /
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Jews, Christians and Muslims describe their origins with close reference to the narrative of Abraham, including the complex story of Abraham's relation to Hagar. This volume sketches the history of interpretation of some of the key passages in this narrative, not least the verses which state that in Abraham all the nations of the earth will be blessed. This passage, which features prominently in Christian historiography, is largely disregarded in ancient Judaism, prompting the question how the relation between Abraham and the nations was perceived in Jewish sources. This focus is supplemented with the question how Islamic historiography relates to the Abraham narrative, and in particular to the descent of the Arabs from Abraham through Ishmael and Hagar. In studying the traditional readings of these narratives, the volume offers a detailed yet wide-ranging analysis of important aspects of the accounts of their origins which emerged within the three Abrahamic religions.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004216495 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Dust of the ground and breath of life (Gen 2:7) : the problem of a dualistic anthropology in early Judaism and Christianity /
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Issues such as the immortality of the soul, the debate about matter versus life, and whether one was capable of knowing the outside world were all being extensively discussed in many religions and cultures in both East and West. The present volume addresses the concept of an immortal soul in a mortal body, and focuses on early Judaism and Christianity, where this issue is often related to the initial chapters of the book of Genesis. The papers are devoted to the interpretation of Gen 2:7 in relation to the broader issue of dualistic anthropology. They show that the dualism was questioned in different ways within the context of early Judaism and Christianity.
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This volume contains the revised papers of a Themes in Biblical Narrative colloquium which took place at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the University of Groningen on September 9-10, 2010. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004334762 :
1388-3909 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.