PDF of Volume 21
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Old Testament Theology
1 Seminar in Biblical Literature: Ezekiel (BIB 495) Point Loma Nazarene University Fall 2015 Professor: Dr. Brad E. Kelle Monday 2:45-5:30pm Office: Smee Hall (619)849-2314 [email protected] Office Hours: posted on door “Ah Lord Yahweh! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not always talking metaphors?’” (Ezek 20:49 [Eng.]). “There is much in this book which is very mysterious, especially in the beginning and latter end of it” –John Wesley (Explanatory Notes, 2281). COURSE DESCRIPTION (see also PLNU catalogue) This course engages the student in the study of the book of Ezekiel in English translation. Primary attention will be given to reading Ezekiel from various interpretive angles, examining the book section by section and considering major themes and motifs that run through the book, as well as specific exegetical issues. Instruction will be based upon English translations, although students who have studied Hebrew will be encouraged to make use of their skills. COURSE FOCUS The focus of this course is to provide a broad exegetical engagement with the book of Ezekiel. This engagement will involve study of the phenomenon of prophecy, the general background of Ezekiel the prophet and book, the literary and theological dynamics of the book, and the major interpretive issues in the study of Ezekiel. The aim of the course is to work specifically with the biblical text in light of the historical, social, and religious situation of the sixth century B.C.E. It will also explore, however, the meaning and significance of the literature within Christian proclamation as well as the diverse literary, theological, and methodological issues connected with these texts. -
The Levite's Concubine (Judg 19:2) and the Tradition of Sexual Slander
Vetus Testamentum 68 (2018) 519-539 Vetus Testamentum brill.com/vt The Levite’s Concubine (Judg 19:2) and the Tradition of Sexual Slander in the Hebrew Bible: How the Nature of Her Departure Illustrates a Tradition’s Tendency Jason Bembry Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan College [email protected] Abstract In explaining a text-critical problem in Judges 19:2 this paper demonstrates that MT attempts to ameliorate the horrific rape and murder of an innocent person by sexual slander, a feature also seen in Balaam and Jezebel. Although Balaam and Jezebel are condemned in the biblical traditions, it is clear that negative portrayals of each have been augmented by later tradents. Although initially good, Balaam is blamed by late biblical tradents (Num 31:16) for the sin at Baal Peor (Numbers 25), where “the people begin to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.” Jezebel is condemned for sorcery and harlotry in 2 Kgs 9:22, although no other text depicts her harlotry. The concubine, like Balaam and Jezebel, dies at the hands of Israelites, demonstrating a clear pattern among the late tradents of the Hebrew Bible who seek to justify the deaths of these characters at the hands of fellow Israelites. Keywords judges – text – criticism – sexual slander – Septuagint – Josephus The brutal rape and murder of the Levite’s concubine in Judges 19 is among the most horrible stories recorded in the Hebrew Bible. The biblical account, early translations of the story, and the early interpretive tradition raise a number of questions about some details of this tragic tale. -
Book of Nahum
Book of Nahum Title: The book’s title is taken from the prophet-of-God’s oracle against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. Nahum means “comfort” or “consolation”, and is a short form of Nehemiah (“comfort of Yahweh”). Nahum is not quoted in the New Testament, although there may be an allusion to (Nahum 1:15 in Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7). Author – Date: The author of the prophecy is named simply “Nahum the Elkoshite” (1:1), and all that is known of the prophet is gleaned from this prophecy. Probably the identity of the prophet is obscured so his message can be prominent. Nahum’s mission was to comfort the kingdom of Judah, following the destruction of Israel by Assyria, by announcing God’s coming judgment on Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. The purpose of Nahum’s prophecy is twofold: (1) To deliver a message of judgment and destruction against Nineveh; and (2) To give comfort to Judah, so recently ravaged by Assyria. Since Assyria is doomed, it will constitute a threat no longer. With no mention of any kings in the introduction, the date of Nahum’s prophecy must be implied by historical data. The message of judgment against Nineveh portrays a nation of strength, intimating a time not only prior to her fall (in 612 B.C.), but probably before the death of Ashurbanipal (in 626 B.C.), after which Assyria’s power fell rapidly. Being occupied with the doom on Nineveh, Nahum does not date his prophecy according to any of the kings of Israel or Judah. -
Vocalic Phonology in New Testament Manuscripts
VOCALIC PHONOLOGY IN NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS by DOUGLAS LLOYD ANDERSON (Under the direction of Jared Klein) ABSTRACT This thesis investigates the development of iotacism and the merger of ! and " in Roman and Byzantine manuscripts of the New Testament. Chapter two uses onomastic variation in the manuscripts of Luke to demonstrate that the confusion of # and $ did not become prevalent until the seventh or eighth century. Furthermore, the variations % ~ # and % ~ $ did not manifest themselves until the ninth century, and then only adjacent to resonants. Chapter three treats the unexpected rarity of the confusion of o and " in certain second through fifth century New Testament manuscripts, postulating a merger of o and " in the second century CE in the communities producing the New Testament. Finally, chapter four discusses the chronology of these vocalic mergers to show that the Greek of the New Testament more closely parallels Attic inscriptions than Egyptian papyri. INDEX WORDS: Phonology, New Testament, Luke, Greek language, Bilingual interference, Iotacism, Vowel quantity, Koine, Dialect VOCALIC PHONOLOGY IN NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS by DOUGLAS LLOYD ANDERSON B.A., Emory University, 2003 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS ATHENS, GEORGIA 2007 © 2007 Douglas Anderson All Rights Reserved VOCALIC PHONOLOGY IN NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS by DOUGLAS LLOYD ANDERSON Major Professor: Jared Klein Committee: Erika Hermanowicz Richard -
Theme and Genre in 4Q177 and Its Scriptural Selections
THEME AND GENRE IN 4Q177 AND ITS SCRIPTURAL SELECTIONS Mark Laughlin and Shani Tzoref Jerusalem 4Q1771 has conventionally been classified as a “thematic pesher,”2 or, more recently as “thematic commentary,”3 or “eschatological midrash.”4 It is one of a group of Qumranic compositions in which the author cites and interprets biblical texts, applying them to the contemporary experience of his community, which he understands to be living in the eschatological era. Unlike the continuous pesharim, thematic pesha- rim are not structured as sequential commentaries on a particular 1 John M. Allegro first pieced together the thirty fragments that he identified as comprising 4Q177, which he labeled 4QCatena A. Cf. John M. Allegro and Arnold A. Anderson. Qumran Cave 4.I (4Q158–4Q186) (DJD V; Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1968), 67–74, Pls. XXIV–XXV. John Strugnell subsequently added four additional fragments, and suggested improvements to Allegro’s readings and reconstructions (“Notes en marge,” 236–48). Annette Steudel re-worked the order of the material in 4Q174 and 4Q177, and argued that the two manuscripts should be regarded as parts of a single composition, which she termed 4QMidrEschat. See George J. Brooke, “From Flori- legium or Midrash to Commentary: The Problem of Re/Naming an Adopted Manu- script,” in this volume. Cf. Annette Steudel, Der Midrasch zur Eschatologie aus der Qumrangemeinde (4QMidrEschata,b): Materielle Rekonstruktion, Textbestand, Gattung und traditionsgeschichtliche Einordnung des durch 4Q174 (“Florilegium”) und 4Q177 (“Catenaa”) repräsentierten Werkes aus den Qumranfunden (STDJ 13; Leiden: Brill, 1994). The current discussion will touch upon the relationship between 4Q177 and 4Q174 but is primarily concerned with the composition of 4Q177 itself. -
Lesson 18.Key
Revelation Chapter 17 Lesson 18 Revelation 17:1-2 1 And one from the seven angels, the ones having the seven bowls, came and said to me, “Come, I will show to you the judgment of the great whore, the one seated upon the many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth engaged in illicit sex (ἐπόρνευσαν) and the ones dwelling upon the earth got drunk from the wine of her sexual immorality.” Jeremiah 51:6-8 Flee from the midst of Babylon, save your lives, each of you! Do not perish because of her guilt, for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; he is repaying her what is due. 7 Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine, and so the nations went mad. 8 Suddenly Babylon has fallen and is shattered; wail for her! Bring balm for her wound;perhaps she may be healed. Nahum 3:1-5 1 Ah! City of bloodshed, utterly deceitful, full of booty— no end to the plunder! 2 The crack of whip and rumble of wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! 3 Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, piles of dead, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over the bodies! 4 Because of the countless debaucheries of the prostitute, gracefully alluring, mistress of sorcery, who enslaves nations through her debaucheries, and peoples through her sorcery, 5 I am against you, says the LORD of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will let nations look on your nakedness and kingdoms on your shame. -
The Septuagint As Christian Scripture: Its Prehistory and the Problem of Its
OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES Edited by David J. Reimer OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES The mid-twentieth century was a period of great confidence in the study of the Hebrew Bible: many historical and literary questions appeared to be settled, and a constructive theological programme was well underway. Now, at the turn of the century, the picture is very different. Conflicting positions are taken on historical issues; scholars disagree not only on how to pose the questions, but also on what to admit as evidence. Sharply divergent methods are used in ever more popular literary studies of the Bible. Theological ferment persists, but is the Bible's theological vision coherent, or otherwise? The Old Testament Studies series provides an outlet for thoughtful debate in the fundamental areas of biblical history, theology and literature. Martin Hengel is well known for his seminal work on early Judaism and nascent Christianity. In this volume he turns his attention to the Septuagint—the first bible of the church, yet a product of Greek- speaking Judaism. Hengel probes into the historical and theological puzzles posed by the Septuagint opening a window on the formation of canon and attitudes to scripture in the Christian tradition, and on the relationship between Judaism and Christianity in the early centuries of the era. THE SEPTUAGINT AS CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURE THE SEPTUAGINT AS CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURE Its Prehistory and the Problem of Its Canon Martin Hengel with the assistance of Roland Deines Introduction by Robert Hanhart Translated by Mark E. Biddle T&T CLARK EDINBURGH & NEW YORK T&T CLARK LTD A Continuum imprint 59 George Street 370 Lexington Avenue Edinburgh EH2 2LQ New York 10017-6503 Scotland USA www.tandtclark.co.uk www.continuumbooks.com Copyright © T&T Clark Ltd, 2002 All rights reserved. -
The Minor Prophets
The Minor Prophets by Dan Melhus A Study of the Minor Prophets Table of Contents Table of Contents INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 1 WHO ARE THE PROPHETS?................................................................................................................... 5 HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHETS?.......................................... 7 OBADIAH..................................................................................................................................................... 9 BACKGROUND................................................................................................................................. 9 DATE............................................................................................................................................... 9 AUTHOR .......................................................................................................................................... 10 THEME ............................................................................................................................................ 12 OUTLINE ......................................................................................................................................... 13 QUESTIONS...................................................................................................................................... 15 LESSONS......................................................................................................................................... -
Divinely Sanctioned Violence Against Women
THE BIBLE & CRITICAL THEORY Divinely Sanctioned Violence Against Women Biblical Marriage and the Example of the Sotah of Numbers 5 Johanna Stiebert, University of Leeds Abstract Responding to an important volume by William Cavanaugh (2009), this article argues that biblical violence executed or sanctioned by God or one of his mediators is appropriately designated religious violence. The author looks particularly at gender-based and sexual violence in marriage, challenging some prominent contemporary notions of “biblical marriage.” Focused attention is brought to Num. 5:11-31, detailing the ritual prescribed for the sotah, a woman suspected of adultery. The text is applied both to illuminate religious violence in marriage and to explore and highlight why the ritual, sometimes referred to by biblical interpreters as “strange” or “perplexing,” remains an important topic in our present-day contexts. Key Words Sotah; marriage; adultery; gender-based violence (GBV); intimate partner violence (IPV); religious violence. Introduction In this article I argue that, contrary to the proposal put forth by William Cavanaugh (2009), violence in the Bible can appropriately be designated religious violence. More specifically, I suggest that biblical violence can be classified as religious violence when it is perpetrated by God, or by human mediators who claim to be carrying out God’s instructions, or when it is given divine mandate, or framed by religious justification or religious significance. In the human realm, biblical violence takes numerous forms and is perpetrated by and against men and women. My discussion in this article, however, focuses on divinely sanctioned violence perpetrated by men against women, especially in the context of marriage. -
Aberrant Textuality? the Case of Ezekiel the (Porno) Prophet
ABERRANT TEXTUALITY? THE CASE OF EZEKIEL THE (PORNO) PROPHET Andrew Sloane Summary ‘Pornoprophetic’ readings of the unfaithful wife metaphors in Hosea 1–3, Jeremiah 2 and 3, and Ezekiel 16 and 23 criticise them as misogynistic texts that express and perpetuate negative images of women and their sexuality. This study seeks to present an evangelical response to Athalya Brenner and Fokkelien van Dijk-Hemmes’ pornoprophetic reading of Ezekiel 16 and 23. I outline their claims and supporting arguments, including their assertion that the texts constitute pornographic propaganda which shapes and distorts women’s (sexual) experience in the interests of male (sexual) power. I argue that both their underlying methods and assumptions and their specific claims are flawed, and so their claims should be rejected. While acknowledging the offensive power of the texts, I conclude that alternative explanations such as the violence of Israel’s judgement and the offensive nature of Jerusalem’s sin account better for the features of the texts which they find problematic. 1. Introduction The Old Testament prophets have been an important resource in Christian ethics, particularly in relation to understanding God’s passion for justice—and his corresponding passion that his people reflect that in the conduct of their lives and the patterns of their communities. A recent movement of evangelicals engaging with social justice and advocacy on behalf of the poor derives its name from Micah’s call to 54 TYNDALE BULLETIN 59.1 (2008) justice (Micah 6:6-8).1 Ezekiel’s vision of a new Jerusalem is a vital resource in Revelation’s vision of the new heavens and earth where, in the words of Peter, righteousness is at home (2 Pet. -
On Saints, Sinners, and Sex in the Apocalypse of Saint John and the Sefer Zerubbabel
The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Theology & Religious Studies College of Arts and Sciences 12-30-2016 On Saints, Sinners, and Sex in the Apocalypse of Saint John and the Sefer Zerubbabel Natalie Latteri Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/thrs Part of the Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, Jewish Studies Commons, and the Social History Commons Apocalypse of St. John and the Sefer Zerubbabel On Saints, Sinners, and Sex in the Apocalypse of St. John and the Sefer Zerubbabel Natalie E. Latteri, University of New Mexico, NM, USA Abstract The Apocalypse of St. John and the Sefer Zerubbabel [a.k.a Apocalypse of Zerubbabel] are among the most popular apocalypses of the Common Era. While the Johannine Apocalypse was written by a first-century Jewish-Christian author and would later be refracted through a decidedly Christian lens, and the Sefer Zerubbabel was probably composed by a seventh-century Jewish author for a predominantly Jewish audience, the two share much in the way of plot, narrative motifs, and archetypal characters. An examination of these commonalities and, in particular, how they intersect with gender and sexuality, suggests that these texts also may have functioned similarly as a call to reform within the generations that originally received them and, perhaps, among later medieval generations in which the texts remained important. The Apocalypse of St. John and the Sefer Zerubbabel, or Book of Zerubbabel, are among the most popular apocalypses of the Common Era.1 While the Johannine Apocalypse was written by a first-century Jewish-Christian author and would later be refracted through a decidedly Christian lens, and the Sefer Zerubbabel was probably composed by a seventh-century Jewish author for a predominantly Jewish audience, the two share much in the way of plot, narrative motifs, and archetypal characters. -
Nahum1 Mb Final
“The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his temple.” Psalm 27:4 DELIGHTING in the LORD BIBLE STUDY SERIES Introduction to Nahum DELIGHTING IN THE LORD WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY Author: There is not much known about the prophet Nahum other than he came from the town of Capernaum. “Naum” means Nahum and “Caper” means town. So “Town of Nahum” is its name (Ido Keynan). Nahum was also a prophet of God. He prophesied the fall of Nineveh, which happened in 612 BC. It is believed that Nahum was living in Judah during the reign of Manasseh (695-642) and Josiah (640-609). His name means “comfort” or “compassion”. Nahum’s words would not have been a comfort to Nineveh but they most certainly would have been to Judah and others who suffered persecution from the Assyrians. Date and Location The book of Nahum is believed to be written between 663-612 BC. Bible Knowledge Commen- tary says that “Because Nahum does not mention the Medes or Babylonians, he probably wrote this prophecy before 645 BC. In Nahum 3:8-10 the historical event of Thebes’ captivity (Capital of Upper Egypt) by Ashurbanipal of Assyria in 663 BC is mentioned as a past event. This helps to date the prophecy. It had to have been written after 663 BC. King Josiah was most likely the King of Judah during the time of Nahum’s prophecy.