1 “Relationships Across Difference in Early Jewish Narratives” Linda Day
“Relationships across Difference in Early Jewish Narratives” Linda Day Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, August 2013 Four times, over the span of many years, I have taught a course entitled “The Early Jewish Short Story.” In it I have included study of six biblical books: Jonah, Daniel, Ruth, Esther, Judith, and Tobit. (For Daniel, just chaps. 1–6 and not the apocalyptic portion in chaps. 7–12.) This course has proven enjoyable for both the students and me, not least because these works are marvelously multilayered and offer up an endless array of issues and concerns. These six books share certain similarities that render this collection a logical and useful grouping. They work well together. First, and most obvious, all the books are titled by means of the name of a single character, the protagonist or even “hero” of the story who is the agent of much of the action. Such naming focalizes our interpretation through this character. These figures, along with the books’ other prominent characters, are or become leaders in their respective communities, evidencing a range of leadership styles and practices. Within the power structures of their settings, all the primary characters begin as underdogs in some fashion. Moreover, all six books share a similar genre, what might be termed a “short story.” Within this broad category, we admittedly find a range of types, from Daniel 1–6, which is more a cycle of stories than a cohering narrative, through Jonah and Ruth, which are brief and concise, to Tobit and Judith, which look toward a longer novella genre.
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