Biblical Interpretation Beyond Historicity: Changing Perspectives 7 PDF
Preview Biblical Interpretation Beyond Historicity: Changing Perspectives 7
BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION BEYOND HISTORICITY Biblical Interpretation beyond Historicity evaluates the new perspectives that have emerged since the crisis over historicity in the 1970s and 1980s challenged biblical scholarship. Several new studies, as well as the ‘deconstructive’ side of literary criticism that emerged from writers such as Derrida and Wittgenstein, among oth- ers, have led biblical scholars today to view the texts of the Bible more as literary narratives than as sources for a history of Israel. Increased interest in archaeologi- cal and anthropological studies in writing the history of Palestine and the ancient Near East have also led to the need for an evidence-based history of Palestine. This volume analyses the consequences of the question “If the Bible is not history, what is it then?” The editors, Hjelm and Thompson, are members of the Copenhagen School, which was formed in the light of this question and the com- mitment to a new approach to both the history of Palestine and the Bible’s place in ancient history. This volume features essays from a range of highly regarded scholars, and is divided into three sections: “Beyond Historicity”, which explores alternative historical roles for the Bible, “Greek Connections”, which discusses the Bible’s context in the Hellenistic world and “Reception”, which explores extra-biblical functions of biblical studies. Offering a unique gathering of scholars and challenging new theories, Biblical Interpretation beyond Historicity is invaluable to students in the field of Biblical and East Mediterranean Studies, and is a crucial resource for anyone working on both the archaeology and history of Palestine and the ancient Near East, and the religious development of Europe and the Near East. Ingrid Hjelm is Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen and Director of the Palestine History and Heritage Project. She is the author of The Samaritans and Early Judaism (2000) and Jerusalem’s Rise to Sovereignty (2004) in addition to a considerable number of articles within the field of Samaritan studies, the his- tory of ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible. Her latest book, co-edited with Anne Katrine de Hemmer Gudme, is Myths of Exile (2015). Thomas L. Thompson is Professor Emeritus, University of Copenhagen and author of some 130 articles and ca. 20 books, including The Historicity of the Patriarchal Narratives (1974), The Early History of the Israelite People (1992), The Bible in History: How Writers Create a Past (1999) and Biblical Narrative and Palestine’s History (2013). He is currently working as Project Developer on the Palestine History and Heritage Project. COPENHAGEN INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR General Editors: Ingrid Hjelm and Thomas L. Thompson both at the University of Copenhagen Editors: Niels Peter Lemche and Mogens Müller both at the University of Copenhagen Language Revision Editor: James West at the Quartz Hill School of Theology Available: JAPHETH BEN ALI’S BOOK OF JEREMIAH Joshua A. Sabih THE EMERGENCE OF ISRAEL IN ANCIENT PALESTINE Emanuel Pfoh ORIGIN MYTHS AND HOLY PLACES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Lukasz Niesiolowski-Spanò STUDIES IN THE HISTORY, LITERATURE AND RELIGION OF BIBLICAL ISRAEL John Van Seters ARGONAUTS OF THE DESERT Philippe Wajdenbaum THE EXPRESSION ‘SON OF MAN’ AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTOLOGY Mogens Müller BIBLICAL STUDIES AND THE FAILURE OF HISTORY Niels Peter Lemche BIBLICAL NARRATIVE AND PALESTINE’S HISTORY Thomas L. Thompson ‘IS THIS NOT THE CARPENTER?’ Edited by Thomas L. Thompson and Thomas S. Verenna THE BIBLE AND HELLENISM Edited by Thomas L. Thompson and Philippe Wajdenbaum RETHINKING BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP Philip R. Davies REPRESENTING ZION Frederik Poulsen MYTHS OF EXILE Edited by Anne Katrine de Hemmer Gudme and Ingrid Hjelm REWRITING PETER AS AN INTERTEXTUAL CHARACTER IN THE CANONICAL GOSPELS Finn Damgaard BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION BEYOND HISTORICITY Edited by Ingrid Hjelm and Thomas L. Thompson HISTORY, ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE FORTY YEARS AFTER ‘HISTORICITY’ Edited by Ingrid Hjelm and Thomas L. Thompson Forthcoming: SYRIA-PALESTINE IN THE LATE BRONZE AGE Emanuel Pfoh THE JUDAEO-KARAITE RECEPTION Of THE HEBREW BIBLE Joshua A. Sabih PLATO AND THE CREATION OF THE HEBREW BIBLE Russell E. Gmirkin BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION BEYOND HISTORICITY Changing Perspectives 7 Edited by Ingrid Hjelm and Thomas L. Thompson First published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2016 selection and editorial matter Ingrid Hjelm and Thomas L. Thompson; individual chapters, the contributors. The right of the editors to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Biblical interpretation beyond historicity / edited by Ingrid Hjelm and Thomas L. Thompson. — First [edition]. pages cm. — (Changing perspectives ; 7) (Copenhagen international seminar) Includes index. 1. Bible—Criticism, interpretation, etc.—History—20th century. 2. Bible— Criticism, interpretation, etc.—History—21st century. I. Hjelm, Ingrid, editor. BS511.3.B55 2016 220.6—dc23 2015028474 ISBN: 978-1-138-88952-1 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-69077-3 (ebk) Typeset in Times New Roman by Swales & Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon, UK IN MEMORY OF A COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND FREDERICK H. CRYER 1947–2002 This Page is Intentionally Left Blank CONTENTS List of contributors xi Acknowledgements xiii List of abbreviations xiv Introduction 1 INGRID HJELM AND THOMAS L. THOMPSON PART I Beyond Historicity 13 1 A new “biblical archaeology” 15 PHILIP R. DAVIES 2 Old and new ways of interpreting Isaiah 40–55 29 FREDERIK POULSEN 3 Contextualizing composite works: the case of 4QMMT with a sociolinguistic twist 43 TRINE BJØRNUNG HASSELBALCH PART II Greek Connections 59 4 Is the Old Testament still a Hellenistic book? 61 NIELS PETER LEMCHE 5 From Plato to Moses: Genesis-Kings as a Platonic epic 76 PHILIPPE WAJDENBAUM ix
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