Pub Date : 2023-11-20DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10151
Danilo Verde
This paper aims to shed new light on the understudied classical Hebrew formulaic expression יום/עת צרה, “day/time of distress,” by investigating the Hebrew Bible, the Hebrew texts of Ben Sira, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. After describing the formulaic dimension of this phrase and its fixed linguistic and conceptual patterns, it will be argued that the concept of narrowness usually attributed to צרה does not stand out when this lexeme is in collocation with יום/עת. The formulaic expression יום/עת צרה indicates the inner turmoil caused by threats to life. The notion of narrowness may belong to the etymology and meaning potential of צרה, but is insufficient to describe the patchwork of emotional states that assaults on life cause in those who go through the יום/עת צרה. It will also be shown that sometimes the idiomatic expression יום/עת צרה is replaced by cognate phrases that, although semantically similar, are usually used to convey ideas that are not intrinsic to the widely used phrase יום/עת צרה.
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Pub Date : 2023-11-14DOI: 10.1163/15685330-00001159
{"title":"Announcement Nomination to the Presidency of the I.O.S.O.T. 2025–2028","authors":"","doi":"10.1163/15685330-00001159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-00001159","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46329,"journal":{"name":"VETUS TESTAMENTUM","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134993314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-14DOI: 10.1163/15685330-00001158
James W. Watts
This essay constitutes a thematic review of two recent publications that utilize cognitive science to illuminate biblical concepts of pollution and purity. The review, adapted and expanded from James W. Watts, Leviticus 11–20 (HCOT; Leuven: Peeters, 2023), 31–34, sets these works in the broader context of each author’s work and juxtaposes their insights with other major publications on purity and pollution in the Bible.
这篇文章是对最近出版的两本利用认知科学来阐明圣经中关于污染和洁净概念的著作的专题回顾。这篇评论改编自 James W. Watts, Leviticus 11-20 (HCOT; Leuven: Peeters, 2023), 31-34，并对其进行了扩充，将这些作品置于每位作者作品的大背景下，并将它们的见解与其他关于圣经中的洁净和污染的主要出版物并列。
{"title":"Pollution in the Bible and in Cognitive Science: A Review of Recent Works by Thomas Kazen and Yitzhaq Feder","authors":"James W. Watts","doi":"10.1163/15685330-00001158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-00001158","url":null,"abstract":"This essay constitutes a thematic review of two recent publications that utilize cognitive science to illuminate biblical concepts of pollution and purity. The review, adapted and expanded from James W. Watts, Leviticus 11–20 (HCOT; Leuven: Peeters, 2023), 31–34, sets these works in the broader context of each author’s work and juxtaposes their insights with other major publications on purity and pollution in the Bible.","PeriodicalId":46329,"journal":{"name":"VETUS TESTAMENTUM","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139276378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-19DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10146
Tova Ganzel
Abstract This article explores the roles of Sheshbazzar and Nehemiah in the Jerusalem Temple against the fabric of the Persian imperial rule and points to links between biblical and Mesopotamian temple portrayals. Within this context Sheshbazzar, the peḥā, characterizes a first phase, in which the empire accommodated and embraced local forms of leadership. In the second phase, Nehemiah, the royal cupbearer who initiated and coordinated the building of the Jerusalem wall, represents a form of leadership that was subject to more intensive imperial authority.
{"title":"Sheshbazzar and Nehemiah","authors":"Tova Ganzel","doi":"10.1163/15685330-bja10146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-bja10146","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article explores the roles of Sheshbazzar and Nehemiah in the Jerusalem Temple against the fabric of the Persian imperial rule and points to links between biblical and Mesopotamian temple portrayals. Within this context Sheshbazzar, the peḥā, characterizes a first phase, in which the empire accommodated and embraced local forms of leadership. In the second phase, Nehemiah, the royal cupbearer who initiated and coordinated the building of the Jerusalem wall, represents a form of leadership that was subject to more intensive imperial authority.","PeriodicalId":46329,"journal":{"name":"VETUS TESTAMENTUM","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135108956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-19DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10147
Chanan Ariel
Abstract It is well established in the literature that the vocalization of verbs in the Bible occasionally reflects late linguistic developments, specifically, changes in the Hebrew stem system during the Second Temple period, which affected the vocalization but not the consonantal orthography of the verb. This paper discusses five phenomena involving changes in the tense system, rather than the stem system, during the Second Temple period which are reflected in the orthography itself, namely, in the addition or omission of matres lectionis . I argue that the Second Temple scribes did not consider orthographical amendments involving matres lectionis as actual changes of the biblical text. As a result, they sometimes made such amendments, even in the conservative text of the Pentateuch. The five phenomena discussed here are examples of such amendments, reflecting changes in the Hebrew tense system during the Second Temple period. The reason tense-system developments are evident in the verbal orthography, while stem-system developments are not, is that the latter affected not only the vowels but also the consonants of the verbal forms, which the scribes avoided changing.
{"title":"Changes in Biblical Orthography Reflecting the Development of the Language","authors":"Chanan Ariel","doi":"10.1163/15685330-bja10147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-bja10147","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract It is well established in the literature that the vocalization of verbs in the Bible occasionally reflects late linguistic developments, specifically, changes in the Hebrew stem system during the Second Temple period, which affected the vocalization but not the consonantal orthography of the verb. This paper discusses five phenomena involving changes in the tense system, rather than the stem system, during the Second Temple period which are reflected in the orthography itself, namely, in the addition or omission of matres lectionis . I argue that the Second Temple scribes did not consider orthographical amendments involving matres lectionis as actual changes of the biblical text. As a result, they sometimes made such amendments, even in the conservative text of the Pentateuch. The five phenomena discussed here are examples of such amendments, reflecting changes in the Hebrew tense system during the Second Temple period. The reason tense-system developments are evident in the verbal orthography, while stem-system developments are not, is that the latter affected not only the vowels but also the consonants of the verbal forms, which the scribes avoided changing.","PeriodicalId":46329,"journal":{"name":"VETUS TESTAMENTUM","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135108959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-19DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10140
Kevin Foth
Abstract The antecedent(s) of the 3ms verbal forms and 3ms pronouns in Ps 7:13–14 have long puzzled scholars, stimulating a wide range of interpretations. This article proposes a new solution, that YHWH is the subject of the first line of verse 13 and the remainder of the 3ms forms in verses 13–14 refer to the enemy of the psalmist. This solution accounts for the available data of grammar and syntax in addition to the context of the overall poem, where the description of the enemy and the actions of YHWH have verbal and thematic echoes with the content in vv. 13–14.
{"title":"A Solution to the Subject(s) of Psalm 7:13–14","authors":"Kevin Foth","doi":"10.1163/15685330-bja10140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-bja10140","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The antecedent(s) of the 3ms verbal forms and 3ms pronouns in Ps 7:13–14 have long puzzled scholars, stimulating a wide range of interpretations. This article proposes a new solution, that YHWH is the subject of the first line of verse 13 and the remainder of the 3ms forms in verses 13–14 refer to the enemy of the psalmist. This solution accounts for the available data of grammar and syntax in addition to the context of the overall poem, where the description of the enemy and the actions of YHWH have verbal and thematic echoes with the content in vv. 13–14.","PeriodicalId":46329,"journal":{"name":"VETUS TESTAMENTUM","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135108955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-19DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10145
Marshall A. Cunningham
Abstract I argue that the Levitical Prayer offered in Neh 9:5–37 ( LP ) offers a version of Judean history that does not include the Babylonian exile. Instead, it narrates an unbroken chain of possession of Judean territory that spans from the conquest and settlement of Canaan to the post-monarchic context of the prayer’s composition. Drawing insights from the study of cultural trauma, I make the case that the interpretive importance of such a catastrophic event cannot be assumed for subsequent Judean communities who sought to form a sense of cultural identity through the retelling of a shared past. Potentially traumatic events like the Babylonian exile are not actualized naturally; communal trauma is instead the product of social processes in the present that serve the needs of present and future communities. An elision of the Babylonian exile from a piece of post-monarchic period literature like the LP does not, therefore, require the interpretative conclusion that the prayer was written by the descendants of Judeans who avoided exile and remained in Judea during the sixth century ʙᴄᴇ. Importantly, neither does it exclude the possibility that the LP was produced by a community whose ancestors were displaced and resettled in Babylonia during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II . Through this analysis I invite scholars to explore a broader range of interpretative possibilities in their study of Ezra-Nehemiah as a composition and the understanding of the defining elements of Judean identity in the post- monarchic period.
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Pub Date : 2023-09-19DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10144
Richard S. Hess
Abstract Esther 1 tells us that Xerxes had a special garden that he used for his weeklong celebration given on behalf of the residents of the citadel of Susa. The description of the pavement in verse 6 indicates that this provided a foundation for an opulent decorated garden, drawing upon the many cultures over which the Persian empire of the fifth century BCE ruled. The purpose of this study will be to examine the material composition of that pavement, in particular the bahaṭ, a noun often translated as “porphyry.” Following a review of proposals and analyses of this term, a new suggestion will apply both comparative philology, place name analysis, and the archaeology of Persian period northeastern Africa to argue an alternative understanding of the noun bahaṭ , “colorful granite.” The goal of this study will be to provide a more accurate perspective on the overall composition of the pavement and its garden.
{"title":"In the Garden of Xerxes’ Palace","authors":"Richard S. Hess","doi":"10.1163/15685330-bja10144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-bja10144","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Esther 1 tells us that Xerxes had a special garden that he used for his weeklong celebration given on behalf of the residents of the citadel of Susa. The description of the pavement in verse 6 indicates that this provided a foundation for an opulent decorated garden, drawing upon the many cultures over which the Persian empire of the fifth century BCE ruled. The purpose of this study will be to examine the material composition of that pavement, in particular the bahaṭ, a noun often translated as “porphyry.” Following a review of proposals and analyses of this term, a new suggestion will apply both comparative philology, place name analysis, and the archaeology of Persian period northeastern Africa to argue an alternative understanding of the noun bahaṭ , “colorful granite.” The goal of this study will be to provide a more accurate perspective on the overall composition of the pavement and its garden.","PeriodicalId":46329,"journal":{"name":"VETUS TESTAMENTUM","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135108972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-19DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10136
Samuel Hendrick Wessels
Abstract Septuagint Kingdoms, the Greek translation of Samuel-Kings, has an ambiguous linguistic reputation. While scholars sometimes note natural linguistic features, its isomorphic and literal translation style is typically emphasised. This ambiguity has apparently caused several scholars to misinterpret LXX 1 Kgdms 3:2, which uses the verb βαρύνω in reference to the failing eyesight of the priest Eli. When examined against other evidence, notably Euripides’ Alcestis , Kingdoms is shown to use a natural though poorly attested Greek expression meaning “go blind.” This paper demonstrates the natural idiomatic use of βαρύνω in 1 Kgdms 3:2 and shows its value in refining our understanding of “heavy eyes” in other non-translation Greek texts. More broadly, it promotes the reading of the LXX against the wider history of the Greek language.
{"title":"Eli’s “Heavy Eyes” in LXX 1 Kingdoms 3:2 and Euripides’ Alcestis","authors":"Samuel Hendrick Wessels","doi":"10.1163/15685330-bja10136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-bja10136","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Septuagint Kingdoms, the Greek translation of Samuel-Kings, has an ambiguous linguistic reputation. While scholars sometimes note natural linguistic features, its isomorphic and literal translation style is typically emphasised. This ambiguity has apparently caused several scholars to misinterpret LXX 1 Kgdms 3:2, which uses the verb βαρύνω in reference to the failing eyesight of the priest Eli. When examined against other evidence, notably Euripides’ Alcestis , Kingdoms is shown to use a natural though poorly attested Greek expression meaning “go blind.” This paper demonstrates the natural idiomatic use of βαρύνω in 1 Kgdms 3:2 and shows its value in refining our understanding of “heavy eyes” in other non-translation Greek texts. More broadly, it promotes the reading of the LXX against the wider history of the Greek language.","PeriodicalId":46329,"journal":{"name":"VETUS TESTAMENTUM","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135108960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-16DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10137
Francisco Martins
The book of Kings offers a detailed description of Hezekiah’s reign. Among the episodes recorded, there is the visit of a Babylonian embassy to whom the king shows the treasures of his palace. This act prompts the prophet Isaiah to announce that all these riches will be carried away to Babylon (2 Kgs 20:12–19). Although the plot is relatively straightforward in its broad contours, scholars have struggled to make sense of the relationship between the king’s gesture and Isaiah’s reaction. This article argues that a semantic-pragmatic phenomenon observed in Akkadian offers a path towards a new understanding of the text’s inner logic and meaning. Hezekiah’s “showing” and the Babylonian envoys’ “seeing” of the royal treasures acquire, in light of the parallel evoked, unexpected “legal overtones”: the king’s actions constitute a kind of legal symbolic act, whose dire consequences are fully explicated by Isaiah’s pronouncement.
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