Bøker i Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement S.-serien

The Old Testament, and biblical scholarship itself, distinguishes between mythical and historical. This book argues that only historical thing in the Bible is the Bible itself, a superb product of Jewish thought. What is narrated in the Bible is only myth.

The family tomb as a physical claim to the patrimony, the attributed powers of the dead and the prospect of post-mortem veneration made the cult of the dead an integral aspect of the Judahite and Israelite society. Over 850 burials from throughout the southern Levant are examined to illustrate the Judahite form of burial and its development. Vessels for foods and liquids were of paramount importance in the afterlife, followed by jewellery with its protective powers. The cult of the dead began to be an unacceptable feature of the Jerusalem Yahwistic cult in the late eighth to seventh century BCE. This change of attitude was precipitated by the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and the consequent theological response.

In 1943, the famous Old Testament scholar, Martin Noth, published his monograph, _berlieferungsgeschichtliche Studien, in which he established the hypothesis of a Deuteronomistic History and gave his treatment of the Chronicler''s History. It quickly became one of the classics in the field and is probably Noth''s most enduring legacy. This book brings together essays from an international symposium of scholars celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Noth''s important volume and reviewing his other contributions to Old Testament study. Part I discusses Noth''s life and work (Christopher Begg), his view of the Deuteronomistic History (Antony Campbell) and the Chronicler''s History (Roddy Braun), his contributions to the history of Israel (Thomas Thompson), tradition criticism (Rolf Rendtorff), and Old Testament theology (Timo Veijola), as well as reflections on Noth''s impact on current and future study (David Noel Freedman, Walter Dietrich). Part II analyses the scholarship over the past fifty years on each book in the Deuteronomistic History: Deuteronomy (Thomas Romer), Joshua (Brian Peckham), Judges (Mark O''Brien), 1-2 Samuel (P. Kyle McCarter), and 1-2 Kings (Steven McKenzie).

The author discusses the theological, social, and ideational implications of our new understandings of ancient Israel's social and religious development.

In this text, Hebrew language scholars outline views on the phenomenon of variation in biblical Hebrew and its significance for biblical studies. An important question that is addressed is whether "late biblical Hebrew" is a distinct chronological phase within the history of biblical Hebrew.

In Jeremiah 3.1-4.4, the prophet employs the image of Israel as God's unfaithful wife, who acts like a prostitute. The entire passage is a rich and complex rhetorical tapestry designed to convince the people of Israel of the error of their political and religious ways, and of the need for them to change before it is too late.

Essays exploring and explaining how ''queer'' reading makes a difference to biblical exegesis. As with feminism, theoretical questions arise such as whether such readings are characterized by certain questions or can only legitimately be done by gay or lesbian readers. The contributors are drawn from a range of backgrounds and a variety of interests--Jewish, Christian, agnostic, male, female, heterosexual, gay and lesbian--and mostly concentrate on individual passages and books. But the volume also contains some theoretical reflections, and it ends with three +critical responses'' from scholars with interdisciplinary interests on the place of queer read-ing of the Bible in broader contexts. A book for anyone interested in contemporary issues of bible interpretation or in queer theory generally.

This intertextual study compares the classic biblical tragedy of Saul, the first king of Israel, with later reworkings in Lamartine's drama "Saul: Tragedie" and Thomas Hardy's novel "The Mayor of Casterbridge", exploring plot and characterization in detail.