RBL 27.2.2015

Angelika Berlejung and Michael P. Streck, eds., Arameans, Chaldeans, and Arabs in Babylonia and Palestine in the First Millennium B.C.
Reviewed by Aren M. Maeir

Matthew J. Goff, 4QInstruction
Reviewed by Kenneth Atkinson
Reviewed by Jeffrey P. Garcia

T. Michael W. Halcomb, Entering the Fray: A Primer on New Testament Issues for the Church and Academy
Reviewed by C. Jason Borders

Andrew T. Lincoln, Born of a Virgin? Reconceiving Jesus in the Bible, Tradition, and Theology
Reviewed by Marianne Blickenstaff

Mark McEntire, Portraits of a Mature God: Choices in Old Testament Theology
Reviewed by Ginny Brewer-Boydston

Bert Newton, Subversive Wisdom: Sociopolitical Dimensions of John’s Gospel
Reviewed by Benjamin Reynolds

Chantal Reynier, Pour lire la lettre de Saint Paul aux Romains
Reviewed by Abson Joseph

Thomas Richter and Sarah Lange, Das Archiv des Idadda: Die Keilschrifttexte aus den deutsch-syrischen Ausgrabungen 2001–2003 im Königspalast von Qatna
Reviewed by Jan-Wim Wesselius

Frank Williams, trans., The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III: De Fide
Reviewed by Simon Gathercole

Σχόλια σε χειρόγραφα της Καινής Διαθήκης / Commentaries on NT manuscripts

Ο Daniel Wallace ανάρτησε ένα κείμενο με μερικές παρατηρήσεις όσον αφορά στη μορφή που έχουν τα υπομνήματα σε κείμενα της Καινής Διαθήκης σε αρχαία χειρόγραφα:

Biblical Manuscripts and their Commentaries

2015 Hawarden “Old Testament in the New” Conference

The 2015 Hawarden Seminar is fast approaching and so it is with pleasure that I attach the programme and most up-to-date participants list. Please let me know if you are intending to come but your name does not appear on the list. There is still time to book (direct with Gladstone’s Library by telephone on +44 (0) 1244 532350; please also let me know by email) if you wish to join us.

ANNUAL SEMINAR ON OT IN NT HAWARDEN 2015
Programme

Wednesday 25th March

8.00-9.00 – Piet Van Veldhuizen – Groups of 50 and 100 in Mark’s Feeding Narrative (Mark 6:30-44)

Thursday 26th March

9.00-9.55 – Susan Docherty – The Reception of Proverbs in Early Jewish and Christian Literature

10.00-10.45 – Arthur Keefer – Paul’s Use of Proverbs in Romans 3:15 – Anthropology, Wisdom and the Fear of the Lord

11.15- 12.00 – Jonathan Norton – When Exegesis is Not the Answer: Distinguishing Logic, Purpose and Rhetoric in Paul’s Letters

12.05-12.50 – Esau McCaulley – Two Eternal Witnesses: The Boulders at Mount Ebal and Habakkuk’s Tablet – Paul’s Use of Hab 2:4 and Deut 27:26 in Gal 3:10-11

4.30-5.20 – Joshua Coutts – Kept in the Shared Name: Exploring the Background(s) of Jn 17:11-12

5.25-6.15 – Kai Akagi – Light From Galilee: The Narrative Function of Isa 8:23-9:6 in Jn 8:12-13

8.00-9.00 – David Allen – The Use of the OT in the NT: Preparing for a Special Edition of JSNT –

Friday 27th March

9.00-9.55 – Bart Koet – Luke’s Representation of Paul as Interpreter of Scriptures in Acts

10.00 –10.50 – Jenny Read-Heimerdinger – James and Simeon (Acts 15:13-21): An Appeal to the Authority of Ecclesiasticus?

11.20-12.00 – Drake Williams- Considering Jewish Influence in Paul’s Exhortation of Imitation in 1 Corinthians

12.05-12.50 – Madison Pierce -The Akedah and Hebrews: The Identification of Jesus with a Patriarch

Ιστορία Χρόνων ΚΔ (V): οι ελληνική έρευνα / Neutestamentliche Zeitgeschichte (V): Greek studies

Η Ιστορία Χρόνων της ΚΔ στον ελλαδικό χώρο ακολούθησε σε γενικές γραμμές τις τάσεις που παρουσιάσθηκαν και στον διεθνή χώρο. Ας μην ξεχνούμε άλλωστε ότι οι περισσότεροι από τους καθηγητές που δίδαξαν Ιστορία Χρόνων ΚΔ στην Ελλάδα σπούδασαν στο εξωτερικό και κυρίως στη Γερμανία κι επομένως επηρεάσθηκαν από τις εξελίξεις εκεί.

Στα 1918 ο Παναγιώτης Μπρατσιώτης εξέδωσε το έργο Συμβολαὶ εἰς τὴν Βιβλικὴν Ἱστορίαν, ὁ Ἰουδαϊσμὸς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μέρος Α΄ Αἱ Πολιτικαὶ Σχέσεις τοῦ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ Ἰουδαϊσμοῦ ἐπὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Όπως προκύπτει από τον τίτλο η μελέτη ασχολείται με τον παλαιστινιακό Ιουδαϊσμό ως το ιστορικό πλαίσιο της δράσης του Ιησού και της πρώτης Εκκλησίας.

Ο Ευάγγελος Αντωνιάδης, καθηγητής της Ιστορίας της Εποχής της ΚΔ στο Πανεπιστήμιο των Αθηνών, ο οποίος σπούδασε στο Göttingen, υιοθέτησε αρκετές από τις αρχές της Θρησκειοϊστορικής Σχολής, όπως προκύπτει από τη μελέτη του έργου του: Ἡ κατάστασης τῶν Ἀθηνῶν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐποχῆς τοῦ ἀπ. Παύλου (1932)· Ὁ ἄγνωστος Θεός (1918)· Ὁ ἀπόστολος Παῦλος ἐν Ἀθήναις (1920)· Ἡ ἐν Ἀρείῳ Πάγῳ ὁμιλία καὶ ἡ νεωτέρα κριτικὴ ἐπιστήμη (1920). 

Με τον ελληνικό κόσμο και την πιθανή σχέση του με τα κείμενα του αποστόλου Παύλου ασχολήθηκε ο Βασίλειος Ιωαννίδης σε δύο έργα του: Ὁ απόστολος Παῦλος καὶ οἱ στωικοὶ φιλόσοφοι (1934, 1957) και Ὁ μυστικισμὸς τοῦ ἀπόστολου Παύλου καὶ αἱ θρησκευτικαὶ ἰδέαι καὶ τάσεις τῶν ἑλληνιστικῶν χρόνων (1936, 1957).

Το πρώτο εγχειρίδιο Ιστορίας Χρόνων είναι το ογκώδες έργο του καθηγητή της Ιστορίας των Θρησκευμάτων στη Θεολογική Αθηνών Λεωνίδα Φιλιππίδη με τον τίτλο Ἱστορία ἐποχῆς τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης ἐξ ἐπόψεως παγκοσμίου και πανθρησκειακῆς (1958). Αυτό το έργο κάνει μία γενικότερη επισκόπηση της παγκόσμιας ιστορίας συμπεριλαμβάνοντας πέραν των σχετικών με τον Ιουδαϊσμό και Ελληνισμό κεφαλαίων και κεφάλαια σχετικά με άλλα θρησκεύματα, με το μονοθεϊσμό, την ιστορική γεωγραφία της Παλαιστίνης, τη γλώσσα και τα φιλολογικά ζητήματα των κειμένων της ΚΔ.

Τα πανεπιστημιακά εγχειρίδια της Ιστορίας των Χρόνων της ΚΔ, που ακολούθησαν, εκείνο του καθηγητή Σάββα Αγουρίδη και εκείνα των καθηγητών Γεωργίου Γαλίτη και Ιωάννη Γαλάνη, κινήθηκαν σε ένα στενότερο χρονικό πλαίσιο ακολουθώντας τα πρότυπα των εγχειριδίων του εξωτερικού. Σε αυτά αποφεύγεται γενικάο  μονομερή τονισμός του Ελληνισμού ή του Ιουδαϊσμού κι επιπλέον δίνονται στοιχεία σχετικά τις θρησκευτικές ομάδες της εποχής στην Παλαιστίνη. Το πλέον πρόσφατο πόνημα μίας συνολικής θεώρησης της Ιστορίας των Χρόνων της ΚΔ είναι του επίκ. καθ. στη Θεολογική Αθηνών Κων/νου Ζάρρα με τον τίτλο Ιστορία της Εποχής της ΚΔ, τόμος Α΄ και Β΄ (2006 και 2008). Στο έργο του δίνει ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στον Ιουδαϊσμό της Παλαιστίνης και της Διασποράς (κυρίως Αλεξάνδρειας) και στον ραββινικό Ιουδαϊσμό (βλ. επίσης την πρόσφατη έκδοση του Ιστορία των Χρόνων της Καινής Διαθήκης [515 π.Χ. - 135 μ.Χ.] [2012]).

Επιμέρους μελέτες με θέματα Ιστορίας της Εποχής της ΚΔ έγραψαν οι Βασίλειος Στογιάννος (ο οποίος τονίζει κυρίως το ελληνικό στοιχείο στα κείμενα της ΚΔ), ο Γεώργιος Γρατσέας (ο οποίος ασχολήθηκε με το ιουδαϊκό υπόβαθρο και την ελληνιστική γραμματεία, κυρίως τον Πλούταρχο), ο Ιωάννης Γαλάνης (ο οποίος εξέδωσε μελέτες με θέματα που αφορούν κυρίως τις σχέσεις Ελληνισμού και Ιουδαϊσμού στην εποχή της ΚΔ στη Διασπορά κυρίως), ο Χρήστος Οικονόμου (με έμφαση κυρίως στις απαρχές του χριστιανισμού στην Κύπρο και στην Θεσσαλονίκη), ο Σωτήριος Δεσπότης (με έμφαση στην ιεραποστολή περιοδεία του Παύλου στην Ελλάδα) ο Μόσχος Γκουτζιούδης (με ενδιαφέροντα κυρίως στην αρχαιολογία του ελληνορωμαϊκού περιβάλλοντος της αρχαίας Εκκλησίας) κι η γράφουσα (με έμφαση κυρίως στην επιγραφική και στην μελέτη του ελληνορωμαϊκού περιβάλλοντος των αρχαίων χριστιανικών κοινοτήτων). 

Οι ανασκαφές στο Kh. el-Maqatir και η πόλη Εφραίμ / The Kh. el-Maqatir excavations and the location of Ephraim

Στην ιστοσελίδα The Bible and Interpretation έχει αναρτηθεί η έκθεση για τις ανασκαφές στο Kh. el-Maqatir κατά το έτος 2014 και προτείνεται μία νέα τοποθεσία για την πόλη Εφραίμ:

2014 Excavations at Kh. el-Maqatir: A Proposed New Location for the Ai of Joshua 7–8 and Ephraim of John 11:53-54

Μία διατριβή για το Διατεσσάρων του Τατιανού / A dissertation on Tatian's Diatessaron

Από την ψηφιακή βιβλιοθήκη του Πανεπιστημίου της Κολωνίας:

Kapfhammer, Gerald (2014) Die Evangelienharmonie Tatian: Studien zum Codex Sangallensis 56. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

Το τρέχον τεύχος του NTS / The current issue of NTS

New Testament Studies 61:2 (2015)

• Udo Schnelle, "Das frühe Christentum und die Bildung," 113-143 (abstract)
• Gudrun Nassauer, "Göttersöhne: Lk 1.26–38 als Kontrasterzählung zu einem römischen Gründungsmythos," 144-164 (abstract)
• Knut Backhaus, "Paulus und die Dioskuren (Apg 28.11): Über zwei denkwürdige Schutzpatrone des Evangeliums," 165-182 (abstract)
• Claire Clivaz / Sara Schulthess, "On the Source and Rewriting of 1 Corinthians 2.9 in Christian, Jewish and Islamic Traditions (1 Clem 34.8; GosJud 47.10–13; a ḥadīth qudsī)," 183-200 (abstract)
• Hans Förster, "Die Begegnung am Brunnen (Joh 4.4–42) im Licht der „Schrift“: Überlegungen zu den Samaritanern im Johannesevangelium," 201-218 (abstract)
• Lourdes García Ureña, "Colour Adjectives in the New Testament," 219-238 (abstract)
• Quaestiones Disputatae:  "How Greek was Paul's Eschatology?," 239-253 (abstract)

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του Journal of Semitics / In the current issue of the Journal of Semitics

Journal of Semitics 23:2 (2014)

• Temba Rugwiji, "The salvific task of the suffering servant in Isaiah 42:1-7 : a contemporary perspective," 289-314 (abstract)
• Wilhelm J. Wessels, "Leadership in times of crisis : Nahum as master of language and imagery," 315-338 (abstract)
• Lee Roy Martin, "Rhetorical criticism and the affective dimension of the biblical text," 339-353 (abstract)
• Blessing Onoriode Boloje / Alphonso Groenewald, "Malachi's vision of the temple : an emblem of eschatological hope (Malachi 3:1-5) and an economic centre of the community (Malachi 3:10-12)," 354-381 (abstract)
• Joseph Jacobus De Bruyn, "Constructing a deceitful deity - the disempowerment of Bel - Bel and the dragon, verses 1-22 (OG/Th)," 382-403 (abstract)
• Aron Pinker, "On the meaning of Job 26:9," 404-422 (abstract)
• Bruk Ayele Asale, "The legacy of 1 Enoch on Ethiopian literature,"423-442 (abstract)
• Susandra J. Van Wyk, "Lost in translation : present-day terms in the maintenance texts of the nadiātu from old Babylonian Nippur," 443-483 (abstract)
• Joshua Joel Spoelstra, "Hebrew הבח : a kompositions- und redaktionsgeschichte," 484-499 (abstract)
• David Tuesday Adamo, "Reading Jeremiah 13:23 in an African context," 500-530 (abstract)
• V. Christides, "The sources of Cosmas Indicopleustes' miniatures of animals : the case of the 'unicorn'," 531-546 (abstract)
• Willie Van Heerden, "Dealing with the history-nature dualism in ecological theology," 547-568 (abstract)
• Ber Kotlerman, "South African writings of Morris Hoffman : between Yiddish and Hebrew," 569-582 (abstract)
• Jaco Gericke, "Is there philosophy in the Hebrew Bible? Some recent affirmative perspectives," 583-598 (abstract)
• Cynthia L. Miller-Naude / Jacobus A, Naude, "Incorporating ancient Israel's worldview into the teaching of Biblical Hebrew," 599-614 (abstract)  
• Harry Van Rooy, "The use of interrogatives in the book of Ezekiel and their translation in the ancient versions," 615-632 (abstract)
• Kevin Chau, "Metaphor's forgotten brother : a survey of metonymy in Biblical Hebrew poetry," 633-652 (abstract)
• Boaz Zissu / Omri Abadi, "Paleo-Hebrew script in Jerusalem and Judea from the second century B.C.E. through the second century C.E. : a reconsideration," 653-664 (abstract)

Πήλινα ειδώλια από τον Ιούδα / Clay figurines from Judah

O Erin Darby δημοσιεύει τη μελέτη του για τα πήλινα ειδώλια της περιοχής του Ιούδα στην ιστοσελίδα The Bible and Interpretation: 

Fatal Attraction: Obsession, Aversion, and the Femme Fatale of Ancient Judah

Το πρόσφατο τεύχος του Sacra Scripta / The latest issue of Sacra Scripta

Sacra Scripta 11:2 (2013)

Constantin Oancea, "Psalm 2 im Alten Testament und im frühen Judentum," 159-180

New Testament citations of Psalm 2 show that it was regarded as a messianic text in the Early Church. Although the Christian messianic understanding is usually connected to V 7, of the 12 references to Psalm 2 in the NT, only 3 are to this verse. This also makes the messianic character of Ps 2 a matter of different possible understandings for ancient and modern readers. The article explores the image of ‘the anointed’ in the primary context of the psalm and the aspects that influenced the reception of the text in Early Judaism. Analysis of motifs reveals that Psalm 2 makes use of royal ideology, prophetical traditions and themes of Wisdom in a way that indicates its genesis in Post-Exilic times. It was addressed to a Jewish community marked by rather negative experiences with other nations. The psalm was messianic from its beginning, but it regarded ‘the anointed’ as a king of the near future, when the Kingdom of YHWH will have become obvious for all nations. ‘Messiah’ is a matter of hope for the author of Psalm 2 and his community. The reception of the psalm in Early Judaism oscillated between sapiential interpretations, where emphasis is on serving the Lord and observing His commandments, and messianic interpretations, where the scenario of the Psalm is situated in the time of the eschatological confrontation.

Emanuel Contac, "The Reception of Zechariah 9:9 in the New Testament and in the Early Church," 181-205

The present paper analyzes the reception of a classical messianic prophecy ‒ Zechariah 9:9 ‒ in the Gospels of Matthew and John, respectively, highlighting the particular way in which the two evangelists quote and embed this text into their own theological fabric. The second part of the paper presents the early Rezeptionsgeschichte of Zechariah 9:9, surveying a wide variety of Christian authors who span five centuries (Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine and Caesarius of Arles). Our analysis shows that while some early commentators read the text allegorically, others see in it an important witness about the earthly life of Jesus or, more generally, the history of salvation. A few important commentators use the text pollemically as they wrestle theologically with various categories of opponents (Jews, Ebionites, Valentinians, Marcionites, pagans).

Korinna Zamfir, "From Humble Servant to Incarnate Logos Christology: Ethics, Apologetics and Polemics in the Early Readings of Isa 52-53," 206-225

Early Christian authors use Isaiah 52–53 for various purposes. Beside the Christological-soteriological interpretation of Jesus’ ministry and/or suffering, the quotes serve ethical purposes. The apologetical-polemical function becomes dominant from the mid-second century onward, as part of the debates with real or fictitious Jewish and pagan opponents.

Mitchell Alexander Esswein, "Is he Going to Kill Himself?: The Willing Self-Sacrifice of Jesus and the Akedah in the Fourth Gospel," 231-261

This study examines the passages in which the Akedah is tacitly referenced by the Fourth Evangelist to explain who Christ was for his community. It identifies a plethora of thematic and linguistic expressions in John that are parallel to the developing tradition of Isaac's willing sacrifice. This analysis begins with a linguistic examination of Jewish texts that speak of an "only"/"beloved" child in the context of sacrifice (Gen 22; Judg 11:29–40; and 2 Kgs 2:26–27), and explores the translation of these terms into Greek (יחיד to μονογενής/ἀγαπητός). Secondly, key thematic developments in the evolution of the Akedah are explored in relation to John's Gospel. This study concludes that John consciously employed an Isaac-typology, and its characteristic vocabulary, to elaborate upon the meaning of Jesus' sacrifice.

Reinhard Neudecker, "Marriage and Divorce: the Pharisees and Jesus in the Ligh of Early Rabbinic Literature," 262-286

The teaching of Jesus on marriage and divorce is particularly clear in the gospel of Matthew. Matthew deals with this theme in connection with the Decalogue commandment “You shall not commit adultery” (Exod 20:14). The logion of Jesus on divorce appears as a doublet in Matt 5:32 within Matthew’s so-called antitheses and in Matt 19:9 within its original context, which presents also Jesus’ view of marriage. In both places Jesus’ teaching challenges that of the Scribes and Pharisees. Matthew does not spell out the positions of the Scribes and Pharisees in greater detail. He limits himself to abbreviations and mere hints, which makes it necessary to look for fuller background information.The standpoint of the Scribes and Pharisees that Matthew, particularly in his antitheses, chooses to indicate moves to a great extent on the level of legal exegesis and practical (juridical) justice. This standpoint is challenged by Jesus’ teaching which, however, is on a moral level and which presents a spirituality for the perfect: “You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48). On the level of justice that can be put into practice in a society of ordinary people who do break the commandments, Jesus may well have approved a good number of the Scribal and Pharisaic rules and regulations as being made “for the hardness of the human heart” (cf. Matt 19:8). In fact, in Matt 23:2-3 Jesus calls upon his followers to do and observe everything the Scribes and Pharisees tell them, because they “sit on Moses’ seat”. Here it is agreed that in principle they are the heirs of Moses and that their teaching, in spite of Jesus’ criticism, merits attention.

Dan Batovici, "A Few Notes on the Use of the Scripture in Galatians," 287-301

This paper revisits the question of the function of the Old Testament references in the Epistle to the Galatians. The inquiry is largely focused on direct quotations which are each analyzed with regard to their specific function within the argument in which they are employed. A number of characteristics emerge from the analysis which will then be assessed against the solutions proposed in previous scholarship on the topic.