Yair Mazor

Psalm 24: Sense and sensibility in biblical composition

Abstract This paper focuses upon the composition of Psalm 24 (henceforth the only psalm referred to unless otherwise indicated) while elucidating its seemingly ramshackle structure as well as the reciprocal interaction between the psalms unique composition (which seems, in prima vista, of a flimsy structural nature) and its thematic trends, alliterative qualities, and ideological message. The psalms composition seems disturbingly shattered upon first encounter with its text: it opens with gigantic geographical elements engaged in depict ing Gods might and creators role, then it moves unexpectedly to depict Gods desirable pious observant and, again unexpectedly, shifts to another new theme (Gods glory, in this case) with which it concludes. This paper aims to prove that the seemingly flimsy composition of the psalm, as may be presumed in prima vista, is greatly misleading indeed: underneath the outer textual “crust”, which presents an air of instability, lies an aesthetic system which displays an imp...

בכורי העתים: ביכורי ההשכלה: מפתח מוּור לבכורי העתים כתב-העת העברי של ההשכלה בגליציה (Bikurei Ha'itim The 'First Fruits' of Haskalah: An Annotated Index to Bikurei Ha'itim, the Hebrew Journal of the Haskalah in Galicia) (review)

against immortality, the limitations of knowledge, celestial influence, evil and its causes, the dangers of philosophy, allegory of the soul, and virtue ethics and the doctrine of the mean. The excurses found in the body of the commentary are designed to explain the philosophical background and principles of his work, especially since few philosophical works were available in Hebrew. Some maintain that his exegetical excurses represent works in progress, but Robinson maintains that they are designed to illumine difficult points. Robinson’s discussion of language, style, and rhetoric is designed to demonstrate that Ibn Tibbon developed an esoteric, coded, or elitist language based in the work of Maimonides that would dominate the Maimonidean tradition in Provence during the thirteenth century. Robinson’s discussion of exegetical and philosophical resources demonstrates his dependence on Maimonides and areas of divergence, especially when Ibn Tibbon follows Averroes. Robinson also points to Ibn Tibbon’s efforts at defending Rabbinic exegesis against the Karaites and his dependence on earlier exegesis of Ecclesiastes. His philosophical sources included Maimonides, Aristotle and the Arabic Aristotelians, and Christian scholasticism. Robinson’s discussion of Ibn Tibbon’s exegetical method illustrates his use of homonyms and equivocal terms, demonstration techniques, dialectic, rhetoric and poetics, and allegorical exegesis. He also includes a catalog of symbols used by Ibn Tibbon in his exposition. Robinson’s volume is a well-developed work that demonstrates Ibn Tibbon’s innovations in developing the commentary format. His work makes Ibn Tibbon’s commentary on Ecclesiastes accessible to nonspecialists as well as experts in the field.

The Budding of Modern Hebrew Creativity in Babylon, and: The Collected Essays of Rabbi Shelomo Bekhor Hutsin (review)

Vol. 25, No. 2 ♦ 2007 The author does not mention the New Testament historian, Luke, who wrote linear geography in the Acts and described Palestine in his Gospel. This reviewer encountered a number of typographical errors (p. 25—Odessey for Odyssey, p. 70—Hellepont for Hellespont, p. 129—Thudydides for Thucydides, among others). This is a book that I found grew on me as I re-read sections that were at first unclear. It is a valuable contribution to a monograph series that illumines corners of the study of Judaism in antiquity that would otherwise remain in the shadows. Stuart D. Robertson Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures Purdue University

What You See Is Not What You Get: When Unity Masquerades as Disarray

This essay addresses two different Biblical bulks of text. On the one hand, the essay approaches Psalm 23. On the other hand, however, does the essay equally approach Genesis 4 that documents the chronicles of Cain, Abel, Lemech and the descendents of Adam and Eve after the slay of Abel by Cain. The rationale for addressing simultaneously these two bodies of Biblical text that seem to be divorced from each other, is the following. In the case of both texts, the first encounter with them appears to surrender the impression that two textual components had been glued to each other while lacking any common denominator whatsoever. Nevertheless, in both cases an analytical scrutiny does unveil a cluster of links between the two texts that are seemingly devoid of any reciprocal bond. In the case of Psalm 23, the common denominator between the Psalms two seemingly detached parts does consist on a tight, detailed analogy between the metaphors utilized to portray the Lord and His pious believer. In the case of Genesis 4, however, the unearthed link between the texts ensemble of components is found to be among the characters that perform along two leading parameters, death and life. Hence in both cases what was initially considered a text that is devoid of a plausible connection between its parts, is found out as a text that its parts are united in the most cogent and equally tight fashion.

“CHERCHEZ LA FEMME,” OR SEX, LIES AND THE BIBLE

Abstract The articles title both unearths and introduces the articles prevailing proclivities on ideological grounds: unveiling and displaying the way the Biblical text cultivates an unworthy credo that embraces and internalizes indecent norms of abusing women by depriving them of their elementary rights and freedom, by belittling their intellectual faculties, by considering the woman as nothing a passive womb, or a piece of merchandise, devoid of any rights, appreciation, compassion. Indeed, the Bible exhibits some example that may contest the above. Such are the cases of Debora the prophetess; Yael who killed bravely the Israels foe Sisera; and to a certain extend Miriam. Nevertheless, those examples are very few in comparison with the “myriads” cases in which the Biblical woman is humiliated, exploited, hoaxed, “enslaved”, both helplessly and hopelessly “harnessed” to a male oriented agenda, derogated, animadverted, put to shame, robbed of her most basis needs, wishes and an opportunity to defme and materialize her own role and place in society. The article may be bisected into two parts: the descriptive, panoramic part and the critical, interpretative, analyzed part. The first part reviews both panoramically and comprehensively “hosts” of cases that plausibly attest to the articles leading idea. The second part, however, is the more analytical part of the article since it interprets fastidiously and systematically some Biblical cases. Among them are the following. Eve is degraded, humiliated and wronged in the story of the Garden of Eden since she brilliantly breaches the Bibles agenda, one that promotes the males verbal and intellectual faculties, by exhibiting an admirable level of cleverness and intellectual capacity that eclipse and cloud Adams. Sara in the chronicle of Abrahams descent to Egypt where she is practically enslaved and sold like a sexual object to Pharaoh only to enable Abrahams selfish, egoistic, shamefully materialistic desires materialize and being met by disgraceful success. Tamar the wife of sinful Er and daughter in law of Judah who is portrayed as a swindler, a pathetically dishonorable person who is ignominiously stumbled by his sexual lust. Tamars deprivation and humiliation are underlined by comparing her chronicles with Josephs in the land of Egypt. In all cases mentioned above, and in others as well, the heartlessly, shamefully cynical fashion in which the woman is put down and deprived to the point that she is incredulously used by the male oriented society as a piece of sellable merchandise, or as nothing but a womb that is expected to serve the males ambitions and the Bibles agenda, is analyzed insightfully while unveiling in the text in focus aesthetic devices, poetic patterns and literary mechanisms that serve effectively the Biblical texts ideology. The article commences with a comprehensive portrayal of the study of feminism and anti feminism in worlds literature, thought and drama.

Scolding aesthetics in biblical literature

Abstract The leading purpose of this study is to critically introduce a textual layer in the Bible which is both ideologically intriguing and aestethically appealing. The textual, Biblical layer in focus may be entitled “Scolding Aesthetics”, Accordingly, the Biblical narrator dexterously utilizes an intricate literary mechanism while harnessing it to a morel rebuke which he aims at a certain Biblical character (usually of high fame and reputation). Hence, scolding aesthetics may also be considered an intersection where Biblical literary artistry and moral values cross, interact and mutually produce a complex textual system. The current study demonstrate the practice of that Biblical‐literary‐moral strategy through a close reading of three Biblical texts: Genesis, 12 (Abraham descends to Egypt) 2 Samuel, 11 (King David who does not participate in the war against the Ammonites) and Genesis, 3 (Eves Fall). All three illustrations effectively surrender and display the aesthetic‐moral mechanism under conside...

Hosea 5.1-3: Between Composttional Rhetoric and Rhetorical Composition

The major aim of this paper is to cast new light upon one aspect of Hosea’s literary art and its persuasive impact, by enlisting the investigative techniques of structuralist, rhetorical criticism (as inspired by the Russian Formalists; cf. Erlich [1956], Lemon [1965], Tomkins [1980]). The literary critic has a different perspective from those who employ more traditional methods of analyzing a text, for he attempts to see ’how’ the writer is communicating as much as ’what’ he is communicating. Yet this vantage point is not isolated. In fact, the results of literary criticism can often clarify aspects which are in the domain of traditional study. Hence, the disciplines are not contradictory ; modern literary ciriticism does not deny the validity of traditional exegesis nor diminish its excellence. On the contrary, the literary approach complements the traditional by arming the latter with new, penetrating insight. Following this vein, a new reading ofHos. 5.1-3 along literary lines