The long and complex history of reception and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament through the ages, described in the HBOT Project, focuses in this concluding volume III, Part 2 on the multifarious research and the different methods used in the last century. Even this volume is written by Christian and Jewish scholars and takes its wider cultural and philosophical context into consideration. The perspective is worldwide and ecumenical. Its references to modern biblical scholarship, on which it is based, are extensive and updated.The indexes (names, topics, references to biblical sources and a broad body of literature beyond) are the key to the wealth of information provided.Contributors are J. Barton, H.L. Bosman, A.F. Campbell, SJ, D.M. Carr, D.J.A. Clines, W. Dietrich, St.E. Fassberg, D. Føllesdal, A.C. Hagedorn, K.M. Heim, J. Høgenhaven, B. Janowski, D.A. Knight, C. Körting, A. Laato, P. Machinist, M.A.O ́Brien, M. Oeming, D. Olson, E. Otto, M. Sæbø, J. Schaper, S. Sekine, J.L. Ska, SJ, M.A. Sweeney, and J. de Waard.

Dieser erste Teilband des dritten und letzten Bandes des HBOT-Projekts setzt die kritische Darstellung der ganzen Rezeptions-, Auslegungs- und Forschungsgeschichte der Hebräischen Bibel / des Alten Testaments fort und berücksichtigt die neuen Aspekte dieser Geschichte im neunzehnten Jahrhundert, und zwar auf jüdischer wie auf christlicher Seite, unter katholischen wie unter protestantischen Theologen und Forschern. Dabei macht sich vor allem eine neue Faszination des Phänomens einer vielfältigen und bunten Geschichte bemerkbar; die »Geschichte« rückt in den Brennpunkt, und mit dem immer breiter ausgreifenden und vielfältigen historischen Kontext tritt ein entschieden stärkeres Interesse an historischen Fragestellungen bei der Auslegung und Erforschung der Bibel in den Vordergrund. Diese Kursänderung kommt namentlich an den Tag, wenn das Alte Testament in seinen vorderorientalischen Kontext näher eingeordnet wird, während die Bezüge zur Kirche und Synagoge mehr oder weniger geschwächt werden. Sobald eine historisch-kritische Annäherungsweise und Methode in der Bibelforschung allmählich an Dominanz gewinnt, gerät das Verhältnis zwischen der neuen wissenschaftlichen Exegese und der herkömmlichen kirchlichen Auslegung des Alten Testaments mehrfach in eine Krise, und zudem werden Streitigkeiten zwischen Fronten hervorgerufen; doch enthält diese weithin krisenhafte Lage noch Möglichkeiten fruchtbarer Neuorientierungen – in der Bibelwissenschaft wie in Leben und Lehre der Kirchen. Dabei greift das auslaufende 19. Jahrhundert auf das 20. Jahrhundert aus.

Featuring contributions from internationally-recognized scholars in the study of the Pentateuch, this volume provides a comprehensive survey of key topics and issues in contemporary pentateuchal scholarship. The Oxford Handbook of the Pentateuch considers recent debates about the formation of the Pentateuch and their implications for biblical scholarship. At the same time, it addresses a number of issues that relate more broadly to the social and intellectual worlds of the Pentateuch. This includes engagements with questions of archaeology and history, the Pentateuch and the Samaritans, the relation between the Pentateuch and other Moses traditions in the Second Temple period, the Pentateuch and social memory, and more. Crucially, the Handbook situates its discussions of current developments in pentateuchal studies in relation to the field's long history, one that in its modern, critical phase is now more than two centuries old. By showcasing both this rich history and the leading edges of the field, this collection provides a clear account of pentateuchal studies and a fresh sense of its vitality and relevance within biblical studies, religious studies, and the broader humanities.

This two-volume set is part of a growing body of literature concerned with the history of biblical interpretation. The ample introduction first situates key players in the story of the development of the major strands of biblical interpretation since the Enlightenment, identifying how different theoretical and methodological approaches are related to each other and describing the academic environment in which they emerged and developed. Volume 1 contains fourteen essays on twenty-two interpreters who were principally active before 1980, and volume 2 has nineteen essays on twenty-seven of those who were active primarily after this date. Each chapter provides a brief biography of one or more scholars, as well as a detailed description of their major contributions to the field. This is followed by an (often new) application of the scholar's theory. By focusing on the individual scholars and their work, the book recognizes that interpretive approaches arise out of certain circumstances, and that scholars are influenced by, and have influences upon, both other interpreters and the times in which they live. This set is ideal for any class on the history of biblical interpretation and for those who want a greater understanding of how the current field of biblical studies developed.

The God of ancient Israel--universally referred to in the masculine today--was understood by its earliest worshipers to be a dual-gendered, male-female deity. So argues Mark Sameth in The Name. Needless to say, this is no small claim. Half the people on the planet are followers of one of the three Abrahamic religions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--each of which has roots in the ancient cult that worshiped this deity. The author's evidence, however, is compelling and his case meticulously constructed. The Hebrew name of God--YHWH--has not been uttered in public for over two thousand years. Some thought the lost pronunciation was "Jehovah" or "Yahweh." But Sameth traces the name to the late Bronze Age and argues that it was expressed Hu-Hi--Hebrew for "He-She." Among Jewish mystics, we learn, this has long been an open secret. What are the implications for us today if "he" was not God?

Are we able to identify and compare the philosophical perspectives and questions that must be postulated as having been somehow present in the language, ideas and worldviews of the Biblical authors? This book sets out an approach to something that has been generally considered impossible: a philosophical theology of the Old Testament. It demonstrates and addresses the neglect of a descriptive and comparative philosophical clarification of concepts in Old Testament theology, and in so doing treads new ground in Biblical studies and philosophical theology. Recognizing the obvious problems with, and objections to, any form of interdisciplinary research combining philosophical and Biblical theology, this study presents itself as introductory and experimental in nature. The methodology opted for is limited to a philosophical clarification of concepts already found in Old Testament theology, while the findings are presented via the popular thematic approach found in analytic philosophical theologies; with no attempted justification or critique of the textual contents under investigation. These approaches are combined by primarily looking at the nature of Yahweh in the Old Testament. This book offers a new vision of Biblical and philosophical theology that brings them closer together in order that we might understand both more broadly and deeply. As such, it will be vital reading for scholars of Theology, Biblical Studies and Philosophy.

Back cover: The recent debate on the religion of ancient Israel is strongly influenced by the idea that monotheism is the root of violence. Daniela Scialabba seeks to investigate inclusive tendencies in Old Testament monotheism, focussing on the idea of God as a universal creator who has pity with all his creatures.