Sacred History, Sacred Literature

Essays on Ancient Israel, the Bible, and Religion in Honor of R. E. Friedman on His Sixtieth Birthday

Shawna Dolansky

• Publisher: Eisenbrauns
• Year: 2008
• Print ISBN: 9781575061511
• eBook ISBN: 9781575065953
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Ancient History
• Index: History

Richard Friedman is well known in the field of biblical studies, not only because of his contributions to the study of the Hebrew Bible (which are many) but also because he has written cogently and clearly for a much wider audience, outside the academy, most notably in his Who Wrote the Bible? (1997). In addition, his influence has crossed the boundaries of a variety of disciplines such as source criticism, archaeology, the ancient Near East, as well as religious studies.

The essays in this volume reflect the breadth and depth of Richard Friedman's life and work. Several contributors discuss topics related to the Hebrew Bible: for example, Jacob Milgrom examines the relationship between Ezekiel and the Levites and Carol Meyers discusses the Tabernacle texts in the context of Priestly influence on them; Ronald Hendel, Michael Homan, and Robert Wilson explore the history of source criticism, with detailed source-critical analysis of Genesis 1–11 and the book of Kings. Jeffrey Geoghegan discusses the origins of the Passover in one of several insightful essays under the topic "Israel and the Ancient Near East." Among the contributions specific to archaeology, Baruch Halpern's provides a provocative "Defense of Forgery." Lastly, four contributors (e.g., Alan Cooper) discuss religion and religious studies, along with ramifications for contemporary application. A fine collection of contemporary topics discussed by leading scholars in the field.

Table of contents

• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Ezekiel and the Levites
• Chapter 2: Framing Aaron:Incense Altar and Lamp Oil in the Tabernacle Texts
• Chapter 3: Necromancy and 1 Samuel 19:22
• Chapter 4: A Tale of the Prophet and the Courtier:A Responsive Reading ofthe Nathan Texts
• Chapter 5: A Forgotten Cultic Reform?2 Kings 3:2b
• Chapter 6: Scribal Error and the Transmission of 2 Kings 18–20 and Isaiah 36–39
• Chapter 7: Empirical Taxonomy and the Hebrew Bible
• Chapter 8: Place-Names as Superlatives in Classical Hebrew
• Chapter 9: The Real Formal Full Personal Name of the God of Israel
• Chapter 10: Leitwort Style and Literary Structure in the J Primeval Narrative
• Chapter 11: How Moses Gained and Lost the Reputation of Being the Torah’s Author:Higher Criticism prior to Julius Wellhausen
• Chapter 12: How Was the Bible Written?Reflections on Sources and Authors in the Book of Kings
• Chapter 13: The “Biblical” Origins of Passover
• Chapter 14: “Plowing with a Heifer” in Judges 14:18:Tracing a Sexual Euphemism
• Chapter 15: Aramean Skin Care:A New Perspective on Naaman’s Leprosy
• Chapter 16: Abraham and Damascus in Some Greek and Latin Texts of the Hellenistic Period
• Chapter 17: Rethinking Sectarian Judaism:The Centrality of the Priesthood in the Second Temple Period
• Chapter 18: In Defense of Forgery
• Chapter 19: Can Archaeology Serve as a Tool in Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible
• Chapter 20: “You Shall Make for Yourself No Molten Gods”:Some Thoughts on Archaeology and Edomite Ethnic Identity
• Chapter 21: Female Infanticide in Iron IIIsrael and Judah
• Chapter 22: Elements of Popular Piety in Late Medieval and Early Modern Jewish Psalms Commentary
• Chapter 23: The Biblical Icon
• Chapter24: Walter Rauschenbusch, the Social Gospel Movement, and How Julius Wellhausen Unwittingly Helped Create American Progressivism in the Twentieth Century
• Chapter 25: “Starving” the Patient:A Jewish Perspective on Terry Schiavo and the Feeding Tube Controversy
• Index