Table Of ContentCanoncity, Setting, Wisdom in the Deuterocanonicals
Deuterocanonical and
Cognate Literature
Studies
Edited by
Friedrich V. Reiterer, Beate Ego, Tobias Nicklas
Volume 22
De Gruyter
Canoncity, Setting,
Wisdom in the
Deuterocanonicals
Papers of the Jubilee Meeting
of the International Conference
on the Deuterocanonical Books
Edited by
Ge´za G. Xeravits, Jo´zsef Zsengelle´r
and Xave´r Szabo´
De Gruyter
ISBN978-3-11-037262-5
e-ISBN978-3-11-036723-2
ISSN1865-1666
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This volume is dedicated to our colleague
PROF. DR. FRIEDRICH V. REITERER
enthusiastic promoter of the study of
Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature
and constant and faithful supporter
of our conference series
Preface
GÉZA G. XERAVITS
When the first international conference on the Deuterocanonical books
has been convened to Pápa, Hungary in 2004, together with my co-
organiser József Zsengellér, we had two principal ideas. First, we
hoped we could establish a useful and accessible meeting place where
Hungarian scholars working in this field could engage leading interna-
tional representatives of research. Furthermore, we hoped also to be
able to give a fresh impetus to the study of Deuterocanonical books—in
some sense a stepchild then of Biblical scholarship.
That this idea has been a valid and legitimate one was proved by
the simple fact that many other colleagues worldwide felt responsibil-
ity in re-energizing the organized study of the Deuterocanonicals at the
beginning of the twenty-first century. At the same time the first meet-
ing in Pápa was announced, information arrived about the founding of
the International Society of Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature
through the initiative of Prof. Friedrich V. Reiterer (2002), and the or-
ganisation of its first conference in Salzburg, July 2003.1 It was obvious
for us that a yearly series of narrowly focused scholarly meetings
would effectively contribute to this resurgent development.
And indeed, this volume celebrates now the decennial anniversary
of the beginning of our initiative—none of us, I suppose, would have
envisioned such a duration of this project, a programme which has
been organized far from the current scholarly centres and without con-
siderable material funding. The fact that the jubilee conference—on
which the present volume is based—has been realized, testifies to the
worth and value of this project. In the following, I highlight some facts
about the past decade of the meetings.
The first five conferences were held at the Reformed Theological
Academy of Pápa, and were co-organized by Géza Xeravits and József
Zsengellér under the auspices of the Shime‘on Centre for the Study of
1 The Function and Relevance of Prayer in Deuterocanonical Literature (July 5-9,
2003), published in Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Yearbook 2004.
viii Géza G. Xeravits
Hellenistic and Roman Age Judaism and Christianity. One of the main
aims of this Centre was to coordinate these conferences, and it is a pity
that after the successive moves of the organizers from Pápa to Buda-
pest, it rapidly became inactive. In 2009, the series got a new home, the
Sapientia College of Theology, Budapest, and was restarted under the
direction of Géza Xeravits. Now, for the jubilee meeting, the original
organisers have joined again in cooperation at this memorable occa-
sion.2
The first six conferences (2004–2009) dealt with individual writings of
the Deuterocanonicals (Tobit, the Maccabbes, Ben Sira, Wisdom of
Solomon, the Additions, and Judith), and most of them made pioneer-
ing work in the history of research. These were followed by three meet-
ings focusing on important themes in early Jewish literature, with a
special emphasis, again, on the Deuterocanonical books. These latter
conferences researched questions first of the concept of authority, with
particular attention to aspects of Scriptural authority (2010); then the
problems of political power and ideology (2011); finally the exciting
inter-relations between religion and female body (2012). The language
of the conferences is English; however, papers are occasionally read in
French and in German, too.
During the past decade, 64 scholars have read 124 papers at the
successive meetings. 18 contributors were from Hungary; 13 arrived
from Germany or Austria; 11 from the American continent; 4 from Is-
rael; and the rest from various countries of Europe. From the interna-
tional side, there are sixteen scholars who attended more than two con-
ferences; among them are eight who contributed on more than four
occasions, which testifies that they judged this series scientifically sig-
nificant. The organizers have always considered it an important goal to
involve young, developing colleagues in the scholarly discussion. Ten
predocs have read their papers in course of the years: most of them
were from Hungary, but several international PhD students have also
contributed.
Among the participants, we regrettably have lost two colleagues.
The pre-eminent Israeli scholar of early Jewish history and literature
Hanan Eshel, who participated in the Wisdom of Solomon meeting in
Pápa, 2007, unexpectedly passed away in 2010, at the age of 52. The
doyen of the Hungarian New Testament scholars János Bolyki, who
2 For a detailed history, see www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=International_
Conference_on_the_Deuterocanonical_Books_%282004-%29,_learned_society
Preface ix
was an active contributor at the first two conferences, died in 2011, at
the age of 80.
The publication of the acta of the successive conferences is a pre-
eminent goal for the organizers, in order to communicate our results to
the widest scholarly public possible. The first four volumes were incor-
porated into the Journal for the Study of Judaism Supplements series of
Brill (Leiden).3 From the fifth meeting, the volumes have moved to the
Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Studies series of de Gruyter
(Berlin), because it soon became clear that this series has effectively
covered the core topic of these meetings.4 The volumes have obtained
generally positive reviews in scholarly journals. Along with the confer-
ences, a Hungarian book series entitled Deuterocanonica has also been
inaugurated. Five volumes appeared in it, the first is the acta of the
preparatory meeting for Hungarian colleagues, which was held in 2003,
the second is a selection from the papers read at the Tobit conference.
The following volumes consist of introductions to the Dead Sea Scrolls,
to the Deuterocanonical literature, and to the writings of Philo, respec-
tively.5 Due to an unstable financial background, however, the prospect
of this series is not as optimistic as planned.
Finally, a word of thanks for the leaders of the ISDCL: at the Berlin
meeting of the Society, in 2013, decision was made that the next Inter-
national Meeting of the Society will be organised in Budapest. The
meeting will be held in 28 June – 1 July, 2015.
3 G.G. XERAVITS / J. ZSENGELLÉR (eds.), The Book of Tobit: Text, Tradition, Theology
(JSJSup 98), Leiden 2005; IDEM (eds.), The Books of the Maccabees: History,
Theology, Ideology (JSJSup 118), Leiden 2007; IDEM (eds.), Studies in the Book of Ben
Sira (JSJSup 127), Leiden 2008; IDEM (eds.), Studies in the Book of Wisdom (JSJS 142),
Leiden 2010.
4 G.G. XERAVITS / J. ZSENGELLÉR (eds.), Deuterocanonical additions of the Old Testa-
ment Books (DCLSt 5), Berlin 2010; G.G. XERAVITS (ed.), A Pious Seductress: Studies
in the Book of Judith (DCLSt 14), Berlin 2012; G.G. XERAVITS / T. NICKLAS / I. KALIMI
(eds.), Scriptural Authority in Early Judaism and Ancient Christianity (DCLSt 16),
Berlin 2013.
5 G.G. XERAVITS / J. ZSENGELLÉR (eds.), Szövetségek erőterében (DtCan 1), Budapest
2004; IDEM (eds.), Tobit/Tóbiás könyve (DtCan 2), Budapest 2005; G.G. XERAVITS,
Könyvtár a pusztában (DtCan 3), Budapest 2008; IDEM, A deuterokanonikus könyvek
(DtCan 4), Budapest 2008; K. SCHENCK, Bevezetés Philón életéhez és írásaihoz
(DtCan 5, transl. X. Szabó), Budapest 2010.
