Table Of ContentIN PRAISE OF EDITING IN THE HEBREW BIBLE
Hebrew Bible Monographs, 39
Series Editors
David J.A. Clines, J. Cheryl Exum, Keith W. Whitelam
Editorial Board
A. Graeme Auld, Marc Brettler, David M. Carr, Paul M. Joyce,
Francis Landy, Lena-So(cid:2)a Tiemeyer, Stuart D.E. Weeks
Amsterdam Studies in the Bible and Religion, 4
Series Editor
Athalya Brenner
IN PRAISE OF EDITING
IN THE HEBREW BIBLE
COLLECTED ESSAYS IN RETROSPECT
Yairah Amit
translated by
Betty Sigler Rozen
SHEFFIELD PHOENIX PRESS
2012
Copyright © 2012 Shef(cid:2)eld Phoenix Press
Published by Shef(cid:2)eld Phoenix Press
Department of Biblical Studies, University of Shef(cid:2)eld
45 Victoria Street, Shef(cid:2)eld S3 7QB
www.shef(cid:2)eldphoenix.com
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information
storage or retrieval system, without the publishers’ permission in writing.
A CIP catalogue record for this book
is available from the British Library
Typeset by Forthcoming Publications
Printed by Lightning Source
ISBN 978-1-907534-36-2 (hardback)
ISSN 1747-9614
CONTENTS
Abbreviations ix
Foreword xi
Chapter 1
WHO DECIDED TO OPEN THE TORAH WITH THE CREATION OF THE SABBATH? 1
Retrospective Preface to 1
CREATION AND THE CALENDAR OF HOLINESS 3
Chapter 2
THE GARDEN OF EDEN AS UTOPIA 24
Retrospective Preface to 24
BIBLICAL UTOPIANISM 26
Chapter 3
WHY WERE THEY BARREN? 33
Retrospective Preface to 33
WHY WERE THE MATRIARCHS BARREN? 34
Chapter 4
THE LOST HONOR OF DINA, DAUGHTER OF JACOB 45
Retrospective Preface to 45
IMPLICIT REDUCTION AND LATENT POLEMIC
IN THE STORY OF THE RAPE OF DINAH 47
Chapter 5
REPETITION AS POETIC PRINCIPLE 70
Retrospective Preface to 70
REPEATED SITUATION—A POETIC PRINCIPLE
IN THE MODELING OF JOSEPH NARRATIVE 71
Chapter 6
WHO IS AFRAID OF MULTIPLE VOICES? 84
Retrospective Preface to 84
‘BUT WITH US, THE LIVING, EVERY ONE OF US HERE TODAY’:
ON MULTIPLE VOICES IN BIBLICAL TEXTS 85
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vi In Praise of Editing in the Hebrew Bible
Chapter 7
‘FOR THE LORD FOUGHT FOR ISRAEL’ 93
Retrospective Preface to 93
‘AND JOSHUA STRETCHED OUT THE JAVELIN THAT WAS IN HIS HAND…’
(JOSHUA 8.18, 26) 94
Chapter 8
DUAL CAUSALITY 105
Retrospective Preface to 105
DUAL CAUSALITY—AN ADDITIONAL ASPECT 106
Chapter 9
TERMS HAVE MEANING 122
Retrospective Preface to 122
THE ‘MEN OF ISRAEL’ AND GIDEON’S REFUSAL TO REIGN 124
Chapter 10
THE NAZIRISM MOTIF AND THE EDITORIAL WORK 131
Retrospective Preface to 131
LIFELONG NAZIRISM—THE EVOLUTION OF A MOTIF 132
Chapter 11
EDITORIAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING ENDING 147
Retrospective Preface to 147
THE ENDING OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES 149
Chapter 12
WHO KNOWS THE ‘ONE’? THE EDITOR! 159
Retrospective Preface to 159
‘THERE WAS A CERTAIN MAN…, WHOSE NAME WAS…’:
VARIATION OF EDITING AND ITS PURPOSE 160
Chapter 13
WHO IS LENT TO THE LORD? ASK THE EDITOR 172
Retrospective Preface to 172
‘HE IS LENT TO THE LORD’—CONNECTING HINT: A LITERARY TOOL 173
Chapter 14
WHEN WAS PROPHETIC THOUGHT DOMINANT? 180
Retrospective Preface to 180
THE STORY OF SAMUEL’S DEDICATION TO PROPHECY
IN LIGHT OF PROPHETIC THOUGHT 181
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Contents vii
Chapter 15
DID SAUL DIE THREE TIMES? 189
Retrospective Preface to 189
THREE VARIATIONS ON THE DEATH OF SAUL:
STUDIES IN THE FASHIONING OF THE WORLD, IN RELIABILITY
AND IN THE TENDENTIOUSNESS OF BIBLICAL NARRATIVE 190
Chapter 16
TO INCLUDE OR NOT TO INCLUDE?
EDITORIAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE WHOLE 203
Retrospective Preface to 203
THE STORY OF AMNON AND TAMAR: RESERVOIR OF SYMPATHY FOR ABSALOM 205
Chapter 17
CHRONICLES AND ITS UNIQUE POETICS 220
Retrospective Preface to 220
STUDIES IN THE POETICS OF THE BOOK OF CHRONICLES 221
Chapter 18
WHY DENIGRATE SAUL? 231
Retrospective Preface to 231
SAUL IN THE BOOK OF CHRONICLES 233
Chapter 19
HOW TO RELATE TO A FORMATIVE TRADITION 248
Retrospective Preface to 248
THE POSITION OF THE EXODUS TRADITION IN THE BOOK OF CHRONICLES 249
EPILOGUE 266
Bibliography 267
Chronological List of the First Publication of the Articles 288
Index of References 290
Index of Authors 304
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ABBREVIATIONS
AB Anchor Bible
ABL Assyrian and Babylonian Letters
AnBib Analecta Biblica
ATD Das Alte Testament Deutsch
BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
BHK Biblia hebraica (ed. R. Kittel; Stuttgart: Württemburgische Bibelanstalt,
3rd edn, 1937)
BHS Biblia hebraica stuttgartensia (ed. K. Elliger and W. Rudolph; Stuttgart:
Deutsche Bibelstiftung, 1966–67)
BJS Brown Judaic Studies
BKAT Biblischer Kommentar: Altes Testament
CB Cambridge Bible
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
DBAT Dielheimer Blatter zum Alten Testament und seiner Rezeption in der
Alten Kirche
EncHeb Encyclopaedia Hebraica
HAT Handbuch zum Alten Testament
HKAT Handkommentar zum Alten Testament
HTR Harvard Theological Review
HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual
IB Interpreter’s Bible
ICC International Critical Commentary
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JPS Jewish Publication Society
JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Supplement Series
JTS Journal of Theological Studies
KHAT Kurzer Handkommentar zum Alten Testament
LCL Loeb Classical Library
MGWJ Monatsschrift für Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums
NCB New Century Bible
OTL Old Testament Library
RB Revue biblique
SBT Studies in Biblical Theology
VT Vetus Testamentum
VTSup Vetus Testamentum, Supplements
WBC Word Biblical Commentary
WC Westminster Commentaries
ZAW Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
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Description:Yairah Amit is a leading Israeli scholar of the Hebrew Bible who has published some of her articles only in Hebrew. Most of them are here translated for the first time. As she compiled the volume, she discovered that this collection of 19 essays had a common denominator: they are all about the proce
