Studies in the Pentateuch

264 Pages·1990·29.513 MB·English

by  John A. Emerton

STUDIES
IN THE PENTATEUCH
SUPPLEMENTS
TO
VETUS TESTAMENTUM
EDITED BY
THE BOARD OF THE QUARTERLY
J.A. EMERTON - W.L. HOLLADAY - A. LEMAIRE
R.E. MURPHY - E. NIELSEN - R. SMEND
J.A. SOGGIN - M. WEINFELD
VOLUME XLI
STUDIES
IN THE PENTATEUCH
EDITED BY
J.A. EMERTON
E.J. BRILL
LEIDEN • NEW YORK • K0BENHAV N • KGLN
1990
ISSN 0083-5889
ISBN 9004091955
© Copyright 1990 by E.]. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part oj this book may be reproduced or
translated in any jorm, by print, photop rint, microfilm, microfiche
or any other means without written permission jrom the publisher
PHOTOSET BY INTERPRINT LTD, MALTA
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
CONTENTS
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII
R.S. HESS, Splitting the Adam: the usage of Jiidiim in Genesis
I-V. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
H.N. WALLACE, The Toledot of Adam................. 17
W. HOROWITZ, The isles of the nations: Genesis x and
Babylonian geography.......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
J.A. EMERTON, The site of Salem, the city of Melchizedek
(Genesis xiv 18)................................... 45
J.A. EMERTON, Some problems in Genesis xiv. . . . . . . . . . 73
R.W.L. MOBERLY, Abraham's righteousness (Genesis xv 6) 103
T.D. ALEXANDER, The Hagar traditions in Genesis xvi and
XXI. • • • • • • . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . • • • • • . • . . . • • . 131
Marsha ,WHITE, The Elohistic depiction of Aaron: a study in
the Levite-Zadokite controversy..................... 149
G.!. DAVIES, The wilderness itineraries and recent archaeo-
logical research.................................... 161
E. FIRMAGE, The biblical dietary laws and the concept of
holiness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
R.W.L. MOBERLY, "Yahweh is one": the translation of the
Shema............................................ 209
D.J. REIMER, Concerning return to Egypt: Deuteronomy
xvii 16 and xxviii 68 reconsidered. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 7
D.R. DANIELS, The creed of Deuteronomy xxvi revisited. 231
Indexes
Authors cited............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

PREFACE
Like several earlier volumes in the series Supplements to Vetus
Testamentum ~ most recently Studies in the Historical Books r.if the Old
Testament, SVT 30 (1979) - this book brings together a number of
essays, most of which were submitted for publication in Vetus
Testamentum. It will be evident to readers that no attempt has been
made to secure uniformity of opinion among the contributors.
J.A.
EMERTON

SPLITTING THE ADAM:
THE USAGE OF JADAM IN GENESIS I-VI
by
RICHARD S. HESS
Glasgow
1. ' dm in Genesis i-v
'dm occurs 34 times in Gen. i-v. Of these occurrences, only 5 should
be identified as personal names. The remainder of the occurrences
appear to be generic expressions for mankind in general or the male in
particular. 22 of the occurrences are preceded by the article, and this
suggests that the forms should not be understood as personal names.2
In fact, all the articular occurrences appear within the narrative. The
occurrence in i 27 requires an understanding of the term which
includes both male and female, i.e. a generic sense referring to the
whole ofhumanity.3 Although there is an initial ambiguity in ch. ii, v.
22 requires h'dm to be understood as a male, in contrast to the female
who is created. V. 25 designates h'dm as one of two figures, along with
his wife, who are naked. Ifwe assume the consistency of the narrative
in ch. ii, the designation ofh'dm is different from that in ch. i. In ch. i it
refers to humanity in general, while in ch. ii it refers to one male
The research for this article was done at Tyndale House, Cambridge, as part of
1
the Genesis I-II Project.
2 The passages are: i 27, ii 7 (twice), 8,15,16,18,19 (twice), 20, 21, 22 (twice), 23,
25, iii 8, 9, 12, 20, 22, 24, iv 1.
, Cf. "von dem Menschen in gattungsbegriffiichen Sinne gemeint ist", in Franz
Delitzsch, Neuer Commentar uber die Genesis (Leipzig, 1887), p. 65; "den Menschen" in
H. Gunkel, Genesis (Gottingen, 21902), pp. 97--8; " the human race" in]. Skinner,
A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Genesis (Edinburgh, 21930), pp. 32-3; "ein
kollektivum" in G. von Rad, Das erste Buch Mose. Genesis Kapitell-12, 9 (Gottingen,
'1953), p. 44; "mensen" in W.H. Gispen, Schepping en paradijs. Verklaring van Genesis
1-3 (Kampen 1966), pp. 73,81; "den Menschen" in C. Westermann, Genesis 1-11
(Neukirchen-Vluyn, 1974), p. 108; "human race" in his Genesis 1-11. A Commentary
(E. tr. by J.J. Scullion; Minneapolis and London, 1984), pp. 77. Cf. the rabbinic view
that "man was created with two faces, that is, a hermaphrodite", in U. Cassuto,
A Commentary on the Book oiGenesis. Part 1. From Adam to Noah (Jerusalem, 1961), p. 57.