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Meeting Abstracts

2016 International Meeting in partnership with the Korean Society of Old Testament Studies, The New Testament Society of Korea, and the Society of Asian Biblical Studies

Seoul, South Korea

Meeting Begins7/2/2016
Meeting Ends7/7/2016

Call for Papers Opens: 10/28/2015
Call for Papers Closes: 2/2/2016

Requirements for Participation

  Meeting Abstracts


Evaluating the Friendship of the Disciples with Jesus: A Comparative Critical Reading of Mathew with Aristotle’s Concept of Friendship
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Ratheesh A. P., India Bible College & Seminary

Intertextual readings are common to Biblical interpretation. Usually, literature contemporary to the Biblical times is used to interpret the Scripture. In this paper the interpreter is trying to do a comparative critical reading on the friendship of the Disciples with Jesus in comparison to Aristotle concept of friendship. Comparative critical reading is an interpretative method which consciously compares literature with the Scripture so that the uniqueness and similarities of the Scripture are highlighted. For Aristotle the friendship is the greatest virtue and absolutely necessary in everyone's life (Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, Book VIII, 143). Aristotle believes that there are three different kinds of friendship; friendship of utility, friendship of pleasure, and perfect friendship. To a certain extent these kinds of friendships are depicted in Jesus’ disciples even after they were called to be His perfect friends. Mathew portrays disciples’ friendship with Jesus was a kind of utility which was looking for some utility and pleasure. Some were aspiring to have a better position in the Kingdom of God through Him (Matt 20:21). Others were looking for a comfortable life through him. There was at least one who was expecting to have a financial enhancement (Matt 26:15). Aristotle argues about the highest form of friendship that is a perfect friendship or complete friendship. This type of friendship is based on a person who wishes for good in him without the mind of utility and pleasure. Jesus was the true friend who wished goodness in His disciples and shown the highest virtue of love.


Redemption from the Curse and Abraham’s Blessing (Gal 3:12-14) in Luke 15:3-10
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Bartosz Adamczewski, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw

The bipartite section Lk 15:3-10 is usually regarded as originating from Q and probably also from a Lucan oral or written source. Some scholars see here an example of Luke’s dependence on Matthew and consider the story about the lost drachma (Lk 15:8-10) to be a Lucan expansion of the parable of the lost sheep (Lk 15:4-7; cf. Mt 18:12-14). However, a close intertextual analysis of this bipartite section reveals that it is a result of Luke’s strictly sequential reworking of the Pauline text concerning Christ’s redeeming the Scripture-related Jews from the curse of the law (Gal 3:12-13) and Abraham’s scriptural blessing coming to the Gentiles (Gal 3:14). Luke creatively illustrated these Pauline ideas with the use of the scriptural motifs taken from Ezek 34:4-25; Zech 11:17; Gen 18:18-32 LXX etc., as well as the Marcan text Mk 2:17. Consequently, there is no need to postulate here the existence of the hypothetical ‘Q source’ or Luke’s dependence on Matthew or on some oral or written traditions. The paper suits the sessions 1, 2, and 3.


The Israelite (Northern) Origin of the Pentateuch
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Bartosz Adamczewski, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw

The Israelite (northern) origin of Deuteronomy has already been advocated by several scholars. Likewise, the Israelite (northern) origin of Genesis, with Joseph (and not Judah) presented as its ultimate positive eponymous hero, is rather evident. The question of the tribal-political origin of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers is more complicated. This paper will demonstrate that the differing images of the tribes of Ephraim and Judah in their relationships to the worship of Yahweh, as they are presented in Exodus and Numbers, strongly favour the hypothesis of the Israelite (northern) origin of Exodus-Leviticus-Numbers as well.


"New Creation" in Luke 24:27-35
Program Unit: Allusions in the Gospels and Acts
Bartosz Adamczewski, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw

‘Then their eyes were opened and they knew…’ (Lk 24:31). Some ancient and modern scholars have already noticed the rather evident intertextual link of this sentence to the Genesis story (Gen 3:7 LXX). Moreover, several scholars have noticed the allusive connection of the whole food-recognition-separation scene in the Emmaus story to the scriptural account Gen 3. However, the details of this connection have not been satisfactorily explored. The reasons for creating this allusion have not been explained either. This paper will demonstrate that the Genesis account of creation (Gen 1-3) was used in Lk 24:27-35 in an allusive, highly creative, but also strictly sequential way. Moreover, it will suggest that the disciples’ question, ‘Was not our heart burning while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?’ (Lk 24:32) refers not to the Scriptures in general, but to the particular scriptural story, which allusively conveys the Pauline idea of ‘new creation’ (Gal 6:15).


Critical Assessment of the Deliverance Ministries' Interpretation of Jesus' Ministry in the Context of Luke 4:16-21
Program Unit: Society for Pentecostal Studies
Deborah Doyinsola Adegbite, Bethel Institute of Theology & Biblical Research

This paper examines the biblical and historical roots of the theology of liberation in purposively selected Pentecostal Churches (Deliverance Ministries) in contemporary Nigeria. The origin, growth, and phenomenon of liberation theology are investigated while its impact on Nigerians is evaluated. The methodology adopted consists of the critical historical analysis as well as exegesis of Luke 4:18-19, using Reader Response hermeneutical principle to investigate the contextual understanding of the passage. In addition, the participant-observation method is used in gathering first-hand information about doctrinal emphases and practices. Questionnaires are administered to elicit information on six hundred and twenty-five Pentecostals who are members of deliverance churches, at one hundred and twenty five per church. In each church fifty male adults, fifty female adults and twenty-five youths are purposively selected. In the selected Churches, twenty five of the men and twenty five of the women are educated to allow for comparison, while all the youths are regular church attendants. Furthermore, four Pastors and leaders of each of the selected Pentecostal churches are interviewed. Secondary data is gathered from relevant books, church bulletin, magazines commentaries, dictionaries, learned journals and the internet. The data obtained are analysed, using hermeneutical theory. The result shows that the Old Testament focused on the political liberation of the Israeli nation, the New Testament is more interested in the liberation from sin. It reveals that the leaders of the selected Nigerian Pentecostal Churches had abandoned the holistic interpretation of the New Testament meaning of liberation in relation to the Old Testament messianic prophecies. The paper concludes that the leaders of the Nigerian Pentecostal Churches placed greater emphasis on the problems of their members more than biblical injunctions.


Developing a Social Action Agenda for the Poor: A Reading of the Lukan Poverty Parables
Program Unit: Society for Pentecostal Studies
Olubiyi Adewale, National Open University of Nigeria

Nigeria is a very good example of developing countries characterized by mass poverty (usually in the midst of plenty). Coincidentally, the church in Nigeria is stupendously rich. Onuma (2014), quoting a renowned Pentecostal pastor say that the annual revenue of the Nigeria church is over 3 trillion naira. This is very close to the national budget of 4.69 trillion naira for the same year. Acquisition of private jets is another current manner in flaunting the wealth of the church. Some pastors are acquiring private jets with prices ranging from 2.3 billion (Lear Jet) to 6.4 billion (Gulfstream G550) with an estimated cost of 8.4 billion in maintenance and expatriate pilots. In the midst of this “affluent life” there are thousands of members of the church who are poor, unemployed and barely surviving. To this writer, there is the need to look back into the scripture, especially what Christ would have want the church to do with her wealth, as far as the poor are concerned. This paper takes a look at the Lukan parables that concentrates on the rich and the poor from the Yoruba methodology, and on the basis of the derived lessons of the parable comes out with a theology of social action for the poor as a template of the church’s treatment of the poor both those who are members and those who are not even believers.


Adultery, Murder, and Theft
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
John Ahn, Howard University

The Laws of Ur-Nammu, Laws of Eshnunna, Code of Hammurapi, Middle Assyrian Laws, and Hittite Laws all have some reference to the prohibition against adultery. These laws are generally casuistic and cover a wide range of socio-legal matters. Weinfeld has pointed out that the ‘negative confessions’ in chapter 125 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead and the Mesopotamian incantation “Šurpu” both include adultery (among murder, robbery, false oaths, talebearing, hypocrisy, wrongful acquisition, counterfeit weights and measures, boundary encroachment and failure to clothe the naked). The Hebrew Bible is no exception. This paper examines the prohibition against adultery in the prophets: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea over against the prohibitive or vetative negative commandment in the Decalogue. In Jer 29: 23, adultery is tied to political insurrection and marital infidelity. In Ezek 23:37 adultery is used as judgment against those who offered up their children and thus shed blood. Especially problematic is Hosea 3 (c.f. Jer 5:7-8) if the woman that Hosea is commissioned to go and love is a married woman (not Gomer). Hosea 4:2 echoes the phrase that blood shed or some form of sacrifice is affixed to adultery. Bosman, Philips, McKeating, and others have done careful studies but the prohibition goes beyond religious infidelity against Yahweh. A careful rereading and re-analysis suggest that in prophetic literature, there is often a coupling of adultery with some other infraction. Indeed in the Decalogue, the prohibition against adultery is set between murder and theft, suggesting that family law is of importance and value. But perhaps, even the ordering may suggest that adultery leads to other crimes like bloodshed, perhaps echoing David’s adultery, murder, and theft.


Made in Babylon: Daniel and His Three Friends
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
John Ahn, Howard University

Daniel 1, an introduction to the first half of the book of Daniel (2-6), can be divided into four sections: Part I (vv. 1-2), Part II (vv.3-7), Part III (vv.8-16), and Part IV (7-21). My presentation is not to explore the historical or literary problems but the sociological implications of assimilation or acculturation in Parts II, III, and IV. Especially in Part II vv. 3-7, we have the issues of full integration and assimilation: being made a eunuch, education, food, and a name change. We begin with the basic question of whether Daniel and his three friends were eunuchs. There is rich untapped information on the role and function of eunuchs in ancient Korean imperial court system. Cross cultural studies push the marginalized views on the negative stereotype of being a eunuch. In fact, ancient practices suggest that there were entire classes of eunuchs in high positions. Some were even permitted to be married (e.g. Potiphar) and even adopt children in ancient Korea. This paper re-frames Daniel and his three friends as eunuchs with formidable power.


Cultic Worship with Nokrî according to 1 Kings 8:41-43
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Sam Moleli Alama, Whitley College

1 Kings 8:41-43 describes the nokrî as one who is “not of your people Israel”; “comes from a distant land” (cf. Josh 9:6,9); to “pray toward this house”. They are non-Israelites who travel occasionally or reside abroad. Many scholars have long suggested that this mentioning of nokrî is so unusual within Deuteronomistic literature that this passage may possibly be part of a later redaction during the post-exilic period. But how could this favourable view of non-Israelites sit comfortably within Deuteronomistic theology? I argue that the changing role of the temple in the post-exilic context may have been a factor in the inclusion of this nokrî text. I want to test the hypothesis that the association of King Solomon’s prayer and a temple open to “all” mirrors a strong political movement supporting the inclusion of “others” despite the Deuteronomistic History’s restricted boundaries. As a Samoan, I will conclude this paper with an interpretation of how the coming of Christianity as a foreign tradition to Samoa has over the years redefined the role of the matai (chief) system in Samoan society.


The Gospel of Matthew and/as Rabbinic Literature
Program Unit: Judaica
Tobias Ålöw, University of Gothenburg

In An Introduction to Judaic Though and Rabbinic Literature M. Sicker notes how: “The definition of what constitutes rabbinic literature is not as straightforward as might be imagined at first consideration. Whether it includes everything written by persons acknowledged by the title of ‘rabbi’ or whether it is more or less inclusive in scope is a matter of perspective.” In its traditional sense the designation is restricted to the classical works of the Mishna, the Tosefta, the two Talmudim, and various Midrashim, but is it possible that other works could be counted as rabbinic as well? In discussion with the criteria for definition of rabbinic literature set out by J. Neusner, this paper argues that the Gospel of Matthew – for which a case is made that it was written by a rabbi, about a rabbi, for other rabbis – can be regarded as being, not only close to, but even part of, the category “rabbinic literature”. In turn, this identification suggests that the other rabbinic texts provide the closest literary and ideological context of the first gospel and thus constitute legitimate (if not necessary) comparative material for its interpretation; but also that the Gospel of Matthew, on the narrative level, offers attestation to the development of rabbinic tradition during the first-century through its indirect report of proto-rabbinic discussion, as well as comprising a direct interjection in the discourse itsel, as a document.


Drones Over Sodom: Resisting the Fantasy of Security
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Carolyn Alsen, University of Divinity

Visual perception is one of the main themes of Genesis, particularly in characterisations of the deity, divine messengers and humanity. The problematic nature of mediated, interpreted visual perception is illustrated by Genesis 18.16-19.38; the story of Abraham, Lot, Lot’s wife and her people of Sodom. The representation of others in this text can lead to interpretations which essentialize persons and landscapes. The pursuit of security through seeing and demand for knowledge is a feature of cultural ideology in the text which legitimises violence, much like Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAV’s) use visual technology, particularly within West and Central Asia, controlled by human agency, to determine enemies or excuse ‘collateral damage’. In such texts of violence, how can the desire for security determine guilt and innocence, and the fate of the earth? Lot’s wife is the cipher which calls bible reading communities to stand in solidarity with suffering in the human and earth community caused by the fantasy of ultimate security. The remembrance of Abraham and hospitality causes the deity to express tumult and regret for the general pursuit of epistemological certainty at the cost of the earth and human life. The unspoken sin of Sodom and their outcry are invitations for the reader to wrestle with justice, empathy and the representation of others.


Staring Down the Violence: Surveillance in Genesis
Program Unit: Political Biblical Criticism
Carolyn Alsen, University of Divinity

This paper will advance the hypothesis that surveillance studies can inform a postcolonial reading of Genesis narratives. The method of reading uses an overall metaphor of the omnividence (the ability to see all) of the few acting upon the many. Of particular use in this study are poetics, ethnic and gender profiling, assemblage and data doubles, shame and honour and a reimagining of the ‘omniscient’ third person narrator. Persian and Assyrian period intelligence gathering and surveillance is investigated as an influence on the text. These can assist the claim that the narrators and characters report events after seeing them through a particular ideological lens. In one account of narrative surveillance in the story of Dinah and Shechem in Genesis 34, the narrator demonstrates bias. In another, Genesis 18-19, the story of Sodom, the character Yhwh demonstrates a miscalculation of the data, leading to regret. The desire to look is a mediated and ethical process when representing events in the story world. These narratives use recognition and event representation as a part of this mediated process. However, a destabilisation of this ocular desire is influenced by the narrative world and the gaze of the reader. The narrator or other characters can behave like a bureaucracy that misses information and profiles others. To counterread this, surveillance techniques in the narratives can be understood as not only means of profiling but means of resisting this profiling. Partly using the practical theology of Eric Stoddart, cultural theory and postcolonial thinking, resistance strategies of (in)visibility are imagined for those who are under the eye of powerful forces. Asian groups suffering from U.S. drone strikes and the activism of Ai Weiwei are read contrapuntally with the biblical narrative.


The Case of the Suspected Adulteress (Num 5:11-31) in light of CTH 264
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
Hannah S. An, Torch Trinity Graduate University

The ritual regulations for a wife suspected of adultery (Num 5:11-31) and the Hittite Instructions for Priests and Temple Officials (CTH 264) are notable in that both texts mention trial by ordeal as a means to resolve an “unknown” case involving an accused suspect. Regrettably, biblical scholarship since Milgrom’s treatise on the Hittite sacrilege has not paid much attention to the nature of the Hittite legal proceedings in CTH 264 in view of the priestly laws. In this paper, I argue that the ritual prescriptions in CTH 264 illuminate a significant aspect of the legal assumptions underlying the case of the Sotah in Numbers 5:11-31, the only full-fledged account of trial by ordeal in the OT. In both the biblical and the Hittite texts, the conceptual overlap of the stated conditions concerning the accuser and the suspect, of the notion of the concealment, and of the priestly mediation through a potion ordeal are noteworthy. On the other hand, the divergence between the Hittite and the biblical instructions may unveil something distinctive about the priestly legal outlook. In particular, I submit that in Numbers 5:31 the phrase “bearing one’s punishment” (tissa’ ’et-‘awônah) is a theologically/ideologically significant term that betrays the priestly legislator’s legal rationale. No mortal will be able to evade the legal liability under the jurisprudence of YHWH. In the Hittite case, by contrast, a suspect who deliberately concealed the case could technically emerge from the ordeal without injury. In the priestly perspective, such a legal outlet conceivable in the polytheistic world is inadmissible: YHWH, the only God, will assure that the culprit be accountable for having perpetrated the divine injunction. Finally, a comparison of the trial by ordeal in both traditions reveals a rather coherent ritual logic in the legal case which entails binary outcomes.


Acceptance and Rejection: Bethsaida and the Birth of the Church
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Mark Appold, Truman State University

Unique to the Fourth Gospel is the connection made between Bethsaida, the small fishing village on the northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee, and five of the first followers of Jesus who lived and worked there and who played prominent roles in the emergence of the early Church. Recent archaeological work at the Bethsaida site, whose illustrious yet impoverished past had slipped from historical view for almost two millennia, has now helped to contextualize this part of the Jesus Movement. Two earlier textual traditions, Q and Mark, contain harsh judgement against Bethsaida for its rejection of the deeds of power done in its midst. The aim of this paper is to clarify the tension between the acceptance and rejection motifs associated with Bethsaida as well as to trace the movement of the “Bethsaida Five” who abandoned their homes and work places, with their families, in the move to Jerusalem. There the experience of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection events became central to their two decade-long witness and their interaction with both Hellenistic and traditionalist Jews in Jerusalem. Those pivotal experiences were cut short by renewed persecution under the two Agrippas which led to yet another decisive move into the Diaspora where in new environments they reversed the earlier signs of Bethsaida’s judgement and left indelible marks in the creation and spread of the Jesus Movement and its new kerygma.


“Baptized into One Body”: The Social Significance of Baptism in 1 Corinthians 12:13
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
James Ha Tun Aung, Torch Trinity Graduate University

Direct references to baptism in First Corinthians should not be underestimated. Paul uses the word ßapt??? (baptizõ) eleven times alone in first Corinthians, which included references to the literal rite of baptism and its metaphorical uses (e.g., 1 Cor 6:11). Paul’s use of baptism reflects the importance of the rite among the first Christians in Corinth whose members include Jews and Greeks (also Romans), from different ethnic groups and various religious background, and also slaves and free (rich and poor) from different social levels. With this background, Apostle Paul radically instructs, “we were all baptized into one body.” Hence, this work first of all, attempts to explain why and how a right understanding of baptism was important among the first Christians in Corinth. To accomplish this, I will briefly trace the social significance of washing-initiations/baptism in the Greco-Roman world. Secondly, I will identify the similarities and divergences between washing-initiations/baptism and Christian baptism in Corinth, and briefly discuss baptism in selected passages from First Corinthians. Finally, I will explore the social significance of baptism in 1 Corinthians 12:13 in its first century CE context and today.


Act of Pure Religion in a Pluralistic World: Ministering to the Marginalized Group in James 1:27
Program Unit: Catholic Epistles
James Ha Tun Aung, Torch Trinity Graduate University

Myanmar is a multi-religious country and its citizens are wrestling for decades on religious conflict and rivalry across the nation. Different religions claim that they are “pure” and antipathize others. Religion-based social institutions generally target to look after the same religious person or who likely to convert. Yet, there are unending abuses and human rights violation among women (widows), children (orphans), handicapped and minorities (religions and ethnics). They are in need of care without partiality. Within the context of James 1:27, the first readers were living in religious, pluralistic, and multicultural society in the Mediterranean world. In this text, James encourages the diaspora Jewish Christians to maintain their identity as “pure” by looking after the marginalized in their society especially widows and orphans. Interestingly, James did not limit looking after these marginalized only to Christians; hence, they were responsible to look after insiders and outsiders in the context. He additionally warned not to be stained from the world. In this passage, orphans and widows are the most marginalized and vulnerable group in the society. In particular, the act of ?p?s??pt?µa? (to look upon in order to help or to behefit, have a care for, provide for) to the marginalised is considered as pure and undefiled piety. First, this work will serve to understand the act of looking after orphans and widows in the socio-religious context of the Meditteranean world. Secondly, I will explore ministering to the widows and orphans in the light of the diaspora Jewish context. Finally, I will deal with why James considers looking after the marginalised as an act of pure spirituality, precisely help interpret this text in context and apply this in Myanmar context. Especially, this paper will suggest when and how to minister to the marginalised in our multi-religious contexts.


Act of Pure Religion in a Pluralistic World: Ministering to the Marginalized Group in James 1:27
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
James Ha Tun Aung, Torch Trinity Graduate University

Myanmar is a multi-religious country and its citizens are wrestling for decades on religious conflict and rivalry across the nation. Different religions claim that they are “pure” and antipathize others. Religion-based social institutions generally target to look after the same religious person or who likely to convert. Yet, there are unending abuses and human rights violation among women (widows), children (orphans), handicapped and minorities (religions and ethnics). They are in need of care without partiality. Within the context of James 1:27, the first readers were living in religious, pluralistic, and multicultural society in the Mediterranean world. In this text, James encourages the diaspora Jewish Christians to maintain their identity as “pure” by looking after the marginalized in their society especially widows and orphans. Interestingly, James did not limit looking after these marginalized only to Christians; hence, they were responsible to look after insiders and outsiders in the context. He additionally warned not to be stained from the world. In this passage, orphans and widows are the most marginalized and vulnerable group in the society. In particular, the act of ?p?s??pt?µa? (to look upon in order to help or to benefit, have a care for, provide for) to the marginalized is considered as pure and undefiled piety. First, this work will serve to understand the act of looking after orphans and widows in the socio-religious context of the Mediterranean world. Secondly, I will explore ministering to the widows and orphans in the light of the diaspora Jewish context. Finally, I will deal with why James considers looking after the marginalized as an act of pure spirituality, precisely help interpret this text in context and apply this in Myanmar context. Especially, this paper will suggest when and how to minister to the marginalized in our multi-religious contexts.


Rebekah in Josephus' Writings
Program Unit: Hellenistic Judaism
Michael Avioz, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan Israel

One of the most fascinating female characters in Genesis is that of Rebekah. She is more active than her husband Isaac and makes moves that promote the fulfillment of God's promise in Jacob. Her character has unique features that are not found in the other stories of the Matriarchs. In the post-biblical era, references to Rebekah appear in Philo, the Apocrypha, the writings of Josephus, the New Testament and rabbinic literature. In this paper I will deal with Josephus' rewriting of the biblical stories about Rebekah. I will examine the question of the text was at Josephus' disposal, uncover his interpretive techniques and determine whether he has integrated Hellenistic concepts and ideas into his rewriting of the stories of Rebekah.


Law as Liberation: Reading The Law Collections of the Hebrew Scriptures in 16th-Century Latin America
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
Gregory A. Banazak, SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary

When the Spaniards entered the so-called New World, they made use of the law collections of the Hebrew Scriptures, especially the Deuteronomic Code (Dt 12-26), the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 20-23), and the Holiness Code (Lev 17-27). Interpreting these collections through a European lens, the Spanish conquistadores and colonizers employed them as a major source for the evaluation and extirpation of those indigenous customs they regarded as evil and the re-organization of post-conquest indigenous societies. In effect, these collections functioned as important tools for conquest and colonization. However, there were other Spaniards who assumed solidarity with the indigenous whom they regarded as oppressed by European conquest and colonization. Influenced by their commitment to the indigenous and by their exposure to pre-Columbian indigenous law (such as the oral and written law of the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas) these Spaniards --- including the lawyer and bishop Vasco de Quiroga (1470? - 1565); the defender of the Indians, Bartolomé de Las Casas (1484-1566); the chronicler and ethnographer Bernardino de Sahagún (1499-1590); and others --- adopted a different view of the law collections of the Hebrew Scriptures. In our paper we will explain this different view and its implications for categorizing these laws into types, understanding the knowledge and observance of the laws by the ancient Jewish people, and above all their liberative potential.


Two Torah Pillars of the Psalter: The Canonical Role of Psalms 19 and 119
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Jeung-Yeoul Bang, Baekseok University

Since the publication of Gerald Wilson’s masterpiece The Editing of the Hebrew Psalter (1985), the canonical understanding of the Psalter has developed at a rapid pace. According to Wilson, the Psalter is structured by two frames: the “royal frame,” consisting of Psalms 2, 72, and 89, and the “wisdom frame,” consisting of Psalms 1, 73, 90, 107, and 145. Because he paid more attention to the former than the latter, focusing on the flow from human kingship to divine kingship, the wisdom frame still needs to be developed further. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the canonical role of Psalms 19 and 119, each of which is intentionally placed in the middle of Book I and Book V, respectively. To this end, while reconsidering the insufficiently developed wisdom frame, the paper will first explore how Psalms 1, 19, 89 and 90, 107, 119 are thematically connected. These psalms are linked to each other in terms of motifs such as Moses, wilderness, and the torah, and this encourages us to read the Psalter from the standpoint of the torah motif. Second, the paper will study, both lexically and thematically, the immediate psalms of Psalm 19 and Psalm 119, and then will clarify the semantic correlation between the torah and God. In particular, the idea that the torah and God in Psalm 119 and its neighboring psalms are used interchangeably will be developed. The central contention of this paper is that Psalms 19 and 119 are placed intentionally. Their canonical role is to support the whole Psalter as two torah “pillars.” By their placement these psalms indicate that the Psalter should be read through the lens of the torah motif and that the torah’s power should be understood to be equivalent to the power of Yahweh.


First Names in the Bible, and Their Changes during the Middle-Ages according to the Genizah Letters
Program Unit: Judaica
Elinoar Bareket, Achva Academic College

In many cases, first names in the Bible appear with a theophoric suffix (Nehemiah and Ishmael, for instance). Biblical names with no theophoric suffix, such as Yaakov and Yitzhak, can be found in Mari (Tell Hariri) scripts, with a theophoric suffix (Yaakovel, Yitzhakel). We can assume that in the Bible they had the theophoric suffix at first, and throughout time the suffix has fallen. There are also names with a social meaning (such as Avraham – "the father of many peoples" ab hamon goyiim[according to the Bible itself], or Zebulun –"This time my husband will treat me with honor yizbeleni, because I have borne him six sons. So she named him Zebulun), and there are names that demonstrate the character of the person (such as Yaakov the Lier – Esau said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob Ya'aqob? He has deceived me yaaqbeni these two times") or explain a certain act ("After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel eqeb so he was named Jacob Ya'aqob"). The Biblical names, which are often names that were common around the ancient east, went through changes and adaptations into a different culture and a different language in the New Testament and the Quran, but basically remained the same names. This lecture will explore the changes of the Biblical names in the Jewish society that lived under Islamic influences in the Middle-Ages, according to the Genizah Letters.


The Divergent Bandit Narratives of Pseudo-Matthew: A Comparative Introduction to New Critical Editions and Translations of CANT 78.2 and 78.3
Program Unit: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Mark Glen Bilby, Claremont School of Theology

Maurits Geerard published diplomatic editions of two interpolations (designated as CANT 78.2 and 78.3 and both placed under the title De bono latrone) found in medieval Latin texts of Pseudo-Matthew. The presenter is preparing new critical editions of these texts: a diplomatic edition of CANT 78.2 based on autoptic analysis of Namur Bib. Sem. Lat. 80, 13v-15v, 17r-v, and the first collated critical edition of CANT 78.3 from BL Harley 3199, f. 104v-106r (14th cent.) and Vat. Lat. 6300, f. 118r-119r (15th cent.). Introductions and translations of these texts are slated to appear in the second volume of the More New Testament Apocrypha series edited by Tony Burke and Brent Landau. This presentation will introduce and compare these two Ps-Matthew interpolations as representations of two divergent narrative traditions about the so-called Good Thief. CANT 78.2 (here assigned the distinct title, The Rebellion of Dismas) is closely related to the story found in Leabhar Breac and Aelred of Rievaulx’s De institutione inclusarum, especially in terms of the bandit’s young age, the demonization of the bandit’s father, Mary’s relative unimportance compared with that of the infant Jesus, and the lack of any reference to hospitality shown the Holy Family. CANT 78.3 (here assigned the distinct title The Hospitality and Perfume of the Bandit), on the other hand, is closely related to the stories found embeded in the Latin Infancy Gospel Arundel form (CANT 78.1) and the Hospitality of Dysmas (BHG 2119y, here proposed as CANT 78.4), especially in terms of their common stress on the bandit’s hospitality to the Holy Family, the description of the bandit’s household, and the production of a healing liquid derived from bathing the infant Jesus.


A Digital Rebirth in Christian Apocrypha Studies: NASSCAL and the eClavis
Program Unit: Digital Humanities in Biblical, Early Jewish, and Christian Studies
Mark Glen Bilby, Claremont School of Theology

Digital guides and resources abound for manuscript studies, especially regarding the canonical texts. But this is far less the case with non-canonical texts. Regarding Christian or so-called New Testament apocrypha, a digital rebirth of Geerard’s Clavis Apocryphorum Novi Testamentum would go a long way to bring awareness to texts and traditions whose popularity in earlier generations has often faded into neglect in modern scholarship. This paper will describe the initial planning and prototyping of such a resource, an e-Clavis for Christian Apocrpha conceived and designed by Mark Bilby, Tony Burke, and Bradley Rice. This resource is now sponsored and hosted on the NASSCAL (North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature) website: http://www.nasscal.com/. The presentation will also explore and explain the structure and maintenance of the eClavis, and also invite session participants to sign up as contributors.


"We Have the Prophets": Athenagoras on Prophetic Inspiration
Program Unit: Apostolic Fathers and Related Early Christian Literature
D. Jeffrey Bingham, Wheaton College (Illinois)

This study is a response to one basic claim that has governed the reading of two passages (7.3; 9.1) in Athenagoras's Legatio: the apologist’s treatment of the prophets is “Hellenistic,” takes place in “general Hellenistic terms,” and represents a “thoroughly Greek perception.” Our analysis demonstrates a broader background and the need for more nuanced characterizations. There are significant parallels with Philo. His discussions concerning the divine inspiration of the prophets, the state of ecstasy, the role of the Spirit, the effect upon reason, and the musical metaphor find some degree of resonance in our apologist. Yet, there exist significant differences. Clearly, both independence and dependence on other sources is suggested. Furthermore, this study shows that conclusions based on assumed parallels with Plato also require adjustment. Athenagoras does not share the notion of an unconscious, passive, mindless prophet or poet who under inspiration composes flawed, contradictory material. Rather, there are important similarities with early Greek thought on the activity and contribution of the inspired poet as well as the infallibility of the composition. The inspired prophets, in the mind of Athenagoras, are coadjutors with the Spirit and their speech, as well as their books, contains harmonious, true teachings. Finally, this investigation makes one additional claim. In addition to the Philonic parallels as well as those from Plato and Plutarch, there are other sources to consider that are equally informative. Athenagoras’s discussion of the prophets and inspiration manifests alliance and dependence upon the Septuagint, other Jewish sources, the New Testament and second-century Christian sources, especially Ignatius and Justin. Athenagoras is a “Christian philosopher.”


Truly David: Philological Fiction and The Intertextual King
Program Unit: Bible and Its Influence: History and Impact
Chloe Blackshear , University of Chicago

Recent fictional treatments of David reflect the desire (often manifest in scholarly David-biographies) to invoke the true King obscured by the biblical text. Two twentieth-century fictional David “autobiographies,” in particular, present themselves as revelatory tell-alls willing to move beyond the traditional account to present a new,‘real’ David. Yet though Carlo Coccioli’s Mémoires du Roi David (1976) and Joseph Heller’s God Knows (1984) rewrite the story from David’s highly idiosyncratic and blasphemous first-person perspective, they do not attempt to solve the puzzle by taking David out of his text, but rather by actively and productively reinscribing him in the biblical narrative. This paper will explore the ways these novels draw on the biblical material to produce a philological fictional style and to thematize David’s status as a figure caught in his text. Coccioli and Heller’s works balance updated treatments of David’s character (as a mémoirist like Coccioli himself searching for dialogue with his God, and as a parodic version of a post-war Jewish-American writer) with strange, unceasing attention to the ‘original’ text in its Masoretic and KJV manifestations. In both novels, David’s self-exploration is enacted through his own detailed attention to the canonical text that has constituted him: David rewrites David, but he does so with intense philological care. Here, David is at once a palimpsestic body marked by centuries of rewriting and a fraught participant in the activity of adaption. For these novelists, the biblical king and his text provide an opportunity to figure—in a single character--a tense juxtaposition of older models of authorial authority and historical unveiling with postmodern intertextual proliferation and pastiche.


The Medium is the Message: Daniel, Enoch, and Other Mediators of Hidden Knowledge
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Francis Borchardt, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Hong Kong

Even before the famous Semeia volume first appeared, in which the genre of apocalypse was defined and described, the importance of divine and human mediation to apocalypses was well recognized. It has traditionally been argued that the function of this mediation is to emphasize the remoteness of the divinity, the relative impotence of the audience, and the obscurity of the message communicated. This is all likely to be true. However this paper argues that in addition to these functions the mediation, both through illustrious personages and through text, help to underline the truth of the message by establishing a chain of tradition unbroken from its ostensible heavenly origins into the contemporary life of the audience. In this quality it is not unlike the transmission of Torah or so-called wisdom in he broader Jewish context. This paper will make comparison between various mediators in the literature found at Qumran and elsewhere in the Hellenistic Judean milieu.


The Christology of Ho Amnos tou Theou in the Contextualization of Yohannine Theology: Domba and Ndomba in the History of Translation in Indonesia
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Andrew Scott Brake, Sekolah Tinggi Theologia Jaffray Makassar

How do we translate Ho Amnos tou Theou in a context where there is no concept of a sheep, lamb, or goat? How do we communicate the Christology of the Lamb of God? Is Christianity or christology translatable? If so, has it been translated according to the intention of the writer of the gospel of John? Decisions in translation related to the concept of the Lamb of God have impacted the christological understanding of the Gospel of John and the nature of Jesus over several decades of contextualization and translation in Indonesia. Indonesia is a nation of many people groups, many languages, and many cultures, some of which are very different from others. How the essence of the original Greek is translated demonstrates much about the missiological motives and principles of the translator as well as the christological assumptions understood in the Gospel of John, particularly John 1:29. Should the concept of the Lamb, and all the Old Testament background assumed with that identity, be lost in translation simply because there is no such animal as a lamb in the receiving context? This author thinks not, based on a proper understanding of the Yohannine conception of that term, and his conception of the identity of Jesus as the Ho Amnos tou Theou. Therefore translators must be wary of allowing the context dictate the translation to the detriment of the essential meaning while also seeking to properly contextualize so that the essential meaning is still communicated.


The Quality of Mercy and Beholding the Divine Presence: From the Bible to a Kabbalistic Custom
Program Unit: Judaica
Itzhak Brand, Bar-Ilan University

Many Jewish communities have the custom of reciting the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy (Exod. 34:6–7) when the Ark is opened on the three Pilgrimage Festivals. The custom was introduced by the kabbalist R. Isaac Luria. On the surface, this custom is somewhat astonishing: the Thirteen Attributes are a text of atonement and supplication, both in their original biblical context and their liturgical use. How, then, did they find their way into the service for joyous festivals? A fresh look at their biblical context yields an explanation and meaning for the link between the festivals and the Attributes of Mercy. The attributes first appear, in their full form, in the pericope of the Golden Calf. The Israelites’ transgression has various aspects, one of which is their ouster of the Lord from His leadership of the people. In reaction to his deposition, the Lord renounces His guidance of the people and assigns that role to Moses alone. Moses’ reaction is to ask to be illuminated in the Lord’s ways and to “see his presence” (lit. face) The Lord assents, passes before him, and confides the Attributes of Mercy to him. These serve as a stand-in for beholding the Lord’s face or presence. According to the amended Covenant that follows forgiveness of the sin of the Golden Calf (Exod. 34:20, 23) “seeing the face of the Lord” is the purpose of the thrice-yearly pilgrimage rite. This injunction to see the Divine Presence is part of the halakhah and liturgy codified by the talmudic sages. The recitation of the Thirteen Attributes when the ark in the synagogue is opened can be seen as continuing this ancient Temple tradition. In the absence of the Cherubim, the Thirteen Attributes serve as a substitute for beholding the Divine Presence.


Christology under Deconstruction
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Adam F. Braun, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

This paper will articulate the possibilities of Derridean deconstruction in relating Theology and Scripture. Christology as a case study will be used. This project is twofold. First, we will consider the affective and performative function of onto-theological messianic predictions and fulfillment announcements of scripture, looking for possibilities and gaps in the text where a (Kristevan) symbolic referentiality may no longer be useful. This involves looking at interpretations of messianisms from 'traditional' theologies and recent Narrative Theologies (Green, Rowe). Second, we will use Derrida's concept of a messianism-to-come to consider meaning production within narrative of Luke-Acts, as a microcosm of the New Testament. The main thrust of this project will show that the failure and absence of a messiah is the location for understanding Luke’s ‘Christ.’ As such, the failure of the Christ, part of the point of Luke-Acts, is to create a negative space where the kerygma can be preached. While this may be counter-intuitive, it is precisely this negative space that allows diaspora communities to continue to proclaim Jesus of Nazareth as Christ.


The Sense and Non-sense of Kingdom
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Adam F. Braun, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

This paper will examine the psycho-linguistic function of Kingdom of God in Luke-Acts. Using the Kristevan distinction between the Symbolic and the Semiotic (chora), this paper will show the affective and performative function of Kingdom of God, against recent attempts to attribute symbolic referentiality to the concept. This paper will argue that Kingdom of God re-presents a diasporic desire to turn the world upside down, in favor of those who side with Judea and profess Jesus as Christ. As such, Kingdom of God does not refer to previous or future Kingdoms, but creates a choratic space for resistance and identity formation. As a comparison, this paper will also briefly look at the concept “revolution” in black liberation movements of the 20th Century, from Langston Hughes to the Black Power Movement to Ferguson and #BLM. Just as the black liberation moved further from the Bolshevik revolution and the concept became a marker for the desire for emancipation, so too, Kingdom of God transitioned to an affective sign the further it survived beyond the cross.


Lamentations as a (Public? Cultic?) Performance
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Athalya Brenner-Idan, Universiteit van Amsterdam

Two strands are followed in this presentation: feminist interpretations, for instance by Nancy Lee, Mandolfo and Li Zhe; and a seminar session with graduate students at Tel Aviv University (2013-14). Feminist scholars have found a distinct female voice in Lamentations that is in dialogue with the narrator's voice. In our class, we found that the Scroll can be read as if it contained more than two voices and a silent god. The question that arises is, therefore, can speaking roles within it can be assigned to multiple speakers, reading it as a polyphony rather as a dialogue, or even as a cultic performance, much like some psalms? I believe this is a possibility at least for chapters 1-4, although this would present new problems for defining the place of chapter 5 in the Scroll.


The Persian Imperial Context of the Pentateuch
Program Unit: Bible and Empire
Mark Brett, University of Divinity

According to Ezra 7, King Artaxerxes authorized Ezra to undertake a legal role in the western region of the empire that included both Judah and Samaria. This paper discusses the variety of ways in which the Persian administration may have helped to shape, directly or indirectly, the authority and the content of the Torah as the five books of Moses. Significantly, this framing of the Torah required the excision of Joshua’s story of land possession. An older theory which suggests that the Pentateuch was officially authorized by the Persians will be critically evaluated, along with more recent proposals for understanding Pentateuchal traditions through the lens of postcolonial studies.


Vashti’s “Women’s Banquet” in the Book of Esther and the “Dough Offering Ceremony” in Contemporary Israel
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Ora Brison, Tel Aviv University

Banquets are cross-culture social, ritualistic and religious events. In written and iconographic records of ancient Near East cultures, we find descriptions of banquets as feasting celebrations and religious ceremonies relating mainly to the male sphere. Women were typically excluded from these events. There are, however, descriptions of women participating in public events, such as victory celebrations and mourning ceremonies. There is only scarce evidence of banquets designated only for women, such as the ceremonies portrayed on metal belts from Urartu. The description of Vashti’s women’s banquet in the Book of Esther is a rare account of an organized women’s ceremonial activity. This is a solitary story in the Bible recounting an event intended only for, and celebrated by, women. During the course of Jewish history, no such women’s celebrations are noted with the exception of the “Henna engagement” ceremony celebrated in North African and Yemenite Jewish communities. Over past generations, Jewish women have looked for new ways to create for themselves ceremonies and rituals of religious nature in an answer to the orthodox tendency to exclude and segregate women from a large part of religious ceremonies. The purpose of this paper is to present a totally new contemporary phenomenon of the women’s banquet: the “dough offering ceremony.” This banquet, which has become very popular in recent years, includes communal dough preparation, praying, blessings, eating, singing and dancing. Although very little is known about Vashti’s banquet and other ancient Near Eastern women’s banquets, there are some parallel themes between these banquets and the newly come “dough offering ceremony.” This paper will include a comparative analysis examining these parallel themes.


“Something Better for Us” (Heb 11:40): The Social Categories “Honor/Shame” Applied on the Audience in Hebrews 11 as an Example of Re-Contextualizing Old Testament Figures and Stories
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Jaroslav Broz, Charles University in Prague

The author’s positive vision of ancient figures in Hebr 11 calls in question a widely spread opinion that the Epistle to the Hebrews sees the Old Testament as an obsolete religious institution. Different questions can be raised on this topic, e.g. why models of proper Christian faith are not proposed to the readers to be followed instead of the ancient heroes if the writing is predominantly dated from 90ties of the 1 century A.D. The present paper studies Hebr 11 as a witness of the social situation of addressees. In this prospective can be said that the author re-contextualized the OT stories with the aim of their actualization for the readers of the Epistle. Especially the “honor/shame” aspect can explain the importance of the social and eschatological concept of faith which is in the Epistle intimately bound to hope and perseverance and can reveal some features of the historical, social religious situation of the addressees.


It’s not the Girl, It’s the Building: Ghostbusters and the Politics of the American Bible
Program Unit: Bible and Its Influence: History and Impact
Jonathan Cahana, Aarhus University

Right in the middle of the intensive comic action of Ghostbusters (1984), we encounter a relaxed scene, which associate producer Joe Medjuck described as one that “didn’t have any big laughs in it but … offered a possible explanation as to why the city was suddenly plagued by ghosts.” Here, a theological discussion is provoked by Ghostbuster Winston Zeddemore asking whether his fellow Ray Stantz believes in God. Zeddemore then proceeds and asks Stantz what the Bible says about the last days. Stantz replies with a rather convincing recitation of Revelation 6:12, but then tries to recap to his “scientist” position by noting that every religion has a myth about the end times. Zeddemore, notably offended by the word “myth,” retorts by asking Stantz “has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason we‘ve been so busy lately is because the dead have been rising from the graves?” Later in the plot, when NYC mayor has to decide whether to trust the Ghostbusters, the latter quickly understand that they have the support of the New York Archbishop and continue warning the mayor from a catastrophe of “biblical proportion.” It then only takes a discreet nod from the archbishop for the mayor to order that Walter Peck, the hated Environmental Protection Agency’s representative, will be removed immediately from his office, and to offer his full support to the Ghostbusters. This paper will trace the ways the bible is used in this film to create an all too familiar – yet surprising in this context – alliance between the (Republican) private sector and the church vis a vis “big government,” especially when the latter is fueled by environmental concerns. On this reading, the Reaganite movie can be seen as partly prefiguring the climate change debate and its religious implications in 21st century U.S.A.


Apocalyptic Message for Christ-Believers in Corinth: Isaiah in 1 Cor 15:29-34 and 15:50-57
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Rolex M. Cailing, Torch Trinity Graduate University

Although Paul addresses the resurrection head-on as of central importance in 1 Corinthians 15, the hope of resurrection underlies the whole of 1 Corinthians. Some skeptics in Corinth deny the future resurrection, almost certainly on the normal pagan grounds that everyone knows dead people do not rise again. In reply, Paul speaks of Jesus as the firstfruits and of the great harvest still to come when Christ-believers, Gentiles and Jews alike, are raised as he has been. Although the whole chapter echoes and alludes to Genesis 1-3 (a theology of new creation), at the heart of Paul’s exposition of the two types of bodies, the present one and the future, and its rootedness in Christ’s resurrection that it affirms, he cites Isaiah in conjunction with snippets of other prophetic voices, an aspect that is not given due attention in current scholarship. The presence of Isaiah 22:13 in 1 Corinthians 15:29-34 and the confluence of Isaiah and Hosea in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 merits a clear introspection and discussion in order to offer a fair reading of Paul’s scripture-rooted prophetic, eschatological, or apocalyptic stance on the hope of resurrection.


Vulnerability and Vision of Hope: Engaging Creation’s Groaning in Romans 8 and Natural Disasters in the Philippines
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Rolex M. Cailing, Torch Trinity Graduate University

Natural disasters often visit the Philippines and their impact is staggering and traumatic. Disasters bring destruction, displacement, death, pain, and prolonged suffering. Like all other countries hit by disasters, Philippines groans and yet hopes for her deliverance. Reflecting from a socio-psychological perspective, V. Villaroman-Bautista writes, “like all other kinds of extreme human experiences, even disasters have their silver linings. While they bring suffering, they also become catalyst for marshaling the resources and altruistic instincts of Filipinos.” From the perspective of doing ‘everyday theology’, K. J. Vanhoozer rightly remarks that theology and understanding (a grasp of what is going on in ordinary situations and why) are short-circuited if we fail to discern “how our faith is affected by the world we live in” and “how we are to embody our faith in shapes of everyday life.” Indeed, a responsible theology is attained mainly when the Christian faith is interpreted in conscious relationship to the fundamental “groanings” of human life and the rest of creation. Hence, the theological and interpretive task in the Philippine setting lies in the direction of interpreting the human meaning (without ignoring the divine) and social content of the Christian faith. With the series of “groanings” in Romans 8 reconnecting earth, humanity, and the Spirit, Paul constructs a vision of hope that awaits the emergence of a liberator who would conquer the ultimate enemy. The significance of this account will be seen against the background of the Filipinos’ expectation of hope and deliverance which offers the need to embrace certain transcendence over the worst of circumstances. The message of hope is no less essential for communities than it is for individuals and the rest of creation, and it does not ignore the reality of pain and suffering, but confronts them in the light of the … [TRUNCATED]


Biblical Hebrew in Chinese: Fostering the Rethinking of Teaching Method through Language Defamiliarization
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Scott N. Callaham, Baptist Theological Seminary, Singapore

Most teaching of Biblical Hebrew in universities and seminaries proceeds along fairly predictable lines, closely approximating the venerable Grammar-Translation tradition of classical language instruction. A few textbooks have advanced more inductive and communicative approaches that exploit the findings of second language acquisition research. Even so, while Hebraists have long advocated study of Biblical Hebrew on its own terms apart from the grammatical templates of classical Indo-European languages, little research considers the metalinguistic influence of modern Indo-European languages upon teaching Biblical Hebrew within other language contexts. The present study examines the teaching of Biblical Hebrew in Chinese through the lens of language defamiliarization, not only highlighting linguistic and cultural factors that differ markedly from those of the received Euro-American teaching tradition, but also drawing out principles of biblical language teaching that apply in all instructional contexts.


Must Biblical and Systematic Theology Remain Apart? Reflection on Paul van Imschoot
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Scott N. Callaham, Baptist Theological Seminary, Singapore

Biblical and systematic theology stand in tension as fields of study that are constructively related in theory but strictly segregated in practice. In the first place, the nature of biblical theology seems to mandate that the concerns of systematic theology exert no conscious influence upon the work of biblical theologians. Furthermore, as a rule, biblical theologies—especially those firmly grounded in the Old Testament—only tangentially influence the work of systematicians. Thus endures a stubborn, seemingly intractable impasse in academic theology. Those who nonetheless seek a voice for biblical theology in the broader world of theological reflection have an unlikely ally in Paul van Imschoot, a nearly-forgotten pre-Vatican II Catholic biblical theologian. Van Imschoot's productive labors transgress received assumptions regarding the relationship of biblical and systematic theology and beckon present theologians to return to the grounding of Scripture for the formation of doctrine.


The Text and Timing of the Antioch Incident (Gal 2:11–14)
Program Unit: Textual Criticism: Manuscripts & Methods
Stephen C. Carlson, Australian Catholic University

The timing of the Antioch incident (Gal. 2:11–14) has been a matter of dispute for at least fifteen centuries. Some scholars hold that it occurred before the Jerusalem meeting of Gal. 2:1-10, while others take the position that it happened afterwards. Less appreciated in the scholarship, however, is that the passage contains a tiny textual variant with a huge effect on our understanding of the incident. According to the current Nestle-Aland text, this incident was triggered by the arrival of certain people from James, who intimidated Cephas into publicly changing his mind and separating himself from the gentiles (Gal 2:12 "but when they came, he withdrew"). The best and earliest manuscripts, however, tell another story. Instead of reading "they came" (elthen), P46 Sinaiticus B D* F G and 33 read "he came" (elthon). This difference of a single letter in the text—between an omicron and an epsilon—results in a markedly different understanding of the incident. This study reexamines the text of this passage and argues that the best-attested variant reading in Gal. 2:12 resolves this long-standing chronological puzzle.


The Reframing of the Refrain: Reconsidering the Appendices to the Book of Judges
Program Unit: Stylistics and the Hebrew Bible
M. L. Case, The University of Texas at Austin

In the so-called appendices to the book of Judges (ch. 17–18; 19–21), the monarchic refrain (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25) situates the two stories within the domain of the monarchy: "In those days, when there was no king in Israel, every man did what was right in his own eyes." With the addition of this refrain, the stories become stylized histories meant to illustrate to the audience the necessity of a king. I argue, however, that this refrain was not original, but rather an attempt on the part of an editor to reframe the appendices to serve as political propaganda. When we read the stories without the refrain, their primary purposes become clear: the first serves as a foundational story recounting the migration of the Danites, while the second depicts the success of the Israelite society to overcome social problems without the regulating influence of the king. Thus, the monarchic refrain changes both the function and meaning of the narratives, influencing how both lay-readers and scholars have interpreted these unique tales throughout the centuries.


The Concept of “the Holy Seed” as a Coping Strategy in Ezra-Nehemiah
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Ntozakhe Cezula, Stellenbosch University

Describing the difficulties experienced by former political exiles who returned to South Africa since 1990, Zonke Majodina argues that the psychological study of reintegration of refugees or exiles deserves a place in the mainstream psychological research and not remain on the fringes. One of her basic assumptions is that coping plays a central mediating role in the reintegration process. Taking cue from her deliberation, this paper investigate the role played by psychological coping in the return of Judean exiles from Babylon. The paper is aware of the discontinuities between the two contexts but it also reckons that there are paradigms that can help us understand some situations in our own contexts. The investigation will be done by examining the concept of Holy Seed (zerah haqodesh, cf Ezr 9:2) in the Book of Ezra-Nehemiah. By designating themselves the holy seed, the exiles symbolised themselves as the only legitimate remnants of the pre-exilic Israelite community. Furthermore, the concept closely associated them with the temple system, which was the basis of the life of the Israelites in general and God Who is holy. The paper argues that this concept was an expression of an identity-formation process that could help the exiles cope with challenges of their return. This identity-formation process will be explained in terms of Henri Tajfels’ theory of social identity. Underlying this theory is self-esteem and social support which are crucial for psychological well-being in challenging times. The strong elements of this theory are social identity, social comparison and psychological distinctiveness. Identity-formation is a legitimate phenomenon and has much to do with psychological well-being. By this venture, the paper also hopes that the insights that might transpire out of this investigation may be helpful in understanding other situations of social integration that communities might be engaging in.


The Pursuit of Justice in the Torah and Remembering the Poor
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Kilnam Cha, Abilene Christian University

This paper focuses on a theological significance of Paul’s ministry of remembering the poor in Jerusalem and how that is related to the pursuit of justice in the Torah. The first part of this paper traces how remembering the poor was at the center of Paul’s ministry from the beginning to the end of his career and highlights its theological significance as a means to foster the unity between his Gentile converts and Jewish Christians because the latter would consider remembering the poor as the best proof of the Gentile Christians’ covenant faithfulness. The rest of the paper traces the pursuit of justice in the Torah in its cultural, historical milieu and the importance of remembering the poor in the pursuit, and establishes how Paul’s ministry of remembering the poor functioned as the litmus test of covenant faithfulness of his Gentile converts. In so doing, how Deuteronomy’s theological and structural emphasis falls on the “poor tithe” or remembering the poor in Deuteronomy 26:12-15 as Moses’s last instruction and the litmus test of covenant faithfulness will be highlighted.


The Ohn Theological Approach of Inclusion and Recovery as Peace in the Hebrew Bible: From the Perspective of People with Disabilities
Program Unit:
Unha Chai, Hanil University and Presbyterian Theological Seminary

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Ethnography of Biblical Encounter in India: Case Study Reports
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
David J. Chalcraft, Liverpool John Moores University

The session will introduce the aims and objectives of the British Academy funded project (2013-16) which explored the development of ethnographic techniques for researching the role of context for interpretation of the Bible by ordinary readers in various settings in India. Chalcraft (who was the Principal Investigator) will provide an introduction to the project, and also, at the close, draw some generalisations re method and substantive findings. Two members of the team (there were 5 case studies in all) will report on their experiences and findings. One case study concerns the role of the Bible for the identity of auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai; the other case study reports on Dalit (Madiga) encounters with the Bible in a rural village in Andhra Pradesh, where there are low levels of literacy. The first is presented by Arren Bennet Lawrence (Chennai) and the second by Jeeva Kumar Ravela (UTC Bangalore), who are both members of SABS (and not SBL)


The Use of Photography in the Ethnography of Biblical Encounter: What Is It Good For?
Program Unit: Bible and Visual Culture
David J. Chalcraft, Liverpool John Moores University

The paper arises from reflection on the use of photography during a three year British academy funded project (on which I was the Principal Investigator) that looked at developing ethnographic techniques to understand encounters with the Bible in a variety of settings in India. Field work was conducted, in collaboration with Indian biblical scholars, with Devadasi women and girls in Northern Karnataka; in a rural Madiga village in Andhra Pradesh; with auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai, and with biblical scholars in parts of Assam and Mizoram. The paper firstly briefly considers the (relative paucity of) representation of Bible reading in western art and in previous projects dealing with 'religion' by leading photographers, before concentrating on a number of examples of visual images produced during the field work. The paper considers the role of the photograph both as a research aid and as interpretative tool, not least as a means of reflexivity for the biblical scholar/researcher using the camera, about the nature of their gaze, and their complex relationships with the subjects. In the attempt to capture and contextualise bible encounter in the field in India, it emerged that the materiality and representation of the Bible was mediated by and intersected with the surrounding diverse and intense visual culture. Research with auto rickshaw drivers required exploration of the manner in which the rickshaws themselves were vehicles of biblical images and messages that circulated in the city and vied for attention alongside the images of other faiths and cultural icons. The latter gives further nuance to what is meant by 'the context' of Bible encounter when considered from a sociological perspective. The paper links with the ethnographic turn in biblical studies and the visual turn in religious studies.


Moving Margins in the Apocalypse of John: Rethinking "Fishball Revolution"
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Chan Lung Pun Common, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Violent clashes, or the so-called "Fishball Revolution", broke out between police and protestors on the streets of Mong Kok, the shopping heart of Hong Kong, at the start (i.e. Feb 8) of Chinese Lunar New Year 2016. Multitudinous young localists went to the wall for unlicensed food stalls, which sold fishballs on skewers. However, the Hong Kong government condemned the ferocious events that unfolded in Mong Kok as "riots" and thus those young activists were further marginalized. Afterwards, there are numerous debates on youth "violence" among Hongkongers. Many Hong Kong churches condemned youth violence uncritically. Was "violence" a taboo in the Urchristentum? This paper is to illuminate different social voices dialoguing with each other within the Apocalypse of John. The approach adopted is a postcolonial contextual interpretation.


Jesus as Moses and Aaron: Hebrews’ Reading of OT Traditions for the Priestly Christology of the New Covenant Era
Program Unit: Korean Biblical Colloquium
Dongshin Chang, Trinity Western University

In this paper I will investigate the way in which the author of Hebrews articulates his arguments about the priestly covenant. My primary interest is in the combination of the two important concepts of “priesthood” and “covenant” in Hebrews. I consider how the two concepts are combined, and for what purpose. Many studies have dealt with the two concepts individually in relation to Jesus’ Christology in Hebrews, yet none of them seems to address how the author of Hebrews uses the two concepts in combination. I suggest that Hebrews contains traceable clues that show the way in which the author combines the two concepts in order to present Jesus as the high priest of the new covenant era for the atonement of sins by means of his blood. First, the author uses Exodus 24 in Hebrews 9 as a connecting bridge for the two concepts of priesthood and covenant. Second, the author articulate his own priestly covenant tradition by developing an oath-taking motif in his use of Melchizedek traditions in Hebrews 7. Redirection or reorientation of the old traditions seems to work in order to explain the meaning of Jesus’ death and blood in Hebrews. The author’s overall use of a cultic setting is also to be noted, not only for the framework involving priesthood, but also for his discourse about covenant.


The Negotiated Concept of the ?erem in the Book of Judges
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Sok-Chung Chang, Catholic Kwandong University

The concept of the ?erem, the total destruction described mostly in Deuteronomy, was never carried out, and this law seems to be a wishful thinking. It has been widely discussed among scholars focusing on the ethical aspect (Hoffman, 1999), on the historical development (Weinfeld, 1993), on 1 Kings 20:42 (Stern, 1990), or on the just war (Good, 1985). In Dtn 7:2, we find a typical ?erem command, “and when YHWH your God gives them over to you and you defeat them, then you must utterly destroy them. Make no covenant with them and show them no mercy.” According to Hoffman, “the ?erem is a concept typical only of some passages in Deuteronomy and Joshua; it is not a presupposition of the entire Deuteronomistic work” (201). I would like to pursue the concept of the ?erem in the Book of Judges. Although it does not appear literally in Judges, the Dtr shows in Judges why Israel failed to accomplish the law of the ?erem. More precisely, Israel could not expel all the Canaanites from the land and she had to live with them in the land. This coexistence was the beginning of all the evildoing of Israel, that is, worshipping other gods and forsaking YHWH. The reason why Judges 1 records the Canaanites whom Israel did not expel from the land, is to indicate that those remained Canaanites caused Israel to follow other gods. The weakened ?erem command would be removing the people from the land. In my opinion, removing of the people from one place is removing of their gods from there. In other words, if there are some people in a city, there are gods. Getting rid of the indigenous people in Canaan was indispensable for worshipping YHWH alone. [TRUNCATED]


Economic Miracle? Equality in 2 Cor 8:13-15 and in South Korea Today
Program Unit: Early Christianity and the Ancient Economy
Steven Chang, Torch Trinity Graduate University

The "Miracle on the Han River" saw the economy of post-war South Korea rise from being one of the poorest countries in the world to one of the richest. But the breakneck speed of economic growth has left behind many Koreans in poverty. Inequality on multiple planes reveals the soft underbelly of South Korea's tiger economy. In a world of similar competitiveness and inequality, Paul appeals for an economy of grace and equality in Roman Corinth that challenges the notion of economic miracle then and now.


In Search of a Theoretical Basis for Intercultural Biblical Hermeneutics…
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Gregory Basker Chellappa, Tamilnadu Theological Seminary

It is true that intercultural biblical exegesis has not received due recognition by traditional biblical scholarship, mainly because of its non-theoretical approach to biblical studies. The accusation of certain western scholars, that intercultural interpretations are “creative, but not scientific”, shows how ‘western’ New Testament scholarship, with all its newer approaches, is still reluctant to go beyond the historical-critical method. As a result, biblical hermeneutics remains till this day a domain of European and US-American biblical academy. This paper intends to spearhead the search for a theoretical basis for intercultural biblical hermeneutics in the field of reception history (Wirkungsgeschichte). In the first section, I seek to examine how postcolonial/postmodern thought has influenced studies on reception history. Here, I seek to conceptualize reception history by defining and determining its trajectories, taking into account, the works of relevant postmodern scientists, like, for instance, Derrida, Bhaba, Chakraborty and Spivak, and enquire whether or not their theoretical patterns entail intercultural biblical hermeneutics. Secondly, I wish to engage with a critical analysis of some of the known contextual approaches of the Bible, such as that of Ched Myers, Sugirtharajah, Rensberger, Bonino, Schreiter, etc. Here, I wish to evaluate how these authors perceived ‘western’ scholarship and what alternative hermeneutical models they proposed. Simultaneously, I wish to examine, why these attempts could not succeed in putting an end to “western” monopoly in the field of biblical hermeneutics. Is it because there are not sufficient alternative approaches? Or, are concrete local contexts different from what gets portrayed? Why does the general proclivity of contextual interpretations continue to serve to satisfy the intellectual appetite of the “western” audience? Finally, I wish to conceptualize de facto Asian hermeneutics along with contemporary “western” biblical scholarship. [TRUNCATED]


In Search of a Theoretical Basis for Intercultural Biblical Hermeneutics…
Program Unit: Political Biblical Criticism
Gregory Basker Chellappa, Tamilnadu Theological Seminary

It is true that intercultural biblical exegesis has not received due recognition by traditional biblical scholarship, mainly because of its non-theoretical approach to biblical studies. The accusation of certain western scholars, that intercultural interpretations are “creative, but not scientific”, shows how ‘western’ New Testament scholarship, with all its newer approaches, is still reluctant to go beyond the historical-critical method. As a result, biblical hermeneutics remains till this day a domain of European and US-American biblical academy. This paper intends to spearhead the search for a theoretical basis for intercultural biblical hermeneutics in the field of reception history (Wirkungsgeschichte). In the first section, I seek to examine how postcolonial/postmodern thought has influenced studies on reception history. Here, I seek to conceptualize reception history by defining and determining its trajectories, taking into account, the works of relevant postmodern scientists, like, for instance, Derrida, Bhaba, Chakraborty and Spivak, and enquire whether or not their theoretical patterns entail intercultural biblical hermeneutics. Secondly, I wish to engage with a critical analysis of some of the known contextual approaches of the Bible, such as that of Ched Myers, Sugirtharajah, Rensberger, Bonino, Schreiter, etc. Here, I wish to evaluate how these authors perceived ‘western’ scholarship and what alternative hermeneutical models they proposed. Simultaneously, I wish to examine, why these attempts could not succeed in putting an end to “western” monopoly in the field of biblical hermeneutics. Is it because there are not sufficient alternative approaches? Or, are concrete local contexts different from what gets portrayed? Why does the general proclivity of contextual interpretations continue to serve to satisfy the intellectual appetite of the “western” audience? Finally, I wish to conceptualize de facto Asian hermeneutics along with contemporary “western” biblical scholarship. [TRUNCATED]


The Textual History of the Prayer of Manasseh: Texts and Contexts
Program Unit: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Randall Chesnutt, Pepperdine University

This paper summarizes my contribution to The Textual History of the Bible (eds. Emmanuel Tov, Matthias Henze, and Russell Fuller; 3 vols.; Leiden: Brill, in progress). As area editor for the section on the Prayer of Manasseh in vol. 2, Deutero-Canonical Scriptures (ed. Matthias Henze), I have assembled an international team of nine experts to compile and assess the manuscript witnesses for all extant versions of this ancient penitential psalm. In this paper I synthesize the results of this comprehensive assemblage of textual data. After surveying the current state of scholarly opinion on the origins and affinities of the Prayer, I report on the Greek, Syriac, Latin, Coptic, Armenian, Slavonic, Ethiopic, Hebrew, and Arabic textual traditions, with attention to the sources, character, and text-critical value of each. I conclude by identifying some lingering issues and avenues for further research on the Prayer of Manasseh.


The Image of Paul in Late Qing Dynasty: In Perspective of Reception History of Bible
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
April Cheung, Chinese University of Hong Kong

In late Qing, missionaries wrote many biographies about Biblical character, such as Abraham, David, Paul and so on. All of these writings were mentioned a little in the article “The Chinese Missionary Novels of Nineteenth-Century China” written by Patrick Hanan. This paper will focus on two writings: The Life of Paul (1837) and Life and Teachings of Apostle Paul (1910). Reception History of Bible is one of the most influential methodologies since 2008 in Biblical Studies. With this method, researchers are required to select different historical documents of different times and areas, pay close attention to various reception phenomenon of scripture, eventually, explore the use and influence of the Bible, and find out reception history of texts. In this paper, I will use Reception History of Bible as my research method, analyzing different images of Paul in two writings. The Life of Paul was written by Karl Gützlaff in 1837, and Life and Teachings of Apostle Paul was produced by Mary Andrews in 1910. Both of the two missionaries rewrote the story of Paul, and created different images in their works. I want to discuss some questions in my paper: why did they rewrite the life of Paul? What are the differences between this two biographies? How did the authors balance the conflict between Bible and context in Late Qing Dynasty?


The Influence of Ancient Gnosticism on the Early Christian Theology of God in the Gnostic Text of Nag Hammadi Library and the New Testament
Program Unit:
Jae Hyung Cho, Korea Christian University

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Allusions of Dionysus’ Trial (Bacchae 431–519) to Jesus’ Trial (John 18:28-38)
Program Unit: Allusions in the Gospels and Acts
Jae Hyung Cho, Korea Christian University

This paper investigates literary relationship between the trail of Jesus (John 18:28-38) and the trail of Dionysus (Bacchae 431-519) by showing how John’s trail is resonant with its ante-text. In John’s Gospel, there are marks of Dionysus such as Jesus’ wine miracle (2:1-11), the dialogue between Jesus and Samaritan woman, the eucharistic discourse (6:51-59), and the parable of “Jesus as true vine” (15:1-11). Dionysus described in Bacchae typically shows the suffering son of God. From his birth, Dionysus was persecuted by Hera, Zeus’ wife, his mother was burn to death, and he was almost to be dead. Later, he came to his mother’s hometown, but he was rejected by his aunts in mother’s side and Pentheus the king. In the middle of these persecutions, Dionysus does not show any fear and boldly distributes wine to his followers. In addition, he makes many women who do not accept his cult crazy so that they are forced to worship him. Compared to the synoptic, the Gospel of John omits Jesus’ agony at Gethsemane. Instead, Jesus confronts the soldiers and temple police in stately manner. When he says “I am he,” they go backward and fall to the ground. When Jesus is inquired by Pilate, he is not afraid of that situation. On the other side, with fear, Pilate the investigator asks “what is truth?” In particular, Bacchae 431-519 where Pentheus acts of inquiring on Dionysus alludes to Pilate’s inquisition on Jesus (John 18:28-38). John skillfully modifies some notorious images of Dionysus who cruelly avenges on his opponents into the dignified victim of oppression. Therefore, by using mimesis between Dionysus and Jesus, I present the uniqueness of Jesus’ trail in creative ways. Furthermore, this approach will contribute to understand the New Testament in the humanistic perspective of new religious and ethical values.


Making Sense of the Catastrophe: A Comparative Reading of the Four Jewish Speeches in Josephus’ Jewish War
Program Unit: Hellenistic Judaism
Jaecheon Cho, Torch Trinity Graduate University

Flavius Josephus records the speeches by four Jewish leaders given in the height of the Jewish revolt against Rome: Agrippa II, the Roman client king of Jewish descent, spoke before the agitated crowd in Jerusalem on the eve of the war (JW 2.345-401). His long speech contours around the theme of political theology, examining whether the Roman dominance should be taken to show the divine favor toward Rome and the Jewish resistance to it could amount to rebellion against God. The speech given by Ananus the High Priest (JW 4.162-92) is full of rhetorical drum-beating for standing up against “the impious” Romans. Josephus, now a translator for the Roman army, himself offers a word of counsel to his compatriots who were sieged for a long time (JW 5.362-419). Representing the Roman interests at the moment, Josephus plays the role of appeaser. The rebel leaders Eleazar put the final speech into the ears of the rebels at Masada (JW 7.323-881). Facing a complete loss and submission to the Romans, Eleazar advises the entire community of Jews to die free instead of living in slavery. These four speeches dramatize the various sentiments among Jews at a catastrophic demise of their nation. I will also touch on issue of political theology in the Korean church with a particular attention to the Christian reactions and responses to the incident of Ferry Sewol, a major disaster that ripped the hearts of Koreans in April 16, 2014. After analyzing and comparing both formal and thematic features of them, we will explore the issue of the literary convention of speech in the Hellenistic Jewish historiography.


Gregory of Nyssa on "the Seared Conscience": The Theme of Moderation in the Journey toward God
Program Unit: Biblical Interpretation in Early Christianity
Jaecheon Cho, Torch Trinity Graduate University

Toward the end of The Life of Moses (2.287-290), Gregory of Nyssa comments on Num 21:22 where the word “the king’s highway”(he basilikes leophoros) appears. Israelites asked a favor of Sihon, king of the Amorites, so that they might walk through the king’s highway, a middle road cutting through the Amorites’ land. Gregory expounds this passage as a lesson on moderation (sophrosyne) and means (mesotes); the pilgrim who is devoted to the upward journey to God is advised to evade extremes on both sides and keep the middle course. Characteristic to Gregory’s biblical exposition is his bold association of the given passage to other biblical passages. One of the several illustrations of moderation comes from 1 Tim 4:2, and Gregory specifically alludes to those who have been “seared in their own conscience.” To the surpise of most modern readers, Gregory presents this type of people with seared conscience as practitioners of excessive abstinence instead of habitual sinners whose conscience has become unable to be pricked. No other church father is known to expound 1 Tim 4:2 this way. This seemingly unique interpretation of Gregory, however, has a sound exegetical and theological ground as far as 1 Timothy is concerned. This paper also argues that the theme of moderation fits well into Gregory’s overall program of upward journey to God in The Life of Moses.


Idol Food and Ancestor Worship in 1 Corinthians 8–10
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Kwang-Yun Cho, Independent Scholar

This study deals with Pauline themes of ‘the strong’ and ‘the weak’ regarding the eating of food sacrificed to idols. The strong were those who insisted that they were free to eat idol-meat. The weak were those who were afraid of eating idol meat because they imagined that this food retained the harmful influence of pagan deities. The claim of the strong was, “We know that we all possess knowledge” (1 Cor 8:1). Paul’s counter-claim was, however, “but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons” (1 Cor 10:20). My project will argue that, contrary to most interpretations, Paul’s intention in 1 Cor 8-10 is for the strong and the weak not to participate in any kind of activities within an idolatrous temple and not to eat any food sacrificed to idols. Even more strikingly, I will also argue that this ‘idolatrous food’ behavior should be read against the backdrop of popular Greco-Roman practices of the cult of the dead. Surprisingly, while 1 Cor 8-10 have been much explored, virtually no one has yet to link the cult of the dead with the concept of pagan sacrifices in 1 Corinthians. By linking the interpretation of this passage to cutting edge research on the cult of the dead in Classics, Anthropology, and Religious Studies, this project will constitute an important step forward in our understanding of the social and religious locations of early Christianity.


Job 2 and 42:7–10 as Narrative Bridge and Theological Pivot
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Paul Kang-Kul Cho, Wesley Theological Seminary

In this presentation, I will reexamine the literary relationship between the prose frame (Job 1–2; 42:7–17) and the poetic core (3:1–42:6) of the Book of Job. Building on previous work that identifies Job 1; 42:11–17 as an older and independent composition, I will argue that the author of the poetic core composed Job 2; 42:7–10 as a narrative bridge and a theological pivot from the prose frame to the poetic core. I will argue that Job 2; 42:7–10 narratively connects the prose frame to the poetic dialogue, principally through the introduction of Job's friends, and broaches pivotal theological themes to prepare for the contentious dialogue to come.


Job's Willingness to Die
Program Unit: Korean Biblical Colloquium
Paul Kang-Kul Cho, Wesley Theological Seminary

The canonical shape of the Book of Job moves from abundant life to abundant life. Prose narratives of Job's blessed life frame the book at the beginning and the end. Death, however, and deep reflection on death occupy the poetic core of the book. Thus the structure of the Book of Job suggests that death somehow functions as a pathway to life. Figuring out exactly how, taking into account the other great binary of piety and sin, is one of the great interpretative challenges of Job. In this presentation, I will examine Job's dialectical relationship with death, focusing primarily on his first (chap. 3) and final (chap. 31) speeches in the poetic core, and argue that, while Job initially wants to have always already been dead, he ultimate articulates a willingness to die as a means of affirming his life—and the possibility of human integrity. He wills, wants to die at the beginning but at the end is willing to die (he places himself under a solemn curse in declaring his innocence) that he might, vindicated before God in a legal encounter, live more fully as a righteous man. In short, Job matures from a potential suicide to a ready martyr. The thesis of the presentation, therefore, disagrees with D. Mathewson's thorough and insightful treatment of "death" in Job (Death and Survival in the Book of Job, 2006), in which Mathewson argues that the movement from chaps. 1 to 31 is one of symbolic centering to decentering and back again. Job does not move toward death, then away, but through it toward life.


The Meaning and Significance of Family Members and Relatives: A Study Based on Relevant Passages in the New Testament
Program Unit:
Jae Duk Choi, Prebyterian University and Theological Seminary (Seoul)

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Turning Water into Wine, or the Story of "A New Cook Pushing His Product”: An Addict’s Interpretation of John 2:1-12
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Johann Choi, Emory University

This paper describes and presents the findings of a Contextual Bible Study (CBS) conducted within a residential rehabilitation unit for American military veterans struggling with addiction. Participants of an existing resident-led bible study were invited to engage in a two-day Contextual Bible Study where they would interpret a biblical text without their usual help from devotional guides or commentaries. The primary purpose of this project was to develop a commentary on John 2:1-12 out of the life experiences and perspectives of recovering addicts, free from scholarly imposition. The resulting project both challenges and builds upon the theories and methods of Gerald O. West, as well as those conversant with West's framework for studying the bible with 'ordinary readers.' Particular attention is placed on how a shift towards a lectio divina form of reading (away from the traditional CBS mode of asking guiding questions and providing a text’s socio-historical background in order to assist the ‘untrained readers’) allowed the veterans to overcome an impasse in trying to understand the difficult passage. This paper not only unpacks the veterans’ readings of the Wedding at Cana, but it reflects on how the practice of lectio divina was able to serve as a useful tool for helping these ‘ordinary readers’ connect with the text, while still achieving West’s aim of empowering and giving voice to the marginalized.


The Use of Hellenistic Metaphors as Interpretive Clues in LXX Psalms
Program Unit: Septuagint Studies
P. Richard Choi, Andrews University

Based on Aristotle's Poetics, 21.1457b 7-15, this paper argues that the translator of LXX Psalms carefully and creatively employs Aristotle's concepts of poetic metaphors to explain difficult poetic expressions in Hebrew Psalms. This paper first offers examples from non-controversial texts of LXX Psalms to illustrate the presence of the three types of Hellenistic metaphors in Hebrew Psalms: (1) genus with species, (2) species with genus, or (3) species with species. Then, this paper moves on to examples taken from more controversial passages to show how by applying these three types of Hellenistic metaphors to the Hebrew Psalms the translator was able to shape their meanings.


Reading Gal 1:12 and 2:16 as an Inclusio
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Phuichun Choi, Andrews University

This paper seeks to clarify the significance of Paul’s personal stories in 1:13-2:16. Following the rubrics in the rhetorical manuals of Quintilian, Han Dieter Betz identified in his monumental commentary this story section as a narratio in a forensic letter. But since the publication of his commentary, this theory has come under heavy attack from various quarters, and it is no longer tenable to see 1:13-2:15 as a narratio. But, setting aside Betz’s theory, there is currently no viable explanation why there is such a long biographical section in the letter. This paper locates the meaning of the biographical section in the inclusio of 1:12 and 2:16. In a narratio proper, 1:12 would have served as the causa for 1:13-2:15, a section that provides the necessary factual proofs for the claim. This paper argues that this approach does not tell the complete story. Forming an inclusio around the story section, Gal 1:12 and 2:16 provide clues on how to understand the stories. Accordingly, Gal 2:16 is not simply a propositio that identifies the causa for the probatio that follows. It serves as the conclusion to the story section, shedding light on its meaning. The intent of this paper is to re-examine 1:13-2:15 in the light of the inclusio of 1:12-2:16 and argue that the stories are illustrations from Paul’s personal experience that clarify the difficult phrases “by faith” and “by the works of the law.”


The Pattern of the Plagues in Exodus
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Sik Ping Choi, Bible Seminary of Hong Kong

There are many discussions on the arrangement of the plagues in Exodus. Obvious, the tenth plague is a very special plague that God had implemented in the land of Egypt. Scholars suggest that the rest nine plagues are arranged according to the triad construction (1st- 4th- 7th, 2nd- 5th- 8th and 3rd- 6th- 9th). Through the study of Psalm 76 and 105, this paper argues that the 3rd, 6th and 9th plagues are the disasters caused by Pharaoh. The rest six plagues are implemented by the Lord and arranged according to the cause–consequence relationship. That means the 1st, 4th and 7th plagues are the causes and the 2nd, 5th and 8th are the consequences of the preceding plagues. They could pair up together to form a unit and eventually we have three units. A triad construction is formed by these three units, which are corresponding to the three spheres of the universe, water, land and heaven. These three spheres make up the whole universe. The plagues are arranged so as to reflect that God had implemented the plagues through the three spheres. It is the intention of God to show that He is the Lord of Almighty who has authority over the three spheres of the creation. It also serves as a response and reply to what the Pharaoh had said to Moses that he did not know who is the Lord.


Bridging the Gap and Creating Mutual Enrichment: Focus on R. S. Sugirtharajah
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Zhang Chun, Zhejiang University

Over the past several decades, there emerges an obvious gap in the field of biblical interpretation: entrenched in the legacy of Enlightenment and Rationalism, the hermeneutical enterprise in Euro-American biblical scholarship of historical criticism in particular has become over obsessed with such concepts as objectivity, neutrality, and universality, which results in an elusive discipline isolated from everyday life; on the other pole, under the influence of poststructuralism, postcolonialism and liberation theories, there arise new hermeneutical trends as vernacular criticism or marginal interpretation mainly from the formerly colonized in the Third World or the marginalized communities in the cosmopolis as resistant counterparts against traditional mainstream hegemonic agendas. The vernacular or marginal trends are largely context-specific, cultural-bound, identity-oriented, which emphasize the reclamation of subjectivity and self-determination. This paper attempts to clarify that contrapuntal reading can be an effective strategy and a first step for both sides in order to bridge the gap and build connections and create mutual enrichment. The first part describe the gap mainly created by historical criticism, liberation hermeneutics and vernacular hermeneutics;t he second part highlights R. S. Sugirtharajah’s contribution in introducing postcolonialism and contrapuntal reading from Said into biblical interpretation, which is followed by the third part with a very brief description of Said’s main points on this reading strategy and a very rough sketch of Sugirtharajah’s application of this new reading method to the birth stories of two religious founders,Siddhartha the Buddha, and Jesus Christ. The paper ends with further emphasis on the constructive traits of this creative hermeneutical approach.


For Whom the Spirit Exists: The Spirit of Yahweh in the Book of Judges
Program Unit: Stylistics and the Hebrew Bible
Il-Seung Chung, Asia LIFE University

The period of the judges is portrayed as a desperate time calling for charismatic leaders. The stories of the heroic characters, who received the Spirit of Yahweh in the book of Judges, provide various portraits of Israelite judges. The Spirit of Yahweh appears 7 times in the book of Judges, and it came upon only four judges: Othniel (Judg. 3:10), Gideon (Judg. 6:34), Jephthah (Judg. 11:29), and Samson (Judg. 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14). Interestingly enough, the book of Judges uses different Hebrew verbs to describe the descent of the Spirit of Yahweh among these judges. Why is it that these four judges are described in a different way when they received the Spirit of Yahweh? What is its implication and stylistic impact on the audience and its perception of the message? The major sections of this paper intend to discuss key passages referring to the Spirit of Yahweh in the book of Judges, investigate their stylistic difference and feature the significance of rûach in the leadership and experience of these charismatic judges. Reviewing the Spirit of Yahweh described in the book of Judges leads to draw several theological implications about how the Spirit of Yahweh worked in a time of spiritual stupor. First of all, as the spiritual darkness becomes more severe, more powerful engagement of the Spirit appears. This is found in the use of stronger Hebrew verbs to describe the activity of the Spirit of Yahweh. Secondly, in spite of stronger engagement of the Spirit, the outcomes of the judge are mostly disappointing. The proposed paper will argue that each of these manifestations of the Spirit of Yahweh shows a unique perspective on its role and how God ultimately preserved Israel by equipping chosen individuals.


Another Weeping Woman in the Asian Context: A Postcolonial Feminist Reading of Luke 7:36-50
Program Unit: Allusions in the Gospels and Acts
YongHan Chung, Hannam University

This paper will read the story of the sinful woman in Luke 7:36–50 from a postcolonial feminist perspective showing the imperial and androcentric aspects embedded in previous interpretations of the story. On the basis of the two-source theory, we notice that the author of Luke used the story of the woman in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 14:3–9) for the purpose of Lukan Jesus’s soteriological lesson, without fully following the direction given by Jesus in Mark 14:9. Both the historical audience including the disciples and the Gospel writers delivered and used her story for their own purpose without deeply understanding her being and doing. Furthermore, the original purpose of her deeds has never been taken into the consideration of readers throughout the history of interpretation, consciously or unconsciously. The stories of the sinful woman in the Gospels commonly reflect the fact that she crossed borders, which challenges the imperial value given a woman. Her crossing borders made the woman nameless, and Luke named her a sinner. In comparison with the versions of Mark and John, the Lukan version more explicitly reflects the context that women were interpreted and remembered only from the androcentric perspective. Such a historical phenomenon also appeared in the globalized context such as Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, where many marriage migrants crossed borders but did not have their own voice. They were objectified, living in countries as a solution in support of government policies regarding population. While not attempting to understand their true identity and the meaning of their tears, we interpret marriage migrants from the perspective imposed by governments and androcentric interest. Marriage migrants need to function as subjects in order to do remembrance of themselves, by standing against every effort to objectify them.


Alleged Female Language about the Deity in the Hebrew Bible
Program Unit: Intersectional Feminism(s)
David J.A. Clines, University of Sheffield

When the topic of divine masculinity in the Hebrew Bible is broached, attention is often drawn to alleged examples of female language about the deity in our texts as countervailing evidence. There has not been, to my knowledge, a systematic critique of such instances. They include passages where God is said to be described as a human or animal mother, and a range of passages where language that seems appropriate only to women (e.g. of birthing and of female bodily organs) is used in reference to the deity. This paper will assess the claim of Phyllis Trible and others that “recovery of this meaning tempers any assertion that Yahweh is a male deity”.


The Law for the Cities of Refuge in Num 35:9-34: Repetition or Reformulation?
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
Francesco Cocco, Pontificia Università Urbaniana

My aim is to try to answer this basic question: in what way does Numbers 35:9-34 contribute to the law governing the “cities of refuge”, already present in the pentateuchal traditions of Exodus 21:12-14, Deuteronomy 19:1-13, and Joshua 20:1-9? Is it a mere repetition of the same legislation, perhaps an expansion and enhancement with new details, or rather, is it a reformulation of the previous legislative tradition, marking a real advancement in biblical law? I will try to approach these questions starting from the interpretation of one of the key terms of the pericope – "bishgagah" – and its specific function within the passage, in order to develop some hypotheses concerning the composition of the law in Numbers 35:9-34.


Jesus in the Temple: The Infancy Gospel of Thomas and Luke 2:41-51
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Robert (J.R.C.) Cousland, University of British Columbia

The Infancy Gospel of Thomas (Paidika) is one of the earliest—if not the earliest— retellings and interpretations of Luke’s story of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple. A recent study by Geert van Oyen (2011) has shown that it is textually dependent on Luke and not simply replicated from memory. Despite this textual dependence, the author of the Paidika has made some small but significant changes that help to illuminate how he interpreted Luke’s Gospel and also how he sought to modify his source. This paper plans to focus on these changes. While this task has already been undertaken by a number of scholars, including Burke, Robbins, and van Oyen, I will argue that there are aspects of the Christology of the two works that warrant fuller and further consideration.


Who Had Lunch with Abraham in Genesis 18?
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
David Z. Crookes, Independent Writer

One day the LORD and two angels call with Abraham in the plains of Mamre. Who are the two angels? In the Old Testament Michael has a special responsibility for the nation of Israel (see Daniel 10. 21, Daniel 12. 1), while in the New Testament Gabriel is the angel who announces miraculous births (see Luke 1. 13, Luke 1. 35). Are the two angels of Genesis 18 and Genesis 19 Michael and Gabriel? Anyone who wants to answer that question in a scholarly manner will eschew pious presumption, and engage in the most meticulous possible study of the Hebrew text. If you mean to attend this presentation, please allow me to commit an outrage by setting you two pieces of homework in advance. First, consider the use of pronouns (rather than proper nouns) in Genesis 18. 1-15. Secondly, consider the rôle of the word resh-gimel-lamedh-yodh-kaph-mem ( = your feet) in Genesis 18. 4 and Genesis 19. 2. When the Hebrew alphabet is written out on a single line, and when the six letters resh, gimel, lamedh, yodh, kaph, and mem are highlighted, a palindromic 2-1-6-4-6-1-2 pattern emerges (two letters, GIMEL, six letters, YODH KAPH LAMEDH MEM, six letters, RESH, two letters). Does that pattern represent more than a mere accident? I’ll be very grateful if you help me to explicate the pertinent pieces of text in Seoul.


“Even as the Law Says” (1 Cor 14:34b): An Allusion to Miriam in Numbers 12?
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Kenneth L. Cukrowski, Abilene Christian University

Every interpreter of 1 Cor 14:34 faces the challenge of explaining the phrase “even as the law says.” At first glance, it may seem like a remote possibility that Paul alludes to Miriam with this phrase. In fact, solid evidence supports an allusion to Miriam in Num 12. Regarding the prominence of Miriam, it is significant that Miriam is mentioned in more OT books than any other female character in the OT; she is also the first female prophet mentioned in the OT; and she is an example of a disruptive female prophet in Num 12. Furthermore, Miriam’s popularity in the first century is seen in that there are at least six Marys in the NT named after her. Why is an allusion to Num 12 plausible at this point in Paul’s argument? At least three details stand out. Since Numbers is a book of Torah, Paul’s reference to “the law” in 14:34 makes sense. Also, there is a distinct possibility of an allusion to Num 11:29 earlier in the chapter (14:5). Most significantly, a direct allusion to Num 12:8 in the previous chapter (13:12a)—the phrases “face to face” and “in riddles”—echoes and quotes the wording of Num 12. Finally, an allusion to Num 12 renders coherent sense to the passage; this reading results in the following interpretation of 1 Cor 14:34: “Female [prophets] are not permitted to keep on speaking, but they should be subject to themselves (cf. 14:32), even as the law says [about disruptive female prophets like Miriam in Numbers 12].” These three lines of argument move this proposal from a remote possibility to an interpretation worthy of consideration.


Religious Experience in Ancient Literature
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Istvan Czachesz, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg

The aim of this paper is to provide an introduction to the problem of religious experience in ancient sources and examine the possibilities and challenges of studying them, with special attention to the use of cognitive science approaches and theories of embodiment. After a brief discussion of the phenomenology of subjective experience, I will introduce a model of religious experience in the context of cognitive, cultural, and social factors. The second part of the paper will deal with theories of embodied cognition and their potential to shed new light on religious expirences in ancient sources. In the final part of the paper, some aspects of such experiences will be addressed against the backdrop of neuroscientific evidence and embodied cognition.


Royal Autobiography and the Anti-Royal Passages in Qoheleth: Some Observations
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Gnanaraj D., Torch Trinity Graduate University

The recent years in the Qoheleth studies have seen the growing popularity of the Frame-Narrative approach to its interpretation. Its proponents argue that the royal ‘persona’ in its autobiographic sections (1:12-2:26) is adopted to illustrate his initial thesis that all of one’s toil and labor is but habel. Once this goal is achieved, then ‘the royal fiction’ is effectively discarded. The ‘anti-royal passages’ that seem to critique the inefficiency of the aristocracy (4:1-3, 5:7-8 [Eng. 5:8-9], 10:20) are drawn to support such line of reasoning. Thus, a nameless wisdom teacher living during the Ptolemaic period launches striking critique of the aristocracy, besides his defiant take on Israelite wisdom traditions. This plausible disruption of the royal autobiography after chapter 2 is explored in this paper, to see whether such break is either perceivable or warranted in the close reading of the autobiographic materials that extends to 10:7. This paper also explore the question how the ‘anti-royal passages’ fit Qoheleth’s stated ambitious agenda of observing everything under the sun in his historic quest to find the elusive yitrôn.


The Functions of lego Melding and lego Coordination in the New Testament
Program Unit: Hellenistic Greek Language and Linguistics
Paul Danove, Villanova University

This paper investigates the functions of "lego (say) melding" and "lego coordination" in the New Testament and concludes with a proposal concerning their possible historical contribution to the development of Greek verbs of communication. The introductory discussions establish the characteristics of lego melding and coordination and the licensing properties of New Testament verbs of communication. The discussion then resolves the various functions of lego melding and coordination in the New Testament. The concluding discussion uses comparisons to the Septuagint to propose the possible contributions of ???? melding and coordination to the development of Greek verbs of communication.


The Temporal Coordinates of God’s Actions During “This Time” in the Gospel of Mark
Program Unit: Gospel of Mark
Paul Danove, Villanova University

The Gospel of Mark distinguishes between the events of “this time” and those of “the coming age” (10:30) and proposes two complementary frameworks for resolving the temporal coordinates of narrated events into those that occur before, during, and after the story time of the narration. This paper specifies the criteria for identifying references to God and applies these to identify fifty-six occurrences in which God references the semantic agent of verbs within 1:1-16:8, develops the two complementary frameworks for resolving temporal coordinates for God’s actions based on occurrences of phrases employing “beginning" and on the chronology of the Parable of the Vineyard (12:1-9), resolves God’s fifty-six actions into those that occur before, during, and after the story time, and clarifies the temporal and thematic relationships among God’s actions that may be construed to occur in “this time”.


A Comparative Approach to the Qur'an and the Book of Mormon
Program Unit: Quran and Islamic Tradition in Comparative Perspective
D. Morgan Davis, Brigham Young University

The Qur’an and the Book of Mormon are the foundational texts of Islam and Mormonism, respectively. Because they emerged in radically different contexts—the Qur’an in 7th century Arabia, the Book of Mormon in 19th century New England—it is no surprise that they are very different kinds of texts in terms of genre (one is narrative, the other is not), language, and theology. And yet beneath these very significant differences, I will argue, lies a deep commonality that warrants comparative examination. It is that both texts see themselves as extensions of and correctives to the Judeo-Christian tradition and are each self-consciously in dialogue with the Bible. It is this explicit tie that each makes for itself to the biblical tradition that allows us to discern categories that can anchor meaningful comparisons between them. In my paper, I will demonstrate how two such categories—eschatology and the nature and role of Jesus/Isa?— might be investigated comparatively with these two books of scripture. While proper framing is crucial, I will observe that identifying and deploying shared categories is not enough by itself to protect the comparison from becoming hegemonic on one side or the other. With care, however, it is possible to engage in some kinds of comparison that draw challenging and meaningful insights into both traditions without doing violence to either.


The Function of Zephaniah 1:2-3
Program Unit: Prophets
John de Jong, Myanmar Evangelical Graduate School of Theology

The book of Zephaniah begins with a threat of global destruction (1.2-3). Scholars have struggled to understand why the book begins like this and have offered three main explanations. First, it is a rhetorical device designed to capture the audience’s attention; second, it is a later addition that does not cohere with the original prophetic oracles of Zephaniah, which concerned only Judah; third, it is a deliberate intertextual allusion to the creation and/or flood account in Genesis 1-9. While the opening oracle does achieve a rhetorical effect, the first suggestion does not explain the continued interaction between the people of God and the peoples of the world that pervades the book of Zephaniah (1.2-3, 18b; 2.4-15; 3.1-8, 9-10, 20). The same criticism can be made of the second redactional explanation. While there may be later additions to an original collection of Zephaniah oracles, scholars often identify such additions on the basis that the universal oracles contradict the original writings. In the final form of Zephaniah, however, the nations constitute an important and integral theme of the book. This paper will develop the third approach, intertextual allusion. Different literary theorists (Bakhtin, Hollander, Ben Porat) explain how allusion brings wider signification from the evoked text into the alluding text. My paper will argue that the allusion of Zeph 1.2-3 to the creation and flood account in Genesis 1-9 brings the theme of representation into the book of Zephaniah. Humanity as a whole carried held a representative function in Genesis 1-11, and their failure resulted in judgment for the entire created order. In Zephaniah it is the people of God, Judah, who are God’s representatives, and their failure is the reason for another global judgment. This theme pervades the book of Zephaniah and enables it to be read as a coherent text.


Rejecting the Biblical Call for Hospitality
Program Unit:
Miguel A. De La Torre, Iliff School of Theology

When Empire constructs roads into other countries to steal, by brute force if necessary, raw materials and cheap labor, why should we be surprised that natives take those same roads following everything that has been stolen from them. To prevent this migration, walls are built to keep them out. Some resist creating borders, calling for the biblical concept of hospitality instead. But hospitality ignores the causes of migration. This paper, using Central America as a case study, will explore how territorial conquest and the expansion of neoliberalism makes the biblical call for hospitality a misguiding approach to the current U.S. immigration crises.


The Virgin Love Goddess: Toward an Ethics of Reconciliation
Program Unit: Intersectional Feminism(s)
Miguel A. De La Torre, Iliff School of Theology

La virgencita Ochún is [n]either the [m]other of all Cubans [n]or the bleached Virgin. She does remain an important icon for Cuba, characterizing the hopes and aspiration of Cubans. To gaze upon the Catholic symbol of La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, Cuba’s patron saint, becomes a genuinely Cuban way to transcend the narrow rationalism and doctrinaire empiricism of the secularist mind-set. To reflect on the meaning of the African goddess Ochún, which occupies the same space as the Catholic symbol, is for Cubans to open themselves to the deeper ramifications of Her message, as their minds sort through a system of operations that engender structures of commonalities and divergences represented through language. I suggest that the linguistic terms La Virgen de la Caridad and Ochún cease to simply serve as signs linking their separate images to either a Roman Catholic or Santería concepts. Within the ambiguity of the constructed definitions of the symbols used to signify La Virgen de la Caridad/Ochún, a sacred space reconciling diverse elements of Cuban society can be forged. In short, the so-called reality of La Virgen de la Caridad/Ochún can never be understood in purely secular terms. Recognizing that all language is relative - acknowledging linguistic relativism - we can look beyond any arbitrary verbal structure or conceptual system. This most Cuban symbol, as signifier (image) will connote a unique perspective on the transcendental signified (concept), serving as a sign and representing the liberative mandate of reconciliation. La Virgen de la Caridad/Ochún as signifier is ambiguous, dismantling the binary opposition between culture as oral tradition (literature) and faith as a way of being (philosophy).


Embracing the Hopelessness of Jesús
Program Unit: Political Biblical Criticism
Miguel A. De La Torre, Iliff School of Theology

Jesus may be desirable, but not all Jesuses are beneficial. This paper unapologetically rejects the Eurocentric biblical Jesus for the Hispanic Jesús constructed when the Bible is read with Latino/a eyes. The paper argues that there is no one true Jesus that can be objectively known; there only exists subjective biblical interpretations of Jesus. The social, cultural, political, and global economic power of Euroamericans allows them to impose their subjective interpretation of Jesus as the objective Truth (with a capital “T”) for everyone else, including Latino/as. What would happen if rather than denying that we do indeed create Jesus in our own image, we embrace this methodology? What if we radically employ a hermeneutical suspicion to Christology – not simply to debunk the normative Eurocentric understanding of Jesus, but to construct a new Jesús? All too often, remembering Jesus as articulated within traditional Eurocentric Christian institutions tend to justify, legitimize, and normalize oppression. Hispanics need to be careful about uncritically adopting a Eurocentric biblical understanding of Jesus that might be detrimental to their marginalized social location. For those in power to remain in power, a constructed Jesus is needed that either explicitly or implicitly maintains the status quo. Rejecting Jesus for Jesús requires rooting him within the Hispanic culture, specifically moving away from the concept of hope and embracing what I’m calling a theology of hopelessness. The paper argues hope is a middle-class privilege that prevents radical praxis that could lead toward a more just society. The paper will focus on a forsaken and betrayed Jesús who exists in solidarity with the disenfranchised who live in the midst of Holy Saturday, knowing only the brutality of Good Friday with faint anticipation of a resurrection Sunday. To stand in solidarity with the hopeless creates a critique of salvation history.


Heterogeneous Language in Bible Translation
Program Unit:
Anicia Del Corro, Philippine Bible Society

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No More Itch (2 Tim 4:3)
Program Unit: Catholic Epistles
Matthijs den Dulk, Radboud University Nijmegen

The phrase “itching ears” occurs in the great majority of modern translations of 2 Tim 4:3 and dates back at least as far as the Vulgate. According to this interpretation of the Greek text, (Pseudo-)Paul claims that “the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears (?????µe??? t?? ?????), will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires” (NRSV). In its article on ?????, the lexicon BDAG mentions that another possible translation is “to have one’s ear tickled,” but offers no grounds to adjudicate between these two possible translations. In the same article, BDAG claims that the Greek phrase is a “fig[ure] of curiosity,” a suggestion repeated by many commentators. The present paper demonstrates that “tickling the ears” is an idiom that occurs quite frequently in first- and second-century literature (Seneca, Plutarch, Lucian, etc.). These authors’ use of the idiom suggests, first, that the translation “to have one’s ear tickled” is to be preferred in the case of 2 Tim 4:3, and, second, that the idiom primarily refers to the experience of pleasure rather than curiosity. The paper concludes by arguing that this translation and understanding of ?????µe??? t?? ????? fits the context of Second Timothy better than the alternatives commonly proposed in commentaries and lexicons.


Justin Martyr and the Invention of Heresy, or Who Wrote the First Anti-Heretical Treatise?
Program Unit: Apostolic Fathers and Related Early Christian Literature
Matthijs den Dulk, Radboud University Nijmegen

Justin Martyr has been identified by a number of leading scholars as the “inventor of heresy.” Central to Justin’s role in this process is his authorship of the earliest known anti-heretical treatise (often called “the Syntagma”) referred to in 1 Apol. 26.8. The treatise itself does not survive, but its contents are reflected in 1 Apol. 26, where Justin attacks Simon, Helen, Menander and Marcion, as well as in Irenaeus’ catalogue of heresies in Adversus Haereses 1.23-27. On this basis we may conclude that the Syntagma is not only the oldest known treatise directed against the “heretics,” but also perhaps the first document that features the doxographical approach that would become characteristic of the heresiological tradition from Irenaeus to Epiphanius and beyond. However, Justin’s authorship of this important document has been disputed. One recent study argues that in 1 Apol. 26, Justin does not actually claim to have written this text, but simply states that he has this document in his possession (the implication being that someone else wrote it). Against such a view, the present paper argues on both grammatical and historical grounds that the traditional view that Justin wrote this document remains the most plausible interpretation, and in so doing offers for the first time a full-scale argument in support of this hypothesis.


A Reappraisal of Three Philological Comparisons between Biblical Hebrew and the Hebrew of Ben Sira: One Accepted (the Verb "mistolel"), One Rejected (the Verb "terassedun"), and of Questionable Status
Program Unit: Judaica
Haim Dihi, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Major dictionaries of Biblical Hebrew (BDB, HALOT, Qaddari) use the book of Ben Sira as supporting evidence for their interpretations of the two verbs mistolel (Exod. 9:17) and terassedun (Ps. 68:17), and of the form leshikhno (Deut. 12:5). In my paper, I shall reexamine the evidence cited from Ben Sira, in order to determine whether or not the book of Ben Sira it does indeed support the interpretation offered for those biblical words. As for the first verb, mistolel, which appears twice in Ben Sira (39:24; 40:28), the meaning of this verb in Ben Sira does indeed support the suggested meaning of this verb in Biblical Hebrew. This comparison also teaches that the diverse nuances of Heb. s-l-l apparently derive from homonymy rather than polysemy as asserted in most dictionaries of Biblical Hebrew. As for the second verb, terassedun, which appears once in Ben Sira (14:22), it seems that the meaning of this verb in Ben Sira does not support the suggested meaning of the word in Biblical Hebrew. Concerning the third form, leshikhno, which the dictionaries analyze either as an infinitive construct of the Qal conjugation with a third person masculine singular pronominal suffix, or as a segholate noun – shekhen it is, maybe, possible to find supporting evidence in Ben Sira for the second suggestion. Indeed, the noun sheken appears once in Ben Sira.


Tobit and the Qumran Aramaic Texts
Program Unit: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Devorah Dimant, University of Haifa

Tobit copies found among the Dead Sea Scrolls and the numerous links Tobit displays to the Aramaic texts discovered there suggest that the origin and setting of the book is the land of Israel and that it belongs with the specific Aramaic corpus found at Qumran. Connections with two types of Aramaic texts are apparent: one type concerns biographies of ancient figures (antediluvian and patriarchal), the other type relates to court-tales. The lecture will explore the connections of Tobit with court-tales.


Samson and Dalila: Conceptions and Presentations of the Biblical Seductress in Literatur and Illumination in Medieval Times and Early Modern Time
Program Unit: Bible and Visual Culture
Maria E. Dorninger, Universität Salzburg

Reading the Book of Judges the role of Dalila seems to be clear as an astute seductress. Samson’s fall by a weak woman always provoked debates about its causes. Her role and even her cunnings had been discussed by Church fathers and Rabbis. As there seems to be no discussion about her negative character in the Bible, different hermeneutic methods present a diverse image of her. As to Gottfried of Admont (12th century), abbot in the monastery of Admont, Austria, the sensus allegoricus and moralis allow to apply a different concept of Dalila. Other amazing views of Dalila can be found in profane German Literature, presenting a Dalila that arouses sympathy and understanding as shown in the short-novel-like story in the chronicle of Jans Enikel (or Jans of Wien) in the 13th century. The paper focuses on Latin, High German and Early New High German literature and will explore different conceptions of Dalila by presenting reflections of this discussion in bible or chronicle illuminations of medieval and early modern times.


Gabriel Rising: A Postcolonial & Performance Criticism Analysis of the Gabriel Figure in Daniel
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Jerome Douglas, University of Valley Forge

The figure Gabriel appears in Daniel 8:16 and 9:21. What is the relationship between the appearance and function of this figure and the larger struggle for power evident in Daniel? Given the interaction between the margins (the colonized) and the center (the imperial power), what would be the impact of reading the text and particularly the use of the Gabriel figure from the perspective of the marginalized seeking to maintain their distinct social and spiritual domain under the rule of a colonial power, a reading from “below” rather than “above”? What would be the fruits of giving a robust consideration to the impact of subjugation by an imperial power upon a (now) colonized people, in terms of its displacement, dislocation, and decentralization and the response from the colonized (or powerless)? A postcolonial reading offers the opportunity for such a reading. Additionally, the discussion concerning the use of the Gabriel-figure in these two texts has yet to explore fully this employment through the lens of the oral/ aural nature of this text. With the emphasis on reading texts as resulting from oral-aural events, performance criticism intersects with historical, genre, rhetorical, orality, and ideological criticisms—to name a few. This paper will also seek to consider the Gabriel-figure engagement, in these texts, from the standpoint of oral/ aural performance events and evaluate the rhetorical impact, thereof. Marshalling these two complementing lens, this paper will present a postcolonial -performance criticism analysis of how the use of Gabriel communicates power to/ for its audience.


Therapeutic Demonology: Narrative Therapy and the Psychological Exegesis of Evagrius of Pontus
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Daniel Eastman, Yale University

Among ancient Christian writers, perhaps no figure was as prolific, or as influential, as Evagrius of Pontus on the topic of the inner struggle of the Christian against sinful thoughts. While earlier Christians had already written of the demonic sources of lust, gluttony, greed, and other sinful thoughts, Evagrius both expanded and elaborated this account, describing the dangers of listlessness, anger, and even grief – all of which he linked to demonic forces. Evagrius was deeply concerned with how the Christian, especially the monk, could combat these forces by employing a psychological approach that at once externalized the sources of evil thoughts and used Scripture as a tool to combat them. This paper focuses on Evagrius’ description of grief and its remedies. I read Evagrius’ advice regarding the treatment of grief alongside modern theories of clinical psychology, especially in the area of narrative therapy pioneered by Michael White and David Epston. I argue that Evagrius’ techniques, which help the Christian overcome grief by situating him or her within triumphal biblical narratives, function as a specifically Christian application of narrative therapy, and as such are still valuable today as a way to find healing in biblical texts.


Do Psalms Tell Stories? Chances and Limits of a Narrative Psalm Analysis – Shown Exemplarily in Psalm 64
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Sigrid Eder, Catholic Private University Linz

Storytelling in the psalter usually is attested to those psalms, which relate stories of the history of Israel, e.g. Ps. 78, 105, 106, 135 and 136. Narratology, the theory and procedure of studying narrative representations, is usually applied to narratives. However, are there certain features in the psalms, which allow us to define them as narrative texts and therefore examine them by means of narratology? Following Wolf Schmid’s description of narrativity, which implies the existence of a narrative voice and a chain of events, and Peter Hühn’s definition of narration as a communicative act in which a chain of happenings is meaningfully structured and transmitted in a particular medium and from a particular point of view, we can conclude that the application of narratology to lyric poetry is, in fact, possible with the lyrical subject as the narrative voice and the existence of narrative sequences, so called short stories within the psalms. Furthermore, Robert Alter speaks about a narrative impulse in the psalms, mainly within the synthetic parallelism, which is the most used parallelism in Ps. 64. By applying the narratological categories narrator/narrative voice, plot/build-up of tension, characters and characterization, as well as time and space to Ps. 64, the paper aims to contribute to a transgeneric approach towards poetry by means of opening the way to showing the benefits, as well as limitations of narratology applied to poetical texts.


Galatians and Paul's Witness to? Formative Early Christian Instruction
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Benjamin Edsall, Australian Catholic University

Building on my previous work concerning Paul’s witness to formative early Christian instruction in 1 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians and Romans (in my Paul’s Witness to Formative Early Christian Instruction [WUNT II/365]), in this paper I examine Galatians for the information it yields about Paul’s initial instruction among the Galatian believers. Methodologically, the investigation proceeds by attending to three types of appeal to presumed knowledge among his readers: (1) Explicit reminders about his teaching, (2) direct appeals to knowledge, and (3) implicit appeals to knowledge. This typology provides a firm framework with explicit references that can be then filled out by the other appeals to knowledge, constituting a reconstruction of Paul’s teaching (insofar as the information of Galatians permits it) which can be correlated with my previous work. It includes information on the identity of God and his relation to other gods, the person of Jesus, the activity of the Spirit, angels and a concern for moral transformation (among other things). Moreover, the analysis of Galatians pushes beyond reconstructing Paul’s initial teaching and engages the question of how his teaching related to that of other early Christian missionaries.


This Is Not the End? Reading Mark’s Eschatology without a Narrative of Decline
Program Unit: Gospel of Mark
Benjamin Edsall, Australian Catholic University

The eschatological discourse in Mark 13 is often read – on both scholarly and popular levels – as detailing a narrative of decline from that point until the final cosmic intervention of God signaled by the presence of the “abomination of desolation.” A narrative of decline – which is identifiable by the disciples as such and in which persecutions and upheavals become steadily worse – is undermined however at two points within the discourse: (1) Jesus’ statement that the troubles listed are “not yet the end” (13:7) and (2) that no one knows the “day or the hour” (13:32). Moreover, Mark’s Jesus notes that “this time” is characterized generally by persecution but also that this persecution does not preclude a flourishing of sorts (10:28–30) and that the disciples can expect to have all obstacles removed by faithful prayer (11:24). I argue, therefore, that Mark 13:1–31 should be read as describing eschaton without a narrative of decline. Living in this age is, rather, a period of both suffering and abundance and, according to Mark, it is only with the surprising erection of the abomination of desolation that any eschatological temporal bearing can be gained.


Michael, Gabriel, Melchizedek, and The Son of Man in the Three Traditions
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
J. Harold Ellens, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

A study on Daniel 7 - 10, I Enoch 37-71, the Synoptics in the light of John, 11Q13Mel, and Qur'an 2:97-8 and 66:4. J. J. Collins telescopes into each other Michael and the Son of Man in Daniel. John’s Gospel critiques the Synoptics as wrong about the Son of Man, and the Qur’anic memory has an innovative perspective. The DSS do not name the Son of Man but allude to a Virtual Son of Man. This concept has a long and crucial role in the Judaism, culminating in Messianic ideations in Second Temple Judaism. Thus, as is true of so many other aspects of the Hebrew Bible narrative, it echoes in Qur’an. This paper intends to demonstrate the unity and diversity of the concept, and its role in the three traditions.


Un/doing Injustice: Bible Translators and Their Texts
Program Unit:
Dorothea Erbele-Kuester, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

In-justice in (biblical) texts poses an ethical challenge for readers and translators. However, not translate texts promoting injustice would mean to annihilate them and to silence the injustice. The paper will highlight how recent bible translations have dealt with this issue.


Who Is the True Leader in the Story of 1 Kings 13; 2 Kgs 23, 15-17 (If There Is Any)?
Program Unit: Authority and Influence in Ancient Times
Erik Eynikel, Universität Regensburg

The story in 1 Kings 13 tells us about a man of God who criticises King Jeroboam I but is later punished himself with death for disobeying God’s orders on instigation of a lying prophet. This lying prophet is the only person, beside the man of God, who’s grave is not desecrated much later by the pious king Josiah, as we are told in the report of that king’s cultic reform in 2 Kings 23,15-17. When I study these two chapters with my students they are stupefied: how can such a story be part of the Bible, a story that rewards lying, that goes so far that it even causes death to a very respected man of God? This paper will explore the dynamics in these chapters focusing on who has authority and who has not, and who looses his authority as the story develops, and why that is (necessary) so? Finally, the paper will try to identify who the true leader (if any) there is in the story of 1 Kings 13; 2 Kings 23,15-17.


Since When Were Amalekites a Wilderness People?
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Zev I. Farber, Project TABS - TheTorah.com

A number of places in the Bible (Genesis, Numbers, Judges, Samuel) describe Amalekites as dwellers in Canaan, either on Mount Ephraim or southern Judah (or both). Yet, Exodus 17 and Deuteronomy 25 describe a primordial wilderness battle with Amalek, which ends with them being the enemies of Israel and YHWH forever. What were Amalekites doing in the wilderness? The Exodus version of this story is particularly problematic, since the general who defeats the enemy (Joshua) appears with no introduction, and the division of responsibility between him and Moses is hard to understand. I will suggest in this paper that the Amalek vs. Israel story does not originally belong in a Pentateuchal context, but that once the Amalekite conflict took on "theological" significance, it had to be moved back to ancient times and given to Moses, either by the Deuteronomist or slightly earlier in tradition history. I will further argue that the core of the Exodus version was moved into Exodus from a different location, and that it was redacted based on the version in Deuteronomy.


When Hannah and Samuel Met Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, John, Jesus, Simeon, and Anna, or Sub-Versions of Luke’s Annunciations
Program Unit: Families and Children in the Ancient World
Danna Nolan Fewell, Drew University

Luke’s dependency on 1 Samuel 1-3 for its opening annunciation episodes has long been observed. Noted, too, is the gospel’s general thrust to portray the early Christian movement as divinely initiated and driven and as compatible with the values of the Roman Empire. What is the affect/effect, however, when the story of women and men overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit is patterned upon a story of determined human initiative and revolutionary political vision? How is meaning produced when readers and listeners (ancient and modern) are called upon to hold two stories in their heads simultaneously—a dominant narrative in which characters are caught up in events beyond their control and an underlying “sub-version” in which human agency and defiant insight are paramount? How does such double-scoped narrative function to form, bolster, protect, question, and open up the social identity of the listening community?


Platonic and Stoic Dialectic in Philo
Program Unit: Judaica
Elad Filler, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

In this paper, dealing with Platonic and Stoic dialectic in Philo, I wish to make a proposal that may offer some solution to the problem of the surprising absence of a proper use of the dialectic of the late Platonic dialogues dialectic in Philo's works. Philonic scholars have not, to the best of my knowledge, raised this question. The minimal presence of later Platonic and Stoic dialectic in Philo may point to an ideological approach. It should not be expected that Philo himself would clarify the reasons for his attitude towards this part of the Platonic dialogues, since it is not his method to expose his various sources or explicate his attitude towards them. A possible explanation of Philo's avoidance of the use of logical models of any type – indicating a shying away from dialectic – might be associated with the connection between logic and the activity of the Sophists of his time. In adopting philosophical concepts as ancillary to his exposition of the Torah, Philo is not prepared to accept the merely technical and formal aspects of philosophy, and especially those of dialectic, since logic - Stoic as well as Platonic - as used by the 'sophists' of Philo's age, is likely to lead some of its practitioners to pervert the truth, both philosophical and scriptural. Philo, who is inclined towards adopting ideas popular in the philosophies known at his time as a means to presenting his own view - namely that it is the task of science to serve the law of Moses - could have easily forgone unpopular dialogues which would not cater to his ambition of glorifying the Torah of Israel among his fellow Jews, thereby serving as an alternative to the pseudo-philosophical wares sold by the Sophists.


Bryson's Management of the Estate: An Introduction and Analysis
Program Unit: Early Christianity and the Ancient Economy
John T. Fitzgerald, University of Notre Dame

Bryson was a Neopythagorean philosopher who wrote a work in Greek on household management titled Oikonomikos Logos (Management of the Estate). Stobaeus preserves two extracts of this treatise, which was used by Musonius Rufus and probably also by both Dio Chrysostom and Clement of Alexandria. Although H. Thesleff dated Bryson to the early Hellenistic period (third century BCE), S. Swain has argued convincingly that Bryson was much more likely active in the mid first century CE. The treatise remains almost entirely unknown to both classicists and New Testament scholars because it survives chiefly in an Arabic translation, though there are also a Hebrew version and a Latin epitome. The work, which focuses on the economy and the family, has four main parts: property, slaves, the wife, and children. Attention in the paper will be given to all four parts, but especially to the first part (property and its preservation). (For Project 1: The Ancient Economy)


A Useful Apocalypse: Domesticating and Repurposing Revelation in the Second Century
Program Unit: Biblical Interpretation in Early Christianity
Steve Friesen, University of Texas at Austin

Revelation’s early reception history is normally described in terms of ideas, and especially in terms of competing ideas about expectations of an earthly or a spiritual millennium. In this paper, I look not at the history of ideas but rather at the history of deployment, asking how Revelation functioned in second century interpretation. Using David Chidester’s concept of “wild religion” I argue that second century references to Revelation manifest a complex dynamic of domestication and repurposing. Writers like Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Clement of Alexandria domesticated the systemic imperial critique of Revelation and repurposed that wildness to accomplish other goals. Those goals included defining social boundaries with “Christian” competitors; fighting for territory in the borderlands with Judaism; controlling insiders through promises and threats in the afterlife; and transforming John the Seer into a model for bishops and churchmen.


Mesopotamian Lore in Jewish Aramaic Tradition
Program Unit: Ancient Near East
Ida Fröhlich, Pázmány Péter Catholic University

Earliest pieces of the Aramaic part of the book of Daniel (chs. 2, 4, and 5) as well as Qumran Enochic writings – Aramaic fragments of the Ethiopic book of Enoch (1 Enoch) and further Aramaic fragments containing traditions related with this book - reflect a familiarity of the authors with Mesopotamian lore, religious beliefs, literary themes, and scientific methods. However, hermeneutics of these texts are different from their Mesopotamian examples, and reflect a deep thought of Mesopotamian culture. The paper aims at presenting selected examples of motifs with a Mesopotamian background (e.g. the figures of the Watchers, revelatory forms and techniques), and scrutinizing the means of cultural transfer, and the role of Aramaic as a vehicle of transmission.


Tobit – A Halakhic Tale
Program Unit: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Ida Fröhlich, Pázmány Péter Catholic University

The Qumran library provided four Aramaic and one Hebrew copies of the book of Tobit (4Q196-199, 4Q200), the Hebrew text being, to all probability, the translation of an Aramaic version. The reason for the translation of this fascinating fabric of tales, wisdom sayings, and reports on demons and magical healing is not known. The book has an overall teaching purpose, and serves as an example for lifestyle in the diaspora. The narrative takes account of the endogamic marriage of Tobias, son of Tobit. Endogamy in Tobit is endorsed by the binding force of the Mosaic Law (Tob 6:13) as a combination of the law of the inheritance of daughters (Num 27:8) and that of the levirate (Deut 25:5-10). The heiress Sarah will marry her next kin Tobias according to an eternal law, for she is „appointed (etiomasmene) for Tobias” from eternity (Tob 6:18; cf. 4Q197 4 ii:2, w?lyk dyn qš?’ gzr lm[sbh], „a right decision has been determined on your behalf”). The Qumran text of the Damascus Document encompasses several halakhic cases concerning marriage and sexuality. The decisions were written probably for members living in families (cf. Josephus, War § 119-16). Qumran halakhic texts debar a father from marrying his daugther to a man „who is unfit to her / who is not ordained for her” (l’ hwkn) (4Q269 frg. 9:2; 4Q270 5:16; 4Q271 3:9). The book of Tobit substantiates the halakhic justification of the marriage of persons who are „fitting” to each other. It is this halakhic content that might have served as an explanation for the production of the Hebrew translation.


Death in the Qur’an: A Physical or Spiritual Reality
Program Unit: Quran and Islamic Tradition in Comparative Perspective
Abdulla Galadari, Masdar Institute / Al Maktoum College of Higher Education

In this paper, I will look into the meaning of “nafs” (self) linguistically comparing its usage between the Bible and the Qur’an. I will also look at the meaning of death and life in Sufi exegesis of the Qur’an. I argue that a Sufi interpretation does not necessarily reflect a symbolic or metaphoric understanding of death and life, but can also be understood literally, if the “nafs” is understood as a soul and not necessarily as a joined single entity of soul and body. When discussing death, the Qur’an specifically states that every “nafs” (soul) tastes death. Nonetheless, the term “nafs” is sometimes understood physically. This is not unique to the Qur’an, as the same term “nephesh” is also used in the Hebrew Bible. James Barr, in The Semantics of Biblical Language, compares the difference of the Greek usage of diverse words for person, body, and soul, while Hebrew uses a single word to describe them all as “nephesh.” Barr suggests that the Hebrews did not always consider “nephesh” as a soul separate from the body, but as both together acting as a joined living being. The Qur’an sometimes refers to a metaphoric understanding of spiritual death (e.g. Q. 16:21, 35:22). In Q. 35:22, the Qur’an refers to those who do not accept its message as dead in their graves. The interpretation of Q. 16:21 is disputed as whether the Qur’an is describing idols as dead and would be resurrected, or the unbelievers are “spiritually” dead and would be resurrected. The Qur’an refers to martyrs as living (Q. 2:154, 3:169), though obviously cannot be bodily alive. Hence, one must infer that the “life” the Qur’an is describing is spiritual in nature, and perhaps also death is, therefore, understood spiritually.


Origen on the Shepherd of Hermas
Program Unit: Apostolic Fathers and Related Early Christian Literature
Edmon Gallagher, Heritage Christian University

The popularity of the Shepherd of Hermas within early Christianity is attested by the many early manuscripts preserving its text, by the translations produced in a variety of languages, and by the patristic citations of the work. Scholars of the canon often classify the Shepherd as one of the documents that nearly entered the biblical canon. Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian (early), Origen, and Didymus the Blind, among others, all revered the Shepherd, in some cases quite profoundly. Origen, for instance, early in his career cited the Shepherd as having the “authority of the Scriptures” (Princ. 2.1.5; citing Mandates 1:1, along with 2 Macc 7:28 and Psa 148:5), and near the end of his life he still asserted his own belief in the divine inspiration of the Shepherd (Comm. Rom. 10.31). It remains unclear whether such sentiments imply that Origen would have included the Shepherd within a bounded collection of apostolic writings, that is, a canon of Christian Scripture. In fact, though Origen died a century before the proliferation of canon lists, he himself did provide something very much like a canon list of New Testament books at Homilies on Joshua 7.1. Scholars have long doubted the authenticity of this passage because it survives only in Latin, but recently its genuineness has received strong support. The omission of the Shepherd from the list at Hom. Josh. 7.1, along with other indications in Origen’s corpus, suggest that Origen regarded the Shepherd as Scripture of a secondary rank. Such a category becomes codified in the fourth century with Athanasius (the books “to be read”), Rufinus (the “ecclesiastical” books), and other authors. This paper will argue that Origen was already working with such a distinction, though not as firmly worked out as it would be a century later.


Jerome on the Septuagint
Program Unit: Biblical Interpretation in Early Christianity
Edmon Gallagher, Heritage Christian University

Jerome cultivated a complex relationship with the Septuagint. He strove to move the Church away from the LXX, attacking the traditional arguments establishing the authority of the Greek text, such as its use by the apostles. Jerome insisted that the apostles rather used the Hebrew text. However, Jerome continued to make use of the LXX until the end of his life, citing it even in his very last biblical commentaries and sometimes siding with its text against the Hebrew. Though he insisted that his translation iuxta Hebraeos revealed the Christian sense of the Old Testament better than did the LXX, because, unlike the Seventy, he lived after Christ and thus saw the fulfillment of the prophecies, nevertheless he often based his spiritual interpretation of the Hebrew prophets on the Greek translation. He also frequently equivocated on his contention that the apostles did not use the LXX. Scholars have often been concerned with understanding Jerome’s magnification of the Hebraica veritas and the uniqueness of this position within the fourth-century church. The present paper turns the tables, seeking to understand how the LXX features in Jerome’s developing thoughts about the best text of the Old Testament. We will find that Jerome argued forcefully for the primacy of the Hebrew text for Christians, but he allowed the LXX an important role in God’s economy of salvation and sometimes found in it a preferable text.


Secrecy and Horizons of Knowledge in Ben Sira and Apocalyptic Literature
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Matthew Goff, Florida State University

The vibrant debate that has taken place in the wake of von Rad’s claim that apocalypticism originated out of the wisdom tradition, while successfully encouraging people to discern affinities between these bodies of literature, can reductively constrict scholarly assessment of wisdom and apocalypticism solely in terms of these two genres themselves—one influencing the other, or one polemically responding to the other. The parallels between these two corpora often require looking at wider ranges of evidence. In this paper I examine this issue by looking at the well-known passage in Ben Sira in which he dismisses the study of esoteric knowledge (3:21-24). While scholarship used to interpret the chapter as polemic against Greek learning, opinion has in more recent years shifted to the view that Ben Sira 3 is written against Enochic tradition. Drawing on the recent work of Moshe Habertal, I examine the pervasive theme of esoteric knowledge in Second Temple literature and how endowing knowledge with claims that it is secret or from a heavenly source can transform it into an intellectual commodity that can be exploited by various social actors. Ben Sira himself claims to provide esoteric knowledge to his own students. Chapter 3 of Ben Sira, while critical of making claims to secret knowledge of the sort one finds in apocalypses, does not inveigh against such knowledge because it is apocalyptic, or Enochic—it is more likely that he delegitimizes revealed knowledge that he does not possess or control.


Giants in Ancient Jewish Literature
Program Unit: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Matthew Goff, Florida State University

This paper provides a synthetic overview of the main conclusions of my current research project on giants in ancient Jewish literature. I am preparing to write the final chapter of a book on this topic. Writing this paper will help me do that. The paper will examine the problem of defining a giant and it will identify major motifs of the giants tradition, such as antediluvian violence, exegesis of Genesis 6, and the destruction of the giants in the flood. The essay will also explore the diversity of accounts regarding the giants. Some texts, for example, assert that at least some giants survived the flood (e.g., Pseudo-Eupolemus). The Qumran Book of Giants, a text that remains relatively unexplored, offers an account of the giants that develops that of the Book of the Watchers while being nevertheless quite different from it. The Book of Giants, for example, focuses much more on the giants’ receiving visions than their violent activities in comparison to Watchers. The paper will also speculate on reasons for the popularity of stories involving the giants in the late Second Temple period. This is a complex issue that involves topics such as an increased interest in primordial history during the Hellenistic age, the ability of the giants to serve as a historical example of God’s punishment of the wicked, and the cross-cultural ability of ‘monsters’ to help establish cultural norms by providing shocking portraits of creatures who transgress these boundaries. I have not submitted this proposal to any other group.


Ecclesiastes 1:4-8 and Qoheleth’s Contradictions
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom
T. S. Goh, Singapore Bible College

Biblical scholars have offered various opinions regarding the contradictions in Ecclesiastes. This paper will draw attention to two important scholarly arguments which have yet to be developed and integrated. Firstly, some scholars point out that the circular polarity hightlighted in Ecc 1:4-8 represents Qoheleth’s worldview, and the worldview in turn influences the style of his discourse. Nevertheless they have not examined if the same worldview has also resulted in the contradictions in Qoheleth’s discourse. Secondly, J. A. Loader speaks of Qoheleth’s contradictions in terms of poles and counter poles. Some scholars have pointed out the weaknesses of Loader’s theory, but have not explored the potential it deserves. Building on these two arguments, this paper argues if Qoheleth’s worldview as expressed in Ecc 1:4-8 influences his style of discourse, it may also explain why Qoheleth often speaks in terms of opposite poles. The circular movement between opposite poles in 1:4-8 offers a framework in which humans’ experience can be understood. Like the movement in nature, humans’ experience with wisdom, wealth, pleasure and even religion moves from one pole to another (between pole and counter pole). Depending on the circumstances, at times they are of advantage (producing yitrôn), at other times they are not (producing no yitrôn), resulting inconsistencies and contradictions.


Some Thoughts on Compilation Lists and Anthologies as Bible Exegesis in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Shira Golani, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and KU Leuven

This paper takes a new look at 4Q339, the “List of False Prophets”, as an example of a compilation list: a list created by gathering information from various places in scripture on a specific subject. The “List of False Prophets” will serve as a starting point for re-examining the issue of compilation by lists and the function of compilation as a form of Biblical exegesis. Building upon studies of lists and anthologies of Biblical scripture in the Dead Sea Scrolls (e.g. Shaye J.D. Cohen [2000; 2001], Armin Lange [2010] and Shani Tzoref [2012]), this paper will compare and contrast examples from the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with other selected texts contemporary to them. Thus 4Q339 will be investigated and placed within its immediate context and the larger literary world of Jewish writing of the Hellenistic era.


Angels in the Apocalypses of 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Lydia Gore-Jones, Macquarie University

Whereas in earlier periods angels played the roles of heavenly hosts and God’s messengers, from the Second Temple period they developed a new role, that of an angelus interpres. The precursor of this role can perhaps be traced to the visions of Ezekiel, but particularly to the visions of Zechariah. However, it was in the apocalyptic literature of the Second Temple period that these angeli interpretes began to take on their individual personality by adopting names and specific offices. Earliest evidence is found in the Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36) dated to the mid- or late third century BCE. The Book of Daniel of the second century BCE , which is considered the only apocalyptic book in the Hebrew Bible, is also the only biblical book that names the two archangels, Michael and Gabriel. The two Jewish apocalypses, 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch, also feature an angelus interpres, Uriel and Remiel, respectively. Both apocalypses are regarded as pseudepigrapha written towards the end of the first century in response to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in 70 CE. Although it is impossible to establish direct textual relationship between the two, they have been seen as sister works, sharing many common themes and features. Why, then, did the authors choose a different angel for the revelations received by their respective protagonists? Do the angels, despite their different names, play identical roles in the two apocalypses? How are the roles of Uriel and Remiel similar to or different from Gabriel, the angelus interpres in Daniel, on the one hand, and the unnamed angeli interpretes in the Apocalypse of John, on the other?


“The Lord Heard Our Voice and Saw Our Affliction, Turmoil, and Our Oppression” (Deut 26:5): The Optimism of Hope in the Deuteronomic Creed and Its Relevance for the Refugees in Today’s Context
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Varaprasad Gosala, Gurukul Lutheran Theological College

The major challenge that the world encounters today is the increasing amount of refugees. As per the recent report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, released in 2014 there are almost 60 million refugees around the globe. That is to say one in every 122 people has become a refugee in one way or the other (www.theatlantic.com). Nations across the globe have witnessed a sudden increase in the number of refugees – some are welcomed while some are despised, some are forced to move out while some move away with the hope of better opportunities, safety and security. The increase in the number of refugees in recent times has been an area of huge debate that requires serious consideration and deliberation. A search for biblical context and perspective on the issue of refugees points out to the prominence it secured in the entirety of the Old and New Testaments as the journey of refugees appears to be a never ending phenomena. The Deuteronomic creed is one such example in which the Israelites affirmed their identity as aliens, elaborately illustrating the harsh, demanding and depriving experiences that were an integral part of refugees. A. P. Nirmal while explaining the Deuteronomic Creed from dalit perspectives elucidates a parallel to the Dalits where a people who were “no people” were called out and made “God’s people.” This essay deals with a comparative study that attempts to point out to the similarities that are innate in the biblical context and the contemporary refugee crisis surging across the nations. A contextual interpretation will be brought in which the Dalit interpretative method has added great significance and relevance to the study. This is a reader response method in which the meaning emerges in the process of a dialogue between the text and the reader. TRUNCATED


Models of Oral Tradition and the Dating of the Synoptic Gospels
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Thomas E. Goud, University of New Brunswick, Saint John

Recent approaches to orality, memory, and literacy have significant implications for the dating of the synoptic gospels. Of particular importance is whether written gospels follow or coexist with oral tradition, how those modes interact, and the time needed for the various models to develop. This paper examines the consequences of the models of oral tradition used by Richard Bauckham (Jesus and the Eyewitnesses [2006]), James D.G. Dunn (Christianity in the Making 1-3 [2003, 2009, 2015]), Francis Watson (Gospel Writing [2013]), and Bart Ehrman (Jesus Before the Gospels [2016]) for the dating of the synoptic gospels as we have them.


Burial Rites in the Qur’an and Its Influence on Contemporary Egyptian
Program Unit: Quran and Islamic Tradition in Comparative Perspective
Youssry Guirguis, Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies

Funerary rituals were incredibly significant to various well-defined cultures and religions. They are very important to Pre-Islamic Arabians, to Christians, as well as to the Muslims. Related to this, Egyptian Christian/Muslim (ECM) burial rituals are notably unique. The questions need to be asked: What are the beliefs regarding death and burial can be traced from these societies, (Pre-Islamic Arabia, the Qur?anic time, and ECM)? To what extent has the burial ceremony of the Pre-Islamic period impacted that of the Qur?anic eon? Also, to what level has the Qur?an especially the Life of Muhammad or to the period instantaneously after his death have had a great significant on the ECM burial rituals? Do contemporary Egyptian burial rites trace its roots to ancient Egyptian and Pre-Islamic burial customs or to Qur’anic and Hadithic sources?


The Three Stages of Grief: Paul's Performance as a Moral Philosopher in 2 Corinthians
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Jaimie Gunderson, University of Texas at Austin

This paper examines Paul’s rhetorical deployment of one of the most dominant affective images in 2 Corinthians – grief. Taking the five letter hypothesis as a starting point for my analysis of 2 Corinthians, I assess the varying ways in which Paul uses grief in 2:14-7:4, 10-13:10, and 1:1-2:13; 7:5-16; 13:11-13. Given the changing circumstances of his relationship with the Corinthians, the way in which Paul speaks about grief, grieves the Corinthians, and is aggrieved (or not) is markedly different in each of the three letter fragments. I argue that Paul, participating in the discourses of moral philosophy, utilizes three models of grief in his communication with the Corinthians. In 2:14-7:4 Paul proffers the Stoic model of absence of the passions, in which he holds himself up as the exemplar of self-mastery. In 10-13:10, Paul’s tone shifts dramatically and grief is used as a rhetorical barb, as a form of rebuke. In 1:1-2:13; 7:5-16; 13:11-13, Paul assumes a consoling tone and aligns himself with the Platonic-Aristotelian moderation of the passions. Given Paul’s inconsistency with discourses of grief, his goal is not to offer a systematic medical philosophy. He is not a medical philosopher. Rather, situated on the leading edge of the so-called Second Sophistic, he is a rhetor performing as one. Paul’s interest in grief is purely rhetorical – to align the Corinthians with his gospel. But in true sophistic fashion, Paul’s rhetoric extends beyond simple persuasion to include a performance of his own self-presentation. Thus, in service of his own self-fashioning, Paul manipulates his rhetorical deployment of grief to subtly shift the way the Corinthians apprehend their relationship with him.


Gabriel in the Qur’an and Muslim Tradition
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Zohar Hadromi-Allouche, University of Aberdeen

Angel Gabriel (Jibril) is a highly significant figure in Islam. He is mentioned three times in the Qur’an, and is identified in the tradition as the agent through whom the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad. Gabriel is also mentioned as taking an active role in other events in the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the emerging Muslim community, such as the opening of Muhammad’s breast, the first revelation, the night journey and ascent to heaven, and the battle of Badr. He is also mentioned as interacting with other prophetic figures, such as Eve and Adam; and also as defeating Satan on a number of occasions. It is thus interesting to note the form of interaction that Gabriel has with prophetic figures, according to the Muslim tradition, is some times rather similar to his interactions with Satan. He is often described as being quite violent (e.g., kicking Muhammad or shaking him to point of suffocation). Thus, while being God’s emissary to humans, and prophets in particular, Gabriel is also portrayed as a figure to be afraid of — not just by God’s enemy, but also by God’s chosen ones. This paper will examine Gabriel’s interactions with humans and spiritual beings, and will ponder upon the reasoning of his portrayal in such a complex manner.


"The Sons of Zadok" in the Qumran Texts: A Re-Appraisal
Program Unit:
David Hamidovic, Université de Lausanne

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Commemoration and Audience Formation in the Yhwh malak Psalms
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Mark W. Hamilton, Abilene Christian University

Psalms 93-100 (as well as Ps 47) represent a web of ritual texts announcing Yhwh’s universal kingship. These psalms expatiate on two themes that seem contradictory, the commemoration of key events of Israel’s past (in both “mythic” and “real” time) as touchstones for future events, and the expectation of universal human praise of Yhwh’s wondrous deeds. That is, both the particulars of Israel’s culture of memory and the attitudes of those outside that culture concern the psalmists as they construct a liturgical world in which Yhwh’s kingship is enacted. This essay moves from a philological analysis of the psalms to interaction with Paul Ricoeur’s discussion of memory and forgetting as habits. Divine kingship is a performative act on the part of both Yhwh and Yhwh’s human and nonhuman subjects. The simultaneous cultivation of memory and imagination (fueled by “forgetting” counter-narratives of the nations’ hostility) in these liturgical texts contributes to their meaning in a liturgical setting and in the literary one of the Psalter itself.


Jacob’s Experience of God at Bethel
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Dong-Gu Han, Pyeongtaek University

There are two major characteristics in Korean Church and Korean Theology. First, the Korean, traditionally, have read their scriptures for the sake of practice. Second, the Korean, traditionally, have had pious mind born out of their deep experiences of divinity or transcendent beings. As ever they have sought encounter with God by means of prayer; and it has made variety of traditions of “experience of God”. To apply the Korean religions traditions to the interpretation of the Bible, I would like to suggest “Eastern Ways and Western Frames”. We may find the answers to the questions raised with the problems in the Korean traditional culture and spirit, and also in the current Korean society and church, when we have recourse to the Western Hermeneutics of the Bible. In a word, it is an encounter between the Korean (Asian) questions and the biblical answers. Particularly, in this paper, I study the experiences of God in the Old Testament such as Jacob’s at Bethel (Gen 28:10-19). Jacob is less capable man compared to his brother Esau. However, as he went through the experiences of God in his life, he was becoming more religious, and could have found in his eyes the others (=neighbors) becoming more matured in his personality. Though he was insecure and distorted in person, he had a burning heart to cry out to God for help. Since the depth of his life, God came to help him. Jacob’s experience of God changed him as a totally different person. The divine experience makes a man humble and completely changed. The experience of the sacredness makes one go against the world and resist against injustice. Against the fear of living alone without God, God came to Jacob first and overturn his mind.


"That'll Preach": Rhetorical Features in Lukan Parables for Their Oral Performance
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
John Harrison, Oklahoma Christian University

To tell a story well, storytellers in the ancient Mediterranean employed rhetorical features to enhance its oral performance and its impact upon the intended audience. Those who wrote stories often structured the written form of the narrative so that it could be delivered orally more effectively. As Joanna Dewey has put it, ancient rhetors “wrote for the ears”. If it is accurate to say that many stories were composed during this period for an oral performance, did the author of Luke’s Gospel adopt this strategy when he wrote parables? It is frequently recognized that speeches attributed to Peter, Stephen, and Paul in Luke-Acts are presented as rhetorically sophisticated. But are Jesus’s parables in Luke’s Gospel employing common rhetorical devices which Luke intended to assist in their effective oral delivery within the church? In other words, do Lukan parables show that the author was attuned to the potential for Jesus’ stories to be heard, remembered, and repeated as an effective oral experience? Several recent works on Jesus’s parables have challenged readers to hear Jesus’s parables as a first century audience would have, but few commentaries address whether these parables contain rhetorical patterning or features that would have directed their subsequent oral performance. This paper will argue that parables in Luke do have commonly expected rhetorical patterns and show the effect Christian rhetors would have had while performing those parables for ancient ears.


The Reception of Biblical "Child" Imagery in Clement of Alexandria
Program Unit: Biblical Interpretation in Early Christianity
Paul A. Hartog, Faith Baptist Theological Seminary

Throughout Clement of Alexandria’s discussion of pa?de?a (as found in the first book of his Paidagogos), tensions surface in his use of “children” (pa?de?) and “fear” (f?ß??). This study will examine Clement’s creative interpretation of the biblical imagery of “children” and “fear”, describe the inherent tensions surrounding the two concepts, and investigate why Clement chose never to outgrow the “child” metaphor. Clement emerges as an early Christian indebted to (and devoted to) the biblical imagery of Christians as “children”, yet pressured by a complex socio-cultural environment that commonly misconstrued and even resisted the “child-like” representation. If Clement’s discussions of “children” (pa?de?) and “fear” (f?ß??) seem somewhat disjointed, one must remember that he felt pressure from several quarters. His tactics were formed and transformed within a gauntlet of varying and competing forces, including Gnostic and Marcionite opposition, Greek philosophical influence, and perhaps even the criticisms of Celsus. Therefore, Clement was caught between the Christian tradition and the Greek intellectual heritage, while concurrently opposing rival religio-philosophical teachers. Moreover, the tensions arose partly because of socio-missional concerns. While scholars have focused upon the religio-philosophical rivals (in an attempt to identify specific opponents), they have tended to overlook the socio-cultural pressures arising from missional demands—more specifically, the impact of social attitudes toward children in the wider culture.


The Words and Oracles of God in 1 Clement: A Functional Approach
Program Unit: Apostolic Fathers and Related Early Christian Literature
Paul A. Hartog, Faith Baptist Theological Seminary

1 Clement repeatedly associates the Spirit with the “scriptures,” which are true and holy, since they are given through the Holy Spirit (13.4; 45.2; 56.3). Nevertheless, in 1 Clement, the Spirit’s confluence with sacred texts is more variegated than simply the divine origination of the Hebrew Scriptures. First, the Spirit’s association extends beyond the point of writing, since he continues to speak and work through “that which is written” (13.1; 22.1; 42.3). Second, the Spirit’s ministry is also associated with texts beyond the Hebrew Scriptures, as similar language and formulae are used of 1 Corinthians, unknown texts, and 1 Clement itself (47.1-3; 59.1; 63.2; cf. 42.4-5). Third, the Spirit’s ministry is associated with nascent trinitarian language that contextually leads into an elevation of "the words of our Lord Jesus" (46.6-8; 58.2; cf. 22.1). The proper responses to the words of God include diligent study, remembrance, and obedience (13.1; 19.1; 45.2; 46.7; 53.1; 62.3). These relevant data provide a new framework for gleaning exegetical and theological insights from 1 Clement 13.1-14.1, which merges together “this commandment” from the Hebrew Scriptures with “these precepts” remembered from the Lord Jesus, describing them all as “holy words” to be followed in “obedience to God.” This functional equivalence is important for investigations of early Christian theology, particularly for understanding the trajectories of authoritative texts.


Who Killed the Sons of Zedekiah (Jer 52:9-11; 2 Kgs 25:6-7)?
Program Unit: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Bible
Shuichi Hasegawa, Rikkyo University

Jeremiah 52:9-11 depicts a scene in which the king of Babylon himself held the execution of the sons of Zedekiah, the king of Judah who rebelled against Babylonia in the last days of Jerusalem. 2 Kgs 25:6-7 (MT) describes the same event, but there the executioner is not the king but anonymous “they”. It has been proposed that the executioner in 2 Kgs 26:6-7 should be identified as the Babylonian king as attested in the LXX, and accordingly the MT has been often emended. This paper, by comparing the two texts with other biblical texts and some Assyrian royal inscriptions and iconography, will take up this issue again to identify the executioner(s) of Zedekiah's sons both in literature and in reality. The Assyrian palace relief of Ashurbanipal depicting the scenes of the battle against Elamites demonstrates salient differences concerning the king’s actions from what the text relates, which will throw light both on the identification and on an aspect of the ancient Near Eastern royal ideology.


Take Pleasure in Your Toil: Reading Eccl 3:9-13 after Genesis 3 and in the Face of West Papua
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Jione Havea, Charles Sturt University

What does the celebration of “toil/labor” entail for people under occupation? and for people facing climate injustice? This presentation offers a reading of Eccl. 3:9-13 in response to Genesis 3 and in the interest of West Papua, located at the meeting point of the Asia-Pasifika.


Paul's Cursus Pudorum: Shameful Death and Honorable Resurrection
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Kei Hiramatsu, Asbury Theological Seminary

In his work, Reconstructing Honor in Roman Philippi: Carmen Christi as Cursus Pudorum, Joseph H. Hellerman argues that the Roman ideology of honor and shame sheds light on the better understanding of the Christ hymn; the author of the letter presents the Christ hymn (2:6-11) in such a way that Christ proceeded on cursus pudorum (shame race) in contrast with Philippi’s cultural preoccupation with honor, cursus honorum (honor race). The purpose of this paper is to complement the work of Hellerman and consider the Roman ideology of honor and shame in light of the literary context of Paul’s exhortation in 1:27–3:21. Particularly, I am interested in the relationship between Paul’s presentation of death and resurrection and the cultural perception of honor and shame in Roman world. Paul often employs contradictory ideas as a framework to develop his argument (e.g., weakness and strength in 2 Cor 12:9). In Phil 1:27–3:21 Paul presents another antithetical truth of death and resurrection, and he seems to interrelate death and resurrection with shame and honor in his exhortation. Particularly, it is important to look at how Philippians embody shame in their culture because honor is closely connected with shame. Therefore, in this work I will propose that Paul presents himself as an example who joins in Christ’s cursus pudorum by interrelating his portrayal of death and resurrection with shame and honor so that he could invite Philippian believers to join in following his example (3:17).


Identity Changes of the hekatontarchas through the Voyage: the Message of Great Commission in Acts 27 to the First Readers
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Sin-pan Daniel Ho, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Hong Kong

Among various stories narrated in the book of Acts, hekatontarchas appears most in the story of the voyage in Acts 27 (vv.1, 6, 11, 31, 43). It characterizes the identity of Julius the Augustan Cohort. In this paper, I will argue that Luke intends to delineate the changes of the identity of hekatontarchas throughout the voyage. The changes of the space and time in each incident whenever hekatontarchas is mentioned will be thoroughly studied, with the comparison of the changes of the identity hekatontarchas in relation to Paul and the whole people group in the crew. As a result, it is shown that space, place and character change simultaneously so that the social identity of the hekatontarchas moves from outsiders of “we” towards this group in the narrative. In addition to the consideration of the social network and values of the first readers of the book of Acts, it is argued that Luke intends to teach the readers, who are properly social superiors, how to witness Christ to the Roman officials. This is not a story telling the end of the world has been reached by the gospel. On the contrary, it is a demonstration which teaches the first readers to take up the baton of being Christ’s witness and continue this mission. While the ending of the Gospel of Luke is Jesus’ commission to the disciples, the voyage is Luke’s commission of preaching the gospel to the first readers.


In search of the Old Greek in the Septuagint Psalter: A Case Study of Psalm 50(49)
Program Unit: Septuagint Studies
Jonathan Hong, Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal/Bethel

The Septuagint Psalter is transmitted in more than 1000 manuscripts, and thus the most preserved book of the Old Testament. About 100 of these manuscripts date back to the 5th century and earlier and the Psalms are the most frequently cited book by New Testament authors. However for the reconstruction of the textual history a new reconstruction of the Old Greek text is necessary. The last extensive eclectic edition (Rahlfs, Psalmi cum Odis, 1931) is 85 years old. Since then not only have methodological questions concerning Rahlf’s edition arisen, but there are important manuscripts have also been discovered and published. In this paper, using Psalm 50 (49) as a test case, I explore the characteristics of the Old Greek text and the early textual history. In addition to the edition of Rahlfs (1931), the paper examines all subsequently published Greek and Hebrew manuscripts which date in the 5th century or earlier, among which I will especially focus on the extensive and important Papyrus Bodmer XXIV (Ra 2110) as well as the currently oldest Greek Psalter manuscript, Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 5101 (Ra 2227).


The Prophet of the Empire: Re-reading Jeremiah’s call for Submission to Babylon against Korean Colonial Experience
Program Unit: Bible and Empire
Koog-Pyoung Hong, Yonsei University

Jeremiah is a troubling figure for Koreans. His call for submission to Babylon, regardless of its theological orientation, reminds a strikingly familiar rhetoric in the time of Japanese colonial era. Several Christian leaders found their ways to take the side of the empire. Frequently featuring in pro-Japanese propaganda, they seduced people in the name of God, and one of the dominant rhetoric was that to submit to Japan is the will of God. Against this backdrop, a distressing question is inevitable: was Jeremiah among traitors? The pro-Japanese collaborators, or traitors, posed a major internal obstacle to Korean resistance against Japanese colonialism, and the failure to purge them in the post-colonial era left serious grudge in Korean people. Many of the pro-Japanese collaborators are believed to return to power or retain their status and possession. The trauma continues even today, as Koreans take extremely emotional stance to the suspected pro-Japanese collaborators and their descendants. To be accused as such borders a societal death sentence. Biblical scholars have frequently noted Jeremiah’s “pro-Babylonian” attitudes. However, they failed to reckon with the serious implications such notion may entail. What does it really mean for God’s prophet to be bear such a stigma? How did Jeremiah overcome it? This paper attempts to clarify the complex nature of Jeremiah’s mission by rereading it in the context of Korean colonial experience. It will also discuss broader issues of how to read a religious text when it conflicts with national interests.


Politics of Commemorating and Forgetting: On Competing Strategies to Domesticate Bethel
Program Unit:
Koog-Pyoung Hong, Yonsei University

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Please Stop Misusing the Term Intertextuality: Reading the Title “King of the Jews” with Kristeva
Program Unit: Allusions in the Gospels and Acts
Sung Soo Hong, University of Texas at Austin

The widespread misuse of the term intertextuality in “the banal sense of ‘study of sources’” has led Julia Kristeva to disfavor the very term she had coined. Given the overwhelming misuse of it in biblical studies despite the repeated cautions and criticisms since the 1990s (Semeia 69/70; Philips; Snyman; Hatina), another plea to stop the misuse is required. This study’s criticisms highlight, first, the violent grafting of the postmodern concept of intertextuality onto the modern conception of exegesis (cf. Moore and Sherwood); second, the mistreatment of intertextuality as a prescriptive concept rather than descriptive; and third, the limited conception of text as written material. This paper further critiques the attempts to appropriate the concept of intertextuality by modernizing it (Moyise; Alkier; Gheorghita). The present study then explores the benefits of employing Kristeva’s concept of intertextuality: it expands the scope of intertextual inquiry; it facilitates a more nuanced and holistic approach to a term within a work and between works; by extension, it enables to map out a term’s non-linear history in relation to other terms, overcoming the binary conception of texts as either connected or disconnected to one another. As a test case, the title “the King of the Jews” in the Gospel of Mark and its transpositions in other Gospels and modern scholarly commentaries are examined. Although there is no exact “intertext” of that title in the pre-Markan Jewish writings, Kristeva’s concept of intertextuality bids us consider history and society as part of the title’s intertextuality. It is precisely its socio-political context that constitutes the unique semantic space of the title in Mark. The transpositions of the title in other Gospels are clearly observable. For example, the Fourth Gospel’s infamous condemnation of “the Jews” can affect the semantic space of the title in this Gospel.


The Syriac Martyrdom of the Mimes and the Power of Biblical Recitation
Program Unit: Bible and Syriac Studies in Context
Cornelia Horn, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

Syriac literature preserves exceptionally important evidence for a genre of martyrdom texts that is to be classified as martyrdom accounts of actors. For this subgenre, the present paper presents and analyzes the evidence for the performative use of Scripture in contexts of public recitation. This material is of relevance, among other aspects, for aesthetics and liturgical studies, as it offers the opportunity to observe the performance and impact of sacred Scriptures at the intersections of the aural and visual realms. Moreover, especially for studies that focus on the analysis of interreligious contexts, such as, for example, Islamic and Christian settings, in which the sacred Scriptures are made present through specific forms of recitation during publically accessible liturgies, this material provides important comparative data.


Refining the Contours of the Apostle Peter: Apocryphal Perspectives from Unedited and Less Well-Known West Asian Sources
Program Unit: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Cornelia Horn, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

In order to discern the development of the reception history of ideas about the apostle Peter in the Eastern Mediterranean world, this paper examines several Syriac, Arabic, Georgian, and Armenian apocryphal texts as well as apocryphal traditions embedded in manuscripts that support canonical and more traditional ecclesial interests. While some of the material has been edited, but is accessible only with difficulty, other parts of the dossier that is being assembled for this study consist of heretofore unedited texts in ancient manuscripts. In these witnesses, the head of Jesus’ apostles emerges as having been endowed with ascetic and priestly authority, the power to lead, as well as superior spiritual power in the service of society and family life.


Puzzling the Jesus of the Parables: A Response to Ruben Zimmermann
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Llewellyn Howes, University of Johannesburg

Ruben Zimmermann’s new book, "Puzzling the Parables of Jesus: Methods and Interpretation" (2015), summarises much of his earlier research on the parables of Jesus. This is one of the most thought-provoking and original books on the parables of Jesus to appear in the last few decades. It not only challenges archaic ideas and methods, but also proposes an integrative process of parable interpretation that combines historical, literary and reader-oriented approaches. There is, however, one aspect of his proposal that I find troubling. Zimmermann argues that the respective literary contexts of the individual parables should be given precedence over considerations of the pre-Easter situation in which they were first received when determining their range of possible meanings. In my view, it is both unnecessary and unwise to force a choice between these two options. Investigating the parables within their literary Gospel contexts is just as legitimate as investigating them in the socio-economic and politico-religious context of the historical Jesus and his audiences. (The latter should not be confused with investigating elements in the parable that require socio-historical and politico-religious understanding, which Zimmermann does do.) Although there is some degree of continuity between the parables’ range of meanings in the Gospels and their range of meanings for the historical Jesus, there is certainly also some degree of discontinuity between the two. As part of the third session of the “Synoptic Gospels” program unit, this paper not only challenges Zimmermann’s tendency to discount the pre-Easter context when interpreting the parables, but also proposes an avenue of parable interpretation that takes both literary Gospel contexts and historical Jesus contexts into consideration; drawing to some extent on the recent work of Stephen I. Wright, "Jesus the Storyteller" (2014).


God's Love for Women in the Maternity Law (Lev 12:1-8)
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Yang Hwaja, Pastor of All People Church

Since a long time theologians have interpreted the maternity law from a viewpoint of discriminatory against women. The purpose of my paper is to change this point of view. Lev. 12:1-8 is the maternity law about woman's bleeding after childbirth. I will interpret this law from a feminist perspective. In the maternity law, we can find the love of God to protect a woman in childbirth. Lev. 12:2-5: 2 "A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. 4 Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. 5 If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding. In Lev. 12:1-8, despite using the term "unclean", the "maternity law" has consideration for a woman in childbirth to recover her condition from childbirth so that she can return to everyday life with a healthy body. The fact that a woman giving birth to a daughter is designated as unclean for a longer time 80 days than 40 days after giving birth to a son does not come from a discriminatory viewpoint, but from God"s love to give her longer time to recover her health. Because a woman giving birth to a daughter in a patriarchal society has more stress than giving birth to a son and needs more time to recover her health as v.5 says.


Jesus’ Galilean Mission Seen in the Light of the Book of Isaiah
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Jin Ki Hwang, Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena)

The Book of Isaiah is one of the most frequently cited Old Testament books in Matthew and Luke. For instance, Matthew views Jesus’ Galilean mission in general as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning “a great light” shone to the people dwelling in darkness (Matt 4:12-17 [Isa 8:23-9:1]). And he presents Jesus’ healing ministry as what Isaiah's Servant of the Lord would do (Matt 8:16-17 [Isa 53:17]; cf. Matt 11:5 [Isa 42:18, etc]; Luke 4:16-21 [Isa 61:1-2]). Matthew also makes an appeal to Isaiah 42 when he explains why Jesus healed the sick people and yet asked them not to make him known (Matt 12:18-21 [Isa 42:1-4]). Luke similarly makes an appeal to Isaiah 42 in defining Jesus’ identity but, unlike Matthew, goes further to identify him with “a light to the nations” (Luke 2:32 [Isa 42:6]; cf. Acts 26:23). This paper will attempt to explicate how similarly or differently Matthew and Luke use Isaiah to define Jesus’ identity and to characterize his mission in Galilee.


The Spirit and Christian Formation in Philippians
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Jin Ki Hwang, Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena)

Philippians is one of the important Pauline letters that reveal Paul’s understanding of and practices for Christian formation. In this letter Paul presents God as the one who initiates and continues to work for the Christian formation process of Christ-believers in Philippi (1:6; 2:13) and Jesus Christ as the paradigm of their Christian formation (2:6-11; cf. also 3:10, 20-21). Paul mentions the Spirit three times in the letter (1:19; 2:1; 3:3). It is, however, not so clear what the Spirit does for Christian formation. This paper will examine Paul’s references to the Spirit in Philippians and attempt to explicate the role of the Spirit in the Christian formation process as Paul understands.


Formation of Christian Self-Identity in Corinth
Program Unit: Korean Biblical Colloquium
Jin Ki Hwang, Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena)

In his letters Paul often called his gentile converts “(the) believers” (Gal 3:22; 1 Thess 1:7; 1 Cor 1:21; 2 Cor 6:14-15). Particularly in 2 Corinthians 6:15, he used this designation to distinguish his Corinthian converts from those outsiders, namely, “unbelievers” (cf. also 1 Cor 7:13-15; 14:22-23). It is not explicitly mentioned how and why Paul chose to use this self-designation here. But the antitheses Paul introduces (light vs. darkness; Christ vs. Beliar; the temple of God vs. idols) and scriptural passages cited (Lev 26:12; Jer 32:38; Ezech 37:27) in the immediate context seem to indicate the influences of the Jesus tradition and of the Scripture. The present paper aims to understand the formation of Christian self-identity in the Corinthian church, as well as in other Pauline churches.


The Post-Exilic Period in Chronicles in light of Shalom
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Sunwoo Hwang, Chongshin University

Considering that the original meaning of Shalom is “wholeness,” the peace of Shalom comes from this “wholeness.” In this paper, I will investigate the Chronicler’s post-exilic period in light of Shalom. That is, I will explore the wholeness of the Chronicler’s post-exilic era. For this purpose, I will first examine the twelve occurrences of Shalom to see if they shed some light on the wholeness of the time period. Then I will investigate the composition of Chronicles, because the Chronicler’s composition reflects the post-exilic atmosphere. The two major subjects in the composition of Chronicles are the temple and the Davidic kingdom. It is revealed in Chronicles that post-exilic Israel was a temple-centered community through the following factors: the central place and the detailed genealogy of Levi; the description of David and Solomon as the preparer and the completer of the temple construction respectively; and the emphasis on the temple in the Chronicler’s own record (Sondergut). However, the Davidic kingdom was not re-established in the Chronicler’s time. It will be shown that the Chronicler’s aspiration for the restoration of the Davidic kingdom is betrayed through the following elements: the place and the length of Judah’s genealogy; the Chronicler’s jumping into the David narrative via a short Saul narrative omitting the important subjects such as the Exodus, the Sinai Covenant and the Conquest; and the unfolding of the history of Israel through the kingdom of Judah. If the temple is prominent because of the temple-centered Israelite society, then the Davidic kingdom is emphasized because of its absence in the post-exilic Israel. In this vein, the post-exilic Israelite community, which fulfilled the first half of shalom by rebuilding the temple, longed for the fulfilling of the other half of shalom by a restoration of the Davidic dynasty.


Textual Evolution in Acts 5:38-39 of D and the Effect of Social-Historical Context
Program Unit: Textual Criticism: Manuscripts & Methods
Pasi Hyytiäinen, University of Helsinki

Several textual critics have seen the Acts of the Apostles as represented in Codex Bezae (D) as a result of one editorial process, or work of one single author. Whether D is seen as the prominent witness of the Western text or containing the original text, it is maintained that the text of D represents one tradition. But, what if we abandon the idea that the Acts in D was written or copied at one single point in time and think the possibility that we are dealing here with an evolving text? According to this idea, Codex Bezae is a product of a process. We can see traces of different stages of textual evolution in D. The Gamaliel tradition in Acts 5:38-39 is used in this occasion to demonstrate this point of view. Consequently, we are not dealing here with one editorial or textual layer but several. By applying the methodological tools of Coherence-Based Genealogical Method, which uses electronic database in order to evaluate the relationships between manuscripts, we can prove that certain readings in Acts 5:38-39 of D seem to be older than those in B03, while others are clearly later scribal alterations. However, these textual changes do not bring any new theological tendencies but underline the existing ones. Later textual layers supplemented the previous ones. It seems that the Gamaliel tradition grew in the course of textual transmission while the esteem for Gamaliel increased within the Christian communities which led to the Gospel According to Gamaliel and ultimately to his canonization. This process, on the other hand, emphasizes that the texts of New Testament were not isolated from the surrounding social-historical context but they interacted with one another.


Where There Is Smoke, There Is Fire: Attempting to Understand Philistine Cultic Stands at Yavneh
Program Unit: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Bible
Courtney J. Innes, University of British Columbia

The Philistines boasted a reputation as being “soothsayers” in antiquity, at least according to the Bible. But what meaning is embedded in the word “soothsayers” and what can we understand, if anything, about Philistine religion that they warranted such an epithet? In 2002, a repository pit consisting of thousands of vestiges of ritual objects, namely cultic stands, was unearthed from Yavneh, Israel. Abundant scholarly conjecture has focused on the possible functions of these cultic stands, but the exact function continues to remain nebulous. This paper proposes the hypotheses that: 1) Yavneh was a pilgrimage site dedicated to a goddess (Ptgyh or Asherah) where supplicants journeyed to seek her prophetic guidance via an incense-burning ritual. The burning of intoxicating incense likely facilitated prophesying methods, meriting the Philistine’s sobriquet as “soothsayers.” The Hebrew word utilized for “soothsayers” derives from the word for clouds, possibly reflecting the incense clouds that developed during the divinatory process; 2) The iconography, materiality, and ritual uses of the cultic stands were influenced by a myriad of cultures. Conversely, the Philistines also impacted surrounding nationalities. Particularly relevant, is the passage in Chapter 44 of The Book of Jeremiah that rebukes the Israelites for burning incense to a foreign goddess, possibly the Philistine's goddess, who was revered through incense burning; and 3) The cultic stands were interred as votive offerings to the goddess subsequent to their span of service. The research focuses on contextualization of the geographical, historical, and orthographic orientation of Yavneh; interpreting the symbolism of the stands’ iconography; delineating the rationales behind the stands’ posited functions; and exploring the significance of the ceremonial burial of ritual items. This research concludes that the stands likely contributed to the “soothsayer” appellation of the Philistines.


Mpalale Village and Gospel Times
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Glenna S. Jackson, Otterbein University

Mpalale Village is an isolated, economically poor, Muslim community in rural Malawi (Africa) with a language that is in oral form only. Their story telling, singing and dancing are narratives about both their heritage and contemporary social mores. This study is a rehearsal of these stories that are reminiscent of gospel times and topics as well as replies to scenarios that are told to them from the parables of Jesus. Lest this presenation be understood as some sort of missionary enterprise, it should be noted that the parables of Jesus are told as anonymous anecdotes of ancestor-like personages.


Retrospection as an Exegetical Device in Rashbam's Torah Commentary
Program Unit: Judaica
Jonathan Jacobs, Bar-Ilan University

Rashbam's Commentary on the Torah is crammed with quotations of verses, helping to explain one text on the basis of others. When Rashbam explains a certain verse, he quotes other biblical verses which, to his view, offer an exegetical contribution to our understanding of it. The enlistment of verses from the entire Bible for the purposes of his commentary reflects Rashbam's view that the biblical text must be understood on his own terms, without recourse to external references. Not all of his references and quotations are of the same type. At the beginning of the lecture, the instances where Rashbam quotes verses in the course of his (Torah) commentary are divided into four main groups. One interesting category includes instances where the verse that is cited adds some new factual datum that was not previously known to us. The additional information sheds new light on the events or the details described in the verse being studied. To Rashbam's view, without the contribution of the verse that is quoted, it would be impossible to understand the text in question. Citations of this sort are referred to as "retrospection", and the crux of my lecture is devoted to a review of examples of this phenomenon. The principle of "retrospection" is one of the literary devises utilized by the biblical narrative. At the end of the lecture we discuss weather Rashbam employs this device out of literary awareness, or weather he was altogether unaware of the existence of this principle. My conclusion is that the exposure of this of this aspect of Rashbam's commentary on the Torah contributes to our understanding of this overall approach, mentioned above, and indicates sensitivity towards a literary principle that was developed extensively only in later generations


Remembering the Past: Implications for the Divine-Human Covenant Relationship
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Mignon R. Jacobs, Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena)

When the memory of the past binds those who remember to an oppressive reality that memory is a double-edged sword. Even so, memory is essential to human all levels and dimensions of existence. Still the assertion that memory (that is, its function, content and agents) is essential to relationship is simply to affirm a fundamental part of relational dynamics. Relationships are beautifully complex out-workings of human existence based on memory. Further complicated is the divine-human relationship given the nature of the involved parties. The complexity of the divine-human relationship is depicted or at least hinted at in the reminder to remember the past—that you were slaves in Egypt, the slave status, the deliverance, the deliverer. Any one of these elements of the memory would generate particular dimensions of the relationship and perpetuate distinct dynamics of the relationship. This paper examines the place of remembering the past as essential to the covenant relationship as well as a fundamental challenge to the vitality and quality of that relationship. Fundamental to this discussion is the tension between the divine and human memory. First, the discussion surveys imperative to remember the past and mentions of Egypt as part of the discussion of the people’s behavior as seen in the Pentateuch and prophetic literature. Memory is seen in the longing for Egypt or the possible use of the practices from that time. After all one cannot live in a place without being in some way influenced by the culture of the place—no matter how oppressive. Second, the discussion builds on the occurrences of the memory about Egypt and offers an examination of the problematic nature of the juxtaposition of the theology of deliverance and the memory of the oppressive reality. Accordingly, the discussion includes attention to the tension regarding function, content and agents of the memory.


Ancient Israel’s Divine Agent Traditions as Background for Its Later Michael Traditions
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Joseph E. Jensen, Georgetown University

In the Bible Michael appears as intermediary between the divine and human realms four times, all late. In Dan 10:13,21 and 12:1, identified as a prince, Michael assists Daniel against the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and is the protector of Daniel’s people. In the New Testament Jude 9 recalls an older tradition in which archangel Michael contends with the devil and disputes over Moses’ body. In Rev 12:7 Michael and his angels fight and defeat the dragon and his angels. These accounts find roots in Israel’s long and complex theological evolution. Remnants within Israel’s scriptures reflect the ancient Levant’s pantheistic worldview in which elyon had been father of all the gods, including Israel’s God (Ps 82:1,6). When elyon apportioned the lands and peoples among his divine sons and daughters Jacob’s descendants were allotted to yhwh (Deut 32:8). As Israel’s experiential interpretations of the heavenly realm evolved to seeing their God as superior to all other gods (see for example, Exod 18:10), and then to their God as the one and only God (for example, Isa 44:6) yhwh’s nature become increasingly understood as transcendent, confined to the heavenly realm. Accompanying this evolving monotheism and understanding of yhwh’s otherness in Israel’s scriptures there is a growing compulsion to posit intermediate beings as yhwh’s messengers for communicating in the human realm, and as yhwh’s agents executing his will in that realm. In narrative texts scattered throughout Israel’s scriptures an intermediary, usually an “angel” (ml’k) functions as an independent agent but with yhwh’s power inacting yhwh’s will on earth. Such agent references include the death of Egypt’s firstborn (Exod 12:23), Israel’s exodus from Egypt (Num 20:16), the promised conquest of the land (Exod 23:20-28; 33:2), Balaam’s encounter with an armed angel (Num 22:22-35), Joshua’s encounter with the commander of [ABSTRACT TRUNCATED]


Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting? Scribal Conflicts about the Wilderness Sanctuary
Program Unit:
Jaeyoung Jeon, Université de Lausanne

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The Meaning and the Function of the Serpent (Exod 7:8-13) in the Plagues Narrative
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Dae Jun Jeong, Wycliffe College

Many scholars assert that the plagues narrative in the book of Exodus has a distinct literary pattern, like 3+3+3+1. They divide the plagues into three groups and consider the final one, the death of the first-born, as a ‘climax.’ However, they ignore the function of Exod 7:8-13 in the plagues narrative, namely the incident that Aaron’s rod became a serpent. In the Hebrew Bible, there are so many words mentioning snakes or serpents. Among these words, we can find two words in the book of Exodus, tannîn and na?aš. Unlike other passages, the author uses the word, tannîn, in Exod 7:8-13. I think it is the author’s intention for emphasizing this as the first plague of the narrative, because tannîn has more powerful meaning than na?aš. Also, if the serpent is considered as the first plague, we can find the new way of interpreting the plagues narrative. Why does the author use the word, tannîn, for the term of the serpent in Exod 7:8-13? What is the author’s intention in positioning the serpent as the first plague? In answering these questions, I will first search tannîn’s meaning in the Hebrew Bible, and search other words which mean snakes or serpents. Secondly, I will look for a similar or paralleled story to the incident of the serpent in the Hebrew Bible for supporting my interpretation about this incident in Exod 7. Thirdly, I will explain the reason why the plague of the serpent must be considered as the first plague in the narrative.


Death on the Seventh Day: Reading Gen 1:1-2:3 and Zhuangzi-Yingdiwang ("The Supreme Man Should Be")
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Jiang Miao, Peking University

Why did God rest on the seventh day after His creating actions from Chaos? How was God’s identity being changed after the seventh day rest? There is a seven-day creation story both at the beginning of the Hebrew Bible and the closing of Zhuangzi inner-chapters (nei pian). On the seventh day, God rest from his creation works and on the seventh day, the center-god Hun dun (Chaos) is dead. Some similarities in the two stories may help us understand Sabbath from a new perspective. 7 is a special number, it is related to directional positions; it is also the center point of the three-dimensional space; and the ultimate limit of positions. Applying to time, 7 days are a cycle period. Therefore, 7 become a junction point between death and new life. The death theme appears in many creation myths or origin myths. In Zhuangzi-yingdiwang (the supreme man should be),South-sea god Shu and North-sea god Hu spent 7 days to chisel 7 apertures (eyes, ear holes, nostrils and mouth ) on Hun dun. After they completed their works, Hun dun died. Pan Gu, a hero in another Chinese creation myth, died of exhaustion after he separated the sky and earth. Both them are belonged to the world before this one. They leave a new cosmos but died with the old one. God rests from his creation works on the seventh day and the creation period is ending. God ceases(died) with everything before this world? Then, after the rest, God builds a new relationship with the new world He has created.


Ritual and the World: Reading Genesis 1 in the Context of Zuo Zhuan
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Zhenshuai Jiang, Universität Zürich

The cosmology reflected in Genesis 1 reflects the Priestly authors’ particular view in the socio-political context of the late Babylonian exile and early Persian rule. How did the Priestly authors reconsider the interrelation between the ritual and the world in the exilic and post-exilic period? This paper discusses it in relation to the accounts including the notion of cosmology in Zuo Zhuan (e.g., Duke Zhao, Twenty-ninth year; Twenty-fifth year; Twenty-sixth year; Duke Wen, Fifth year). Zuo Zhuan is usually dated to around 5th century BCE in China, and has many accounts including the notion of cosmology. While there are historical records about the astronomic phenomena, the interest of the authors was also not in the pure knowledge of the cosmos. What the authors concerned about is the interrelation between the ritual and the world from the view of the cosmos. I shall read Genesis 1 through their similarities and differences, describing how the ritual and the world were interrelated in Genesis 1 while Jerusalem and the Temple were lost.


Contextual Interpretation of the Decalogue in the Taiping Rebellion
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Min Hua Jing, Heidelberg University

The aim of this paper is to examine contextual interpretation of the Decalogue in the Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864). In the first part of my paper I will give a brief introduction of the history of the Taiping Rebellion, especially its connection with Christianity. In the second part, by comparing with the Decalogue in form and content, I will explore two Taiping documents, The Taiping Imperial Declaration (????) and The Book of Heavenly Commandments (???), as well as their revised versions. In the Declaration, Hong didn’t name the Decalogue explicitly, but the content of the Decalogue already has a significant impact on his writings. However, Hong specifies his Decalogue understanding by utilizing abundant Confucian and historical allusions. In The Book of Heavenly Commandments, establishing basic rules of behavior for the Taiping army, he uses mainly biblical passages to argue the necessity of obeying his Decalogue while also including some Confucian references. In the revised versions of both, published several years later, Hong deletes all Confucian allusions. Finally, I will come to a conclusion: This change reflects a shift in Hong’s attitude from affinity towards hostility to Confucianism. But the manner of his discourse still shows great influence of Confucian thought on his contextual interpretation of the Decalogue.


Construction(s) and Representation(s) of Masculinity(ies) in 1 Corinthians
Program Unit: Intersectional Feminism(s)
Johnathan Jodamus, University of Cape Town

This paper traces out some of the ways in which masculinity is constituted and performed in the discourse of 1 Corinthians. With the use of SRI as an interpretive analytics combined with a gender-critical hermeneutical optic and using rhetography and rhetology as important analytical tools as articulated by SRI, this paper demonstrates that a large component of the argumentation in 1 Corinthians creates a primarily masculine picture and discursive practice. This type of normative and normalising masculine engendering is operative in the text and the discourse replicates hegemonic gendered structurings and machinations from the broader social and cultural environment of that milieu. As a result Christian bodies are scripted to perform according to the dominant cultural protocols and engendering praxes. In this regard the rhetoric of 1 Corinthians may be viewed as a text that functions as discourse in the making and sustaining of gendered and ideological normativities that continue to structure gendered bodies and bodiliness. It should be kept in mind that the structuredness of habitus came into being as the product of reiteration and sedimenting, and its dismantling similarly will come about as a result of reiteration.


The Sarx as Flesh: Mental Cascades in Biblical Interpretation
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Linda Joelsson, Ersta-Sköndals Högskola

In cognitive theory as described by George Lakoff and Elisabeth Wehling, the human brain works in cascades. In other words, we do not handle ideas as separate entities, instead one concept is linked to another which itself is linked to others. Together they form a logical construct within which the idea is defined. In regard to the practices of translation, this can be a complicated issue. Two prominent translation theorists, Eugene Nida and Charles Taber, emphasize that the semantic structure must be identified before the translator can restructure the semantic components of a concept from the source text in the target text, i.e. the translation. In the case of Bible translations with long established target texts side by side with the source texts, these earlier translations exert additional influence on the practical process of translation, alongside with the study of the source text itself. This paper argues that flesh as a translation of the Greek New testament term sarx brings undesired semantic components by means of mental “cascades”, which even experienced translators seem to have difficulties in resisting. Nida and Taber's analysis of the function and meaning of sarx in Luke 24.39 and Rom. 11.14 will serve as a case study. Nida and Taber pick these occurrences of sarx as an example to show that the same word may have different semantic componential structures in different settings, and I will test the hypothesis that the semantic structure of sarx in these occurrences is coherent, but that the translations in these discursive contexts trigger different mental cascades. 


Mapping the Ekklesia: Beyond Paul's Missionary Journeys
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre, Drew University

Most every Bible and most New Testament textbooks have maps of Paul’s journeys that visualize the growth of Christianity as following the footsteps of a heroic Paul founding communities across the Mediterranean. But as Jonathan Z. Smith insisted decades ago: map is not territory. This paper examines the ideological and epistemological power of map-making with specific attention to ancient maps and their connection to empire building. I consider the ways that Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians constructs a mental map of the eastern Mediterranean and places himself and the community on it, representing himself as a heroic traveler and connecting the community to other in-Christ groups, such as the ones in Judea. Given the ways that maps are selective, boundary-setting, and often politically regressive, and drawing on feminist critical geography and network theory, I propose an ethically attuned and politically pro- and transgressive approach to visualizing the networks of ekklesiai in ways that are multi-scale and multi-media, and that depict a wider range of actors (human and nonhuman) and a variety of intersubjective and contested relations.


Power of Listing in 4QBerakhot
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Jutta Jokiranta, University of Helsinki

Performed lists can potentially do much more than what might seem at the outset when reading a long list with little clues of what the significance and meaning is. I suggest in this paper that there is more room to think of 4Q286 lists, not only in terms of blessings of some sort, but rather as meditations of inclusion of all things known, for comprehending what is important and focusing on the perfection of listing itself as providing ways in which to cope with the not perfected reality. By employing the work on ritualized behavior, I argued that such lists may trigger, in a suitable ritual and social setting, cognitive mechanisms related to danger and anxiety management.


The Intermingled Mix of Law and Narrative: A Canonical Force in Exodus
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Heun Kyu Joo, University of Toronto

Scholars have divided the book of Exodus in different ways using the criteria of contents and literary genres (e.g., 1:1-15:21 and 15:22-40:38, and chs. 1-18 and chs. 19-40). Additionally, some recent scholars view Exodus 19-40 as part of a coherent macro narrative (Exod 19 to Num 10:10) within the larger context of the Pentateuch. Those divisions of Exodus, however, viewing Exodus 12-18 as “floating texts” which interrupt the surrounding larger narrative flow, tend not to pay much attention to the canonical relationship between 1:1-15:21 and 15:22-40:38, or between chapters 1-18 and 19-40. If we take into consideration the literary features of the inextricably intermingled mix of law and narrative, found not only in the Sinai Pericope in 19:1-24:11 but also in 12:1-13:16, 15:22-18:22, and 32:1-34:35, the canonical shape of Exodus can be understood more precisely. Although many critics regard the tangled mix of law and narrative as one of the textual irregularities, some recent studies using both diachronic and synchronic methods have presented a variety of new ideas about the shape of Exodus. In my paper, I will argue that the composite literary features found in 19:1-24:11 involving the mix of law and narrative, as well as Moses’ mediating role between Yahweh and Israel can be viewed as a canonical marker of Exodus in terms of Yahweh’s lawgiving and theophany that impact our understanding of the shape of Exodus. To this end, I will deal briefly with major diachronic issues of the “loosely related sections” (the final section of the plague narratives in 11:1-13:22, the wilderness wandering narratives in 15:22-18:27, and the golden calf narratives in 32:1-34:35) and show that the major literary features found in 19:1-24:11 and its canonical relationship with other literary units in the larger context of Exodus.


The New Perspective to Define the Emphasis Structure in the BH Clause: The Holistic Quantitative Structure
Program Unit: Stylistics and the Hebrew Bible
Wonjun Joo, Hannim Biblical Institute

Already in Biblical Hebrew grammars in 19th and early 20th century, i.e. Gesenius, König and Joüon, the extraordinary concerns are found regarding “how to detect (and/or define) the emphasis” and "how to interpret it". And from that time the discussions about the emphasis in BH on the syntactic level contains inevitably two aspects; one is the formal markedness and the other is its interpretation. The formal side concerns the distributional contrast, the usual vs. deviation, while the interpretation mainly regards the deviating cases. The relative recent and outstanding studies about that theme i.e., Muraoka 1985, Gross 1996, Van der Merwe 1999, and so on, show the tendency not to argue the new way to detect and define the markedness itself on the textual surface, but to concentrate the technical terms of the interpretation of the deviating cases, i.e. emphasis vs. focus, based on the observation of only the qualitative word order. This study tries to overcome the recent nearly 30 years stagnation of the researches substantially showing that the totally new way of define the structural markedness on textual surface; the holistic quantitative-structural analysis. Also this presentation will include the re-examination of some representative Biblical references and new formulas.


Suffering Bodies in 2 Maccabees 3
Program Unit: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Pierre Jordaan, North-West University (South Africa)

Various themes and topics have been researched in 2 Maccabees 3. The epiphany, the role of Jerusalem, the Temple and its officials all count among the fields of interest. Daniel Schwartz sees the function of this chapter as portraying the ideal situation - the so called "status quo ante". However, newer developments in literary science have not been applied to this chapter. In this respect the role of sacred space combined with suffering bodies and subsequent deliverance poses an interesting field of research. This paper claims that space, suffering bodies and deliverance emerges the first time in chapter 3 as well as again in later chapters. This paper also shows that there is always a reversal of roles in terms of terms of space and suffering bodies after an epiphany.


Distinction of Allusion from Quotation and Reminiscence
Program Unit: Allusions in the Gospels and Acts
Chang-Wook Jung, Chongshin University

It is difficult to distinguish between allusion and quotation in the New Testament. Definitions of the terms “allusion” and “quotation” vary from scholar to scholar, which results in different statistics of quotations and allusions. For instance, some regard the sentences in Lk 2:22-23, 2:24 as quotations, others as allusions; still others consider vv. 22-23 as an allusion and v.24 as a quotation. (D.W. Pao &E.J. Schnabel) This illustrates the confusion on the delineation of the terms. A more serious question revolves around the distinction between allusion and reminiscence/phraseology/echo. As Beale and Carson note, ‘there is debate about what constitutes an allusion,’ which indicates that it is hardly possible to draw a clear line between allusion and reminiscence. I will attempt to delineate three terms, i.e., ‘allusion’, ‘quotation’, ‘reminiscence’ as precisely as possible by evaluating various scholars’ views. With the definitions, I will scrutinize two instances in Lk 2:22-23 and 24 to demonstrate that such delineations are valid for the further study.


Roman Imperial Oikoumene and Luke’s World
Program Unit: Bible and Empire
Deok Hee Jung, University of Sheffield

This paper aims to explore how the concept of Roman imperial oikoumene influenced on Luke’s worldview and with a particular focus on Acts 17. It will demonstrate that Luke attempts to highlight the world of God against the imperial world, thus illustrating one facet of Luke’s counter-imperial perspective on Rome. Luke basically understands the oikoumene as the Roman Empire, which is turned upside down by “another king named Jesus” (Acts 17:3-7). In contrast to the Roman oikoumene, Luke describes the world made by God through Paul’s Areopagus Speech (vv. 24-26). Luke explains that the world derives from one ancestor (v.26). Every nation in the world shares a common history, having the same root and enjoying kinship as God’s genos (v.29). In this, Luke refutes a Roman conception of universal ethnic and the related geographical understandings on oikoumene which appears in the Roman texts (e.g. Res Gestae). Moreover, Luke presents Jesus as a consummator of the world. Jesus was born under the decree of census on oikoumene by Augustus (Lk 2:1) but appears again as a message contrary to the decree of the emperor by subverting the imperial oikoumene (Ac 17:6). Consequently, Luke emphasizes Jesus’ reign over oikoumene (Ac 17:31) of which all the kingdoms belonged to the devil (Lk 4:5). Luke thus communicates to his readers that they are residing in Roman oikoumene which will be supplanted by the world of God through Jesus (Ac 17:31). Likewise, Luke exploits Roman oikoumene as a way to foster among his readers a clear sense of his own world. In this sense, for Luke, the oikoumene functions as a vital thread connective diverse discourses across the entire narrative of Luke-Acts, though Acts 17 is the epitome all of these discussions.


Exodus 20:2 as Prologue to the Decalogue: A Comparative Study in light of Prologues of Ancient Near Eastern Codices
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
Young A. Jung, University of Otago

The two versions of the Decalogue begin with the same statement: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:2; Dtn 5:6). The purpose of this paper is to compare the structure and content of the beginning verse of the Decalogue with the prologues of ANE codices. The prologues of ANE codices reflect the programmed aspects of their societies and cultures in highly developed theological, political and religious terms. While comparing Exodus 20:2 and ANE prologues, the paper will structurally analyse the way in which Exodus 20:2 relates to the rest of the Decalogue and will explore the use of Exodus 20:2 more broadly in order to obtain tradition historical perspectives from the Hebrew Bible.


The Suffering-Shepherd Motif in Matthew 18:12-13
Program Unit: Korean Biblical Colloquium
Daehoon Kang, Reformed Graduate University of South Korea

Most scholars understand that the parable of Matthew 18:12-13 finds its language of Ezekiel 34 and Jeremiah 23: e.g., the metaphor of good shepherd seeking and gathering his flock (vv. 12-13; Ezek 34; Jer 23); the word “p?a???” (“go astray”: v. 23; Ezek 34:4, 16; cf. Jer 23:13, 32). It should be kept in mind, however, that the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 is also alluded to in Matthew 18:12-13 for some reasons. First, since Matthew 18:4 and vv. 12-13 are direct and indirect answers to the disciples’ question (v. 1) respectively, the fact that the shepherd in vv. 12-13 refers to the one who makes oneself humiliate (tape???se?) in v. 4 implies that the shepherd will be humiliated in carrying out the Father’s will (cf. the servant’s obedience in the heavenly court in Isa 42) and be related to Isaiah’s suffering servant who faces oppression (tape???s??) for “the transgression of my people” (Isa 53:8 LXX). In a paradoxical way just as the suffering servant becomes like a sheep in order to restore the straying sheep in Isaiah 53:7, so the shepherd becomes like a child to find one of the little ones in Matthew 18:4, 12-13. Second, the sheep have gone astray in Matthew 18:12 (p?a????) and Isaiah 53:6 LXX (?p?a????µe?). Third, the pattern that the scatted sheep will be restored by the shepherd appears in the destiny of the suffering-stricken shepherd in Matthew 26:31 which quotes Zechariah 13:7 in connection with Isaiah 53:4, 6. Finally, the pattern that the shepherd restores the straying sheep through his suffering reflects the early Christian tradition found in 1 Peter 2:24-25. Hence the idea of Jesus as suffering-shepherd (Isa 53) rather than as the good shepherd (Ezek 34:11-16; cf. John 10:11-15) plays a more important role in interpreting Matthew 18:12-13.


Literary Structure of the Torah
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Anne K. Sugano, Independent Scholar

The literary structure of The Song of the Sea found in Exodus 15, is the same structure found throughout the Torah. Many examples of narratives from J, E and P texts will be presented. Knowing the literary structure of the texts allows the reader to follow the author's storyline easily and gain more insight from the texts that otherwise cannot be seen. The structure is made up of five sections with five identical parts. The parts and sections serve specific functions. The functions and the way words are spelled, including diacritical marks, make it possible to reveal the literary structure, which is a type of ring composition, with accuracy. The structure has been named the parable blueprint, since the narratives hold a number of special, created comparisons. Studying the narratives in light of the structure brings new light to biblical studies.


The Talmud in Korea: A Study in the Reception of Rabbinic Literature
Program Unit: Judaica
Sarit Kattan Gribetz, Fordham University

It is, by now, well known that the "Korean Talmud" is a bestseller in South Korea. It has been printed in numerous editions since the 1970s, is studied in schools and taught at home to children, promoted by Korean ambassadors and other officials, and continues to be read by those abroad, who can conveniently purchase several different versions in bookstores in Manhattan and Los Angeles. What is less clear, however, is what the Korean Talmud actually is. This paper, a joint collaboration between a Talmudist and a student of Korean literature and history, consists of three parts. The first part tells the story of the Talmud's translation into Korean, which begins with an English manuscript written by an American rabbi in Japan and ends in a robust inventory of dozens of widely-varying editions of the Korean Talmud published in the subsequent decades. The second part closely analyzes a number of editions of the Korean Talmud: identifying the stories and sayings that are included in each version, the organization of passages into chapters and subunits, the accompanying illustrations, cover art, and explanatory material on the back and side flaps. Particular attention is paid to the content of each volume, identifying sections that originate in rabbinic literature (the Mishnah, Yerushalmi, Bavli, Midrash) and later Jewish sources as well as in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese sources. In other words, how much of the Korean Talmud is actually Talmudic? The third part of the paper contextualizes the Korean Talmud both within Korean society (e.g. its role in mothering and parenting, its use within the educational system and specifically its place among other forms of religious education, the self-help genre, Jewish studies at the university level) and within the long reception of rabbinic sources (e.g. other translations of the Talmud into German, … [TRUNCATED]


'Let Us Make Three Tents,’ Understood Against Peter’s Messianic Military Expectation (Mark 9:5)
Program Unit: Gospel of Mark
Mark J. Keown, Laidlaw College

Ralph Martin (1972) writes of Mark 9:5: ‘If the setting of the Transfiguration scene is laid near the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles, it may be supposed that the nationalistic feelings were running high and that implied in Peter’s remark is the Zealot call to lead God’s people against their enemies (so Elijah) and to freedom (as Moses has done).’ David Garland (1996) similarly asks, ‘Are they intended to recall the ancient battle cry, “Every man to his tent, O Israel!” in anticipation of a military uprising . . .? Does Peter want to set up the messianic headquarters here on the mountain?’ Somewhat surprisingly, few contemporary Markan scholars consider the possibility that Peter’s motive is military, preferring to find the solution to Peter’s cryptic statement in the OT background (Tabernacle, Feast of Tabernacles), eschatological expectations, a diminution of Jesus’ status, Peter’s confusion, a desire to prolong the experience, to give shelter to the three luminaries, and so on. This paper will argue that Peter’s question can be understood in terms his expectation of a military Messiah. First, Peter’s confession and Jesus’ call to discipleship was likely initially understood as a call to war (Mark 8:29–9:2). Second, Moses and Elijah represent Israel’s liberation historically and eschatologically; so, with Peter’s military expectations, his suggestion is not surprising. Third, Israel’s eschatological hopes concerning the Tabernacle and Festival of the Booths would reinforce Peter’s expectation of a forthcoming war to restore the nation. Fourth, in wider Greek sources and to a lesser extent in the LXX and Josephus, s???? is associated with military encampments. As such, while Mark’s theological canvas is undoubtedly broader, Peter’s statement is likely another example of Markan irony whereby the disciples’ misinterpret Jesus militarily, whereas Mark’s Jesus had no intention of inaugurating a war to liberate Israel.


From “Its/His Faithfulness” to “Faith [in Jesus]”: Evangelical Reception of ’emûnatô in Habakkuk 2:4 and Its Impact on Korean Protestant Churches
Program Unit: Bible and Its Influence: History and Impact
Baek Hee Kim, Brite Divinity School (TCU)

This paper begins with a discussion on a rendering issue in Habakkuk 2:4b in the Korean Protestant Church. Most Korean and English bibles translate a Hebrew word in 2:4b,’emûnatô, as “faith” or “his/their faith” whereas the lexical/literal meaning of the word is “its/his faithfulness/fidelity.” Furthermore, inasmuch as many Christian readers understand that the word connotes “faith in Jesus,” one can argue that the initial meaning of ’emûnatô in Habakkuk’s text has a received evangelical implication. It is not surprising that preachers and Christian leaders develop and reproduce theological and moral motifs out of Hab 2:4b such as faith as pure grace, justification by faith, and endurance for the promised future. As concerns the modification of the original Hebrew word, this paper pays special attention to both the reception history of the verse and its impact on Korean churches. This project demonstrates that the Western Christian reception of the verse has influenced the Korean reception; particularly, Paul’s reading of Habakkuk and the Reformers’ interpretation of Paul were highly determinative in the Korean Protestant Church. Then, this paper argues that (1) two significant socio-political factors from the 1950s to 1980s, the sentiment of anticommunism and the symbiotic relationship between evangelicalism and the autocratic government, bolstered the evangelical reception not only of the verse but also of many other biblical texts; and (2) the proclivity to evangelical and pious interpretation of the Bible was one of the factors that resulted in conservative approaches to social activism in the majority of Korean Protestant churches. Following these arguments, this paper underlines the significance of the reexamination of the history of interpretation of a biblical text in Korean religious culture.


The Negative Attitude toward Abraham and Israel (Isa 63:16) in light of the Literary Development of the Prayer in 63:7–64:11
Program Unit: Prophets
Chwi-Woon Kim, Baylor University

The prayer in Isa 63:7–64:11 presents a negative attitude toward Abraham and Israel (63:16). Scholars often reject the polemical character of the prayer due to insufficient evidence for its socio-political setting. However, the prayer’s hybrid form of lament and penitence emphasizes the lament’s appealing to Moses over against Abraham and Israel. This essay explores the literary evidence of the prayer’s polemical context by looking at the reformulations of different traditions, such as communal lament, Deuteronomistic covenant, Mosaic tradition of exodus, and Abrahamic promise of progeny. In so doing, I will first note that although recent scholars refer to the Deuteronomistic idea of confession of sins as evidence for the latest redaction of the prayer (e.g., Richard Bautch, Mark Boda), the final shape of historical recollection (63:7–14) highlights the lament about divine absence rather than the penitence about human sinfulness (vv. 11–14). The prayer’s focus on lament will support the division of the historical recollection, the first part of which refers to “Israel” (vv. 7–9) and the second part of which appeals to Moses (vv. 11–14). Then, I will show that the description of abject situation in 64:9–10 employs Deutero-Isaiah’s metaphor of wilderness but omits the Abrahamic promise of progeny (51:2–3). Finally, I will argue that the prayer’s final shape, appealing to Moses in 63:11–14 and eliminating Abraham in 64:9–10, stems from the polemic against those who are called by Abraham and Israel in 63:16.


The Role of the Story of Saul and the Woman in En Dor (1 Sam 28:3-25) in the Book of Samuel
Program Unit: Expressions of Religion in Israel
Daewook Kim, Rikkyo University

This paper aims at elucidating one of the primary messages embedded in the story of Saul and the woman in En Dor (1 Sam 28:3-25), which has not been adequately discussed in previous studies. The woman’s identity as described is somewhat ambiguous in the story, as she alternately speaks to Saul as both herself and as the dead Samuel. In addition, a detailed lexical comparison between the story and the other narratives in the Book of Samuel illuminates surprising similarities between the two characters in terms of behavior toward Saul, blurring even the character of Saul as the king, when he speaks to the woman/Samuel. A thorough survey of leitmotivs in the Book of Samuel shows a stark contrast between Saul who does not fear/listen to God but instead to the people, and the person who indeed fears and listens to God. The story is deliberately designed as a fine piece of the entire Book of Samuel, indicating the fall of Saul in a dramatic way whilst drawing attention to the authenticity of the true king who actually never appears in the story itself. The formation of the story can be dated to the Persian Period, by an intellectual group which both wished to degrade prophecies and required to observe the Torah.


Judah vs. Joseph: Who Is the Most Blessed? (Gen 49:8-12, 22-26)
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Dohyung Kim, Seoul Christian University

Chapter 49 of the book of Genesis naturally falls into two parts: Jacob’s will regarding his twelve sons (vv. 1-28) and the account of Jacob’s death (vv. 29-33). The former portrays ‘the blessings of the tribes’ that descend from his sons. The latter is composed of Jacob’s last words (vv. 29-32) and the description of his death (v. 33). I will focus on the former part in relation to the literary context particularly. From the so-called blessings to Jacob’s twelve sons we can see the largest number of verses assigned to both Judah (vv. 8-12) the fourth and Joseph (vv. 22-26) the eleventh, respectively, among their brothers. In this paper, I would like to argue that the blessing of Judah by Jacob is, in effect, superior to his younger brother Joseph’s within a synchronic perspective as well as within a diachronic viewpoint. This is because Jacob’s sayings to Judah (and to the readers) seem more actual and understandable in terms of the images of Joseph which are expressed in the narrative contrary to others’ expectations. Jacob indeed does not use any ironical device for Judah unlike Joseph.


Pimplemi and Pleroo with Regard to the Works of the Spirit in Luke-Acts
Program Unit: Society for Pentecostal Studies
Dongsoo Kim, Pyongtaek University

The expression “Being filled with (or full of) the Spirit” is peculiar to Luke in the New Testament. Except for one time in Ephesians 5:18, the expression appears solely in Luke-Acts. Luke uses the expression to describe the works of the Spirit. In Greek two kinds of verbs or related adverbs are used. One is pimplemi; the others are pleroo and pleres. I would like to argue that Luke deliberately uses the words for describing two different kinds of fullness of the Spirit. One the one hand through introducing the verb pimplemi, Luke wants to describe the external work of the Spirit, which continues for short time(Luke 1:15, 41, 67; Acts 2:4; 4:8; 9:17). One the other through using the words pleroo and pleres, he wants to express the inner work of the Spirit, which continues for long time(Luke 4:1; Acts 6:3, 5; 11:24; 13:52). I want to show that Luke intended to distinguish one from the other with regard to the fullness of the Spirit. This paper can contribute to solving the problem of whether the fullness of the Spirit refers to the sanctification or evangelism. I will argue that Luke deliberately uses the vocabularies to refer to the two distinctive works of the Spirit.


God Sanctifies Jacob to Act as God’s Agent (Gen 32:23-33)
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Eunjung Kim, Torch Trinity Graduate University

Many commentators read the Peniel episode (Gen 32:23-33) as revealing a character transformation in Jacob either during or after the wrestling. In fact, the divine encounter at Peniel is the marker or the cause of the change in Jacob’s character. This paper investigates the theological dimension of the Peniel episode in its function within the Jacob story and subsequently argues that God is the one who sanctifies Jacob in order to enable him to live out his destiny as the chosen. From the investigation this paper argues that God of the Patriarchs not only calls the Chosen but also prepares or sanctifies them to work as God’s agent. This paper also briefly argues that such act of God as a sanctifier is typified throughout the Patriarchal stories.


A Prophetic Critique against the Neo-liberalistic Fertility Cult Economy of South Korea Based on Hosea 4–6
Program Unit:
Hae-Kwon Kim, Sung Shil University

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Proverbs 31 as a Hermeneutical Conclusion to the Book of Proverbs
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Hee Suk Kim, Chongshin Theological Seminary

This paper attempts to read the whole chapter of Proverbs 31, including the words of Lemuel and the song of the Woman of Valor altogether, as a hermeneutical conclusion to the book of Proverbs. First, it examines Prov 31:1-9 in terms of its thematic, linguistic flow to figure out how this set of text contributes to the whole of Proverbs 31. Second, it also examines Prov 31:10-31 to argue that the Woman of Valor is nothing other than a metaphoric figure, personification of the Fear of YHWH. A fresh interpretation of Prov 31:30 will be crucial to this understanding. I sum, it will be proposed that Proverbs 31 employs two different female figures at the end of the book of Proverbs, to re-tell the teachings of the father in Proverbs 1-9 in a voice of a mother and to metaphorically re-state the motto of Proverbs 1-9 (the fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom). Proverbs 31 functions very efficiently in this regard, enough to make itself a conclusion of Proverbs corresponding to Proverbs 1-9, an introduction of Proverbs.


Cultural Memory and Dialogue Among Children of God: Basileia of the Matthean Community and Contemporary Korean Christianities
Program Unit: Political Biblical Criticism
Hwankyu Kim, Yale Divinity School

Biblical interpretation is valuable not only for rarified scholarly discussions but also for contemporary public discourse. It informs the open-ended and irrepressible dialogue between the collective memories—biblical story in the past and ongoing stories in current time. In this paper, through an ethic of interpretation, I create the dialogue to examine the “ethos and morality” of the Matthean community in order to construct the “meaning-making” in current issue of Korea. Recently, various Korean Christianities were dichotomized how they handled the Sewol ferry issue and parents’ protest to the government who lost their children: while the president’s conservative supporters and some Christian group began a campaign that publicly accused the families of holding the country hostage and said that Korea had already shared enough in the grief, the liberal side of Christianity in Korea have fought against conservative groups and have tried to weep with those who weep and mourn by participating in hunger strikes with parents. These conflicts among Korean Christianities are similar the Matthean community’s conflicts, both among its own members and with Jewish contemporaries. If we metaphorically reflect on the rhetoric of Matthew 18 around the Matthean community’s communal discourse and their vision—becoming children and establishing an inclusive basileia—, then the Matthean community’s memory and their politic offer a rational solution to the current conflict among Korean Christianities, which is to propose common ground for the solidarity way and how to live as children of God. In response to Matthean community’s politic, I offer my own vision of the basileia as a tensive symbol by reflecting on Korean ethno-racial ideology, the so-called “hong-ik-in-gan” (“to work and live for better others around the world deeply and widely”). I hope this vision will help Korean Christians to resolve the conflicts and to function as children of God.


Crossing Boundaries: Reading Daniel’s Three Friends as a Case Study
Program Unit:
Hyun Chul Paul Kim, Methodist Theological School in Ohio

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Postcolonial Biblical Criticism: Hermeneutic of Diaspora (Re-reading Ruth along with Goose Moms’s Eyes)
Program Unit: Political Biblical Criticism
Hyun Woo Kim, Emory University

This paper will look at the ways that the Bible is used to support colonial discourse (theological enslaving) as well as to raise postcolonial concerns (liberative struggles). I will argue that the Bible, though a global script, is well interpreted and enriched by postcolonial, identity-specific (diasporic) reading practices. This research has a bipartite goal of analyzing Postcolonial Biblical Criticism (PBC) through the work of Sugirtharajah and implementing his theoretical practice. On the analytical level, this research will demonstrate three developmental stages of criticism: reading, a hermeneutic of resistance, and theoretical practice. Then, I will implement PBC through a subjective perspective by re-reading the Book of Ruth with my own subject position within a diasporic community. At its primitive stage, PBC was a way of reading with the marginalized reader’s social location as part of the canonized texts. In finding the hybridity of diasporic personality as the postcolonial identity, Sugirtharajah suggests a Hermeneutics of the Diaspora (HD) as a valid theoretical practice of PBC. By taking readers’ own social location of in-betweenness into the act of interpretation, Segovia profoundly recognizes that the fundamental purpose of HD is “to read the biblical text as an other—not to be overwhelmed or overridden, but acknowledged, respected, and engaged in its very otherness.” Attending to otherness (liminal social location) as the hermeneutical framework, HD opposes any hermeneutic attempt to overwhelm the other, to turn the other into an other. Postcolonial reading of Ruth with Korean goose moms’ (As geese travel thousands of miles to reunite separated families, some Korean families encounter similar situations. Accompanied by their mothers, Korean families send their child to attend educational institutions in the States, while their fathers remain in Korea to support them) subjectivity, similar diasporic natures become obvious: social margin, resident alien, and widowhood.


Finding Korean Goose Moms Home: Contextual Re-reading of Ruth
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Hyun Woo Kim, Yale University

This paper will look at the ways that the Bible is used to support colonial discourse (theological enslaving) as well as to raise postcolonial concerns (liberative struggles). I will argue that the Bible, though a global script, is well interpreted and enriched by postcolonial, identity-specific (diasporic) reading practices. This research has a bipartite goal of analyzing Postcolonial Biblical Criticism (PBC) through the work of Sugirtharajah and implementing his theoretical practice. On the analytical level, this research will demonstrate three developmental stages of criticism: reading, a hermeneutic of resistance, and theoretical practice. Then, I will implement PBC through a subjective perspective by re-reading the Book of Ruth with my own subject position within a diasporic community. At its primitive stage, PBC was a way of reading with the marginalized reader’s social location as part of the canonized texts. In finding the hybridity of diasporic personality as the postcolonial identity, Sugirtharajah suggests a Hermeneutics of the Diaspora (HD) as a valid theoretical practice of PBC. By taking readers’ own social location of in-betweenness into the act of interpretation, Segovia profoundly recognizes that the fundamental purpose of HD is “to read the biblical text as an other—not to be overwhelmed or overridden, but acknowledged, respected, and engaged in its very otherness.” Attending to otherness (liminal social location) as the hermeneutical framework, HD opposes any hermeneutic attempt to overwhelm the other, to turn the other into an other. Postcolonial reading of Ruth with Korean goose moms’ (As geese travel thousands of miles to reunite separated families, some Korean families encounter similar situations. Accompanied by their mothers, Korean families send their child to attend educational institutions in the States, while their fathers remain in Korea to support them) subjectivity, similar diasporic natures become obvious: social margin, resident alien, and (temporal and permanent) widowhood.


The Deuteronomist’s Polemic against Necromancy in 1 Samuel 28
Program Unit: Expressions of Religion in Israel
Koowon Kim, Reformed Graduate University

In view of Deuteronomistic legal material forbidding divinatory practices, it is very odd that the Deuteronomist has preserved a tale about necromancy rather than suppressing it. What is even more surprising is that he does not attempt to discredit the efficacy of the practice. This paper is an attempt to answer the question why. Although some scholars (e.g. B. Schmidt) attributes biblical traces of the necromantic practice to late Mesopotamian influence, many others including the present writer believe it to be essentially Canaanite. If necromancy was already known in pre-exilic Israel, T. Lewis’s proposal appears plausible: “the tale of Saul’s encounter was so well known that the Deuteronomist could not possibly suppress it.” But a closer examination of the literary structure of the text will show that the Deuteronomist responsible for the final composition of 1 Sam 28 does criticize the divinatory practice itself by denying its efficacy. The whole point of the story, I will argue, is not that Samuel was successfully invoked by the necromancer, but that necromancy resorted to by Saul defeats the very purpose of divination by contributing to the inquirer’s final destruction.


Biblical Call Narratives Reconsidered in Psychological Aspects
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Kyoungsik Kim, Bar-Ilan University

This paper aims to investigate the fundamental literary purpose of the call narratives in the Bible. The systematic studies on the typologies of the call narrative were presented by N. Habel and W. Richter. Based on diachronic and rigid form criticism, they commonly argued that the prophets utilized the preceding heroic call narratives in order to claim their authoritative status as a spiritual leader. However, I am inclined to approach the call narratives based on synchronic and flexible method, adopting the concept of literary convention to it. I believe that the psychological aspects would offer the crucial intuition to understand the essential literary purpose of the call narratives in the Bible. In the relatively recent study, U. Simon claims that the fundamental function of the call narrative is to depict the radically changed status of the appointee. In the psychological perspective, the radical life change is the great challenge to the individual life, whether the change is positive or not. Thus, the people, consciously or unconsciously, make resistance against their radical life change and feel great amount of stress. In the biblical call narratives, we can also find that the appointees reveal the feeling of refusal and apprehension to take on their imposed mission. Responding to the hesitation of the appointees, the appointers sometimes try to persuade the appointees and relieve their apprehension through presenting certain evidences or miraculous signs. The appointees had to overcome their psychological barrier in order to accept the entirely changed life. For example, Jeremiah was required to break the psychological barrier of childhood (Jer. 1:6-7). In this way, the call narrative elaborately stresses that the appointee was required to change his way of life entirely, and he/she overcame the psychological challenges derived from radical life change, and eventually took on the imposed mission.


The Journey Motif in the Johannine Literature: A Biblical and Theological Study
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Moon-Geoung Kim, Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary (Seoul)

Just as the wisdom and apocalyptic literature represents the understanding of history through the heavenly journey toward the other world and the earthly journey in this world of suffering, the Fourth Gospel can be understood as a historical journey drama in which Jesus Christ, incarnated in time, reveals heavenly things, and shows his faithful followers the way to eternal life. In a broad sense, the journey motif in the Old Testament is maintained in the Johannine Literature, but it has been transformed into a historic revelation in the true meaning of the word. In this study, I will examine the journey motif from a 'biblical theological' perspective and its christological transformation process in the Johannine Literature.


The Heavenly Temple/Sanctuary Idea in Extra-canonical Jewish Literature: Which Passages Are Quoted from the Hebrew Bible and for What?
Program Unit: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Sanglae Kim, Sahmyook University

In the Hebrew Bible, the heavenly temple/sanctuary is not terminologically expressed, but only implied. Unlike in the Hebrew Bible, explicit reference to the heavenly sanctuary bursts into some extra-canonical Jewish literature. For example, Pseudepigrapha such as 1 Enoch gives an elaborate description of the heavenly sanctuary. 4QShabbatShirot (Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice) from Qumran depicts the heavenly sanctuary in which angels are ministering. The late Jewish rabbinic literature such as Midrash Rabbah provides abundant information about the idea of the heavenly sanctuary. In this delineation of the heavenly sanctuary in extra-canonical literature it is presented by taking advantage of some references from the Hebrew Bible. On this point, it is interesting and necessary to examine how these literatures utilize the Hebrew Bible and which passages are quoted concerning the heavenly sanctuary. In the limit of the direct quotation from the Hebrew Bible represented in the Jewish literature, special attention will be given to the following questions; (1) what sort of particular ideologies were inscribed by the authors who were the early readers of the Hebrew Bible in order to form their own idea of the heavenly sanctuary; (2) in which manner these literature describe the heavenly sanctuary; and (3) how they understood the relationship between the heavenly sanctuary and the earthly sanctuary.


What Does the "Sanctuary" in Moses’ Song (Exod 15:17) Mean?
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Sanglae Kim, Sahmyook University

In the Hebrew Bible, where the terminological expression ‘sanctuary’ occurs first is not in Exodus 25:8, as many thinks, but in Exodus 15:17. It describes that “the sanctuary, Lord, which thy hands have established (RSV).” But on the identity of this sanctuary (miqedaš) the scholarly opinions have been divergent. The first and traditional opinion is to regard this passage as the reference to the heavenly sanctuary. This understanding has been argued by Jewish rabbinic literature on the grounds that the miqedaš is said to be established by God’s own hands. The second is to look upon the miqedaš here as same to the miqedaš in Exod. 25:88, which was erected in the Sinai wilderness. And the third is to see the miqedaš as the Jerusalem Temple on the Mt. Zion. I examined these three arguments within the immediate context using the literary analysis of its final form. According to the this analysis, it comes out that vv. 13-17 has its own self-contained interior unity as a literary unit. The ‘holy habitation’ in v. 13 and ‘the mountain of inheritance’, ‘Your own dwelling place’ and ‘the sanctuary’ in v. 17 should be interpreted within this unity. By this analysis, it appears that the second option is most plausible and reasonable.


Parallels in Concept and Plot between Ezekiel 16 and Unfaithfulness (Sumerian Myth)
Program Unit: Prophets
Sehee Kim, Boston University

In Ezekiel 16, there is a lengthy and vivid description of Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife who is to be harshly condemned for her infidelity to YHWH. This text is dominated by the metaphor of Jerusalem as an abandoned infant who was rescued by YHWH and richly blessed by her husband, but who also betrayed God by sacrificing His children to idols and offering her sexuality to strangers, such as Assyrians, Babylonians, and Egyptians. The marital relationship between deity and an earthly being is not a unique concept in the biblical texts. In the Sumerian myths, there are various versions of “Sacred Marriage of Inanna and Dumuzi,” which describe the process of Inanna’s divine union with a human king. And in another Sumerian myth, “Unfaithfulness,” we can see that the sacred marriage of Inanna and Dumuzi does not last peacefully, either. Moreover, this story has a strikingly similar flow, plot, and characters with Ezekiel 16 in many aspects. This paper will examine the parallels in concepts between these two texts, Ezekiel 16 and “Unfaithfulness,” in detail.


A Third Person Addresser in Isa 51:1-3, Illeism? Or Redaction? Insights from the LXX Rendition and the Relation-Oriented Asian Language
Program Unit: Septuagint Studies
Soo J. Kim, Claremont School of Theology

A 3rd person addresser? One may doubt her eyes when she reads my proposal title, asking “Isn’t it a 3rd person narrator?” But the title is correct, as this study seeks the identity of a 3rd person speaker in the divine speech in Hebrew Bible. Isaiah 51:1-3 fits well in this aim since the text shows two instances of personal reference change in the short self-contained unit. This discrepancy between the semantic context of the speaker (i.e., semantically, the context states the speaker is YHWH not a messenger) and the 3rd person reference (i.e., syntactically, the text makes readers assume that someone who is not YHWH speaks about YHWH) has led scholars in at least two directions: the search for possible redactional layers whenever the actant apparently has been changed (C. C. Torrey); or emphasis on the indistinguishable boundary between YHWH and his messenger in the divine speech (Carol Newsom). This proposal pays attention to the LXX’s constant application of the dynamic rendition principle from which we see only the 1st person addresser “I” in 53:1-3. With Newsom’s model, it is hard to get the satisfied solution with this phenomenon, but insight from the relation-oriented Asian languages gives a new perspective with which we can keep reading the one addresser in this case, since illeism, the act of referring to oneself in the 3rd person instead of 1st person, is particularly popular among Asian language users. If this is the case, the LXX text shows its understanding of the constant actant in Isiah 51:1-3 as YHWH himself, as the authors applied their semantic understanding to the translation. The implication of this observation and serious consideration on this literary device would be influential in both LXX and MT studies through form critical analysis, redaction criticism, and translation theory studies.


The Gazelle Metaphor in Song of Songs 2:9 in light of the Iconography of the Yavneh Cult Stands
Program Unit: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Bible
Yeseul Kim, Yonsei University

The interpretation of Song of Songs 2:9 is controversial: while some scholars preferred to see its gazelle/young stag metaphor as applied to v.8 (the man’s coming action) separating it from v.9b (the man’s gazing action), others tried to see the metaphor in connection with his gazing action, noting that v.8-9 altogether form one coherent unit. This paper proposes another interpretation of Song 2:9, in support of the connectivity between 2:9a and 2:9b, by comparing the metaphor with Yavneh cult stands – the gazelle metaphor could be related to a certain imagery found from the cult stands of the Iron Age Philistine Yavneh. The text analysis shows that the gazelle metaphor affects the meanings of both 2:8 and 2:9b, and its connection to the latter provides the imagery of ‘invitation to love.’ The iconographical analysis reveals that this imagery also occurs with the gazelles depicted on Yavneh cult stands. Although the gazelles on the stands are mostly components of the tree with caprids motif, two stands have a different portrait (CAT 41, 63): protomes of gazelles are facing front in two window openings, each flanking a schematized tree, which functions as the center pillar of the window. Since this arrangement is similar to that of the tree with caprids motif, these scenes could be identified as a variant of it. Examining the windows and the frontality of the gazelles in relation to the woman at the window motif, these gazelles might not only have their well-known meaning of fertility but also the combined meaning of invitation or seduction. This comparison of the gazelles from Yavneh and from Song 2:9 both advocates the connectivity between 2:9a and 2:9b, and adds the notion of fertility to the metaphor’s ‘invitation to love’ imagery. This interpretation is examined within the entire book Song of Songs.


You Want It? Then You Gotta Put a Ring in It: Marrying the Calf in Exodus 32
Program Unit: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Bible
Ian Kinman, Fordham University

A large crowd of angry Israelites confronts Aaron, demanding that he make gods for them. What to do? Aaron’s response, namely for them to tear out their nitzmey (rings) from their ears, is overshadowed in most exegesis by what he makes with them: the golden calf. But what did these rings represent for the Israelites prior to turning them over to Aaron to melt into the calf? According to the narrative, we must presume that they brought them from Egypt as part of their plundering of the country in Exod 12:36. They were not important enough to the narrative to mention prior to the golden calf episode, and not only were they were not proscribed prior to the events of chapter 32, they were not proscribed after the events of chapter 32, as the ones they still had were turned over to fabricate the tabernacle in chapter 35. They must have been in some sense neutral objects, but at the same time had enough presumed value and cultural symbolism to be mentioned singularly as the only object from which the calf was made. This paper will explore the nature of these rings as a way to illuminate broader aspects of the golden calf narrative. It will begin with an exegetical look at the larger passage of the making of the calf using a consideration of the broader use of the word netzem in all other passages in the Hebrew Bible. It will then explore such objects in the archeological and artistic record of the Ancient Near East, and their connections with bull and calf imagery. Finally, it will conclude with a brief look at the implications of such research on the larger context of the passage as a whole.


The Interpretation of the Book of Ezekiel as the Description of Psychodynamic Process of a Priest
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Tetsu Kitamura, Doshisha University

This paper, while surveying the history of psychological study of the character of Ezekiel, presents a new interpretation on how the book of Ezekiel can be read as a psychological response of the priest to the event of Exile by reading his experiences based on the theories of "Revitalization Movement" and "Creative Illness." One of the uniquenesses in the research of the book of Ezekiel is the continuation of psychological study of the peculiar characters of him (P. Merelahti, 2007). Sometimes he was evaluated as "Psychotic"(E. C. Broom, 1946), and recently some scholars have been trying to treat the peculiarlites as the symptoms of "the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)" to the Exile (D. L. Smith-Cristopher, 1997: N. R. Bowen, 2010). This paper, however, will show that the peculiarities of Ezekiel can be interpreted along with the special creative process revealed by theories of "Revitalization Movement" (A. F. C. Wallace, 1956) and "Creative Illness" (H. F. Ellenberger, 1964). According to this interpretation, Ezekiel had not merely been suffering from PTSD as a result of the Exile, but he also succeeded in responding to the crisis of the collapse of the priestly cosmology and in recreating it. Ezekiel thus succeeded in curing himself through his religious or transcendental experiences as a prophet. The book of Ezekiel can therefore be understood as the detailed description of such a psychodynamic process of a priest, namely, an inner autobiography of Ezekiel. This approach may offer an opening for the methodological limitations of biblical studies and propose new interpretation of the difficult character of Ezekiel.


The World of Shrine Models and the Biblical Ark of Covenant
Program Unit: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Bible
Raz Kletter, Helsinki University

This lecture is based on a comprehensive catalogue of more than 70 Late Bronze and Iron Age shrine models (naoi/cubiculae) from the Southern Levant, published recently in Yavneh II. I would discuss the typology of shrine models (five types are defined); their chronology and regional distribution from the Late Bronze Age in Lebanon to the late Iron Age/Archaic Period in Phoenicia/Cyprus; and the figures that adorn some of them - whether inside or on the facade. Though details and scholarly interpretations vary, it seems that all shrine models represent temples/shrines, though the nature of this representation is different from type to type. They were not intended to serve as architectural models (exact "miniatures" or replicas for didactic or architectural uses). They have religious meanings and their art shows a religious scene. The inner space - the holy of holies - is their raison d'etre; other elements are secondary, often "telescoped". Were images of Yahweh and Ashera placed inside some shrine models? Was the biblical Ark of covenant a shrine model? Archaeology gives certain answers and adds more questions.


Micaiah ben Imlah, Ahab, and Jehoshaphat: A Dalit Reader Response Analysis
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Jesurathnam Kondasingu, United Theological College, Bangalore

A Dalit reader reads the story of 1 Kgs 22 with the focus of Dalit vision and perspective as different from the centrist readings of the text. A Dalit reader sees the potential of the text of 1 Kgs 22 in the light of caste system perpetuated through the centuries pushed them to the margins. In 1 Kgs 22 the major characters in the story: Micaiah, Ahab and Jehoshaphat symbolically represent Dalit world and reality today. Micaiah was a Dalit, Jehoshaphat was a sympathizer of Dalit cause and Ahab was a caste-oppressor. When Micaiah was summoned to the royal court the king’s (Ahab’s) messenger advised the prophet to agree with the majority opinion and give in to the king’s wishes. But Micaiah objects to this human control over his oracle which will be delivered in the name of Yahweh. Micaiah strongly protests against such a move to be controlled based on majoritarianism. Micaiah’s protest indicates that no human authority can keep him from delivering God’s oracle. When King Jehoshaphat insisted that Ahab should consult one or more prophets even after the positive affirmation of four hundred plus court prophets, he stands in support of the people in margins like Dalits. However this suggestion by Jehoshaphat was a threatening hitch for Ahab for his planned program though he was sure that he can be autocratic and he can manipulate the outcome no matter what Micaiah says. Ahab simply behaved like any other caste oppressors who want to charge Dalits and manipulate their very positive and wishful thinking. Initially the readers don’t see any hope in the approach taken by the prophet but in the end the words of a marginal prophet have become the words of the center. The truth prevailed against all kinds of odds. [truncated]


Iconography and a Text-Critical Analysis of the Problematic Passage in Lamentations 5:5
Program Unit: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Bible
Gideon R. Kotzé, Universiteit van Stellenbosch - University of Stellenbosch

Text-critics study the wordings of the various textual representatives of the writings included in the Hebrew Bible. In addition to examining, explaining and evaluating variant readings in these textual representatives and establishing their effects on how the Hebrew Bible compositions communicate their contents, text-critics also analyse and attempt to elucidate textual difficulties. With regard to the numerous textual difficulties in the book of Lamentations, scholars usually suggest emendations to eliminate the cruces interpretum, offer philological explanations of the problematic passages, or struggle to squeeze some sense from the wording of the textus receptus. In the case of Lamentations 5:5, however, emendations, comparative philology and interpretations of the Masoretic text have largely failed to produce convincing clarifications of the bicolon’s wording. Accordingly, scholars continue to debate the meaning of the verse. In order to bring a different perspective to this discussion of the text and to suggest a fresh understanding of it, this study turns to iconography and draws on interpretations of “prisoner transport scenes” in Iron Age southern Levantine visual sources. The motivation to use the results of such interpretations of visual sources in a text-critical analysis of Lamentations 5:5 springs from the assumption that the historical and cultural contexts in which a composition was committed to writing and transmitted in written versions had an impact on its wordings and content. Text-critics therefore cannot ignore the available sources of potential knowledge about these contexts when they determine the most cogent explanations of variant readings and problematic passages. Pictorial materials from the ancient Near East undeniably count amongst the most important of such sources. This study on Lamentations 5:5 shows that iconography can contribute to an understanding of the verse’s content that surpasses speculative emendations, sketchy philological suggestions and superficial interpretations of the Masoretic text.


The paradox of purity: the analysis and interpretation of katharos and katharotes in Wis 7:22-28.
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom
Mateusz Krawczyk, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw

A close analysis of the two words katharos and katharotes in Wis 7:22-28 may lead to the paradoxical conclusion that purity is the condition and, at the same time, the result of man's contact with Wisdom. The main purpose of the paper is to present the results of the research on the use of the Greek words katharos (pure, clean) and katharotes (purity, cleanness), which is a rarely raised topic in commentaries and articles, and to find a solution to the observed paradox. Several research questions are posed, such as: Is it possible to associate the first use of the word with the root kathar* (v. 23) with the man, or rather with immaterial beings only? What is the relationship between the purity of Wisdom in v. 24 and that in the previous verse? Can we interpret the pericope Wis 7:22-28 in terms of Wisdom sharing its ontological/moral purity with the man? The answers to these questions and the proposed solution to the ‘purity paradox’ may have a significant impact on the understanding of the thought of the Book of Wisdom, which stands on the threshold of the New Testament.


The Book of Wisdom and the Letter to the Romans: A Case of Hypertextuality?
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Mateusz Krawczyk, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw

The case of the relationship between the Book of Wisdom and the Letter to the Romans is a matter of discussion since the XIX c. There are many points of contact which for many seem evident, as well as some that are accepted as actual by only a few scholars. The goal of the paper is to look closer at this relationship, which can be described in terms of hypertextuality. The paper puts this hypothesis to the test by focusing on several fragments of both works, as well as on their selected theological thoughts. The ideas and motifs from the Book of Wisdom are traced in the text of the Letter to the Romans and interpreted as Paul’s reworking of earlier thoughts in the latter writing.


New Testament Quotations as witnesses to the Textual History of the Septuagint
Program Unit: Septuagint Studies
Siegfried Kreuzer, Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal/Bethel

The quotations from the Septuagint in the New Testament are centuries older than the great codices and are about as old as the oldest papyri. However, they have been largely neglected for the textual history of the Septuagint, mainly because for a long time agreements between such quotations and readings from the manuscripts have been explained away as later cross influences (cf. the remarks “ex [e.g. Matth. etc.]” in the critical editions). Recent research shows that even within one and the same codex differences between Septuagint text and quotation have not been leveled out. On the other hand, the biblical texts from Qumran and new methodological approaches to the textual history have brought about a new picture of the development of the Septuagint. The main perspective is that there was a development from the Old Greek to a (formally) hebraizing revision (in varying degree, from a strict kaige-type to milder forms of adaptation, e.g. in word order), starting already in the 1st cent. B.C.E. Evidently both text forms sprayed out and were in use in the Jewish diaspora. This means that in the time of the New Testament authors different text forms were available and that we may ask which text was used by a specific author and for a specific text. By relating the New Testament quotations to the development of the Septuagint, the quotations at the same time become important witnesses to the textual history of the Septuagint. – The paper will explain this approach, present several examples of quotations from different writings, and discuss the possibilities and limitations and the relevance of the observations for Septuagint research.


Meals Gone Awry in 1 Samuel
Program Unit: Ritual in the Biblical World
Paul Krueger, North-West University (South Africa)

Meals abound in the first book of Samuel. Most of these meals served an ulterior function and involved ritual. This paper explores the function of meals in the first book of Samuel and how this function was time and again frustrated. Meals at the sanctuary were meant to promote shalom among the participants, but were also occasions of misuse and discord (1 Sa 2:12ff). Some meals, such as sacrificial meals, were used as a pretext for political manoeuvring, obscuring their real ritual meaning (1 Sa 9:22-24; 16:3ff; 20:5f, 28f). Even lack of food for sustenance plays a major role in the first book of Samuel (1 Sa 14:24ff; 17:17-18; 21:3-6; 25:5ff; 30:11-12). The book closes with an attempt by the woman of Endor to use a meal as a ritual of appeasement and support (1 Sam 28:22-24). Even this last meal fails dismally to fulfil its goal.


Life in Its Fullness: Outline of a Major Biblical Theme
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Paul Krueger, North-West University (South Africa)

In the study of Biblical Theology (or Old and New Testament Theology) it is a truism that no single theme can sufficiently serve as an overarching motif, centre or binding concept of the various biblical books. Taking this into account, this paper wants to explore constructively the concept of life (and its semantical counterpart: death) as a central tenet in both the Old and New Testament books. Salvation, gospel, law, covenant, kingdom, the possession of the land and an offspring are in various ways connected to a new lease on life or life in its fullness. The Old Testament starts with the life-enacting power of God (Gen 1). Soon the first humans before the choice between life and death. This is echoed when the people of God stood before the promised land (Deut 30:19 – "Now choose life …."). The prophets, sages and authors of the Psalms all wrestled with life and death (Gen 2:16f; 3:2-4). The message of salvation is that of life out of death (see the many births from barren women and Is 6:13; 53:2). That is reflected in the New Testament, e.g. in John 1:1-4; 10:10b). With allusions to Paradise, the New Testament closes with vivid images of life and death (Rev 21-22). The paper not only indicates the centrality of life as a theme, but briefly reflects on the riddle of life. A definition of what life really is, tends to be elusive in the biblical books. Life in its fullness implies more than mere existence.


The Political Bible Revisited: Contextuality, Intersectionality, Intercultural Theology
Program Unit:
Volker Kuester, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

The paper re/constructs a systematic theological framework providing terminologies and theories by reviewing the use of the bible and the hermeneutical tools applied in contextual theological discourses since the early 1970s till the present day.


The Reception of "Truth": A Comparative Study of the Johannine Epistles with Philodemus and Plutarch
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Mark Kulikovsky, Macquarie University

The comparison of Philodemus’ On Frank Criticism (1st century BC) and Plutarch’s How to Tell a Flatterer from a Friend (1st century AD) with the Johannine Epistles enables one to discern something of the thinking about, attitudes towards, and reception of, ‘truth’ in the Graeco-Roman world at the time of the NT, and to assess whether John demonstrates the same understanding. Philodemus sees ‘truth’ as that which is revealed of a person’s thought and actions when one uses pa???s?a (frank speech’); Plutarch argues that a???´?e?a ('truth') is what is so, manifested in nature and behaviour, and ordained by the gods, and what a true friend is unafraid to point out; for John, a???´?e?a is that which is ‘right’ and embodied in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the ‘truth’, reveals the ‘truth’, and exhorts his followers to ‘do the truth’. John’s key differential is the ground or basis of truth. This comparative study finds that while there are many similarities in what all three say about speakers of truth (e.g. the need for a context of friendship and love; an identification with, appreciation of, and a tailoring to the recipient’s situation; a mixing of commendation with reproof) John believes that only one who is ‘in the truth’, who has the truth in them, and who has been anointed with the Holy Spirit, can ultimately discern the truth. Regarding the reception of ‘truth’ we find that Philodemus and Plutarch expect both positive and negative responses but John expects that what he reveals will engender 'fellowship' and 'joy'. Indeed, John is convinced that his readers will accept the truth because he delivers it with love and because his testimony comports with the testimony of the Holy Spirit who is truth and with God who is true.


Luke’s Exhortation of Sharing to the Poor as Friendship: A Comparative Critical Reading of Luke-Acts in light of Pythagorean Concept of Friendship
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
C. Muthu Kumar, Hindustan Bible College

The concept of friendship was a distinguished matter and of contemplative idea in ancient times. This theme is reflected in many of the writings of Greek philosophers, including Plato and Cicero. But the most remarkable study of friendship could be found in the Pythagorean writings. Pythagoreans dedicates more space to friendship which presents it as doctrines of one for another, doctrines of sharing or communal living, equality, gratitude towards one another, men for another , self- control, self- sufficiency, loyalty, trust and tolerance…etc. The teachings of Pythagoras on friendship meticulously show that there is a striking resemblance in Luke- Acts.This paper explores how the Pythagoreans concept of friendship could help shape Acts’ description of the Christian community as friends.


Dharmapala's Return: Criticism of Monotheism in Neo-Buddhism and in Contemporary Germany
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Andreas Kunz-Lübcke, University of Applied Sciences for Intercultural Theology, Hermannsburg

Anaganka Dharmapala (1864-17.3) an influential Sri Lankan Buddhist and pioneer of Neo- Buddhism has discussed the Biblical Monotheism in a very polemic way. A monotheistic God like the Biblical God must exclude every other kind of divine beings or deities. In other words: The Biblical Monotheistic God is a monster who persecutes every human religious activities which are settled outside of the worship and the devotion by his own followers. The debate about the theme "monotheism and intolerance" has shaped the public discourse in Germany for the last two decades. Dharmapala's accusations against the monotheistic religions are back. The paper will compare the arguments against monotheism from the Asian and the recent Western point of view. Finally, two questions will be raised: - Is the Jewish, Christian and Islam Monotheism necessarily intolerant? - If not, which strategies does the Biblical theology provide which would allow a "together with the others"?


The "ger" and the Law in Leviticus 19
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
Andreas Kunz-Lübcke, University of Applied Sciences for Intercultural Theology, Hermannsburg

The appearance of the stranger (ger) in Lev. 19, 34 has caused an intensive discussion. Scholars have argued that the ger in this passage is characterised as a full member of the post- exilic Judean society. Others have pointed out that the ger is presented here as a person outside of the cultic community. The presented paper will look at the problem from a different perspective. Lev. 19 shows some similarities to the concept of the Noachite laws. Rabbinical and early Christian sources contain various lists of prohibitions which are valid for Jews and Non-Jews alike. Lev. 19 discusses issues like illegitimate worship, protection of the poor, false oaths, exploitation, the legal principle of fair and equal treatment, prohibition of bloodshed, certain kinds of mixtures, sorcery and divination, questions of sexual ethics and implementation of a justice legal system. The close relationship between Lev. 19 and the Noachite-law will allow to draw a conclusion about the status of the ger in this text.


A Literary­-Critical Analysis of Slavery Laws among H (Lev 25:49­-43), D (Deut 15:12­-18), and Jeremiah 34:8-­22
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Un Sung Kwak, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

I will attempt a literary-critical analysis of the slavery law among H (Lev 25:39-43), D (Deut 15:12-18), and Jeremiah 34:8-22. Some scholars argue the linear development of the slavery law in the sequence of D, Jeremiah, and H. However, I will argue that the author of Jeremiah, who knew both the slavery laws of D and H, may synthesize both laws.


Building Story of the Second Temple
Program Unit: Septuagint Studies
Un Sung Kwak, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The textual features of 1 Esdras 5:53-62 distinguished from Ezra 3:7-13 imply that 1 Esdras may be not a translated work of Ezra and one of the fragment parts of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Rather 1 Esdras is re-written work by keeping the lens of Chronicler.


A Fresh Reading of the Agápe Account in 1 John through the Eyes of Paul in Rom 13:8-10 and 1 Corinthians 13
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Oh-Young Kwon, Whitley College

This paper will provide a fresh reading of the agape account in 1 John through the eyes of Paul especially in Romans 13:8-10 and 1 Corinthians 13. In 1 John the word agape¯ and its equivalents agapao¯ and agape¯tos occur frequently. Wherein the word agape¯ is found 18 times, the word agapao¯ 28 times and the word agape¯tos 6 times. These words appear to be tackled substantially and to be a major theme in 1 John. The Christian community(ies) to which 1 John was addressed seems to have lacked the genuine exercise of agape love for one another amongst the members (e.g. 1 Jn 3:11-18; 4:7-12). That is why the author of 1 John would have placed a huge emphasis on agape love and its practice amongst Christ-believers in his epistle. This paper argues that the Johannine agape¯ account would be, to some extent, affected by Paul and his agape¯ account in Romans 13.8-10 and 1 Corinthians 13. In these Pauline passages the practice of genuine agape¯ is importantly emphasized. Paul in these biblical contexts appears to claim the genuine practice of Christian agape love for one another as a/the solution for the Christian communities in Rome and Corinth. In both communities there was a critical issue of conflicts and divisions amongst the Christians (see Rom 14:1-3; 15:1-3, 7-13; 1 Cor 1:10-13; 3:1-9; 11:16-22). The finding of such similarities in 1 John and Romans 13.8-10 and 1 Corinthians 13 makes a contribution to recent biblical scholarship that would attempt to seek intertextual relationships between the Pauline letters and the Johannine literature.


First Corinthians 8:4-6: An Intercultural and Inter-faith Reading from the Political and Ideological Context of North Korea Today
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Oh-Young Kwon, Whitley College/University of Divinity

This paper will explore an intercultural and inter-faith reading of 1 Corinthians 8.4-6 from the political and ideological context of North Korea (or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) today. The Pauline passage (1 Cor 8.4-6) indicates Roman imperialism and the Imperial cults that had a heavy impact upon the life of people (including Christ-believers) in Roman Corinth of the first century CE. In Roman Imperial cults the Roman emperors were worshipped as divine, and people in the Roman Empire were compelled (at least by social pressure) to honour them as gods. This notion is, to some extent, reflected in the Pauline language –“ there may be so-called gods…on earth…there are many gods and many lords” (1 Cor 8.5). The Roman emperors would be seen as amongst these many gods and these many lords in the Pauline description. North Korea’s culture and society is primarily shaped on the foundation of Juche ideology. The Juche literarily means ‘self-reliance’ and emphasizes North Korea’s independence from other countries in terms of its political, ideological and economic systems. Furthermore, in this Juche ideology Kim Il Sung the founder of North Korea’s communism is claimed as a divine figure, and North Koreans are compelled to venerate him. The discovery of such social, cultural and religious similarities in the two polarizing contexts encourages me to attempt inter-faith and intercultural dialogues between the Christ-believers in first century Corinth and the people of North Korea today, who appear to see the Juche ideology as a religion in their country today. This attempt makes a contribution to recent Asian Biblical scholarship that would acknowledge and encourage Asian Christians and scholars to read Christian Scriptures from Asian cultural, social, religious and political contexts.


Working with Biblical Manuscripts in a Non-Biblical Context: A Detailed Approach of the Greek New Testament Manuscripts from Albania
Program Unit: Textual Criticism: Manuscripts & Methods
Didier Lafleur, Institut de recherche et d’histoire des textes

Very few textual critics have studied the Greek New Testament manuscripts from Albania, a Southeastern country of Europe, located Northern of Greece. Officially declared as an atheistic state in 1968, Albania has experienced isolationism for the most part of the last century though the Albanian National Archives (ANA) of Tirana holds one of the least known collection of Greek manuscripts of the Balkans, including twenty-two Greek New Testament manuscripts. Dated from the 6th to the 15th century, this funds perfectly illustrates like no other the significance of the manuscript tradition in preserving the continuous history of the Byzantine heritage throughout the centuries in spite of a non-Biblical literature context. Two examples may illustrate this. First was Anthimos Alexoudis, Metropolitan of the Albanian city of Berat (1855-1887) under the rule of the Ottoman Empire: he was the first scholar to study and describe the manuscripts. Second was Theofan Popa, an Albanian archivist of the National Archives who described the manuscripts in the 1970s. On the basis of a quite new autopsy of the documents, this paper will review the material witnesses, focusing both on codicology and textual criticism. Taking support of the two above scholars, we will demonstrate how it had been possible to work with Biblical manuscripts in a non-Biblical context.


Why Does God Not Care about Oxen? (cf. 1 Cor 9:8-12a) Contextualizing Paul’s Allegorical Interpretation
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Daniel Lanzinger, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

Many New Testament scholars feel rather uncomfortable when they encounter Paul’s way of interpreting Scripture. This is particularly the case for those instances where Paul reads Scripture allegorically, i.e. where he suggests a meaning that contradicts the plain sense of a text. One example for this is 1 Cor. 9:8-12a where Paul claims that the prohibition of muzzling a threshing ox (cf. Deut. 25:4) does not actually refer to oxen but indicates the obligation of supporting apostles. An adequate understanding of this passage is only possible if it is read within a framework of ancient and not of modern hermeneutics. The paper thus tries to contextualize Paul’s exegetical argumentation by comparing it to the allegorical practice of other interpreters such as Philo, Aristeas, and Plutarch. Special attention is given to the formal aspects of Paul’s exegetical strategy. A pragmatic analysis of the text shows that there is a difference between Paul’s motivation why to use allegory and the reason he provides for it in his letter – a characteristic feature that can likewise be observed in Philo’s works. Drawing upon this and other observations, the paper concludes that Paul is well acquainted with the concept of allegory and deliberately applies it in his letter in order to strengthen his argument in an elegant style.


A Reading of Esther in Malaysia
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Peter Lau, Seminari Theoloji Malaysia

The book of Esther is often brought into dialogue with the 'court tales' of Joseph and Daniel, with Deuteronomy, Samuel, the Exodus/Passover traditions, and with the wisdom literature in general, although not often with Ecclesiastes in particular. This paper will begin by considering which aspects of Esther are highlighted by reading it in dialogue with Ecclesiastes, especially since the former follows the latter in some Hebrew canons. The paper will then consider these aspects within the Malaysian context, with questions raised of the text by the context, as well as some ways the text can speak to the local context.


The Imagery of Imperfect Body in the Book of Job
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Yiu-Sang Sam Lau, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Body imagery as a literary device requires interpretation. However, the perception of the body imagery is shaped by readers’ culture. Although the dichotomy of body and mind plays a significant role in the western world, the perspective of body in the Asia offers another important view. Both the Chinese medicine and philosophy emphasize the holistic of the form and spirit of human beings. The Japanese’s view of the human body is also a holistic one. Similarly, the Hebrew Bible undeniably has a holistic view of the body. This provides us a new interpretation of the book of Job. Like the lament psalms, Job describes his suffering explicitly through the extensive use of body images. Job’s flesh is clothed with worms; his skin hardens and breaks out again (7:5); the desires of his heart are cut off (17:11); his heart is being weaken (23:16) and shaken (37:1). Based on the holistic view of the body, I would argue that Job’s integrity is tightly coupled with the perfection of his body. While Job struggles to maintain his integrity, he could no longer certain whether he is still perfect (9:21). What Job mourning over is not the loss of his family members and wealth, but the death of his perfection. From Job’s view, his dismembered body serves as the witness of violence suffered by his whole being. From the view of his society, Job’s body is a malfunctioning and disabled body. Job is being stigmatized and marginalized. His illness is not life-threatening, but it is harmful for his religious life, as well as the order of his society as a whole. In brief, the perfection of Job’s body is afflicted and de-valued by his community and his God.


"Bad Fellows" Doing a "Cursed Job": Reading the Bible with "Ordinary" Autodrivers in Chennai
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Arren Bennet Lawrence, Hindustan Bible College

In this paper I adopt an ethnographic approach to the ‘reading’ of biblical texts with selected auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai, India. Sociological readings of the Scripture previously have concentrated on locating the (ancient) social world of the text. In addition, contextual critics have emphasized the role of the social context of the readers in arriving at interpretation. While the reader-oriented methodologies rightly emphasized the importance of the social world of the readers in the meaning-making they tended to speak on behalf of the communities whose readings they are attempting to capture., rather than reflecting the actual readings of those communities. For example, a Dalit theologian uses Dalit hermeneutics as a representative of a Dalit community, showcasing how the Dalits must read the text. However, the way the Dalits understand the text may not be identical to that reading. In contrast, the ethnography of Bible encounter strives to identify how a community reads the text through ethnographical research and identifies how individuals and groups in a community read the text and the social and cultural variables that influence. In individual and group interviews the autodrivers in Chennai were asked three questions. First, what is your favorite text in the Bible? Second, what is your favorite Bible story? Third, What do you think about being an autodriver? While the autodrivers were seen by the other Chennaites as cheats or crooks, their answers to these questions show that they see themselves rather as poor and needy. A more nuanced understanding of their identities emerges. They see themselves as poor, needy people who are just trying to make an honest living in a competitive urban city. In this way we further sociological analysis of the Bible in contemporary social settings.


Peter, The Friend of Jesus? A Comparative Critical Reading of Markan Portrayal of Peter with Plutarch’s “How One May Discern A Flatterer From A Friend” and Thiruvalluvar’s “Thirukkural”
Program Unit: Political Biblical Criticism
Bennet Lawrence, Madras University

Intertextual readings are common to Biblical interpretation. Usually, literature contemporary to the Biblical times is used to interpret the Scripture. Post-colonial readings of the text brought forth the importance of reading the Scripture in comparison with the indigenous literature. This provides fascinating opportunities to use this principle to read the Scripture in comparison with any literature. Therefore, comparative critical reading is an interpretative method which consciously compares another literature with the Scripture so that the uniqueness and similarities of the Scripture are highlighted. While Biblical interpretations have used ancient literature to interpret the Scripture, and while post-colonial readings have used post-colonial literature to interpret the Scripture, comparative critical reading provides room for any literature to be used to interpret the Scripture. Any literature, ancient or modern could be used by the choice of the interpreter so that a portion of the Scripture could be interpreted in light of the content of that literature. This would provide fascinating kaleidoscopic readings of the Scripture. In this paper, I propose to read Markan portrayal of Peter’s friendship with Jesus in comparison with the definitions of friendship in Plutarch’s HOW ONE MAY DISCERN A FLATTERER FROM A FRIEND, and Thiruvalluvar’s THIRUKKURAL. Plutarch defines a friend as the one who stays with him in his need, while he defines a flatterer as the one who deserts that friend in his need (II). In this light Peter seems to be portrayed as a flatterer who denied Jesus when he was in need. Similarly, Thiruvalluvar, the ancient Tamil poet says, “There is a benefit even in misfortune, for it is the rod with which a man can measure the loyalty of friends” (796). Even in the light of Thirukkural Peter seems to lack the essential qualities to be the friend of Jesus. Was he His friend then?


The Struggles of the Kachin Jesus in the Context of Awng San Su Kyi and Her NLD Party’s Victory in Myanmar
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Layang Seng Ja, Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong

The Jewish Jesus in the gospels is depicted as one who struggles to restore the fallen in the image of God. He liberates prisoners, outsiders, and the oppressed. He shows what it means to be a true Son of God in a society that the Romans, the elite and the Jewish leaders of the time have corrupted. Through his mission, Jesus restores the souls and bodies of the fallen so they can be sons of God again and once more enjoy life in their community. The Jewish face of Jesus teaches that to be a true child of God is to engage in the work of humanization and to resist evil while the leaders of his community at the time keep silent. This article shows that the Kachin Jesus of Northern Myanmar, like the Jewish Jesus, is struggling to set free the oppressed, the refugees and opium addicts and restore the fallen in the image of God. Aung San Sui Kyi and her NLD have just won an election victory and taken seat in the newly inaugurated parliament. However, the new NLD government remains silent on these issues.


Reading Daughter Zion and Lady Meng: Tears, Protest and Female Voices
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Archie C. C. Lee, Shandong University, China

The ending of Lamentations has puzzled many a reader of the book as to whether the female voices are being answered or sufferers are being utterly rejected (5:21-22). It seems that at least some ambiguities persist, with no divine assurance to the female voices in the first few chapters in questing for divine response (“See/Look”, Lam 1:20; 2:20). This paper intends to look at the issue again from the perspective of the Chinese story of Lady Meng’s Tears, which narrates the power of the cries of a widow for her husband who died of forced labor in the course of the imperial building project of the Great Wall. Her tears moved heaven and earth and as a result cities collapsed and the Wall tumbled. Discussion will focus on the meaning of female cries of protest being answered, or gone unheeded. Both the female voices of Lady Meng’s Tears and the personified Daughter Zion will be read cross-textually. The story of the former has gone through a long history of development in the past 2,500 years (from 549 B.C.E. on) in China, adding different dimensions of lament from subsequent contexts in a great varietiy of literary and ritual compositions (narration, poetry, folklore, opera, performance, etc.). It helps to unpack some of the complications (e.g. the tension between human mourning and divine theodicy) in the present work of Lamentations.


Biblical Scholarship and Bible Translation in South Korea
Program Unit:
DooHee Lee, Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary

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Transition to Heaven or Restoration of Eden? Understanding the Meaning of “Rest” in Hebrews 3:7–4:13
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Jihye Lee, University of St. Andrews

In Heb 3:7-4:13, the author exhorts his readers to enter God’s rest, first by drawing on the idea of Israel’s failure to enter into the promised land in Ps 95 and then, in light of Gen 2:2, redefining entrance into the promised land as participation in God’s own Sabbath rest after creation. One major interpretative view argues that the author links Ps 95 and Gen 2:2 in order to emphasize that the real promised land, the true place for “rest,” is located in heaven, being inaccessible through early existence. For these interpreters, the author cites Ps 95 together with Gen 2:2 solely on the basis of their shared word “rest (?at?pa?s??)” for the purpose of highlighting the heavenly nature of this “rest.” I argue instead that the recognition of protological themes evident in the eschatological hopes of some Second Temple texts, especially themes related to Adam, is influencing the author’s collocation of Ps 95 and Gen 2. More specifically, by joining Ps 95 and Gen 2:2, the author makes the point that the eschatological inheritance of God’s people is nothing less than the restored protological state that Adam was enjoying in Eden. This eschatological rest is God’s own Sabbath rest, that is, the state God originally intended for Adam to enjoy as part of God’s creational intentions. I support this argument by adducing several Second Temple Jewish texts that exhibit this protologically conceived eschatology, and then by reading Heb 3:7-4:13 in light of this eschatological configuration.


Table Etiquette, Absenteeism, and Fines in Greco-Roman Voluntary Associations: Rethinking Late Coming of the Poor Members at the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:17-34)
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Jin Hwan Lee, University of Toronto

The current study of 1 Cor 11:17-34 often understands the s??sµa in v. 18 as a matter of the divisions between the rich and poor, epitomized by the different arrival of members at the Lord’s Supper. It has been suggested that those who gathered earlier were the wealthier members, and those who arrived late at the Supper were the poor members; and all kinds of problems occurred at the Supper were caused by the former who proceeded to eat the Supper without waiting for the latter. Accordingly, Paul’s injunction in v. 33, particularly ??d??es?e, has been frequently read temporally, that is, “wait for.” Arguing from the honor and shame code pertinent to table fellowship attested in both ancient literature and Greco-Roman voluntary associations, however, this paper will problematize the temporal reading of the text, which overly misleads describing the cause of factions at the Lord’s Supper, and therefore, Paul’s injunction as well. An alternative view of Paul’s criticism on the wealthier members will be pondered at the end.


Banquet Practice in Greco-Roman Voluntary Associations: Rethinking hos men peina hos de methuei (“one goes hungry, another gets drunk”) in 1 Corinthians 11:21
Program Unit: Early Christianity and the Ancient Economy
Jin Hwan Lee, University of Toronto

It has been suggested that the phrase hos men peina hos de methuei in 1 Cor 11:21 is without a doubt Paul’s summary of the schismata (v. 18) at the Corinthians’ Lord’s Supper. This resulted from improper sharing of food by wealthier members who could bring more and better food than poorer members who could not even bring anything to the Supper. One of the presumptions of this understanding is that the menu involved at table fellowship was quite diverse in terms of both quality and quantity. Arguing from banqueting practice in Greco-Roman voluntary associations, however, this paper interrogates the conventional reading of the phrase. An alternative reading of the phrase will be pondered in thinking of the menu and functionality of banquets in associations in general.


Wandering in the Wilderness: Asian Biblical Studies
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Kyung Sook Lee, Ewha Womans University

SABS seems to be in a 'between the Exodus and the Promised Land'. It means that Asian biblical scholars have tried to come out of Egypt, the land of Empires and are wandering in the wilderness, struggling to survive and find hope, yet to arrive in the promised land. In the wilderness we have to deconstruct western prejudice; divest our colonial clothes. Deconstruction alone is not our goal. We need to reconstruct the original affirming message of the Bible to have a life-giving, life-sharing and peace-making power. The wilderness is a space for conflict and struggle, but it is also a place for new hope. We need our own global ethic that enables us to move our margins from periphery to the center in this capitalized and globalized world of neo-liberalism. Almost 40 years after Minjung theology, the gap between the poor and the rich, and between the poor nations and powerful countries has become broader and wider. The number of refugees, migrant workers, irregular employees, the handicapped, abandoned juveniles, battered women and other marginalized groups has been increasing incessantly. They need someone who will listen to them and empower them. It has to be us who have the Bible with the countless encouraging messages. Thus, we need to re-examine the basic mechanism of global capitalism again with the eyes of the biblical message. We,who have abundant cultural and religious heritages, can go into the Promised Land, without losing our balance between theories and practices; by interpreting the Bible as the incomparable source of liberation from all kinds of oppression on the earth. We are struggling in the wilderness now, but we are full of hope.


Gog of Magog within and beyond Ezekiel 38–39
Program Unit: Prophets
Lydia Lee, North-West University (South Africa)

The most extensive descriptions of Gog and Magog in the Hebrew Bible appear in Ezek 38-39. At various stages of their political career, both Reagan and Bush have linked Gog and Magog to the diplomatic and military enemies of the USA, identifying them either as the “communistic and atheistic” Russia or the “evil” Iraq (Halsell 1986, 45; Eichenwald 2012, 459). Biblical scholars, however, seek to contextualize Gog of Magog in the historical literary setting of the ancient Israelites. Galambush identifies Gog in Ezekiel as a cipher for Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian king, who acted as Judah’s oppressor in the sixth century BCE (Galambush 2006, 259-260). More generally, Klein concludes that Gog, along with its companions, is “eine Personifikation aller Feinde, die Israel im Buch Ezechiel gegenüberstehen” (Klein 2008, 131). Despite their differences in detail, these scholars, like Reagan and Bush, still work under a mindset of animosity, considering only the features of Judah’s enemies incorporated into the characteristics of Gog. This paper argues that Gog and his entourage display literary attributes previously assigned to not only Judah’s enemies, but also Judah’s political allies, especially Egypt. Internal evidence suggests that the Gog oracles are a much later insertion into the book of Ezekiel (Tooman 2011, 72-83). Therefore, Ezek 38-39 apparently draws from omnifarious biblical elements and themes, so that all foreign historical nations, whether friends or foes, are all combined and transformed into a metahistorical symbol of chaos or evil, standing in opposition to YHWH and the restored Israel in the eschatological era. Brief remarks will also be made as to how the literary process within Ezek 38-39 that relegates all foreign elements to one eschatological symbol of evil is mirrored in the Septuagint (Num 24:7; Deut 3:1, 13; 4:47; Esth 3:1; 9:24) and continues to evolve in early Jewish and Christian traditions.


Pistis as Charismata and the Roman Church
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Sang Mok Lee, Yonsei University

The conflicts between the weak and the strong in Romans 14 are significantly related to the believer’s pistis. Most commentators understand pistis in 14:1 to mean faith and read te pistei to modify the preceding participle ton asthenounta. If it is the case, the weak one is considered so because of the inferior state of his or her faith. This interpretation, nonetheless, needs a close examination in terms of the meaning of pistis and the grammatical function of read te pistei. Firstly, this present research study read te pistei in 14:1 in comparison with the similar expression in Romans 4:19 and, then, suggest that the dative phrase in 14:1 modifies the following inflicted verb proslambanesthe, not the concerned participle. The given phrase specifies the way of accepting the weak. Secondly, this article will study the meaning of pistis in Romans 14 with respect to the congregational conflict and, then, suggest that pistis in 14:1, 23 can be interpreted in terms of duties and functions of the Roman believers at communal meal. Some scholars suggested that pistis in 12: 3, 6 signifies not faith but stewardship/trusteeship or the duty entrusted, which likely refers to the charismata in 12:5-8. While their suggestions are helpful, their discussions concern only chap. 12. The conflicts in chap. 14 and the charismata in 12:3-8 are both observed at table fellowship. The theological disputes are closely related to the charismata of those involved in the discord. Paul intends no believers to be marginalized in terms of their duties and functions at communal meal. The apostle tries to promote mutual acceptance, but, first, to exhort the strong, who get the upper hand, to accept the weak for their full fellowship. This intention is reflected in Paul’s use of pistis in both chapters.


Jesus’ Philoi vs. Jesus’ Douloi in the Johannine Community: Conflicts over the Paraclete’s Function and Authority
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Sang Mok Lee, Yonsei University

John’s Gospel presents its readers a puzzle as to the relation of Jesus and the Paraclete. In 15:15 Jesus calls his disciples friends, not slaves any longer, because he has let them know everything he heard from God. The status of Jesus’ friends depends on that complete transition of knowledge from the teacher. The Paraclete, during Jesus’ absence, is to teach and remind the disciples of everything Jesus already taught (cf. 14:26). The Paraclete’s teaching authority is restricted with the tradition of Jesus’ teaching. Meanwhile, in 16:12-13, Jesus still has many more to tell the disciples, which they cannot bear at the moment. The Paraclete will disclose to the disciples those reserved. It seems that the Paraclete teaches the disciples more than what Jesus did. If so, the disciples are not friends but slaves of Jesus. This research suggests that the aforementioned texts reflect a competition for authority between two groups: Jesus’ friends and Jesus’ slaves. Our evangelist supports the former and accentuates the reliability and authority of Jesus’ tradition through the Beloved Disciple (or BD below) written in the Gospel. If Jesus taught everything to the disciples, that teaching is certainly transmitted through BD and the possibility of the Paraclete’s new teachings is denied. Nevertheless, Jesus’ slaves rely upon the authority and continuing activities of the Paraclete and claim their authority within the community. While clear charismatic phenomena as in 1 Corinthians 12 are not observed in the Johannine literature, we still find a clue of prophetic activities (cf. 1 John 4:1, 4). The Johannine community likely experiences conflicts over authority between the written tradition of Jesus’ friends and prophetic teachings of Jesus’ slaves. The evangelist incorporates the latter’s claim in his Gospel and places the Paraclete’s prophetic teachings under Jesus’s teaching authority (cf. Jn 16:13).


“High Places (bamôt)” and Conflicting Ideologies in Rabshakeh’s Speech (2 Kgs 18:19-25)
Program Unit: Expressions of Religion in Israel
Woo Min Lee, Drew University

In this paper, I would like to explore the interrelationship between the cultic practice of “high places” and conflicting religious ideologies in Rabshakeh’s speech against Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:19-25. In his speech, Rabshakeh criticizes Hezekiah of his cultic reform – in particular, his removal of “high places” (2 Kings 18:22). The “high places” was not related only to the Southern Kingdom but also to the Northern Kingdom (2 Kings 17:11). Rabshakeh’s knowledge about the “high places” and fluency in the language of Judah can be related to his own identity (origin) and even to his religious ideology. Also, Rabshakeh’s speech can be related to the religious identity of the people of Judah. In particular, it seems that the Deuteronomist conveys his religious ideology about the exclusiveness of Yahwism through the speech.


Getting In and Staying In: Another Look at 4QMMT and Galatians
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Yongbom Lee, Universitas Pelita Harapan

On April 16th 2014, a South Korean ferry called “Sewol” sank, leaving 294 passengers dead. It was run by a sectarian group called “Christian Gospel Baptist” (aka “Salvation Sect”). What is unique about this sectarian group is their soteriology—one is saved by one’s mental recognition of one’s sins having been forgiven by the saving work of Christ. Their distinctive boundary marker is whether or not one can recall the exact date of salvation. CGB missionaries would initially welcome someone’s exposure to Christianity but eventually argue that only they are saved, being God’s “true” eschatological people. It cannot be just faith in Christ but their particular teaching and life in the sectarian community that guarantee salvation. Sanders criticized the previous scholarship’s stereotypical portrait of Second Temple Judaism as a works-based legalistic religion, proposing that it can be typically described as “covenantal nomism”—one “gets in” the covenant by God’s gracious election and “stays in” the covenant by obedience to the law. However, this does not accurately describe the Qumran sect who required the works of the law and their particular halakhoth not only to “stay in” but also “get in” the sectarian covenant. Sanders and his followers incorrectly suppose that Paul’s problem with his opponents was not their legalism but only their ethnocentrism. Comparison between 4QMMT and Galatians, and a close mirror reading of Galatians, however, suggest that Paul’s opponents persuaded the Galatians to do the works of the law not only to “stay in” but also “get in” the true covenant of God—to become full members of God’s covenant people—arguing that one is justified by the works of the law, in addition to faith in Christ. Paul’s problem with his opponents most likely included both their legalism and ethnocentrism, what Michael F. Bird calls, “ethnocentric nomism.”


Jesus, Son of Adam and Son of God (Luke 3:38): Adam-Jesus Typologies in Luke’s Gospel
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Yongbom Lee, Universitas Pelita Harapan

Luke begins Jesus’ genealogy from Joseph all the way back to Adam (3:23–38). Luke ends his genealogy with a profound statement—[????] t?? ?d?µ t?? ?e??. While the Gospels often make the claim that Jesus is the Son of God, we find nowhere else the claim that Jesus is the son of Adam, who is the son of God. In what ways, is Jesus the son of Adam and Adam the son of God? How are they related to each other? This paper explores Adam-Jesus typologies in Luke 3:21–4:30, and argues that Luke reflects early church traditions that compare and contrast Adam and Jesus. The phrase p????? p?e?µat?? ????? (4:1) implies an Adam-Jesus typology in the context of Jesus’ baptism and temptation (3:21–4:13). Luke already associates Jesus’ identity as the Son of God with the Holy Spirit (1:35; 3:22) and mentions Adam’s sonship (3:38) right before describing the fullness of the Spirit in Jesus (4:1) and emphasizing his Sonship (4:3, 9). In response to the devil’s temptations (4:1–13), Jesus cites Deut 8:3; 6:13, 16, whose context concern the temptations that Israel faced in wilderness. Israel, God’s firstborn son (cf. Exod 4:22), failed to overcome temptations, like Adam. In contrast, Jesus, the son of Adam and the Son of God, overcomes every temptation and restores the image of God. Jesus cites Isa 61:1–2 LXX in Luke 4:18–19, which concerns Yahweh’s servants (???? ????) to bless Jerusalem in its context. Gen 2:5, 15; 3:23 use the Hebrew verb ??? to refer to Adam. These observations suggest that an essential part of God’s son’ identity is to be God’s servant, of which Jesus is a perfect example. This servant-sonship contradicts the Confucian understanding of social hierarchy, which challenges the authoritarianism common in Asian churches today (3rd Session).


Double Double (Rev 18:6) and Millennial Kingdom (Rev 20:4–6): Literary and Theological Observations
Program Unit: Korean Biblical Colloquium
Yongbom Lee, Universitas Pelita Harapan

This study identifies the neglected literary and theological connection in Revelation between the phrase “double the double” (18:6) and the millennial kingdom (20:4–6), and highlights its functions. First, the millennial kingdom (20:4–6) is the fulfillment of the pronouncement of double judgment (18:6). A voice from heaven pleads with God to pay back to Babylon the Great and demands him to “double the double according to her deeds.” Many commentators take d?p??sate t? d?p?? simply as a metaphor for full recompense rather than for twice the penalty. However, we must consider its larger literary context. The voice most likely belongs to the angel who offers a great quantity of incense with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne of God (6:9–10) and comes with a golden censer (8:3–5). The angel’s plea for double repayment (18:6) pronounces the double judgment of the evil thrown into the lake of fire in 19:20 and 20:10. This motif of an angelic figure’s pronouncement of God’s judgment and its fulfillment is attested throughout the book. The millennial kingdom (20:4–6) separates the first judgment (19:11–21) and the second judgment (20:7–10). Second, the connection resolves the tension between messianism and monotheism in the book. While most descriptions of God and Christ in Revelation are straightforward, there are a number of expressions used both for God and Christ, whose referent can be decided only by their contexts. The author maintains the framework of Jewish monotheism, by contrasting Christ’s temporary earthly kingdom with God’s eternal heavenly kingdom. Third, the connection illuminates human depravity. Fourth, the connection highlights God’s sovereignty. These literary and theological observations remind us of the fact that Revelation is an intricately woven piece of apocalyptic literature.


Polemical Propaganda of the Golah Community against the Gibeonites: Historical Background of Joshua 9 and 2 Samuel 21 of the Early Persian Period
Program Unit: Persian Period
Yitzhak Lee-Sak, Tel Aviv University

In Joshua 9 and 2 Samuel 21, two issues relate to the Gibeonites: the cultic place of YHWH, and the Gibeonites’ ethnicity. In order to clarify the historical background of both texts, this article aims to look closely at the archaeological information of the site of el-Jib, and to undertake a redactional analysis of both texts. Archaeological data has demonstrated an economic zenith of ancient el-Jib during the eighth and seventh centuries and its continuity into the sixth century BCE. The urban culture of Gibeon met its end around the beginning of the Persian period (circa. 490 BCE), not surviving into the Hasmonean period. A reexamination of Joshua 9 demonstrates that the text should be reassigned as post-Dtr and the styles embedded in the narrative are those of the post-exilic period. According to the present study, 2 Samuel 21 not only presumes a knowledge of Joshua 9 and other passages in the books of Samuel, but also consists of a number of terms and phrases whose range cannot be distinguished from the post-exilic period. Synthesizing the intersection between these two independent observations, archaeological and textual investigations, leads to the conclusion that the only appropriate historical background for the composition of these texts is the early Persian period. This article suggests that both texts functioned as polemical propaganda for the Golah community against the Gibeonites. Such propaganda was presented to firstly affirm the supremacy of the Temple of Jerusalem, while simultaneously denigrating the status of the Gibeonites and their sanctuary (Josh 9). Secondly, the propaganda served to brainwash the Gibeonites into serving the Golah community, exhorting them to assimilate into part of Persian Yehud (2 Sam 21).


Toward a Textual Structure of “Fulfill All Righteousness” in Matthew 3:15
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Chuanshan Liang, Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies

Scholars do not agree about the meaning of what “fulfill all righteousness” in Matthew 3:15 means. Four main explanations are used to explain this passage: Jesus identifying Himself with sinners, Jesus’ example for sinners, Jesus’ redemptive earthly mission, or a combination of Jesus’ example and mission. Unfortunately, no consensus has been reached. The paper proposes an analysis of the historical background of John’s baptism, unveiling its Jewish proselyte nature and John’s unique innovation. The key word d??a??s??? in Matthew is interpreted from the light of Greek, Jewish, and Christian perspectives. A comparison of the words “righteousness,” “fulfill,” and “baptism” is examined within this baptismal context. The vital point is found in the twofold textual structure from three different levels, which present sharp contrasts between salvation and judgment among the Jewish people, both within John’s and Jesus’ baptism, and between the two different kinds of baptism. This special twofold structure exists in a triplex framework composed of a chiastic structure in Matthew 3:1-12 based upon which John’s baptism and Jesus’ encounter each other in 3:13-17. The central thesis of this paper is that this textual structure sheds special light upon the meaning of “fulfill all righteousness.” It bears rich theological significance for understanding John’s and Jesus’ ministry. It furthermore proclaims the end of an old era and inaugurates a new one by pointing the “righteousness” to Jesus ministry, which culminates in his crucifixion. The nature of contrast exposed by this twofold structure echoes throughout the book of Matthew that the significance of the phrase to “fulfill all righteousness” constitutes an important aspect of Matthean theology.


Marginal Reading of the No Name Wife of Achan in Joshua 7 and the Nameless Women in Ancient Chinese Clan Punishment Incidents
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Grace Hui Liang, Zhejiang University

The Achan incident in Joshua 7 reflects the ideologies of the herem ban tradition in ancient Israel. Achan was stoned to death together with his family for transgressing the ban. Previous research usually focuses on how the narrator treats with the two herem ban traditions (the ban as sacrifice and the ban as God’s justice). For modern biblical readers, the Achan narrative is a very troubling text, especially the killing and burning of his entire household in the Valley of Achor. Unfortunately, their crying and suffering has been neglected with the separation of the holy and the unholy, the clean and the unclean. Similarly, there is a very cruel and popular law named as “the Clan Punishment” (Zhulian; Lianzuo) carried in ancient China for a very long period, which means that the clans of the criminal will be also slaughtered when his (her) family member has been charged with some very serious offence and put into death by the Chinese emperors. The numbers of the clans that involve in this death punishment are not certain, which normally vary from three to nine. The extreme case is ten, which includes the family of the teacher of the death criminal. This essay will make investigation of the image of the no name wife of Achan and the nameless women in ancient Chinese clan punishment incidents with the methodology of marginal reading. The further exploration will be focused on how the writers of ancient Chinese historical books and literature portray those Chinese “Achan’s wives” and what ideologies we could find through the texts. As the sacrifice of Chinese patriarchal clan system, the marginal voices of the nameless wives of ancient Chinese criminals will be particularly watched and revealed with the cross-cultural reading of the suffering of the no name woman in Achan’s narrative.


Crisis of (In)Visibility: Asian American Readings the Bible
Program Unit:
Tat-siong Benny Liew, College of the Holy Cross

Minoritized groups coming to the Bible to claim their place and their particular perspectives of reading are indebted to the path first opened up by African American readers. As it is well known, one of the early reading strategies employed by African American Bible scholars was to argue for black presence within the Bible that had previously been erased or covered over. We have learned from African American experiences, however, that both hypervisibility and invisibility can be problematic in struggles against minoritization and marginalization. In this paper, I aim to consider how Asian American biblical interpretation may play with the dynamics of presence and absence to negotiate what I call a “crisis of (in)visibility.”


Entering the Kingdom as Children: The Socio-Political Power of Little Ones in Matthew’s Gospel
Program Unit: Allusions in the Gospels and Acts
Eunyung Lim, Harvard University

All the synoptic gospels contain Jesus’s saying, “Let the little children come to me . . . for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs” (Matt 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16). While scholars have long discussed Jesus’s welcoming and blessing of little children primarily by focusing on the Gospel of Mark, Matthew’s version of these accounts (18:1–5; 19:13–15) is worthy of a separate analysis, because Matthew makes a more direct connection between the childlike condition and the Kingdom of Heaven than Mark and Luke do. Thus, this paper explores how young children function as a symbolic paradigm for the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew’s gospel, in particular, by situating the imagery of children within the broader context of antiquity. First, three literary features unique to Matthew’s version are discussed, namely, Jesus’s injunction to become like little children, the repeated phrase “these little ones” in chapter 18, and the section on the temple tax that has been newly inserted between the second prediction of the Passion and the disciples’ question about greatness. Secondly, these observations lead to the insight that Matthew juxtaposes children and the Kingdom of Heaven with the socio-political conception of children in the Roman Empire. The Gospel of Matthew not only draws on the lowly, marginalized condition of the child in the first-century CE but also alludes to the imagery of children used to propagate the idea of the empire’s future prosperity. This deployment of the imagery of children serves to promote the transgressive ideal of the Kingdom of Heaven, in which God acts as the sole sovereign and authority, the great ones of this world relinquish their privileges, and the little ones are placed at the center of the new religious community.


“You are the Body of Christ” (1 Cor 12:27): Metaphor and Social Identity Formation
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Kar-Yong Lim, Seminari Theoloji Malaysia

Paul uses the metaphor of the body extensively in 1 Corinthians 12:12-30. While there are several possible backgrounds for the body metaphor, the political and philosophical images of the body drawn from Hellenistic sources have received the most support partly due to the close parallels of the use of the various parts of the body. However, these sources often place emphasis on the reinforcement of existing social hierarchy where honour and respect are given to the strong and the ruling elites, whereas Paul’s use of the body metaphor focuses on the reversal of social status where the weaker, the unpresentable and less honourable parts of the body are given special honour and attention. This paper examines another possible background that has been largely dismissed by commentators where the total well being of the body is emphasised – the medical sources. This paper also considers how this reading of body metaphor functions in the social identity formation of the Christ-community in Corinth and offers implication of this reading for an Asian context.


Moving to and from the Margins: Reading Daniel 1 with Malay Muslim Minorities in Singapore
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Stephen Lim, King's College - London

Being a minority religion in most parts of Asia, Christians tend to read the Bible from the experiences of their own interpreting communities so as to produce meaning that could be relevant to them. However, in Singapore, this becomes potentially problematic as the demographic of the church becomes more aligned with the dominant middle class, Chinese ethnic majority. In light of this, I propose a reading of Daniel 1 with Malay minorities in Singapore who are generally considered marginalised to the church in terms of race and class using perspectives taken from an anthology of short stories called Malay Sketches (2012) by local Malay writer Alfian Sa’at. By reading Daniel’s abstinence of the king’s food through Sa'at’s depiction of social dynamics and experiences of halal dining, I foreground issues within Daniel 1 that relate to struggles of hiddenness and ethics of survival while at the same time, trouble the story’s theology of success. I then juxtapose this with an interpretation by local Singaporean scholar, Gordon Wong in his book Faithful to the End: Message of Daniel for Life in the Real World (2006) which I see represents the interests of the Chinese majority, financially secure churches. This is in order to explore how a Malay minority’s perspectives could reveal the tendency of privileged readers to celebrate the actions of Daniel and his three friends in a way that subtly hints at a form of Christian triumphalism which seems congenial to their own middle class, ethnic majority status. By reading with an Other and contrasting it with a perspective from local church communities, I hope to demonstrate that moving the margins of biblical studies in Asia requires a move to and from the margins, even that which is marginal to already (religiously) marginalised interpreting communities.


Lion’s Den in the Lion City: Reading Daniel 6 through the Experiences of Political Prisoners in Singapore
Program Unit: Postcolonial Studies
Stephen Lim, King's College - London

One key question in reading Daniel 6 is whether the central thrust of the narrative is about living a faithful, quietist religious life in the face of empire or actively resisting its totalizing rule. This is a particularly acute issue in many parts of Asia emerging out of colonial rule as they experience re-colonisation by local elites. One such clash of ideologies between Christians and the state happened during the alleged Marxist conspiracy in the 1980s in Singapore (otherwise popularly known as the Lion City). Using a postcolonial strategy of contrapuntal reading, I read the story of Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6) with the autobiographical accounts of two political prisoners at that time, Teo Soh Lung in Beyond the Blue Gate: Recollections of a Political Prisoner (2011) and Vincent Cheng in Persecuted for Justice's sake (2012) which could be considered as texts from the peripheries. Taking their experiences as a heuristic lens, I conclude that on the one hand piety and politics are not mutually exclusive. In fact, questions pertaining to which ought to be prioritized lack an empathy towards real life struggles against the incursions of empire into everyday living. On the other hand, their experiences could re-sensitise Asian readers by filling in the gaps in the narrative with their ordeals in captivity. That said, their experiences as Christians with the state also problematises the apparent success of Daniel by exposing the underlying triumphalistic innuendoes which tends to eclipse their struggles especially since they did not enjoy success in the manner that Daniel did. Thus, by drawing together similar experiences of Daniel and political prisoners in Singapore in the face of empire, I show how postcolonial criticism is able to give some resolution to and more importantly move beyond the current polemics of piety and politics.


A Resistant Learning in a Globalized Korean Context (Mark 7:24-30)
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Sung Uk Lim, Yonsei University

This paper delves into a postcolonial strategy for teaching the Bible in the context of globalization, engaging my lived instructional experience at the Yonsei Global Institute of Theology, which consists of about 30 students predominantly from the Global South. It comes as a surprise that global biblical education is intermittently confronted with students’ resistance to postcolonialism in spite of their shared experiences of colonialism and imperialism. With this in mind, the paper is a rereading of the conversation between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7:24-30 from a resistant perspective, which eventually brings about liberation as a result.


The Kinship Meaning of the "Image of God" and Its Function in Israelite Law
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
Brian D. Lima, McGilvary College of Divinity at Payap University

This paper explores whether Yahweh functions as a Divine Kinsman-Redeemer in Gen 9:6 where he is described as requiring the lifeblood of any creature that sheds the blood of the descendants of sons of Noah. A linguistic framework is used to indicate a kinship meaning for the phrase “image of God” [???? ?????] in Gen 9:6 that has been identified by McDowell (2015) and in my dissertation. It illustrates how the text extends the limited lexical meaning of the word “image” [???] to refer to kinship and how this referential meaning then coheres with the pericope of Gen 6:9—9:29. This interpretation is significant because kinship in the ancient Near East provides the foundation for some of the most compelling laws in the OT, including the “family law” of the kinsman-redeemer. This law was based, in part, on the belief that kindred conceived of themselves as members of one living body sharing the same flesh and bone (Gen 2:23). This understanding of kinship obligation may be graphically illustrated in Gen 9:6 where Yahweh promises to “redeem” blood spilled of one family member because it is understood as a loss of lifeblood to the whole kindred group. Yahweh is also said to function as a kinsman-redeemer when Yahweh declares that he will redeem (Exod 6:6) and restore sons of Israel enslaved in Egypt. This declaration of redemption is seen as an expression of kindred obligation, originating from the covenant that God made with Israel’s patriarchs. Through this covenant, Yahweh identifies himself as the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He becomes, in effect, the Divine Patriarch (Exod 4:22) over the children of Israel, obligating Him to redeem them. This paper explores whether the biblical writer depicts God as a kinsman not only based on covenant but also on creation.


How Rom 13:1 is Abused in Hong Kong
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Tsui-yuk Louise Liu, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Many Hong Kong churches used to take the meaning of “let every person be subject to the governing authorities” (Rom 13:1 NRS) literally. In the time of Umbrella Revolution/Movement 2014 and thereafter, the verse has been widely proclaimed literally in sermons and stands of belief in churches. In such circumstances, Christians who supports the protest are labelled as non-believers and are prohibited to serve in churches. The abuse of Rom 13:1 in Hong Kong churches reflects a widening gap between Hong Kong churches and biblical academia. Were church leaders unaware of the social-historical contexts of Rom 13:1? Rather, the perception of the Chinese government concerns them too much. The superficial literal non-contextual interpretation of Rom 13:1 is in fact a contextual recolonized interpretation of Rom 13:1.


The Revelation of Jesus’ Identity: A Possible Link between John and the Synoptics?
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Jonathan W. Lo, Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary

Jesus’ identity is a fascinating narrative element in the Synoptic Gospels ––while the evangelists are convinced that Jesus is the Messiah, they portray the revelation of Jesus’ identity as a gradual development within their respective narratives, punctuated by Peter’s confession and Jesus’ own confession before the high priest. In contrast, Jesus’ identity in GJohn’s narrative is fully disclosed from the start, and the revelation of Jesus as Messiah/Son of God in GJohn is frequent and widespread. Does such a different picture in GJohn prove that it is independent of the Synoptic accounts about the identity of Jesus? This paper will argue that in regard to Jesus’ identity, both GJohn and the Synoptics share a similar understanding of Jesus that can be observed by comparing texts in which a constellation of Christological titles is employed to refer to Jesus. There are texts in both GJohn and the Synoptics that use the titles Messiah and the Son of God in tandem (John 11:27; 20:31; Mark 1:1; Matt 16:16; Luke 4:41); as well as those that combine Messiah with the Son of God as well as the Son of Man (John 1:49–51; Mark 14:61; Matt 26:63; Luke 22:67–70). The resonance between the four gospels observed through such a study of the interplay of Christological titles shows that the differences in the gospels’ portrayal of the way Jesus’ identity is revealed need not exclude the possibility of interdependence. In fact, such a study may provide insights for understanding the intertextual relations between GJohn in the Synoptics by using alternative treatments of the identity of Jesus as an example to illustrate how seeming discrepancies between the gospels might be resolved by investing greater significance to similarities of a more fundamental nature.


Hong Kong Chinese Interpretations of the New Testament After the Umbrella Movement
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Jonathan W. Lo, Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary

Christians in Hong Kong have always been interested in the intersection of faith and politics, but especially so after 1997, when the sovereignty of Hong Kong (HK) was transferred from the United Kingdom back to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Two coinciding political grassroots movements that began in 2014, Occupy Central and the Umbrella Movement, are clear indications of the tensions between HK and the PRC, as well as the sharp divide amongst HK people on these issues. In response, many Churches and Christian institutions and organizations have turned to the New Testament for guidance, in terms of understanding these political issues and learning how to relate to the government. Typically, texts such as Rom 13:1–7, 1 Pet 2:13–17, and Mark 12:13–17 are cited to support the establishment view, while texts like Eph 6:10–17 and Rev 13:1–10 are evoked to galvanize anti-establishment support. The following paper will be a study of the interpretive grids used by Christians of both sides of the issue––not to determine which interpretation is correct––but by studying their contextual interpretations of the Bible in relation to the rising political tensions with the PRC, to give insight into Hong Kong Chinese Christianity, which contains a fascinating mix of Western Judeo-Christian influences as well as traditional Chinese Confucian values. 


The End Is Where We Start From: Christology in the Greetings of Ignatius of Antioch
Program Unit: Apostolic Fathers and Related Early Christian Literature
Jonathon Lookadoo, University of Otago

This paper examines the way in which the greetings and exordiums of Ignatius’s letters anticipate christological emphases that are developed in the letter bodies. In order to narrow the paper’s focus, Ign. Rom. will be the primary letter studied and will serve as an example of how Ignatius’s rhetoric intertwines with his understanding of Jesus. The introduction of the paper concisely discusses two matters in preparation for the larger study. First, it notes that the introductions of Ignatius’s letters are written as part of a larger letter and function within that context. Second, it holds that the letters are individual compositions addressed to particular churches. The paper next investigates Ignatius’s presentation of Jesus by paying attention to titular designations and to Jesus’s implicit actions in the greeting and exordium of Ign. Rom. Ignatius highlights Jesus’s relation to the Father, identity as God, role as law-giver, and place alongside Ignatius as he is bound for Rome as a prisoner. The paper then explores the way in which the body of the letter expands this material and integrates it smoothly into Ignatius’s instructions to the Romans. Ignatius’s statements about Jesus are incorporated into his larger epistolary purposes. Finally, the paper concludes with a brief look at Jesus in the greetings of two related literary collections: the greetings of other Ignatian letters and other letters with Roman connections. Ign. Rom. is similar to these letters in that his christological emphases throughout the letter are foreshadowed from the start. Yet his description of Jesus remains unique to the rhetorical needs of Ign. Rom.


Dating the Epistle to the Hebrews
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Graham Lovell, Macquarie University alumnus

While there are no easy dating criteria in Hebrews (such as a reference to a Roman official), rather than following the traditional dating of this work (which places it before the destruction of Jerusalem) it is more likely that we should date this work to the period immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The proposition argued here is this work addresses what the author considered were the misplaced hopes of those Jewish Christians who longed for the restoration of the temple instead of recognizing that the fall of the temple signaled the final end of the old Jewish rites.


Ephesians as a “Community Rule” for Paul’s Apocalyptic Community
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Kwang Meng Low, Paya Lebar Methodist Church

Ephesians and apocalyptic might appeared to be a square peg and a round hold at first glance. However, the apocalyptic elements in the book has not escaped the notice of some such as Gombis and Lioy. While others concentrate on picking out more prominent features such as the powers and principalities(A. Clinton) and the ethnic issues (Yee TL). However, there has not been a way of string these diverse discoveries and features within Ephesians together. This paper suggest that Ephesians is very similar to the Community Rule and War Scroll found in the DSS. A comparison with these makes Ephesians as a possible “Community Rule” for Paul’s community. The ‘apocalyptic' of the title is to be understood as a worldview and not a literary genre. As defined by J.J. Colins, an apocalyptic worldview is “characterised by eschatological expectation and the prominence of supernatural agents … dualism and determinism … and the use of mythological symbols (The Oxford Handbook of Apocalyptic Literature, IX).’ These elements are easily identifiable in Ephesians from the beginning of the letter starting with 1:9-10. tHe division of time into “this age” and “the age to come” is characteristic of an apocalyptic worldview (the ’then’ and ’now’ in Chap. 2 as well). The characterisation of the present age as “the evil age” and the apocalyptic warfare motif in 6:10-20 reflect the characteristics of an apocalyptic worldview as well. With these elements in consideration and a comparison with the DSS, this paper believe that there is a high possibility of success to establish Ephesians as a kind of “Community Rule” for Paul’s apocalyptic community.


The Herald Angels of Revelation 8
Program Unit: Apocalyptic Literature
U-Wen Low, University of Divinity

This presentation explores the links between the angels of Revelation and the heralds of the Greco-Roman world. The angels of Revelation, specifically the trumpet-bearing angels of Revelation 8, have great significance as agents of God. Although the Jewish allusions of Revelation are well documented, its Greco-Roman links are less well understood for a variety of reasons. Such a link is found in the occupation of praeco, the position of herald in the Roman world. The praecones were not simply announcers, but were heralds, auctioneers, masters of ceremonies and the representatives of both empire and religion. An understanding of the role of the praecones in Roman society greatly illuminates our contemporary understanding of the book of Revelation, and helps to contextually demonstrate the subversive anti-imperial agenda of the text.


“In Hebrew”: A Historical Background of Mary’s Word in John 20:16
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Yutaka Maekawa, Kwansei Gakuin University

In John 20:16, Mary Magdalene called Jesus “Rabbouni,” and the author explains that she said it “in Hebrew.” This expression is rare in the New Testament: it is found five times in the Gospel of John and twice in the book of Apocalypse. In John’s Gospel, it is used thrice as a translation of the name of place in Hebrew, once in the inscription above the Cross, and only once as an utterance. There are some instances where the translation of Hebrew/Aramaic words is written in the Gospel, though there is no case where “in Hebrew” is added. This shows that the word “Rabbouni” has some importance for the author or the readers of the Gospel. Hence, why was this phrase added in John 20:16? Here is our hypothesis: “Rabbouni” was one of the expressions that the early Christians used for Jesus from beginning. The earliest Christians use the expression “Rabbouni” in Hebrew (actually it is Aramaic), for Hebrew/Aramaic was their language. This expression had been still used in Johannine community when the Gospel of John was written, but they had lost the information where it came from: the meaning of this expression had become unclear. Therefore, the author added “in Hebrew” so that it is clear to his readers that this is from Jesus’ time. Some scholars say that this is Mary’s confession to Jesus; we, however, suppose that we need not regard it as her personal confession. “Rabbouni” is a kind of fixed expression used by early Christian communities; it has been handed down from a very early period. This study shows that research on tiny expressions can still be informative of the history of early Christianity.


Missionary Redux: Which Has Greater Impact, Missionary Ideology or Indigenous Exposure to Scripture?
Program Unit: Bible and Its Influence: History and Impact
William Luther Martin, Jr., University Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas, USA

Professor Arun W. Jones (2001) has commented on a conflict in scholarly opinion between those on the one hand such as William R. Hutchison and William E. Hocking who emphasize the culturally disruptive nature of missionary ideology and those on the other hand such as Lian Xi and Lamin Sanneh who view missionary ideology as relatively unimportant in comparison to the effect of indigenous exposure to scripture translated into indigenous vernacular. Scholars in the latter school go so far as to say that subaltern thinking on scriptural meanings actually has a reverse impact on the missionary which is at least as great as the impact on the intended target of missionary activity. In other words, is the true impact of "religious imperialism" the inculcation of missionary attitudes, or the indigenous reader's reception of translated scriptures? Dr. Jones has addressed this issue in the context of Protestant Episcopal Missions to the Igorot tribes of Northern Luzon during the American Occupation of the Philippines in the early decades of the 20th century. In my paper, I update and elaborate on the debate in the following particulars: (1) I review the archives of the Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas, in order to identify additional evidence from missionary experiences in Asia that may shed new light on this debate; (2) I review the evidence included in the Laymen’s Foreign Missions Inquiry (LFMI) materials maintained at Union Theological Seminary; (3) I take a fresh look at the final report of Laymen’s Foreign Missions Inquiry which was published by Harper and Brothers Publishers in November 1932 under the title Re-Thinking_Missions:_A_Laymen’s_Inquiry_after_One_Hundred_Years; and (4) I review Bible reception history connected with various independent church movements in Asia, including the Taiping movement of Hung Ta-ch'uan and Feng Yun-shan and the Iglesia Ni Cristo movement of Felix Ysagun Manalo.


The Bible as a Collection of Subaltern Texts: Towards a Subaltern Reception History of Israelite Social Memory from the Davidides to the Taiping
Program Unit: Bible and Empire
William Luther Martin, Jr., University of Texas School of Law

Scholars claim that the Bible has always been subversive to Empire. Ezekiel's "Two Sisters" rant is evidence of a Judean social memory of constant subjection to imperial powers - and constant subaltern resistance. (Ez 23) Against this claim is the social memory of the empire of King David. David is remembered as having employed the tools of imperial domination to establish an empire incorporating the entirety of Hattu-Land, a territory essentially coterminous with territory in the Levant which was constantly being exchanged among rival Near Eastern Empires. Surely, the social memory of King David's empire demonstrates an admiration for modes of imperial power inconsistent with a thorough going subaltern context for the evolution of Biblical texts. However, recent archaeological discoveries at the site of ancient Philistine Gath by Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv has rendered improbable any factual basis for social memory of King David as an imperial overlord. If, in fact, it is impossible that King David could have been an empire builder in view of the power of Gath, then the social memory of King David's empire must have been a late subaltern "thought experiment" enabling the oppressed to imagine a "once and future" kingdom in which oppressed Israel might take its place among the imperial powers. The Taiping Rebellion could be seen as a similar subaltern event in which Hung Hsiu-ch'uan, in order to provide an ideological basis for resisting empire, "put together his own religion, borrowing chiefly the militant teachings of the [Hebrew] Bible." (John King Fairbanks, 1965) From late Judean social memory of King David, to modern subaltern uses, ancient Hebrew and Christian scriptures are reworked to support visions of a future free of foreign domination. These scriptures are inherently subversive to any imperial power at any time and place.


Davidic Hustle: How to Convert a Small Protection Racket into a Vast Royal Kingdom
Program Unit: Authority and Influence in Ancient Times
William Luther Martin, Jr., University of Texas School of Law

The maximalist view of the Davidic United Kingdom is undercut by archaeological discoveries at Biblical Gath by Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilon University, who has concluded that the existence of a powerful Philistine city-state throughout the 10th and 9th Centuries BCE - which was eight times the size of Jerusalem and a mere 23 miles away - cannot be reconciled with the vast empire attributed to King David in 2nd Samuel. It has become necessary to resort to the technique of "memory studies" as exemplified in the scholarly works of Ehud Ben Zvi and Diana Edelman. In view of the opinion of Emory's Jacob Wright that David's remembered government career began by operating a "protection racket,” in view of the work of such scholars as Harvard's Robert Nozick who assert that a "protection racket" stage precedes the establishment of every state, and in view of the late date assigned to the "Saga of King David" by scholars such as John van Seters, the model of leadership set forth in 1st Samuel is studied to assess the memory of the rise of the youngest son of an isolated, rural shepherd, presumably illiterate, to be one of history's greatest poets and imperial rulers. Focus is on the dynamics of language, expression, and rhetoric which are models for immediate success in a campaign of royal self-promotion. Bearing in mind the work of John van Seters, it will be suggested that the negative aspects of this campaign for power were highlighted by the late author of the “Saga of David” who meant to illustrate his doubts about cynical abuses of power which ultimately resulted in a doomed form of leadership, and who advocated that the people of Judah rely in the future upon direct leadership by God under Mosaic Law.


Tamed Identities? Glimpsing Her identity in Proverbs and Selected African proverbs
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom
Madipoane Masenya (ngwan'a Mphahlele), University of South Africa

Notions of what constitute worthy womanhood are shaped to a large extent, by the cultural contexts in which they are constructed.In the global village though, shaped as it does mainly by Eurocentric cultures, it would be presumptuous to assume that one can, with certainty, pinpoint what may be termed, “purely traditional African notions of womanhood”. At the same time, it will be an exaggeration to argue that Africa does not have its own notions about ideal womanhood. Particularly in Christian African contexts, notions about womanhood are still shaped, to a large extent,both by the traditional African worldviews and the received interpretations of womanhood from the Christian Scriptures. In the author’s attempt to unravel notions of womanhood from both the post-exilic context of Yehud, and the (traditional) African(South African)context, this article will engage the following main question: If images of women in Yehud, particularly as they are revealed in the book of Proverbs and in some African proverbs are brought together, what kind of reading may emerge from such an exercise?


Amidst Tongues Tearing Apart and Lying Lips, God of and for the Oppressed: Casting an African-Gaze at Psalm 12
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Madipoane Masenya (ngwan'a Mphahlele), University of South Africa

If there is any piece of literature which appears to be time-less, thus allowing readers from different cultural contexts and time periods to "break through" it, that is the Psalter. Also, the struggle by Psalms’ scholars to lay handle on the origins of the individual lament/complaint psalms may prove affirming to those, who due to their marginal status, could be “barred” from reading the Psalter informed by their own marginal status. Psalm 12 seems to defy clear categorization both as an individual or a communal lament. Like many others, it is a psalm that critiques the abusive use of those human organs which enable speech, that is, the tongue and the lips. Particularly when the preceding organs are used by the powerful (read: the rich) to despoil the poor and the needy, YHWH, the God, of and for the oppressed, gets roused and acts in the favour of the poor. The main question engaged with in this paper is:If re-read African-consciously, what kind of reading may Psalm 12 yield?


Bodily Death as Remedy for Sin in Theophilus of Antioch, Irenaeus of Lyons, and Methodius of Olympus
Program Unit: Apostolic Fathers and Related Early Christian Literature
Thomas McGlothlin, Christian Academy in Japan

In Ad Autolycum 2.26, Theophilus of Antioch claimed that the death of the body imposed by God after the first human sins was a gift: through bodily death, sin ends and the person, like a damaged vessel that has been melted down, is ready to be reshaped into a perfect vessel in the resurrection. Irenaeus of Lyons drew on Theophilus to make the same point (Against Heresies 3.23.6). If taken seriously, this notion has important implications for a host of theological loci, such as hamartiology (what view of sin is implied by the idea that it can be ended through bodily death and dissolution?) and christology (if simple bodily death puts an end to sin, what is the role of Christ’s death in ending sin?). The latter question becomes even more pressing in light of the fact that Irenaeus draws on the Pauline language of “living to God” to describe what follows upon the cessation of sin caused by bodily death, yet he fails to tie that death to the crucifixion of Christ. I trace these questions not only through Theophilus and Irenaeus but also to Methodius of Olympus, who drew on Irenaeus. Methodius, I argue, took this claim seriously and used it as a starting point for his understanding of sin, death, and resurrection. In this respect, Methodius’ theology represents the full flowering of a view that existed only in nuce in his predecessors.


Strategies to Survive Rape in the Hebrew Bible: Psychological and Otherwise, for Whom and by Whom
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Heather A. McKay, Edge Hill University

Likely sources strategies to survive rape that immediately spring to mind are: a) the victim/s of the rape b) the perpetrator/s of the rape c) family of the victim or of the rapist d) members of the local community learning of the event e) biblical authors/editors recounting the event Do all of these parties respond as we might expect? Let us see. This paper will examine two examples of rape recounted in the Hebrew Bible: the incestuous rape of Tamar by Amnon (2 Sm 13) and the multiple rape of the Levite’s secondary wife (concubine, Jdg 19-20). And, using analyses of the varied strategies—helpful or otherwise—that are applied in our days as comparators, the discussion will tease out evidence of parallel or disparate approaches occurring. The role of the Hebrew Bible authors/editors will be compared with the modern-day roles of media reporters and commentators.


Resident Alien and Inheritance of Land in the Hebrew Bible: Three Case Studies
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
Hualong Mei, Harvard University

The relationship between land ownership and non-indigenous residents in the host community provides crucial information about the latter’s economic and legal status in society. Admittedly, few laws in law collections in the Hebrew Bible directly pertain to land purchase or ownership by a non-indigenous resident, usually called a “ger”, a “tôša?” or the juxtaposition of both terms. Nevertheless, supplementary evidence can be gathered from other biblical texts that involve legal issues regarding land and non-indigenous residents, on the one hand, and analogous non-biblical sources from other regions, e.g. Elephantine, Mesopotamia and Syria etc., on the other. In the present essay, we will focus on three biblical passages containing the terms “ger”, “tôša?” or the verb “to sojourn” (gwr), in which a term for “inheritance” or “possession”, e.g. ?a?uzza(h) and na?ala(h), also occurs. The passages in question belong to different genres: narrative (Gen. 23), hymn (Ps. 105:11, 12-15) and prophetic proclamation (Ezek. 47:22-23), which deal with, respectively, land sale to a non-indigenous resident, grant of land on sojourning outsiders and the allotment of hereditary land to non-indigenous residents as a sign of full integration. These three biblical passages will illuminate several issues: the acquisition of land by non-indigenous residents, the nature and limits of their right over land, possible inner-biblical development of the attitude towards land ownership and non-indigenous residents and, finally, how access to land influences their economic and social status. In sum, this essay seeks to offer a systematic analysis of the way in which access to land figures in the definition of the identity and status of non-indigenous residents according to different biblical texts, in comparison with relevant historical cases from the broader ancient Near East.


The Presentation of Space in Mark's Narrative
Program Unit: Gospel of Mark
Low Kwang Meng, Paya Lebar Methodist Church

The awareness that the Gospel of Mark is arranged geographically has brought about much discussion in past and recent scholarship. However, this has not been satisfactory in its understanding of Mark’s geography. This paper proposes to understand Mark’s geography not simply as the backdrop for the actions, but also for the understanding of Mark’s purpose. The geography must not be understood merely as a physical and external reality, a container for society, but as a structure of social construct. James Flanagan introduced this spatial concept to the world of biblical exegetes in the 1990's, which has its genesis in Henri Lefebvre’s The Production of Space. Since then there has been an increasing interest in critical spatial theory in the reading of the biblical text. Building on this trend, this paper will discuss the unique presentation of space in Mark’s narrative. Using Lefebvre’s critical spatial theory, this paper will pay close attention to the critical spatiality of the Gospel and seek to show that the Markan Jesus was producing a counter space vis-à-vis the Jerusalem temple space through his new spatial practices, a subversive re-representation of spaces and a new representational Galilee-space. At the end, the paper will establish that there was a spatial conflict between Jesus and the religious power in Mark. Jesus is producing a counter space, a subversive Galilee-space, in opposition to the Jerusalem Temple space


Between Traditions and Practice: Notes on Primogeniture in the Hebrew Bible and Confucianism
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Zhenhua (Jeremiah) Meng, Nanjing University

Primogeniture was widely practiced in ancient Near East and also serves as the principle of succession in biblical laws. However, in biblical narrative it is usually the younger son that succeeds the family or the monarchy and the authors or redactors seldom criticize this phenomenon. On the contrary, the younger sons, no matter the patriarchs or the great kings, are often depicted as heroes with great abilities or favorable factors that they have the right or even are expected to be the successors. Similar tensions between custom and practice also exist in ancient China. Confucianism has a long tradition of choosing the most virtuous person to be the successor of the monarch, which seems to be contradictory to the system of primogeniture. However, it is also Confucianism that advocated primogeniture after it was established in China at the beginning of Western Zhou Dynasty (11th Century - 771 BCE). The Confucianists emphasized and developed primogeniture in later periods while ironically, more than half of ancient Chinese emperors are actually not the eldest sons of their fathers’ wives. By analyzing and cross-reading the cases in ancient Israel and China, one may notice that both biblical and Confucian authors choose to ignore the traditions of succession in order to defend more important thoughts in their respective ideological systems and the main purpose is to ensure the prosperity of the nation.


The Critic and the Ragpicker: DH Lawrence’s Abject Bible in Birds, Beasts, and Flowers
Program Unit: Bible and Its Influence: History and Impact
Christopher Meredith, University of Winchester

At the heart of DH Lawrence’s 1923 collection Birds, Beasts and Flowers sits a mouldering Bible—a Bible whose usual sanctity is swapped for abjection. In ‘Fig’, the ‘over-ripe’ fruit becomes an image of a doomed female Eden; Noah discovers progress as the scummy hangover from an intoxicant dream in ‘Grapes’; the Song of Songs decomposes in ‘Medlars and Sorb Apples’.; the guano of ‘St John’’s eagle creates a ‘dung-whitened Patmos’. And in the perhaps tellingly titled ‘Bibbles’, the eponymous crossbreed literally returns to her vomit, as if in commentary on both the mongrel Bible and the thrust of the poetry. The paper explores how the transformation of the Bible into a site of abjection affects how we imagine both Lawrence’s collection and the very project of reception criticism. For while Birds, Beasts and Flowers would appear to be an uncanny twist on the Victorian museum—its sections named like the naturalist’s categories—Lawrence is using the Bible here to present us with a vision of culture-as-landfill (in the vein of Baudelaire, and later, of Benjamin and Bataille). In the landfill all disparate items are united in their putrescence and underwritten by a Bible that has ceased to be the ‘cultural foundation’ of which we hear so much, and becomes instead a repository of dark unconscious forces just below the surface of feigned organization. Such a Bible does not need a taxidermist but a Lumpensammler. If Lawrence can move the function of the poet from being that of the figurative taxidermist to that of the ragpicker, does he raise challenges for contemporary biblical reception criticism? So often we seek to categorise and showcase the Bible’s appearances in culture when perhaps we need to consider the Bible as the dark subconscious of the idea of culture itself—and adjust criticism accordingly.


Angels according to the Me'am Lo'ez: Commentaries of Rabbi Ya'akov Khuli and Rabbi Shemuel Yerushalmi-Kreuzer on the Book of Genesis
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Alisa Meyuhas-Ginio, Tel Aviv University

Rabbi Ya'akov Khuli published his Ladino commentary known as: Me'am Lo'ez on the Book of Genesis and the first half of the Book of Exodus in Istanbul (Constantinople; Kushta - from Kushtandina - in Hebrew and Ladino) in the year 1730. In its time this was a revolutionary step: offering the Ladino reading Sephardi public a learned commentary not in Hebrew, but rather in Ladino - its language of culture. After the demise of Rabbi Khuli, various authors continued his work and all together commented on eleven books of the Hebrew Bible. Ever since the middle of the nineteenth century, the Sephardim - descendants of the Jews expelled from the lands of the Iberian Peninsula (Sepharad in Hebrew) in the years 1492-1499 - adopted modern European languages instead of Ladino. With the advent of Zionism, Hebrew became both the everyday spoken language and the language of culture common among the Jews living in the Land of Israel, including the Sephardim. The Jerusalemite scholar, Rabbi Shemuel Yerushalmi-Kreuzer (1922-1997), a disciple of Lithuanian Yeshivot, took it upon himself to render the Me'am Lo'ez accessible to the Israeli Hebrew reading public. For thirty years: 1966-1996, Yerushalmi-Kreuzer translated into Hebrew the volumes of Me'am Lo'ez written in Ladino by various authors until 1899. More than that, Kreuzer added his own commentaries on other books of the Hebrew Bible, not commented upon by the Ladino authors. As an example, let me mention the description of the angles according to Rabbi Khuli's Ladino commentary and Rabbi Kreuzer's Hebrew commentary. A. The angles and the Divine Creation: On what day were the angles created? B. The angels are forms without bodies. C. Angels have no names: each one is named according to his mission: Refael is ordained by God to cure the sick. [ABSTRACT TRUNCATED]


A New Biblical Insight and Framework for the Early Christian Doctrine and Understanding
Program Unit: Biblical Interpretation in Early Christianity
Richard K. Min, The University of Texas at Dallas

Circular rhetoric (e.g., idem per idem) has been one of the most ignored, misunderstood or controversial areas in contemporary biblical scholarship for the latter half of the 20th century. Recently there has been a renewed interest due to a new approach by Min with many groundbreaking results in biblical exegesis and hermeneutics. This paper extends and explores this new dimension and framework for the early Christian doctrine and understanding (for example, the doctrine of perichoresis and trinity). A brief survey of the selected examples is presented with the analysis to discover and classify some major patterns of circular rhetoric and logic of paradox. The selected examples include three paradoxes in Matthew 22:15–46, the Liar paradox in Titus 1:12, the divine "I am" sayings in Exodus 3:14, the circular indwelling relationships in John 14:10–11, two proof-methods in John 8:12–20, the difficult passage of 1 John 3:9, the theological framework of Salvation History with the two-stage coming of the Kingdom of God (Luke 17:20–30), the testimony of John the Baptist about the coming Christ (John 1:15, 30), the priesthood of Christ in Hebrews 7, and the similar examples in Romans. As noted, a passage in circular rhetoric often presents a very difficult problem in exegesis and interpretation. Some of these paradoxes and controversies in the Christian history are: God's sovereignty versus man's will or mandate to God's call, the grace of God versus man in obedience (or disobedience), the election and predestination by God versus the call for Gospel mission and evangelism by man, who is predestined and called versus who is not (or not yet), man's knowledge or awareness of who is called or not, one's contingency to change one's mind to believe or deny later, and the doctrine of Perichoresis and Trinity.


"I am" Sayings of Jesus in John and the Synoptic Parables
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Richard K. Min, The University of Texas at Dallas

One distinctive narrative-feature in John is the abundant usage of the first person pronoun "I" and the "I am" phrase narrated by Jesus. For example, two metaphorical "I am" sayings are found in John 10:1–18. The discourse begins with a figure of speech or "paroimia" (parable, proverb, or riddle) in John 10:1–5. A few distinctive features of the Johannine parable in John 10:1–5 with its interpretation in John 10:7–18 should be noted in contrast with the synoptic parables. For example, the parable of the seed-sower in Matthew 13:3–9 (in a fixed and static content) with its complete interpretation in Matthew 13:18–23 provides an exemplary case to be compared with the parable and its interpretation in John 10:1–18. The parable in John 10:1–5 is explained (or interpreted) with the first-person key of "I am" to reveal the hidden or intended meaning. In contrast, the figures in the synoptic parables and their interpretations are mostly in third-person and rarely are in second-person (Matthew 5:13–16). Second, the parable in John 10:1–18 is interpreted partially to the general audience. In contrast, the parable in Matthew 13:3–9 is interpreted completely and to the disciples only in Matthew 13:18–23. Third, the parable in John 10:1–18 is unfolding as it is being interpreted with the keys, by expanding or adding to the story of the parable with further parabolic materials (blended with the intended message), in a continuous and dynamic narrative-frame. In contrast to John 10:1–18, the two stages of presentation and interpretation of a parable are usually clearly marked and distinguishable.


Circular Rhetoric in Exodus in light of the New Testament
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Richard K. Min, The University of Texas at Dallas

Circular rhetoric (e.g., idem per idem) has been one of the most misunderstood or controversial areas in contemporary biblical scholarship for the latter half of the 20th century. Recently there has been a renewed interest due to a new approach by Min with many groundbreaking results in exegesis and hermeneutics. This paper extends the approach and its application to two cases of circular rhetoric in Exodus 3:14 and 33:19. In Exodus 3:14, a simple lexical analysis clearly reveals its circular expression and pattern of “I am who I am.” A cycle is formed to reference oneself or what is idem per idem. A literary circular construct is used to define a concept (“I am”) with itself by self-referencing or circular rhetoric. The Bible contains many similar patterns of circular rhetoric. Selected examples in the New Testament are compared with the patterns found in Exodus. The literary pattern is also described as a “pleonastic relative clause modifying a noun to which its verb is cognate” (John 5:32 and 17:26), as tautology (Exodus 4:13; Zechariah 11:13; Jeremiah 19:2; 1 Samuel 23:13; 2 Samuel 15:20; 2 Kings 8:1), or as idem per idem as the same root or phrase in a principal clause is repeated in the dependent clause (Exodus 3:14; 33:19). There are many more similar examples of circular expression or rhetoric in the Bible (e.g., “eye for eye” in Exodus 21:23–25 and Matthew 6:37–38; “a good tree with its good fruit” in Matthew 12:33; “to give Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” in Matthew 22:21).


Textual Evidence for Cultic Practices at the Yehudite Temple at Elephantine
Program Unit: Expressions of Religion in Israel
Christine Mitchell, St. Andrew's College, University of Saskatchewan

It is clear that the Yehudite community at Elephantine was not exclusively Yahwist. The question of inclusive vs. exclusive Yahwism at Elephantine has to this point depended on two evidentiary factors: the oaths sworn by members of the Yehudite community; and the mention of Anat-Bethel and Eshem-Bethel alongside YHW as beneficiaries of the collection taken by the community (TAD C3.15). However, the cultic practices of Elephantine Yahwism, as practiced in the Yehudite temple, may have left further traces in the textual record. In this paper I review the scholarship on the so-called "Passover Letter" (TAD A4.1) and the aforementioned collection list before turning to lesser-known texts. Most important is a fragmentary donor list (TAD C3.13); but I also discuss the mentions of priests and servitors in various documents. Finally, I make suggestions about the function of the textual collection within the cultic practice. With the growing recognition in religious studies that a belief-centered definition of religion in the Protestant mode is not adequate or even appropriate for the study of (ancient) religions, I seek to orient this study to practices and forbear to discuss what members of the Yehudite community may have believed about their deities. I thereby follow the theoretical approaches of Bruce Lincoln and David Chidester.


The Achaemenid Invention of “Biblical” Religion
Program Unit: Persian Period
Christine Mitchell, St. Andrew's College, University of Saskatchewan

Using Bruce Lincoln’s definition of the domains of religion (discourse, practices, community, institutions), I argue that what we might consider "biblical" religion—the religion described or implied by the biblical corpus whether descriptive or prescriptive—was shaped by the Achaemenid Persians. I discuss evidence that could suggest the religion’s shaping suited Achaemenid interests (at least initially) over Judahite interests.


The Role of Rhetorical Formulas in the First Epistle of John: Rhetorical and Less Polemical Reading
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Nozomi Miura, Boston College

1 John utilizes various types of rhetorical devices in the Epistle. While the Epistle is too elusive to pin down the logical and linear progress of the argument, the arrangement of the formulaic rhetorical devices well articulates the main points of the themes, which spirally and repeatedly come back. Recently, the proponents of the non-polemical reading of 1 John featured the Christological/polemical texts (1 Jn 1:1-4; 2:18-19; 4:1-6) and “if we say” statements/ “whoever says” statements (1 Jn 1:6, 8, 19; 2:4, 6, 9; 4:20) to downplay their polemical tone and thus to argue for the “non-polemical” reading. The present author takes up the three other formulaic statements in 1 John as rhetorical devices: 1) pas formula (1 Jn 2:23, 29; 3:3, 4, 6 [x2], 7, 8, 9, 10[x2], 15; 4:7; 5:1 [x2], 4), 2) en touto formula (1 Jn 2:3, 4, 5, 6; 3:16, 19, 24; 4:2, (6,) 9, 10, 13, 17; 5:2), and 3) haute estin formula (1 Jn 2:25; 3:11, 23; 5:3, 4, 9, 11, 14). The mapping of these formulaic rhetorical devices demonstrates 1 John’s intentional arrangement in the unfolding of its characteristically spiral argument. The repetitive usage of these formulas in 1 John evinces a unique rhetorical technique, creating the performative effects and the theological focus as well. Thus, the present author aims to show 1 John’s rhetorical strategies of the formulas and to postulate a “less-polemical” reading of 1 John.


Abel’s Sacrifice in Hebrews and Material Culture: The Witness of Some Mosaics of Ravenna
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
David M. Moffitt, University of St. Andrews

Two different, ancient mosaics in Basilicas in Ravenna, Italy, depict the biblical figures Abel and Melchizedek offering sacrifices together at the same altar. In addition to Genesis, these mosaics appear to draw upon Hebrews, the only other biblical text to mention both figures. Hebrews even seems to allude to Abel’s sacrificial sprinkling of blood (Heb 12:24). The potential importance of these mosaics for understanding how some in late antiquity conceived of sacrifice in Hebrews has not, however, been explored. It is generally assumed that sacrifice centers on the death/slaughter of a victim and that an allusion to Abel’s blood in Hebrews would imply a reference to his death at the hands of Cain. But, these mosaics depict Abel offering a lamb. Thus, the sacrifice/blood Abel offers is that of a lamb, not that of his own death. The Ravenna mosaics may, therefore, reflect now-lost interpretations of the themes of priesthood and sacrifice in Hebrews. This paper will specifically explore these mosaics with a particular view to how they are engaging and interpreting Heb 12:24. Additionally, however, the paper will also consider what these mosaics might suggest more generally in terms of insight into how Jesus’ sacrifice in Hebrews may have been interpreted at this time.


Cultic Worship with Nakrî according to the Post-Deuteronomistic Text (1 Kgs 8:41-43)
Program Unit: Persian Period
Samasoni Moleli, Whitley College - University of Divinity

1 Kings 8:41-43 describes the nakrî as one who is “not of your people Israel”; “comes from a distant land”; to “pray toward this house”. They are non-Israelites who travel occasionally or reside abroad. Many scholars have long suggested that this mentioning of nakrî is unusual to sink into the common Deuteronomist’s pool hence they conclude that this passage may possibly be part of a later layer injected into the Deuteronomistic History (=DH) during the post-exilic period. But how could this favourable view of non-Israelites sit comfortably among the Deuteronomistic theology? I argue that the changing role of the temple in the post-exilic context and its possible allusion to the national blessing of Abram in Gen 12:1-3 may have had a major contribution to the inclusion of this nakrî text. I want to test the hypothesis that the association of King Solomon’s prayer and a temple open to “all” mirrors a strong political movement for the inclusion of “others” despite of the Deuteronomistic History’s restricted boundaries. As a Samoan, I will conclude this paper with an interpretation of how the coming of Christianity as a foreign universal tradition to Samoa, has over the years redefined the role of the matai (chief) system in Samoan society.


Mark's Emotions
Program Unit: Gospel of Mark
Stephen D. Moore, Drew University

Mark’s narrative world runs on emotion. Emotion in Mark, however, is never transparent on its primary object, namely, Mark's central character. The astonishment his authoritative words and acts of power elicit in the masses is ultimately an expression of incomprehension. So too are the resistant displays of emotion he triggers in his disciples: stultified terror, shocked rejection, craven cowardice. As the action moves inexorably toward the cross and eventually onto it, even Jesus himself responds to the horror of crucifixion with resistant displays of anguished emotion (14:33-36; 15:34) culminating in his harrowing death-scream (15:37), which, paradoxically, together with the tortured flesh that has elicted it, finally and climatically engenders human apprehension of his divinity: “Truly this man was God’s Son!” (15:39). In an attempt to trace and decipher the meandering and opaque movements of emotion in Mark, this paper will have recourse throughout to affect theory, perhaps the most prominent development in critical theory in recent years, a turning of attention from the poststructuralist preoccupation with language and representation to emotion and other associated states—and a body of theory in which, as it happens, the crucifixion and the scream from the cross (even if not the Markan crucifixion or scream specifically) have been objects of incisive reflection.


Decentering the Son: Animal, Vegetal, and Inorganic Christologies in the Fourth Gospel
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Stephen D. Moore, The Theological School, Drew University

The Johannine Jesus is not, or not solely, a human being, but not only for the reasons ordinarily adduced. The god-man is also a nonhuman animal (“Behold the lamb”—1:36; cf. 1:29; also 3:14), a vegetable (“I am the vine”—15:5; cf. 15:1), a vegetable by-product (“I am the bread”—6:35; cf. 6:41, 48, 51; “I am the door [he thyra]”—10:9; cf. 10:7), and inorganic energy, namely, electromagnetic radiation (“I am the light”—8:12; cf. 9:5)—all epithets no more or no less metaphoric than the epithet “Son of God.” Of course, it is Son christology that has commanded center stage since at least the fourth century. The Fourth Gospel has been a prop for dominant ontologies of the human no less than of the divine—paradoxically so, as this paper will argue. The posthumanist challenge, elicited in no small part by the global ecological crisis, impels a shift of attention from Son christology to animal christology, vegetal christology, and inorganic christology. In this paper, I plan to make a (mainly vegetarian) meal out of the leftovers from the centuries-long feast of Johannine christology as conducted in the traditional anthropocentric style. That the Johannine Jesus is a consummate hybrid has long been recognized. But his hybridity has been diminished through being conceived simply as divine-human hybridity. The current challenge, occasioned by the escalating planetary ecocrisis, is to reconceive the Johannine Jesus as a divine-human-nonhuman composite. The Johannine god-man is also and always a god-man-animal, and the god-man-animal is also and always a god-man-animal-plant, and the god-man-animal-plant is also and always a god-man-animal-plant-thing.


Probing the Economy of Ancient Israel in Nehemiah’s Administration within the Chinese Marxist Theoretical Framework in South Africa
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Ndikho Mtshiselwa, University of South Africa

This paper sets out to investigate the way Chinese Marxism could be employed in South Africa as a theoretical framework that shapes an inquiry into the economy of ancient Israel in Nehemiah’s administration. Nehemiah 5, a text which is widely accepted as a narrative about an economic crisis in post-exilic Yehud will therefore be examined within the South African context, and more importantly, from the Chinese Marxist position. First, this paper discusses Marxism in China, particularly the contribution of Mao Tse-tung to the Marxist theory, with the view to anchor the reading of Nehemiah 5 within a theoretical framework. Second, guided by the Chinese Marxist theory the author of this paper will, in the text under investigation, tease out the voices of the oppressed masses as well as the issues of class struggles and imperialism. Thus, Mao Tse-tung’s use of the metaphor of (real and paper) tigers to characterise imperialism and class struggles is employed to analyze the oppression of the Judeans in post-exilic Yehud. Third, this paper argues that the reading of Nehemiah 5, particularly from the Chinese Marxist position could also have implications for the class struggles in South Africa.


Our Historical Jesuses: Hermeneutical Lessons from Luke, Montaigne, Voltaire, and Schweitzer
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Kang-Yup Na, Westminster College (Pennsylvania)

The history of historical Jesus research has been a history of (mis)understandings punctuated by moments of clarity. Or at least that is one way to summarize Albert Schweitzer’s Geschichte der Leben-Jesu-Forschung. After a century since its publication I will argue for the enduring relevance of Schweitzer’s descriptive account and proscriptive wisdom regarding perennial scholarly (and ecclesial) attempts to understand Jesus. One of the lessons from Schweitzer’s critical review of modern “lives of Jesus” (Leben Jesu) is that the various portraits of Jesus reflected the persons doing the research and narrating their “findings.” As we reflect on recent attempts to understand Jesus and to relexicalize Jesus’ deeds and words into the vernacular of today’s scholarship and theologies, it is worth remembering Schweitzer’s sage insights. Perhaps surprisingly, what Schweitzer found in his research seems to have been repeated despite hermeneutical insights gained and used by scholars since Schweitzer. To illustrate this observation and to issue again a call to remember Schweitzer’s hermeneutical lessons, I will use John Dominic Crossan’s synthetic portrait in his 1994 book Jesus: a Revolutionary Biography. In it Crossan claims that Jesus’ worldview (culled from his deeds and words preserved by texts) consists of a “radical egalitarian ethos.” I will argue that this ideologically reconstructed portrait (relexicalization) reveals more about Crossan than Jesus, at least in the case of what we find in Luke’s own worldview found in his Gospel. Despite Crossan’s exegetical efforts, Jesus seems again, as Schweitzer noted, returns to his time and place, leaving us with our historical reconstructions rather than a Jesus that can be known outside his own world.


Of Great Walls, DMZs, and Other Lines in the Sand: Galatians Demythologized and Deconstructed
Program Unit:
Kang-Yup Na, Westminster College (Pennsylvania)

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Our Historical Jesuses: Hermeneutical Lessons from Luke, Montaigne, Voltaire, and Schweitzer
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Kang-Yup Na, Westminster College (Pennsylvania)

The history of historical Jesus research has been a history of (mis)understandings punctuated by moments of clarity. Or at least that is one way to summarize Albert Schweitzer’s Geschichte der Leben-Jesu-Forschung. After a century since its publication I will argue for the enduring relevance of Schweitzer’s descriptive account and proscriptive wisdom regarding perennial scholarly (and ecclesial) attempts to understand Jesus. One of the lessons from Schweitzer’s critical review of modern “lives of Jesus” (Leben Jesu) is that the various portraits of Jesus reflected the persons doing the research and narrating their “findings.” As we reflect on recent attempts to understand Jesus and to relexicalize Jesus’ deeds and words into the vernacular of today’s scholarship and theologies, it is worth remembering Schweitzer’s sage insights. Perhaps surprisingly, what Schweitzer found in his research seems to have been repeated despite hermeneutical insights gained and used by scholars since Schweitzer. To illustrate this observation and to issue again a call to remember Schweitzer’s hermeneutical lessons, I will use John Dominic Crossan’s synthetic portrait in his 1994 book Jesus: a Revolutionary Biography. In it Crossan claims that Jesus’ worldview (culled from his deeds and words preserved by texts) consists of a “radical egalitarian ethos.” I will argue that this ideologically reconstructed portrait (relexicalization) reveals more about Crossan than Jesus, at least in the case of what we find in Luke’s own worldview found in his Gospel. Despite Crossan’s exegetical efforts, Jesus seems again to return to his own time and place, as Schweitzer noted, leaving us with our historical reconstructions rather than a Jesus that can be known outside his own world.


The "God" Construct in the New Testament: Contributions from the Discoveries in and around the Judean Desert
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Peter Nagel, University of the Free State

Studies on the archaeological discoveries in and around the Judean desert and its value for the New Testament is not something new. These studies include investigations into the references made to a Hebrew deity or the ‘naming’ of the Hebrew deity. There seems to be a fair amount of consensus that from more or less the third century BCE, pronunciation of YHWH (the ‘name’ for the Hebrew deity) was prohibited. This of course caused a challenge for the Greek translators of the Hebrew scriptures. Both the prohibition as well as the undertaking to translate the Hebrew scriptures into Greek had to have a conceptual influence on the ‘God’ construct as it is presented in the New Testament. The aim with this study is to investigate and present some ‘naming’ and translating peculiarities found in the documents from the Judean desert. A secondary objective is to determine to what extent these peculiarities influenced how the New Testament authors conceptualised the Hebrew deity.


“Half Speak Ashdodite and None Can Speak Judean”: Code-Switching in Ezra-Nehemiah as an Identity Maker for Repatriate Judeans and Koreans
Program Unit: Korean Biblical Colloquium
Roger Nam, George Fox University

Traditional interpretation posits a complex compositional history to explain the transitions in Ezra between Hebrew and Aramaic languages (Ezra 4:8; 6:19; 7:12; 7:27). But the sociolinguistic phenomenon of code-switching suggests an additional explanation (cf. Arnold, Portier-Young, Rendsburg). Code-switching has long been identified as a distinct linguistic practice by multilinguals to adapt to varying social situations (Gemperz, Blom). The code-switching reveals a complex articulation of self-identity for repatriates, as the true “children of Israel,” to negotiate their own identity within the orbit of the Persian Empire. The mandate to speak in Hebrew demonstrates the primacy of language as a cultivated boundary to safeguard the repatriate community from assimilation. The paper then reflects on code-switching as an identity marker for diaspora Koreans. Parallel to the Judean returnees, intentional usage of language signals strategic responses of community solidarity and resistance against empire within hybridized spaces (S.H.Lee).


True Prophets and Visionary Christians: The Status of Ecstatic Visions in the Shepherd of Hermas
Program Unit: Apostolic Fathers and Related Early Christian Literature
Bronwen Neil, Australian Catholic University

Shepherd of Hermas (CPG 1052) had a mixed reception in the early Christian church, with Clement of Alexandria praising it “a gnostic unfolding of the Scriptures, when faith has already reached an advanced state,” (Strom. 6), while others rejected it as unacceptable reading for Christians. Still others, such as Tertullian, were ambivalent. The North African took a neutral stance in On Prayer (De orat. 16.1), but he later condemned the work as the “the apocryphal Shepherd of adulterers” (De pudicitia 20.2). The appearance of a Latin version in the fifth century, however, attests to its continued popularity (ed. Tornau and Cecconi 2014), and explains why Pope Gelasius saw the need to condemn it at the end of that century (Ep.42.4.7). Its dubious place in the canon is due to its alternative Christology and to the prophetic content, the prophecies being received from an angelic young man and from ‘the Church’ in the guise of an old woman. In this paper I seek to locate the mystical and prophetic visions of this apocryphal text in the context of the ongoing controversy over prophecy as a gift of the Spirit. How did a Christian discern between true and false prophets? This is a question that the Shepherd of Hermas sought to answer by providing examples of each. The controversy over ecstatic visions extended to those received by Perpetua, according to her martyr acts. Several scholars, including Barnes (1971), Trevett (2002), Tabbernee (2005 and 2009), and Butler (2006), have linked Perpetua with the New Prophecy movement, also known as Montanism. I will demonstrate what the Shepherd reveals about the status of ecstatic prophets in second-century Rome, and its possible links with the New Prophecy movement. This context may help to explain the ambivalence of Tertullian’s reaction to the Shepherd.


Authority in the Matthean Atonement Rituals
Program Unit: Authority and Influence in Ancient Times
Marius J. Nel, Universiteit van Stellenbosch - University of Stellenbosch

This paper investigates the role of leadership and authority in the Matthean atonement rituals. While the transformative power of rituals has been noted in the past (cf. Alexander) the power of rituals in Matthew to atone for sin and to enact reconciliation have not been analysed. Nor has the authority granted to those who oversee them. A general definition of a ritual, as well as of atonement, will be given before possible atonement rituals in the Gospel of Matthew will be analysed. Atonement will be defined in terms of the related concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation and in terms of interpersonal relationships and the relationship between God and humans. In order to identify rituals of atonement the criteria outlined by George Strecker will be utilised to investigate the following text: (a) the healing of lepers by Jesus (8:1-4); (b) the meals of Jesus (9:9-13); (c) Jesus’ guidelines for restoring Christian relationships (18:15-22); (d) the Lord’s Supper (26:17-30); (e) Judas’ suicide (27:3-10); (f) the hand washing by Pilate (27:24-26a) and (g) the crucifixion of Jesus (27:32-56) and (h) the commission of the disciples by Jesus (28:16-20). These rituals in Matthew, of which some are deemed to be unsuccessful will be analysed further in order to determine to whom they grant the authority to pronounce atonement and how this authority was possibly ritualised in the Matthean community. This analysis will be done by utilising the work of Richard DeMaris and Jason Lemoreaux. A concluding remark will be made on the relationship between ritual, power and authority for present day faith communities.


The Recitation of Holy Texts: Grammar and Rhetoric in the Musical Tradition of the Syriac Rite
Program Unit: Bible and Syriac Studies in Context
Rebekka Nieten, Freie Universität Berlin

The tradition of reciting the Bible with a tune is a very ancient one. This kind of performance was probably thought of as conveying the text in its best understandable manner. The correct reading according to syntactical incisions and the emphasis on special words according to rhetorical aspects was important for the purposes of “text-interpretation.” To the Syrian grammarians, an understanding of the biblical text was to be achieved by applying exclusively rational methods, for instance a syntactical and semantic analysis. For that reason Christianity adopted approaches from the Hellenistic rhetorical tradition. Correct recitation came to be very important because of the fear that through improper recitation the meaning of a text could be altered or multiple ways of understanding a text could emerge. The goal was to make the public recitation of the Bible as intelligible as possible for those gathered in worship, since the laity did not read the text. Their encounter with the Biblical text in worship settings was strictly an aural one.


In Search for the Female Sage: A Decolonial Reading of the Samaritan Woman (John 4)
Program Unit: Intersectional Feminism(s)
Lilly Nortje-Meyer, University of Johannesburg

In classic antiquity women acted as prophetesses’, oracles, seers, mediums, rulers etc., but wisdom or being wise was not easily associated with the mortal female. This has mainly to do with the way wisdom is perceived and the location of females in ancient and contemporary society. In ancient Greek philosophy it was assumed that the search for wisdom was a male dominated profession even less likely to include women since its practice often involved the discussion of theories in male groups or schools. Women were able to contribute to the search for wisdom, but they had virtually no political rights or influence in the male dominated society. Women did receive some education, but their place was in the house, supervising the daily running of the household with no or limited possibilities to pursue a profession. Respectable women were not talked about in public, not even their names were mentioned. Therefore, proof of female literary production is almost non-existent. Virtues defined as essential to practical wisdom are not limited to a particular context, but virtues develop within different cultures and traditions. Therefore, the ancient philosophers described the virtues recognised in their society; but these are the virtues of the privileged élite, mainly free adult Greek males and have doubtful relevance beyond their context. For that reason, these virtues have also not the potential to enhance contemporary global social improvements. From a decolonial feminist perspective the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4 will be reread in searching for the female sage.


The Linguistics of the Stoics: What Is Their Contribution to the Understanding of Verbal Aspect?
Program Unit: Hellenistic Greek Language and Linguistics
Jan H. Nylund, Lund University

Some argue that the Stoics founded linguistics in the modern sense. The central notions of their understanding of language are found and preserved in the works of others, such as Diogenes Laertius, Sextus Empiricus and the work of the commentator Stephanos. This paper looks into the Stoic understanding of language and how the Greek verbal system fits into it. The Greek verbal system is put into the larger context of Stoic language philosophy and questions are asked as to what the implications of this language philosophy may be for our understanding of the Greek verb and its forms. Particular attention is given to the 7th-century commentator Stephanos’ account of the Stoic understanding of the Greek tenses – or aspects – and what this text states about the nature the Greek tenses. After all – if we accept that this text reflects the Stoic understanding of the Greek verbal system – it is likely the earliest extant attempt describing the nature of the Greek verb, its tense forms and their relation to each other. It therefore deserves more attention and consideration than has been the case so far.


Duality and Irony in David's Last Words (1 Kgs 2:1-9)
Program Unit:
Andrew Taehang Ohm, Bible Baptist Theological Seminary

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Angel Gabrielle and Angel Michelle? Issues of Degenderization in the Ministry of Divine Messengers in the Bible
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Funlola Olojede, Universiteit van Stellenbosch - University of Stellenbosch

Although only two divine messengers are named in the Old and the New Testament namely Michael and Gabriel, several other unnamed messengers, none of which appears in female form, feature in the texts such as those that appeared to Manoah’s wife and Gideon (Judg. 6). It is argued that a strand of degenderization is discernible in the ministry of these messengers in the Old and New Testaments, as well as in rabbinic commentaries which could have significant implications for feminist theological discourse of the ancient texts.


The Master of Life: A Study on Luke 20:27-40
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Kaori Ozawa, Doshisha University

When we compare the synoptic accounts of the woman who married seven brothers, we notice that while Matthew follows the Markan text, Luke, especially in the words of Jesus, changes it. The first important change is that Lk 20:34-36 omits Mk 12:24 and adds the contrast between “the sons of this age” and “those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead.” The second significant change occurs in v.38, where Luke adds the expression “for all live [/are living], belonging to Him.” Previously, these Lukan textual changes have been discussed from the perspective of Lukan eschatology. We will consider why Luke accepted the concept of spiritual immortality from the tradition. Luke seems to have received this idea from the multifaceted concept of resurrection in Early Judaism. Since the concept of the final resurrection still remains, Luke’s interest would not be primarily in the eschatological points. A clue to Luke’s intention is in dative of the expression of zen tini in v.38. By tracing the tradition of zen tini especially with the usages of Philo and Paul, we can see that this expression originally related to a marriage relationship, where it referred to the possessor of a woman. Philo and Paul use this expression with a distinction between “to live to/for oneself” and “to live to/for God” to question who is the true master of one’s life. This study suggests that Luke, in using this dative to indicate the possessor, focuses on the concept that a woman who lived as the possession of men became the possession of God. With these textual changes, Luke, while retaining the concept of resurrection, focuses on the importance of living as a possession of God, that is, the true master of one’s life.


Reception of New Revelation in the Book of Daniel
Program Unit: Apocalyptic Literature
Chong Hun Pae, Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary (Seoul)

The debate about new revelation was prevalent in the period that the book of Daniel was produced. The book of 1 Enoch, which had existed before the Book of Daniel, opened the possibility of new revelation through the concept of "Heavenly Ascent." The ruling class in the Second Temple period did not allow new revelation through the statement not to add or omit commandments. However, the book of Daniel needed new revelation about when the end would come. Encountering with this crisis, the book of Daniel attempted to put under the authority of the Torah the revelation about eschatology through the debate with 1 Enoch. First, the book of Daniel received the new revelation about eschatology through dream and vision in Dan 7 and 8. Dream and vision were considered legitimate as the instrument of revelation, since Daniel who received dream and vision proved to be faithful to the Torah in Dan 1-6. Second, in Dan 10-12, the vision is replaced by "word (dabar)," which is signified as "great conflict." Namely, Dan 10-12 transformed apocalyptic element by changing "vision" into "word." Third,in Dan 9, the apocalyptic elements are transformed again: from "vision - Divine theophany - interpretation of angel" to "Jeremiah's word - prayer for restoration - Angelic interpretation." The book of Daniel overcame the challenge of new revelation as to when the end would come. New revelation, which claimed to be beyond the Torah, came to be under the authority of the Torah.


Judas Iscariot as a Disloyal Diner in the Fourth Gospel
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Chan Sok Park, College of Wooster

In the Johannine presentation of Jesus’s last supper with his disciples Judas Iscariot is depicted as the one who offends their intimate fellowship over the meal. Interestingly, in ancient symposiastic literatures it is not uncommon to have this type of figure, who causes discord and confusion by disturbing the dinner gathering. In this paper I argue that a literary character of Judas in John 13 is more properly understood only when the Johannine farewell discourse is read in light of the ancient literary symposia. Plutarch of Chaeronea’s Quaestiones convivales, a literary symposium written contemporaneous with the New Testament writings including the Gospel of John, serves as a fruitful comparative case for this study. For Plutarch, “friendship” was one of the indispensable footings of society, and the dinner table was an essential tool for its construction. Likewise, in the Fourth Gospel Jesus’s last meal provides a literary setting to present a formation of his disciples’ community, as defined by the term “friendship” (John 15:13-15). Then, a careful examination of Plutarch’s dialogues regarding the proper decorum for a social meal gathering will lead us to better understand the activity of Judas as hostile to the formation of the Johannine “friendship” community.


Multi-level Rhetorical Entrapments in the Visions in Amos 7–9
Program Unit: Prophets
Chulhyun Park, Chongshin University

The aim of this article is to demonstrate that the five visions in Amos 7-9 achieved a rhetorical feat by ingeniously utilizing the so-called “rhetoric of entrapment,” the neologism coined by R. Alter in his book, The Art of Biblical Poetry. While the Book of Amos has been the most popular testbed for this concept, nobody has yet pointed out that the rhetorical entrapment in Amos 7-9 is working on multiple levels. First, the rhetorical trap is working on the level of the individual visions, and then on the level of their combination. Until now, some interpreters have indicated that Amos employed the rhetorical entrapment at the level of the individual visions in Amos 7-9. My contribution would be to show that the true force of the trap can be appreciated only when we read them together. The first two visions of judgment in which God made concessions to Amos’ intercessions are only for the launch of the next two visions in which God makes him totally at his wit’s end by showing him visions which he cannot figure out at all and thereby taking away a chance to intercede from him. The Amaziah episode between these two visions seems to explain that Israel's stubbornness is the reason for God’s tenacity for judgment. In the final vision, Amos is silent. He appears to be persuaded by God and agree on God’s punishment of Israel. Second, the rhetorical traps are working not only on the level of Amos himself but also on the level of his audience. God’s real intention of deceiving Amos was to make his audience fall into God’s trap with no chance of escaping!


The Feminine Characters in the Book of Job
Program Unit: Intersectional Feminism(s)
HaeJin Esther Park, Claremont School of Theology

The book of Job shows considerable similarity to Near Eastern literature because Biblical literature was inevitably international. This paper will firstly explore those relationships between the book of Job and the wisdom literature of ancient Near East, seeking key aspects of Ancient Israel wisdom tradition. This research will explore how the Israelite wisdom tradition is different from other traditions, seeking its own meaning. Two unique vehicles of the book of Job that could be contrastable to the ANE works are the strong characterization and feminine images of personified Wisdom. As a Korean female seminarian, I will focus on feminine characters in detail from Asian feminist theological perspective: personified Wisdom, Job’s wife, and three daughters. Wisdom itself is feminine, also feminine perspectives are abundant in the narratives and illustrations. Moreover, the essential question that serves as the crucial turning point in Job comes from a woman, Job’s wife. Feminine voices as exemplified by Job’s wife that present philosophical arguments are features of this text, making it distinctive from any other ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. Furthermore, these dramatic characterizations open the possibility that women sages were deeply engaged in Israel’s wisdom tradition. In comparing it with other ancient Near Eastern literature, readers find not only important intertextuality but also discover that Job has made use of fascinating literary devices from gender equity perspective. Its diverse characterizations and the metaphors of feminine Wisdom confirm the vast creativity and beauty of the wisdom tradition of ancient Israel.


Divine Jealousy, Human Zeal: Self Psychological Understanding of Spirituality of QN’ in Numbers 25
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Hee-Kyu Heidi Park, Xavier University

Numbers 25 is a problematic text that shows a zealous priest conducting violence on behalf of jealous God, who rewards the act. Here, the divine emotion of jealousy and human zeal are denoted by the same Hebrew word qn’. Numbers 25 stands out as one of the four occasions where qn’ is translated as zeal. This zeal is strongly connected to the monotheistic exclusivity God demands of Israel as the appropriate human response to divine jealousy. Within such monotheistic relational context, extreme violence performed out of zeal was permissible and celebrated. Psychologically, or pastoral theologically, the divine and human emotional pairing of jealousy and zeal poses serious challenges. First, the divinely sanctioned violence against alterity is problematic in the religiously and culturally diversity we live in. Second, the spirituality that stems from zeal is often the driving force of spiritual growth and hindrance to spiritual maturity both in individuals and community. This paper examines these challenges by exegeting Numbers 25 and tracing the conceptualization of qn’ in both the HB and NT through the lens of Self Psychology by Heinz Kohut. This will result in locating the psychological dynamic of qn’ in the developmental process of idealization and grandiosity which comprises the major developmental tension needed to build healthy narcissism. Such development in self psychology requires the process of transmuting internalization, which will be identified and interpreted by tracing the term qn’ in the rest of the Bible from Self Psychology perspective. Numbers 25 reflects the archaic understanding of spiritual growth developmental stage that points toward both further growth possibility and danger of destruction. I argue, a critical examination of such psychological process of qn’ allows us to examine our personal or communal spirituality where spiritual zeal is both an asset and source of harm at the same time.


Divine Jealousy, Human Zeal: Control of Postcolonial Boundary Dynamics Reflected in Numbers 25
Program Unit: Postcolonial Studies
Hee-Kyu Heidi Park, Xavier University

Numbers 25 is a problematic text that shows a zealous priest conducting violence on behalf of jealous God, who rewards the act. Here, the divine emotion of jealousy and human zeal are denoted by the same Hebrew word qn’. Numbers 25 stands out as one of the four occasions where qn’ is translated as zeal. This zeal is strongly connected to the monotheistic exclusivity God demands of Israel as the appropriate human response to divine jealousy. Within such monotheistic relational context, extreme violence performed out of zeal was permissible and celebrated. Such permissibility of, or even the demand for, monotheistic violence in Numbers 25 stems from a very particular political, interreligious, relational, emotional context, which resembles that of the margin of the empires, a space postcolonially conceptualized as interstitial, hybrid or third space. When a strong identify formation is at the core of the dynamic in this postcolonial boundary space, demand for such monotheistic violence increases. This paper examines several power dynamics operating within the context of Numbers 25 and conceptualize the psychological dynamic of qn’ as a possible indicator of identify formation process on the postcolonial boundary space. The passage will be interpreted through a dialogical correlation of postcolonial theories and analysis from Heinz Kohut’s Self Psychology perspective and brought to conversation with narratives from contemporary postcolonial Christian experiences. This paper argues that the complex overlap of political, interreligious, relational and emotional dynamic found in Numbers 25 is controlled through the emotional pairing of divine jealousy and human zeal that provided a center to the center-less boundary experience of the Israelites. Such control is often mirrored in contemporary religious experience on the postcolonial margin.


Stereotyping and Colonial Mimicry in John 4:1-42 and the Korean War
Program Unit: Postcolonial Studies
Hyun Ho Park, Graduate Theological Union

Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4:1-42 has been often read in a positive light. Jesus is a liberator who overcomes barriers of ethnicity, gender, and morality and brings salvation for all people. The Samaritan woman is an example of real faith who understands Jesus as the Messiah unlike Nicodemus. This reading, however, becomes problematic when the Samaritan villagers say to the woman: “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.” Behind this Christological claim and the success of Jesus’ missionary activity in Samaria the woman who used to be the main character of the story fades away. This ending makes readers wonder: “Is the Samaritan woman really an example of real faith? Is Jesus really the liberator who is free from ethnic, sexual, and religious prejudice?” “What are the prejudices of Johannine propaganda hidden throughout the gospel narrative?” I argue that a postcolonial reading of John 4:1-42 shows that the author not only stereotypes the Samaritan woman as passive, secretive, and unintelligent but also mimics colonial propaganda in his portrayal of Jesus. To demonstrate my thesis, in the first section I introduce Edward Said’s notion of stereotyping and Homi K. Bhabha’s notion of mimicry. Second, I show how John depicts the Samaritan woman as passive, secretive, and unintelligent, whereas he depicts Jesus as active, revealing, and knowledgeable. Third, I show how John mimics Roman Imperial propaganda in his portrayal of Jesus and thus asks his readers to submit to Johannine propaganda. Finally, I speak of the danger of stereotyping and negative mimicking by presenting a case of Korean comfort women during Korean War and discuss the need for (de)constructive readings of the bible from postcolonial perspectives.


"Who can speak for me?" David’s Ten Concubines and the Case for the Comfort Women
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Hyun Ho Park, Graduate Theological Union

“Are you ignoring us?” Yong-Soo Lee, a former comfort woman, repeatedly said during the conversation with vice-minister for foreign affairs of South Korea. South Korea and Japan reached an agreement on comfort women, December 28th 2015. The voice of victims, however, was never heard, while the powerful spoke and made a decision for the comfort women. The history of the comfort women is in danger of vanishing away. Similarly, in the story of David’s ten concubines the victims never speak. The powerful make decisions for them. David orders them to look after his house. Ahithophel advises and Absalom violates them. David shuts them up until their death. In these sporadically inserted scenes (2 Sam. 15:16, 16:22, 20:3) their existence finally vanishes. Their cry is never heard in the midst of David’s victory over his enemies. One wonders, “Is God also ignoring the suffering of ten concubines? Who can speak for these marginalized women?” I argue that the Samuel narrative neither ignores the suffering of ten concubines nor praises the victory of David, but by speaking for them articulates their faithfulness against unfaithfulness of David and his men. To demonstrate my thesis, first I introduce the concept of unifying plot and episodic plot in narrative and the practice of speaking for the other from Edward Said’s Orientalism. Second, I show how major characters of the story abuse power and ignore the suffering of the marginalized in 2 Sam. 16:20-23 and 20:3. Third, I show how the narrator speaks for the faithful ten concubines and reveals David not as a victor but an unfaithful betrayer like his men in 2 Sam. 15:1-20:26. Finally, I discuss the danger of the abuse of power and speaking for the other, and the need for paying attention to the sufferings and stories of comfort women.


Philo’s Racial Mapping as a Defense and Definition of Jewishness: Reading Ethnicity in the Legatio ad Gaium
Program Unit: Hellenistic Judaism
Jee Hei Park, Fordham University

In this paper, I examine Philo’s racial mapping in the Legatio ad Gaium with the aim of showing this apologetic writing as an effort to articulate Jewish identity in the non-Judean land. The riot in Alexandria in 38 CE significantly challenged the Jews, who had enjoyed religious and political liberty as maintaining their community in a type of politeia since the Ptolemaic kingdom, to redefine their Jewish identity. Philo tells us that Greek nationalists of Alexandria who loathed the Jews encouraged Flaccus, their prefect, to deprive the Jews of privileges, and finally, the Alexandrian mob burst into the street and attacked the Jews and desecrated the synagogues. I propose that Philo draws upon “race” (ethnos or genos) as the locus in which Jewishness—not only in its geographical meaning, but also culturally and customarily—is reframed. Ethnicity is usually regarded as an identity marker to the biological relationship with a male ancestor or to a geographical origin. However, Philo shifts this limited definition of ethnicity by emphasizing the significance of subjective actions such as observing the Law, participating in the synagogue, and collecting money; Jewishness can be delineated by practicing Jewish paideia. Moreover, when Jewishness is mapped out as a race, it is able to coincide with other ethnicities. Philo complexifies the ethnic identity of the Alexandrian Jews along with their bond with Judea, their origin. By symbolizing Jerusalem as the mother city for diasporic Jews, Philo confers certain concreteness on the Jewishness of the diasporic Jews and simultaneously keeps Jewishness open to others such as the civic world of Alexandria and the Roman Empire. Insofar as others do not impede their subjective actions, Jewish ethnicity can be multiethnic so that the Alexandrian Jews might not be considered legitimate residents of Alexandria.


Troubling Jewishness: Constructing Subjectivity in Paul's Autobiographical Narratives
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Jee Hei Park, Fordham University

My paper aims to investigate how the norms of Judaism are operative in Paul’s understanding of his Jewish identity. I examine the continuities and discontinuities in Paul’s relationship to Judaism in two autobiographical narratives. The first is found in Gal 1:13-2:14 where Paul details his transition from being an emulator of Judaism to an apostle for the uncircumcised, we find the second in Phil 3:4-6 where Paul introduces his circumcision and racial and tribal ancestries. Focusing on Paul’s ambivalent embrace of Judaism, I ask: how does Paul variously “cite” the concept of Judaism vis-à-vis his identity before and after his call to apostleship? How is Paul’s understanding of subjectivity defined according to his citation of Jewish norms? Judith Butler’s theory of performativity, which connects citationality to subjectivity and performance, frames this paper. In Phil 3:4-6 and Gal 1:13-2:14 where Paul narrates his pre-call identity, the Jewish norms cited to describe his life prior to the call demonstrate his inheritance of Jewishness. Consequently, Paul’s citation of Judaism serves to mark his Jewishness as given and predetermined, and there was no space for subjectivity to function. But Paul’s call from God fissures his passive Jewishness. It is the shift in Paul’s interpretation of subjectivity and identity after the call that allowed him to define the revelation as the commission to the gentiles. Post-call Paul cites the Jewish norms in the process of identifying himself as an apostle to the gentiles. For the former Paul citationality plays a significant role in proving his genuine Jewishness, whereas for the apostle Paul citationality functions as a counter-thesis to explicate subjectivity’s performance in constructing the believer’s identity. All in all, through the performativity of citation, Paul’s Jewishness is troubled and so opened to new constructions of subjectivity.


For What Is Hannah’s Song? The Social Position of Women by Son-Birth in Korea’s Traditional Context
Program Unit: Intersectional Feminism(s)
JIwoo Park, Berea International Theological Seminary

Is the traditional exegesis of Hannah’s song irrefutable? If it is simple reference to the typical barren-wife motif or her miraculous child birth, what do we make of the passage about Elkanah’s distribution to his family members? This is possibly where we can see how a woman’s place in ancient Israel was by birth of a son. David Jobling mentioned that Hannah’s grief about barrenness was not for husband but herself. The feminist interpretation suggests that barrenness of women puts them in many unjust situations. This is more prevalent in the Confucian culture of many Asian countries, especially in Korea. Korea has been placed under the influence of Confucian cultural sphere from the Chosun Dynasty, where women's rights were recognized to be inferior to those of men. Korean Confucian word, Chil-ger-ji-ak, means seven causes of divorce for husbands. In other words, when a woman is married, she is placed under heavy obligation to give birth to a son. When she could not give birth to a son, she was either kicked out of the house or mistreated by her family. On the other hand, to give birth to a son meant a woman would get a stable social status. The paper concludes that the same can apply to the ancient Israelite society. As with Korean women, one of the most important obligations for the Israelite women at the time was providing an heir, a son. Only then could they receive inheritances. When viewed from this perspective, Hannah’s song in the book of Samuel is not an expression of joy for getting a son, but also for finally being given the means to protect her social rights (1 Samuel 2:8).


Who Did the Son Revive? Maternity Stronger than Foresight
Program Unit: Families and Children in the Ancient World
Jiwoo Park, Berea International Theological Seminary

Who is main character of resuscitation story in 2Kings 4:8-37? Is it Elisha or the son of the Shunammite? The story is taken into account as one of Elisha’s miracles that has been inserted into the Deuteronomistic history. Furthermore, this woman who is called just ‘Shunammite’; her name is not even mentioned. But paradoxically, I insist that the story is focused on an active mother and her miraculous son. This is the content that could be known by Burke. O. Long, Mary Sheilds and J. F. Parker. According to Long, it is possible to detect that attitude of the Shunammite has changed along the temporal flow. Her unconditional awe, had changed to suspicion and sadness in the story. It was Elisha who could not give confidence to Shunammite about overcoming the crisis. She protests his annunciation from the beginning that even she doesn’t wish at all. It was just the prophet’s own determination. Mary Sheilds also argued that the man of God and the Shunammite changed their initiative in the text. In other words, she reveal the Shunammite as main character in this narrative. Moreover, J. F. Parker insisted that Shunammite’s son changed her attitude. She was shaken by maternity and it provoked prophet’s miracle. While the boy has secondary role, it is hard to find Elisha’s leadership in this text. Elisha promised the son without revelation of God, so he was led by the Shunammite throughout the story. In conclusion, the tale of resuscitation in 2 Kings 4:8-37 focuses on an unusual mother-son relationship. Instead of taking advantage of the foresight of Elisha, they played a leading role and changed the story.


I Bless You, leYHWH: The Function of the Preposition "le" in Blessing Formulas
Program Unit: Ancient Near East
KwangCheol Park, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

The function of the preposition le in blessing formulas The following functions of the preposition le are investigated: a) brwk ’th lyhwh as a nominal sentence “You are (a) blessed leYHWH” b) brktk lyhwh as a verbal sentence “I bless you leYHWH” There are two basic structures of the blessing formula which contains preposition l attested in OT (e.g. Gen 14:19; Judg 17:2; 1Sam 15:13; 23:21; 2Sam 2:5; Ps 115:15; Ruth 2:20; 3:10) and ancient Hebrew inscriptions (e.g. Khirbet el-Qom, Kuntillet Ajrud and Arad Ostraca). If we focus on the proclitic preposition l, a different grammatical function can be found between the case a) and b). What kind of functions do the preposition l in the sentence a) and b) have? In my paper I analyze the phrases and sentences which use brk l. Furthermore, I will focus on the special function of the preposition l in case b). It will be examined in the context of parallel constructions with different verbs in Biblical Hebrew. Finally, I will suggest another possible function.


Reading Psalm 94 in the Context of Personal Feminist Perspective
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Kyunghee Park, Korea Baptist Theological University/Seminary

Doing theology as a woman in Korea is not simple task. It is long journey to identify myself in the context of the twenty first century patriarchal society behind bars of Confucianism and various folk customs. Moreover, throughout the long history of misogyny in patriarchal order, women have still cried out as victims of unequality and injustice in Korea. This research is based on personal feminist criticism, in which one of women theologians in Korea has struggled with her professional biblical scholarship in academic circles, that had been neglected by most of theologians, pastors, and ministers in Korean Christianity. The focal point of this study reflects theological understanding of personal lament in Psalm 94, reading the text on the personalized view and experience. Within one of Christian seminaries a neglected woman theologian has struggled with faithfulness and loyalty in the presence of God, adopting the confession of the author in this poem. The psalmist in the text shows lonely life journey to understand the attributes of God and personal troubles in the corruption of his/her time. The divine justice and righteousness in the individual life of humanity become one’s hope in difficulty to cause one to rejoice and to sustain one’s life. Out of sorrow and agony God in the divine steadfast love leads an individual in the ways of the divine care. The interpretation of the text in the eyes of a woman tries to cope with misogyny in patriarchal order, in which women in ministry are rejected.


Hybridity and Beyond: Rediscovering Nehemiah from A Korean Post-War Perspective
Program Unit: Bible and Empire
Kyung Sik Park, Claremont School of Theology

Nehemiah chapters 2 through 5 provide a narrative in which issues of ethnicity, culture, and identity create tension, especially in relation to Nehemiah’s identity. In these chapters, his identity and personality become increasingly complex in relation to his different relationships in various social contexts. In recent years, a postcolonial interpretation proves useful in analyzing the text and its deep connection with the contexts. A postcolonial reading of Nehemiah reveals his identity as both a colonizer and colonized and Homi Bhabha’s concepts of ambivalence, mimicry, and hybridity appear to usefully apply to this text. However, while scholars describe Nehemiah’s “in-between” identity as part of power structure of the Persian Empire, there is a gap in their discussion because for more complete understanding, these conceptual binary terms are not adequate to explain Nehemiah’s complex identity. In this paper, I explore not only how a postcolonial reading of Nehemiah helps readers to understand the rhetoric used in the text to either strengthen Israel’s national identity or to conceal the ideology of the Persian ruler, but also how Nehemiah suffers from his own identity under the Persian Empire. Even though scholars think that understanding Nehemiah’s identity depends on seeing him through the lens of his relationship with the government or seeing him as a faithful Jewish leader, these approaches are limited. Rather, by reading this text in light of his four different relationships (with the Empire as a governor, with pro-Nehemiah group, with anti-Nehemiah group, and with the Israelites), I argue that there is a more intricate identity at work in his story. I analyze these relationships in relation to my Korean post-war perspective and suggest Nehemiah’s identity goes beyond the concept of hybridity due to the complicated social structure after post-War setting.


The Rhetorical Function of "Night" in the Gospel of John 3:2 and 19:39
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Sung Min Park, Calvin Theological Seminary

This article focuses on the dualistic symbols of light and darkness to examine the rhetorical function and meaning of the word “night” in John 3:2 and 19:39 in the Bible. The word “night” can be interpreted according to three different arguments. The first group argues that “night” does not have symbolic meaning and that it is just a historical description. The second group claims that “night” has positive connotations in the plot. The third group claims that Nicodemus’s visit at night metaphorically describes spiritual darkness. The second and third groups seem to have opposite ideological understandings, but both share one point. In this paper, I will demonstrate that Jesus is the Light of the world, and “night” -one of the symbols of darkness- portrays Nicodemus in a manner that represents those who approach Jesus from the darkness to the light by emphasizing Johannine dualism. In section 1, I will explore the origin of “night” and the similar patterns of the light and darkness symbolism seen in Jewish dualism and Johannine dualism. To analyze the rhetorical function of “night”, this study will concentrate on the three types of dualism: epistemological, psychological, and religious. In section 2, we will study how “night” plays a role in illustrating Nicodemus as a deficient believer. According to the three types of Johannine dualism, Nicodemus is the person who is in darkness. In section 3, we will study how the evangelist emphasizes that Nicodemus becomes a true believer by reemploying “night” as a symbolic expression. In light of the three types of dualism, Nicodemus is the person who overcomes the darkness.


Transforming Our Body Politic: A Feminist-Womanist Dialogue on 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Program Unit: Intersectional Feminism(s)
Angela Parker, The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology

This paper is a co-authored piece committed to developing an embodied feminist/womanist dialogical methodology for biblical interpretation. Applying this dialogical framework to 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, we argue that a conversation between womanist and feminist biblical interpretation opens new perspectives on the text, specifically regarding its portrayal of collectivity within the body of Christ. We seek to nuance Paul’s imagery by highlighting the particularities of the bodies within the body of Christ. This analysis will specifically engage dynamics of gender, race, class, and privilege. Our dialogue will unfold in three steps. We begin with a discussion of the context and imagery in which 1 Corinthians is situated (first from a womanist and then from a feminist standpoint). We give special attention to visual Roman propaganda that celebrates and reifies the themes of particular and collective bodies. Gendered issues of class, race, privilege, and oppression embodied in these images will dialogue with Paul’s call to suffer and rejoice with one another. Second, we outline how a feminist and a womanist lens trouble and challenge the harmonious, bounded collective body specifically concerning the inequality of suffering and rejoicing within the body of Christ. In doing so, we will show where feminist and womanist lenses converge in addition to demonstrating the areas where each provides a unique perspective. Third, this paper will bring 1 Corinthians 12 into dialogue with the tension that exists between particular identity and collective solidarity when working for social transformation around contemporary race and gender issues. This paper provides a dialogue between feminist and womanist biblical studies that opens up a space for the creation of a critical, yet constructive contextual hermeneutic for social transformation. This hermeneutic allows for a new understanding of universality and particularity as it relates to bodies in 1 Corinthians 12.


The "Angels of God" in Jacob's Dream (Gen 28:12): What Are They and What Is Their Role?
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Yitzhak Peleg, Gordon College

"And Jacob went out from Beersheba and went to Haran […] He had a dream" (Gen. 12:10, 12). In his dream he sees a ladder (v. 12), on which "angels of God" are ascending and descending. Why, according to the Sages, do the angels first ascend then descend? Why do God's angels first ascend and then descend according to my research? I plan to show that the vision of the act (ascending and descending on the ladder) of the angels of God may represent – in a symbolic matter (as a symbolic dream) - the way Abraham and Jacob figured traveling to and from the land. The combination: "Angels of God" appears only twice in the M. Bible. "Angels of God" mal?akhei ?elohim is a key word as M. Buber calls it, "a rare guiding word". The angels of God appear in Jacob's Dream (Gen. 28:12) and at Mahanaim (Gen. 32:2). Both are in the Jacob Cycle calls attention to the similarity and the connection between the two stories where "angels of God" appears. As we read twice Jacob encounters "the angels of God", one may ask: "what are the similarities between the two and the Differences between the two". "What can the comparison between the two teach?" I plan to show that the connection between the two stories where "angels of God" appear focuses attention on the theme of the discussion: Jacob's departure (in Gen. 28:12) from and entry into the Land (in Gen 32:2).


'nky yhwh / 'ny and Its Translation in the Old Greek Text of Exodus
Program Unit: Septuagint Studies
Larry Perkins, Northwest Baptist Seminary, Langley, B.C.

Within the Exodus narrative the expressions 'nky yhwh / 'ny occur in nineteen contexts. The formula is not found in Genesis, but does occur in Leviticus. The Exodus translator renders eleven as ego kyrios and seven as ego eimi kyrios. The variation does not represent default renderings of 'nky (ego eimi) and 'ny (ego) because ego represents both forms of the Hebrew first person pronoun in Greek Exodus. This paper documents the occurrences and offers an explanation of this translation variant. It seeks to locate the reason for the variation in the translator’s practice of accommodating Greek idiom, but also suggests that the shorter version reflects a deliberate reflection of the source text in selected passages for contextual reasons. In Greek it is somewhat optional for the copula to be expressed, so its presence would seem to reflect the translator’s choice, rather than influence from the source text. This study seeks to advance our understanding of the Exodus translator’s approach to this translation project. It contributes potentially to the production of the SBLCS volume on Exodus.


Shattering against the Rock: An Historical-Metaphorical Understanding of Psalm 137 as Christian Prayer
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Aran J. E. Persaud, Anyang University/Ryle Theological College

Psalms using the language of enmity present a challenge for Christians who wish to use these psalms as prayer. The image in Psalm 137 of “shattering little ones against the rock” is arguably one of the most severe representations of violent language in the Bible. Psalm 137 is also notable, though, because unlike most psalms, it refers to explicit historical enemies, Edom and Babylon, and to the historically identifiable “day of Jerusalem’s fall.” This study begins with an exegesis of Psalm 137 and seeks to determine the perceived suffering portrayed in the Psalm at the hands of these enemies and the meaning of the responses to these adversaries. It then moves to a limited historical survey of how commentators up until the Reformation have perceived the suffering and responses in this Psalm. The historical perspective provides a basis to understand the use of the violent images in verse nine as metaphorical. More specifically, the rhetorical device of synecdoche is most helpful in explaining how the ostensibly violent texts function. The historical perspective also allows for this psalm to be commented upon as canonical, normative prayer by understanding the use of the harsh images in the psalm in context of memory and God’s engagement with egregious moral evil.


New Readings in Papyrus 46
Program Unit: Textual Criticism: Manuscripts & Methods
Jacob W. Peterson, University of Edinburgh

The recent digitization of Papyrus 46 (P46) at the Chester Beatty Library (CBL BP II) and the University of Michigan (P.Mich 6238) by the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts has revealed details in the papyri that until now have been undecipherable or unseen. In this paper, arguments are presented for several new interpretations of the extant text of the manuscript, focusing particularly on the book of Colossians. The discussion of the new readings involves analysis of the extant material of the manuscript and plausible reconstructions of the lacunae. Comparisons are made with the major transcriptional works, offering correctives where there is perceived error. Of particular importance is the reading of P46 in Colossians 2:7 as it concerns the Nestle-Aland reading of te pistei. This passage receives a more in-depth investigation, beginning with an historical overview of how various editions have presented the text, moves to a text-critical analysis of the variants, and ultimately to a proposed change in the critical editions.


Migration, Colonialism, and Intersocietal Interaction between the Assyrians and Arameans in the Jazira Area in Late Second Millennium BCE
Program Unit: Ancient Near East
Pekka Pitkänen, University of Gloucestershire

It is generally agreed (e.g. Younger 2007, Zadok 2012) that the Assyrians conquered Jazira at the fall of Mitanni and Assyrianised the area through settlement. Subsequently, there was a demographic slump, with extant Assyrian documents indicating that the Assyrians were also fighting against the Arameans in the area in the late 12th century and in the 11th century. An Assyrian reconquista in the area took place from the 10th century on. Middle Assyrian Chronicles directly suggest that the Assyrians desired additional land. Settling the areas both in LB and IA by the Assyrians clearly indicates migration and would fit with the idea that the lands were seen as part of Assyria. Such postulated actions of the Assyrians fit with patterns for comparable societies elsewhere in world history. The actions can also be considered as colonialism as they cause moves towards an Assyrianisation of the area, with changes in material culture discernible from archaeological data. The Arameans seem to have gotten in the area in the 13th-12th centuries through infiltration, which by definition is also migration. Such migration of a group that distinguishes itself from the Assyrians would again at least potentially suggest colonialism of some type, with the result that the areas became Aramean, at least partially so. This paper will look at what can be surmised about the putative migration and settlement of the Arameans in the Jazira area based on interacting with related scholarship together with settler colonial and conquest studies. I will also specifically interact with often suggested theories of indigenous origins of Arameans in the ANE as part of the paper. In conclusion to the paper, if possible based on an examination of the area, potential implications will also be drawn for the study of the origins and spread of Arameans in the broader ANE context.


Attitudes towards Pollution from Death in Ancient Israel
Program Unit: Ritual in the Biblical World
Pekka Pitkänen, University of Gloucestershire

Numbers 19 describes a ritual for purification after contact with a dead body. The ritual is described as having been applied in the Midianite war a few chapters later (Num 31). This paper will look at death and pollution with a focus on these two chapters and in light of the wider Israelite legal/ritual corpus, including Lev 21:1-11. The main issue it will focus on is that the texts suggest that death which is inevitable is also polluting, with explicit stipulation that priests should avoid contact with the dead at least to a certain extent (Lev 21). However, in war, death of enemies is actively expected to happen and is yet polluting, with priests also potentially involved (Num 31). Consequently, there may be some contradictions, at least apparent ones, in the Israelite thought world, and the paper will look at how one could try and explain and account for them. The paper will draw in from anthropological considerations and ancient Near Eastern parallels, together with previous commentators and any other relevant biblical texts.


Do Foreign Characters "Talk Funny" in the Pentateuch? Laban the Aramaean, Jethro the Midianite, and the Dynamics of Style-Switching
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Cian Power, Uppsala University

In the terminology of sociolinguistics, “style-switching” is a common practice in spoken and written language by which a speaker or writer purposefully alters his/her normal linguistic usage, in relation to contextual factors such as audience and discourse topic. Within biblical studies, and especially the work of Gary Rendsburg, style-switching has been closely associated with biblical authors’ use of strange-sounding language to represent the foreign speech of non-Israelites. This paper analyses two potential cases of such style-switching in the Pentateuch: Gen 31, the final encounter between Jacob and Laban the Aramaean; and Exod 18, Jethro the Midianite’s judicial instructions to Moses. Peculiar lexical and morphological features in these texts have led Jonas Greenfield and Mordechay Mishor respectively to propose that style-switching is operative in representing foreignness here. In Gen 31:47, Laban’s Aramaic phrase «yegar sahadutha», “heap of witness,” has seemed especially probative. This paper uses a robust methodology, developed from the work of Brian Bompiani, to examine the strength of these proposals. This methodology addresses the difficulties involved in detecting the use of style-switching to represent foreignness in the Pentateuch and broader Hebrew Bible—difficulties including identifying a “standard” Hebrew narrative style, isolating foreign linguistic features, and recognizing discursive indicators of style-switching. I find that, although it is harder than has been acknowledged to demonstrate the presence of style-switching in the Hebrew Bible, an especially strong case can be made in certain instances. The paper concludes by situating these Pentateuchal uses of style-switching within a broader phenomenon in the Hebrew Bible—the recognition of the linguistic multiplicity that characterizes human existence. This recognition is particularly acute in the book of Genesis, as in the tower of Babel episode, Gen 11:1¬–9. The use of style-switching to highlight linguistic difference offers a distinctive and valuable perspective on this universal experience.


Politics, Idols, and Sex: Ps-Solomon 14 and Romans 1
Program Unit: Bible and Empire
Jeremia Punt, Universiteit van Stellenbosch - University of Stellenbosch

Ancient people envisaged a strong link between what was deemed transgressive religious activities and abhorrent sexual practices. Sexual behavior considered aberrant was deemed to upset political boundaries which protected civic and national stability, especially when the behavior was cloaked in effeminacy. Such thinking appears to inform both the Wisdom of Solomon as well as the Pauline letters – focusing on two pericopes from these documents, the links between religious persuasion and activity, sexual behavior and politics in the first-century Roman Empire is investigated, showing upon underlying ideological intersections and divergence.


'Full of Days': Growing Old in Ancient Israel
Program Unit: Families and Children in the Ancient World
Hugh S. Pyper, University of Sheffield

The welcome growth of interest in children in Ancient Israelite literature and life prompts the question as to what life was like for the elderly in that society. In some ways, the roles of pre-pubertal children and of the elderly who are passed the age of reproduction have similarities, but there are also clear differences. Children are a potential resource for the community; what is it that the elderly can offer? The association between age and wisdom in the Hebrew Bible suggests that memory and experience are the main social capital of the elderly. Long life can lead to wisdom, but it can also rob us of our mental capacities. This paper seeks to show that this tension can be seen in the treatment of the elderly in the Hebrew Bible, not least in its characterisation of Yahweh.


The Word HRYH in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Elisha Qimron, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

The word HRYH 'pregnancy' has special forms and new usages. Some of the forms and the usages are enigmatic. In this paper the relevant passages will be re-interpreted.


To Witness a Time of Crisis: A Cross-reading between Lamentations and Testimonies from Gaza and Israel
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Katherine Rainger, Charles Sturt University

The Book of Lamentations contains five poems which convey the devastation which occurred during the destruction which took place in Israel in 587BCE. Voices, characterisation and personification are used to convey the theological and physical agony of their situation. These voices witness the crisis and respond to it in an immediate and powerful way. The imagery used is stark and confronting. The voices do not always interact with each other directly and so a number of strands of witness and response emerge. These poems provided a transitional space for lament and complaint to assist individuals move from orientation to disorientation to reorientation. During the conflict in Gaza and Israel in July 2014 there were many reponses of lament on social media. Three have been chosen for this paper. The themes of witness, weeping and destruction drew parallels between the ancient and contemporary situations. I will present a cross-textual reading between these three pieces (one from a journalist, one from an Israeli mother and one from a Gazan poet) and the Book of Lamentations. Similar work has been undertaken by Todd Linafelt in his work 'Surviving Lamentations' and the compilation 'Lamentations in Ancient and Contemporary Cultural Context' edited by Nancy C. Lee and Carleen Mandolfo. My argument is that our worship and ability to understand and respond to global and local crisis can be enhanced by the theological tool of lament. Social media and the platform that it offers can be a place where witnesses can also give their testimony and be heard and as such may also have a role to play in liturgy. In a fusion of Scripture, liturgy and testimony we validate the voices of those who are suffering and may be more compelled to respond with compassion.


Encountering the Bible at the Margin: Listening to the Voices of Madiga Christians in Rural Andhra Pradesh
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Ravela Jeeva Kumar, Andhra Christian Theological College

Ethnographic work was undertaken to discover how a particular Dalit (Madiga) Christian community’s reception of the Bible and its meaning is influenced by their various life and cultural situations. My project presents the voices of Dalit Christians from a selected village and analyzes their how they talk about the Bible. Given a long standing association with a village in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, which includes a large number of Madiga Christians, I was able to work with key informants and gain the trust of the community members. The study is based on semi structured interviews using a simple form of unstructured questionnaire. I draw on the data collected from audio and video recordings and field notes.Madiga Christians listen to the stories of the Bible in Sunday worship service and at prayer meetings. During the interviews they retold the biblical stories and characters by blending their own experiences and came up with vivid views and expressions. These retellings are the sources for understanding how these Madiga Christians use the Bible for their emancipation from the clutches of caste stigma, economic depravity and socio-political hegemony. They claimed that the Bible is their property and a tool to draw inspiration and strength to combat the dominant forces around them. In addition, their retellings show how they fuse their own experiences with ‘the experiences of the people of the Bible’, illustrating their innovative ways of experiencing and expressing the Bible.


Knowledge Hidden and Revealed Ben Sira between Wisdom and Apocalyptic Literature
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Jean-Sébastien Rey, Université de Lorraine

The motif of knowledge hidden and revealed is a motif easily considered a topoi of so-called apocalyptic literature. In this paper, I intend to study this theme in a text which precisely does not belong a priori to apocalyptic but rather to wisdom literature, the book of Ben Sira. The study will examine the relationships and transformations of this motif through wisdom and apocalyptic texts. This analysis follows in the footsteps of two major studies by James K. Aitken, “Apocalyptic, Revelation and Early Jewish Wisdom Literature,” and Benjamin G. Wright, “Conflicted Boundaries: Ben Sira, Sage and Seer.” Both consider the complex relationships of the book of Ben Sira and its motif of revelation with Apocalyptic literature. I will limit the analysis of three significant texts: wisdom’s discourse in Sir 4:11-19, the praise of the scribe in Sir 39:1-3 and the revelation of wisdom to the humble in Sir 3:17-24. Through a philological analysis of each passages, I will question how in these texts the idea of hidden and revealed knowledge is presented and what are the conditions for revelation of knowledge and the means of obtaining it.


Christology in Hebrews 1:5-14: The Three Stages of Christ’s Existence
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Victor (Sung Yul) Rhee, Biola University

George B. Caird argues that the quotation of Ps 8 in Heb 2:6-8 should control the argument in Hebrews 1 (“The Exegetical Method of the Epistle to the Hebrews,” CJT 5 [1959]: 49). The implication is that one cannot find the literal preexistence of Christ in Heb 1:1-14. He maintains that the message of what God has spoken in his Son clearly echoes the portrait of the personified Wisdom from Wis 7:26 (Caird, New Testament Theology,334) . Likewise, L. D. Hurst asserts that since the theme of Ps 8 in Hebrews 2 is God’s plan for the destiny of mankind, and the superior status of Christ to the angels in Hebrews 2 is rooted in his fulfillment of a psalm concerning mankind, Heb 1:1-14 is related to the theme of mankind’s destiny (“The Christology of Hebrews 1 and 2,” in The Glory of Christ in the New Testament, 155-57). For this reason, Hurst’s conclusion of the Son in Hebrews one is not about a uniquely privileged, divine being who became a man, but a human figure who attains to an exalted status (Ibid., 163). In this paper I will set forth the exegetical method that Heb 1:5-14 and the rest of the book of Hebrews is to be understood in light of the exordium in Heb 1:1-4, instead of reading chapter one with the background of the humanity of Jesus in chapter two. This exegetical method will make it evident that the author of Hebrews presents the three stages of Christ’s existence in Heb 1:1-4 (i.e., preexistence, incarnation, exaltation), and elaborates them further in Heb 1:5-14. This interpretive method will also reveal that the author’s description of Christ’s preexistence in Heb 1:5-14 is not metaphorical but literal, even though it is expressed in terms of the wisdom language.


An Egalitarian and Circular Imagination of Mark 10:35-45 through an Ekklesia of Women: Based on Asian, Postcolonial, and Critical-Liberationist Feminism
Program Unit: Intersectional Feminism(s)
Young Ra Rhee, Harvard University

This paper aims to examine Mark 10:35~45 according to three feminist interpretations, including critical-liberationist, Asian feminist, and postcolonial, and to evaluate critically those interpretations in terms of Dance of Interpretation Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza suggests in Wisdom Ways and the South Korean women’s experiences, with the goal of empowerment of women leaders in the South Korean church. This text reflects the contradictory position in which women leaders in the South Korean churches are situated, in that, in church, an egalitarian message of Jesus is shared, but women still are silenced and forced to be marginalized. In this passage, we can find the contradictory coexistence of both oppressive and liberative factors. The androcentric and colonial structure of domination presupposed in the text are parallel to those in the South Korean church. Jesus’ liberative redefinition of “service” in this text, as well, could function as a transformative tool, since it has functioned as rhetoric towards legitimizing oppression of women. In this reconstructive survey, first, I’d like to discern oppressive and transformative potentialities for South Korean women church leaders in the way of discipleship described in this text, by critically examining three feminist interpretations. I’ll read Joanna Dewey’s “The Gospel of Mark,” from Searching the Scriptures, Hisako Kinukawa’s Women and Jesus in Mark, and Tat-siong Benny Liew’s “Mark,” from A Postcolonial Commentary on the New Testament. In the second part of this paper, in connection with Dance of Interpretation, I will evaluate critically three different readings, based on the experiences of the South Korean women leaders. I hope these interpretations, in complementary interaction, could give a deeper and diverse discernment of the multiplex structure of domination based on an androcentric and colonial ideology affecting South Korean women’s lives, and of empowering potentialities such as the transformative redefinition of service and suffering in this text.


Temple and Salvation: A Theological Debate Between Jeremiah 7 and 2 Kings 18–19
Program Unit:
Johannes Unsok Ro, International Christian University

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Re-Thinking and Testing the Concept of “Literary Influence” Using Quantitative Tools
Program Unit: Digital Humanities in Biblical, Early Jewish, and Christian Studies
Paul Robertson, Colby-Sawyer College

In Biblical Studies, it is common to hear assertions such as that ‘Paul had both Greek and Jewish influences’, or that ‘the Gospel of Matthew was more influenced by Judaism than Hellenism’, or that ‘early Christianity was influenced by Roman collegia’. Sometimes, this influence is demonstrable at the level of specific textual borrowing (e.g., Paul’s use of ‘gentle as a nurse’ language from Cynicism) or at the level of conceptual overlap (the Gospel of Matthew’s use of Stoic ethics). Mostly, however, assertions of influence stem from generalized understandings and assertions of how various social, conceptual, and literary strata interacted with one another, as well as a fundamental lack of clarity behind the very word “influence”. In this paper, I argue that the digital humanities provide an antidote for the lack of clarity behind vague assertions of influence that are common in the field, particularly in literary studies. Analyzing and coding a text using the tools of the digital humanities allows for textual comparisons that are quantitative, transparent, and testable. These methods productively supplement existing qualitative approaches for a fuller picture of the nature of Biblical literature and the ancient Mediterranean literary environment more broadly. Fundamental emphasis will be on conceptual methods, namely classifying and coding literature, specifically Paul’s letters. Additionally, I will demonstrate and apply tools from the digital humanities that involve mapping comparisons between texts (e.g., two of Paul’s letters) using basic tools on Excel and Word. Particular focus will be on visualizing comparative literary data in graphical form, and the use of cluster analysis to understand and demonstrate comparison.


The Relationship between Moses and Aaron in the Pentateuch: An Indication for Competing Scribal Circles?
Program Unit:
Thomas Römer, Collége de France and University of Lausanne

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Paul’s Exhortation of Love as the Source of Friendship: A Comparative Critical Reading of I Corinthians in light of Cicero’s Concept of Friendship
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Aneesh S. M., Hindustan Bible College

It is said that Paul’s epistle to the I Corinthians is a friendship letter. As a good friend of the Corinthian community, Paul exhorts and admonishes his Corinthian friends to remain in their friendship. For Paul, the norm that underlines the friendship is love. In the context of exercising their freedom in the matter of eating the food offered to the idols (I Cor 8-10) and the use of spiritual gifts (I Cor 12-14), Paul says it is not the knowledge or the spiritual gifts that underlines one’s friendship within the ekklesia but love. Similar idea is found in the writings of Cicero, the Roman philosopher. For Cicero, friendship is an agreement with goodwill and affection on all things divine and human (Cic. Amic.20). The source of goodwill is love (amor). Friendship is formed to manage a common advantage through mutual service. But, the Corinthian friends did not work out for the common advantage of their friends. They exercised their freedom for their own advantage. As Cicero, Paul also exhorts his Corinthian friends to do all things for the common good which is the edification or building up of their friends. It can happen only if their friendship is grounded on the basis of love which is the source of goodwill. Therefore, it is assumed that the comparison of 1 Corinthians with Cicero’s concept of friendship will bring out Paul’s exhortation of Love as the source of Friendship in community.


Manuscript Witnesses to Early Christian Literature: A New Project on Texts Preserved in the Languages of the Christian Orient
Program Unit: Textual Criticism: Manuscripts & Methods
Timothy B. Sailors, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen

This presentation will summarize my recently initiated project of producing a complete, 'up-to-date' and accurate reference work describing the textual witnesses to early Christian literature preserved in the languages of the Christian Orient: Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Arabic, Georgian, Nubian, Christian Palestinian Aramaic, Persian, Sogdian and Caucasian Albanian. It will alert researchers to the existence of witnesses in these languages, providing the date, current location and other important details of the manuscripts, indicating whether either the text from or images of the manuscripts have been published and if so where and offering a general assessment of their relation to other witnesses. The standard critical introductions, translations and editions of various corpora of early Christian literature furnish only incomplete (and sometimes inaccurate) information about the textual witnesses through which this literature is known. None of these reference works provide the advanced student or researcher with enough information on the manuscripts such that their relation to other witnesses or their role in the history and reconstruction of the text can always be easily assessed, let alone sufficient information such that the manuscripts could be located and consulted if necessary. My project will redress this shortcoming.


Paul’s Friendly Appeal to Philemon: A Comparative Critical Reading of Epistle of Paul to Philemon with Krishna’s Friendly Appeal to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Ramakrishnan M., Filadelfia Bible College

The aim of this paper is to critically analyze the uniqueness and similarities between Paul’s friendly appeal to Philemon from the Epistle of Paul to Philemon and Krishna’s friendly appeal to Arjuna from Bhagavad gita. This comparative critical reading mainly deals with the appeal of Paul and Krishna with their friends in a particular context. They both made an appeal to their friends to fight against evil. Paul asked Philemon to fight against the social evil of slavery, whereas Krishna asked Arjuna to fight against the existing evil, against his family that is Duryodhana (Arjuna’s brother) who is considered as an embodiment of evil source. They both have their own principles to bring their appeal to their friends. Krishna’s appeal to Arjuna was that he should evacuate the evil through war. But Paul’s appeal to Philemon was that he should evacuate the evil by acceptance. This critical reading will provide stand to read Paul’s friendly appeal to Philemon in the light of Krishna’s friendly appeal to Arjuna, so that the element of Paul’s friendly appeal could be brought to light


Zion's Rape in Isaiah 51:23
Program Unit: Intersectional Feminism(s)
Angela Sawyer, Whitley College

Rape in war or in conflict zones is ubiquitous and too frequently ignored. Rape as a military metaphor for invasion, humiliation and shame, is found throughout the Hebrew Bible prophets. In some of these cases rape is also equated with divine punishment, with Yahweh the implied rapist. This paper suggests that the allusion to Zion's rape in Isaiah 51:23 does not stand with this tradition of blame, providing an intentional movement towards empathy, pity and grief for Zion's situation. I will assess whether the construction of Zion's personification as a drunken mother who has lost her children and suffered wrath at the hands of a vengeful Yahweh, succeeds in highlighting and condemning the real side-effects of war and exile that too often affect civilian women and children. Many commentators on Isaiah's personification of Zion are quick to emphasise the theological background of the passage and reduce a focus on the impact that such images evoke precisely because of the imagery that is used. Prophetic texts allow space for a response to occur on more than one level and on more than one issue. Deutero-Isaiah's use of provocative language to illustrate violence prompts us to think twice about two domains - exile but also rape.


Prophet as Comedian: Satire and Politics in a Dangerous World
Program Unit: Bible and Empire
Angela Sawyer, Whitley College

Isaiah 40-48 efficiently employs satire in the anti-idol polemics to subvert the dominant narrative of empire. Sarcasm, irony, and mockery are poetic devices used to undermine the political economic centre, and reinforce counter views of living. This paper explores the satirical function of the anti-idol polemics in Deutero-Isaiah and compares these with contemporary forms of satire, comics and cartoons aimed at destabilizing various dominant ideologies provoking modern day forms of terrorism, warfare or government; humour succeeding where other forms of persuasion may have failed. The implied audience of the anti-idol polemics may include both those who buy into dominant ideologies - the provocateurs, as well as those who seek to oppose these but may require alternative ways of thinking. Beneath the layers of humour lie a carefully constructed and scathing case against powerful and sometimes dangerous worldviews.


Consolation after Severe Bereavement: The Ruth Story as Bibliotherapy
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Eben Scheffler, University of South Africa

Grief after the death of a spouse or children counts as of the most severe suffering a human being can experience. It is argued that amongst all the various “messages” suggested for the book of Ruth (depending on the dating of the book) the simple human story with its theme of severe human grief is often overlooked or neglected. From a bibliotherapeutical perspective it is argued that the book of Ruth (at least, or should primarily) be read as a story to provide consolation in a situation of acute personal bereavement and sorrow. The motifs as found expression in the rest of the suggested messages can be interpreted as contributing to and complementing the said main function of the story.


Processes of Exchange between Syriac-Aramaic Traditions of Performances of Songs and the Recitation of the Qur´an
Program Unit: Bible and Syriac Studies in Context
Stephanie Schewe, Freie Universität Berlin

Religious traditions in the Near East and the recitation of the Qur'an, which is performed both privately and in public spaces, are characterized by cultic practice. The recitation of the Qur´an points to the relevance of Syriac Church music as one of its contexts. Both, the Qur´an and the Syriac recitation, are recited with a cantilena and are based on a similar set of rules, i.e. music, grammar, and rhetoric. The recitation of the Qur´an follows exact rules of pronunciation, which are defined in the principles of tajwid. Similar to the recitation of the Bible, it is necessary to ensure that the meaning of the text reaches the listener. Because of this, the vocal practice of the recitation of the Qur´an needs to be studied with regard to its historical development and with a view to the developments in Christian Oriental Church music.


The Use of Longfellow’s Samson by African American Women Writers
Program Unit: Intersectional Feminism(s)
Jeremy Schipper, Temple University

In 1842, the celebrated American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published an anti-slavery poem ominously titled, “The Warning.” The poem depicts enslaved African Americans collectively as a type of Samson bringing down the pillars of the Philistine temple. “The Warning” gained popularity among supporters of the abolition of slavery in the United States such as the novelist Harriett Beecher Stowe. Yet, it soon became much more than an anti-slavery poem. It legacy extended into many other politically charged discussions about race in the United States after slavery was legally abolished. As part of a larger project that I am co-writing with Nyasha Junior, this paper shows how late nineteen and early twentieth century African American women writers in particular adopted and transformed Longfellow’s Samson in appeals for better educational opportunities, in anti-lynching campaigns, in poetry celebrating social progress for African Americans, and in Black Nationalism.


Transmitting Semen Impurity at Qumran: A Study of 4QTohoraa (4Q274)
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Aharon Shemesh, Bar-Ilan University

Lev. 15:1-15 discusses in detail the ways in which a man who had an irregular penile discharge, a zab, transmits his impurity. Direct contact with a zab, touching or carrying his seat or bed can all conduct this impurity. In verses 16-18 however, Leviticus only briefly discusses the impurity of regular seminal discharges, and goes into less detail. This discrepancy encourages interpretive efforts, one of which can be found at Qumran. A Qumran scroll, 4QTohoraa (4Q274), offers a sectarian reading of this biblical passage. Fragment 2 particularly discusses the laws of semen impurity using the terminology used in Leviticus concerning zab. This paper offers a new reading of fragment 2 and reconstructs the fundamental principles behind the creation of these laws.


Angels, Ancestors, and Rabbis: Intercessors with Gd and Spiritual Archaeologies
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Richard Sherwin, Bar-Ilan University

Jewish prayers today seem not merely an historical compendium of biblical, talmudic, and modern beliefs in how best to celebrate the Jewish people’s relationships with Gd, and how most effectively to activate them when in need. Jewish prayers seem also to combine the many levelled disputes in Jewish traditional beliefs about the ongoing relationships between the spiritual and the physical, and the ‘worlds’ each exists in. If the ‘dead do not praise the Lord’ then why pray at the gravesites of the Patriarchs, Matriarchs, prophets, and Rabbis. If Jews pray directly to the Lord as a people outside the worlds of mazal (luck, constellations, astrology " and all the angelic hosts in charge of such), how do we reconcile our insistent emphasis on ‘mazal tov’ (good luck, good fortune, and its equivalent ‘in a good hour and a lucky one)? If we pray collectively to Gd alone, what possible reason and meaning can there be for the triple reminder and emphasis each morning of how the angels celebrate their relationship to Gd, in the KEDUSHA (‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ etc) before reciting our doxology of Gd’s unity and uniqueness in the Shema, during the repetition of the Silent Prayer (Amida), and as prelude to closing the morning prayers? And lastly, "given the angels in the Tanach where Jewish faith and history begin, and the named angels "Michael Gabriel Uriel and Rafael" in the prayers we recite at the end of our day" what is the impact of these intermediaries on our understanding of what, how, and why we pray to the Lord both collectively and individually. I wish to address these topics by way of some of the representative orthodox customs of prayers in order to bring up some questions about pragmatic Jewish approaches to spirituality in general, and its connections to our physical realities.


The Influence of the Bible in Shaping the Negative Viewpoint of Korean Christians towards Nature
Program Unit: Bible and Its Influence: History and Impact
Hyunte Shin, University of Exeter

The primary purpose of this paper is to explore the Bible’s impact in shaping the negative viewpoint of Korean Christians towards nature. Today, the mainline protestant churches in Korea have an indifferent attitude toward ecological problems. This paper’s assumption is that the tremendous influence of certain brands of Western theology brought by the early Western missionaries from their home countries are in part the ultimate root of this apathetic stance of South Korean Christians, especially Western theologies associated with biblical literalism and Premillennial Dispensationalism. The majority of Western missionaries to Korea saw the eschatological texts of the N.T through the lens of Premillennial Dispensationalism, which teaches that the natural world is destined to be totally destroyed by God’s judgment and that devoted believers will be caught up in a new, transformed and eternal existence. The early leaders of Korean protestant churches accepted this viewpoint and the inherited understanding of the biblical texts through this view concerning nature has shaped the indifferent attitude of the majority of contemporary Korean Christians towards current environmental issues. This doctrinal perspective (with certain doctrinal constructs) not only functioned as the central key in reading and interpreting the N.T.’s eschatological texts, but it also treated certain eschatological texts as central (Mk 13:24-27; 1Thess 4:13-5:11; Heb 12:25-29; 2 Pet 3:1-13; Rev 6:12-27; 8:1-13) and marginalized others (Mk 1:12-13; Rom 8:19-23; and Rev 21:1-7, 22:1-5). To illustrate the interpretive history of the eschatological texts of the N.T. and its influence on perceptions of nature among Korean protestant churches, this paper deals with a brief history of the dissemination of premillennial dispensationalism among Korean Christians, and also illustrates various views on N.T. eschatology.


The Ambivalence of the “Hangul” Bible in the Context of Foreign Imperialism
Program Unit: Bible and Empire
SuJung Shin, New Brunswick Theological Seminary

This paper examines how the Korean language “Hangul” Bible may have been perceived as a “double-leveled” text that could play an ambivalent role in responding to foreign imperialism in Korea. This paper attempts to distinguish Bakhtin’s conscious “linguistic hybrid” from Bhabha’s unconscious “hybridity” that becomes the object of a linguistic form of “mimicry,” in investigating a tension communicated through the Hangul Bible as a form of linguistic hybrid that combines the conflicting socio-linguistic points of view about Japanese and Western imperialism. This paper explores how the earliest versions of the Hangul Bible published in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries could have provided an ideological ground for the ordinary people’s desire to defeat imperial control and oppression and build a free and independent life of community and of individuals. From the perspective, Hangul Bible may have influenced strongly and effectively the Korean ordinary men and women who had been previously excluded from the educational system and were therefore resorting to the egalitarian and liberating values of the Hangul Bible. On the other hand, Hangul Bible may have been used genuinely and polemically by missionaries to educate the ordinary people who resisted Japanese colonial discourse and to convert them from the “old” Korean religions to the “new” Western Christianity. This paper examines how such a hybridized discourse on Hangul Bible can be seen as ambivalent and double-voiced from the perspective of the “intentional” linguistic hybrid. During the tumultuous years of the South Korean history under the thumb of empire(s), what was not ultimately exhausted would be the ordinary people’s desire “to become like other nations” (cf. 1 Sam 8: 5, 19), that is, the desire to not only defeat imperial oppression but also “mimic” imperial discourse, that is, the attempts to both resist and resemble imperial cultural power.


A “Dialogic” Hero David from the Perspective of “Internally Persuasive Word” in the Books of Samuel
Program Unit: Authority and Influence in Ancient Times
SuJung Shin, New Brunswick Theological Seminary

This paper’s approach to the topic of the “authority” of David and Davidic kingship invites a rereading from the perspective of an “internally persuasive” word, and thus provides a dialogic way of understanding the interrelations of character, speaker, and audience in the Samuel prose. This paper examines how the authority of David is accepted, challenged, rejected, reclaimed or reinterpreted in terms of his complex interrelationships with supporting characters in the books of Samuel, and investigates how and why the character of David can be represented as the kind of hero who is not determined and finalized by “monologic” authoritative conclusion. In so doing, this paper attempts to make the stylistic (and ideological) distinction between “authoritative word” and “internally dialogized word” from the perspective of the theories of dialogue: if the authoritative word is “located in a distanced zone” that is considered to be hierarchically higher, internally persuasive discourse enters into a struggle with other internally persuasive discourses among various available ideological points of view and values. This paper argues that the authority of David does not remain in an isolated and static condition, but based on the internally persuasive discourse in Samuel, the words on David and his kingship are not finite, but open to (re)interpretation especially in the exilic context of the destruction of the city of David and the Jerusalem Temple. In other words, in each of the new contexts that “dialogize” the discourse, the “internally persuasive word” on David and his kingship continuously represents “newer ways to mean” in the (post)exilic communities. This paper eventually aims to reveal how the audience as ordinary people may have perceived the authority of David and the Davidic line in the world of (post)exile, where hierarchical dominance and the authority of the monarchy have been lost.


Early Christian Interpretations of Psalm 51:4[6] (“Against you, you alone, have I sinned”)
Program Unit: Biblical Interpretation in Early Christianity
Randall Short, Tokyo Christian University

Ancient interpreters wrestled with the meaning of the psalmist’s confession “Against you, you alone, have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4[6]), especially given the assumption by most readers that this is David’s penitential prayer after committing adultery with Bathsheba and having her husband Uriah killed. In this paper, I shall compare and contrast the interpretive strategies that important commentators such as Diodore of Tarsus, John Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Augustine, Theodoret of Cyrus, and Cassiodorus employed in dealing with this difficult text. While examining their various approaches and creative solutions, I hope to offer a manageable yet helpful demonstration of the breadth and depth of patristic exegesis, as well as fresh insights into early Christian understandings of sin and repentance. (Research for this paper is being funded by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.)


Theologies and Ethics of Repentance in Modern Interpretations of Psalm 51:4[6] (“Against you, you alone, have I sinned”)
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Randall Short, Tokyo Christian University

What does it mean for someone who has sinned against other people to pray to God, “Against you, you alone, have I sinned,” as the psalmist does in Psalm 51:4[6]? Jews and Christians have puzzled over this text from ancient times to the present day, especially given their assumption that this is David’s confession after the Bathsheba affair, and given the importance of this penitential psalm in their public and private liturgies. But the problem does not go away if one denies Davidic authorship of the psalm together with most modern scholars. All but a few biblical scholars still view Psalm 51 as an ancient prayer of repentance that would have been appropriate after commission of sins against other people, and not solely against God. A distinctively modern solution would be to treat this confession, with its apparent disregard for the offended human party, as indicative of the breach between religious faith and ethics that plagued the ancient world, and that continues to plague our own. Unsurprisingly, Jewish and Christian interpreters, including most modern biblical scholars, have interpreted the prayer more sympathetically. Even so, there remain many theological and ethical questions about the nature of sin (both general and particular), repentance (to both God and humans), and moral responsibility (especially to other people) in the imaginations of Jews and Christians as they read and interpret this psalm. In this paper, I shall raise these and other questions as I examine various solutions that modern biblical commentators — including Japanese interpreters — have proposed in order to make sense of this important text. (Research for this paper is being funded by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.)


Morality versus Cult in Ancient Egyptian Wisdom Literature and in the Bible
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom
Nili Shupak, University of Haifa

One of the key features of biblical prophecy is the primacy of the morality over the cult. While this idea also occurs in biblical historiography and wisdom literature, some scholars maintain that it originated with the Hebrew prophets. Others, however, suggest that it preceded biblical prophecy, contending that the extra-biblical findings—primarily Egyptian—demonstrate its existence at least a millennium earlier than the emergence of biblical prophecy. This paper focuses on the question of whether Egyptian wisdom literature contains a similar rejection or criticism of the cult in favour of other values. It first surveys the attitude the Egyptian sages exhibit towards the cult, then proceeds to analyse a selection of texts—including passages from other genres that appear to demonstrate a critical attitude towards sacrifices. These findings are then compared with the biblical view in order to determine the existence of affinities or lack thereof. If correspondences are identified, the possibility of Egyptian influence on the biblical wisdom writers and prophets will be discussed. Although previous scholars have already discussed these issues, they have generally approached it from the biblical rather Egyptian perspective, adducing the relevant Egyptian sources as aids in resolving the question of whether the favouring of morality over ritual is unique to the Hebrew Bible or not. I take the opposite approach here, beginning with the Egyptian texts, taking into consideration the recent studies and new translations of the Egyptian material that have prompted a re-examination of this question.


The Pastor's Wife: Troubles in Thyatira (Rev 2:20)
Program Unit: Apocalyptic Literature
Tony Siew, Sabah Theological College

In this paper I will argue that the seven angels of the seven churches in Rev 2-3 are human messengers of the churches, namely pastors of the 7 churches in Asia Minor. This is premised on three grounds. First, it is unlikely that letters to churches are sent to heavenly angels. Second, the reading of the Greek text suggests that these angels/messengers are in the churches. Thirdly and more significantly, on the basis of Codex Alexandrinus which has the reading in Rev 2:20 as "your wife" which is probably the original reading of Greek text of Rev 2:20 given the reliability and dependability of Codex A for the Greek text of Revelation as a whole. If my contention is correct, "Your wife, Jezebel" then refers to the angel's wife which in all likelihood is the pastor's wife. The troubles in Thyatira are caused by the pastor's wife who leads some of the members into sexual immorality and partaking of foods sacrificed to idols. I will relate this reading to the contemporary church, especially the Asian church where several recent high profile cases that attracted media attention focus on the troubles of the church caused by the pastor's wife and the need for the churches in Asia and the West to heed the sayings of the letter to the pastor of the Thyatira church.


Enemies Everywhere: The Psalmist's Struggle for Survival
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Tony Siew, Sabah Theological College

The book of Psalms consists primarily of praise and prayer but the Psalmist's lament against his enemies seems to pervade many of the Psalms and included in the many prayers, laments, and even praises addressed to God. In this paper I will discuss about the Psalmist's apparent struggle against his enemies and how the Psalmist deals with his enemies, real or perceived in the psalmist's relationship to God and to his fellow human beings. Oftentimes, when enemies are cited in the prayers, they are nameless and many a time contextless but yet rooted in actual experience of the Psalmist which makes the Psalms appear not only universally relevant but also timeless in dealing with humanity's struggle against itself, man against man, a fellow human being against another in the survival of the human race. I will also examine the perception of the Psalmist that his struggle is just and righteous and that only with God's help he can overcome his enemies to accomplish God's purposes in his life and in the life of the nation he loves.


Daughter of Jairus and Chronic Bleeding Woman (Mark 5:21-43): Markan Liberating Salvation
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Asigor P. Sitanggang, Jakarta Theological Seminary

This paper discusses the specific Markan text through tradition and redaction criticisms. By doing these criticism, one can see that there were possibly two separate narratives combined together by Mark, which were, the narrative of resurrecting the daughter of Jairus, and the sudden accidental healing of the chronic bleeding woman. The two cases represent two different clusters of tradition. Both persons, the daughter of Jairus and the chronic bleeding woman, received the salvation as also healing (and resurrection). Mark may have received the two narratives separately, and when he joined them together, the theology set behind has two aspects, (1) feminist, which he compared a man with a woman, and by doing so implies a gender equality, and (2) liberative, which he compared two persons from totally opposite social backgrounds.


The Origins of Justin Martyr’s “Second Coming” Expectation
Program Unit: Apostolic Fathers and Related Early Christian Literature
Murray Smith, Christ College, Sydney

Justin Martyr is the first Christian writer to explicitly distinguish Jesus’ “first coming” in weakness from his “second coming” in power (e.g. 1Apol. 52.3; Dial. 14.8; 36.1; 40.4; 45.4; 49.2, 7; 53.1; 54.1; 69.7; 110.2, 5; 121.3 (cf. Dial. 32.3; 110.2). The resulting “two parousias” schema looms large in Justin’s theology, and is richly integrated with Justin’s primary theological concerns. But what are the origins of this “two parousias” schema in Justin? Justin clearly knew the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and he probably also knew John, but he only very rarely appeals to the words of Jesus in support of his “second coming” expectation. Far more commonly, Justin adopts the rhetorical strategy of grounding his expectation in the words of the ancient Scriptures of Israel. The thesis of this paper is that this rhetorical strategy is best explained as a response to Justin’s polemical context and apologetic purpose. In the context of Roman scepticism towards novelty, and Jewish rejection of the crucified Jesus as Israel’s Messiah, Justin emphasizes that the contrast between Christ’s “first coming” in weakness and “second coming” in power was long ago promised in the Scriptures of Israel. At the same time, Justin insists that it was Jesus himself who “taught us these things” by applying the Scriptures to his own two-fold coming (1 Apol. 23.2; 50.12; Dial. 76.6). Thus, although no Christian writer before him explicitly distinguishes Jesus “first coming” from his “second coming,” Justin’s claim is that he learned the distinction from Jesus’ own interpretation of the Scriptures. In this way, Justin links the authority of the ancient Scriptures to the authority of Jesus, and so buttresses his appeal to Romans and Jews to accept Jesus as Messah and Lord.


A New Perspective on Luke 8:16-18
Program Unit: Synoptic Gospels
Grace Eun Hye So, Graduate Theological Union

This proposal will fit in the third section, 'Special Themes on the Synoptic Gospels.' In this paper I excavate the layers of interpretation within the parable of the lamp in Luke 8:16-18 using the tool of biblical interpretation criticism. Part 1 shows the complexity of the passage in Luke 8:16-18 for it cannot be interpreted with just one biblical criticism. This section will show the important aspects of biblical criticism. In Part 2, I will apply biblical criticism to the passage in Luke 8:16-18 to illuminate how the parable of the lamp is portrayed differently in each gospel. Examining the Greek texts of Luke 8:16-18, I will investigate the textual issues of the passage and define parable – the form of the passage. However, there are many shortcomings of looking at the passage through a form critical lens alone. In order to gain a fuller sense of the parable and its surrounding passage, I will employ other biblical interpretation methods. Through these methods, I suggest a richer biblical interpretation. In Part 3, I will elaborate upon the Sitz im Leben of the passage, specifically the historical setting of the Primitive Christian Church. However, as this investigation will establish, an important weakness of form criticism is that it is difficult to establish the exact historical setting and Sitz im Leben of the passage. Other biblical methods offer helpful insights where form criticism falls short. Through this process, the parable of the lamp is better elucidated. Furthermore, this part will show how intertextuality method links Luke 8:16-18 with verses from Job 17:12-14; 18:6, Psalms 119:105, and Proverbs 20:27. In conclusion, I will provide a brief assessment of biblical criticism and conclude with a suggestion for future research in biblical criticism in the twenty first century.


A Social-Scientific Reading of Jesus’ Eating with the Margins in Mark 2:13–17 and Its Implication for Subaltern Reading of the Bible in India Today
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
S. Sobanaraj, Madras Theological Seminary

The present study seeks to stress the pericope’s interpretive potentials by highlighting the sociological factors and the social forces that were operative beneath Jesus’ paradigmatic action. In doing so, it ventures out to reread the periscope through social-scientific lens in order to unearth its prospects so that it can bluntly address the concerns of women, Dalits and other exploited and marginalized sections of the people groups who are stigmatized, exploited, oppressed by the dominant forces that control the Indian polity and the religious establishments. Evidently, Jesus’ eating with the socially ostracized people groups in this periscope (Mark 2:13–17) has much interpretive potentials to contribute to the Subaltern reading of the Bible which focuses more on “what happens among the masses at the base levels of society than among the elite.”


Jesus’ Handling of Sabbath Controversies as a Key to Biblical Interpretation Today
Program Unit: Gospel of Mark
S. Sobanaraj, Madras Theological Seminary

Even as the observance of the Sabbath constitutes the core of Jewish faith, Jesus reorients the Sabbath regulations to meet the existential needs of the hungry and the afflicted ones. He moved far-off from the pharisaic way of construing the Sabbath and used scripture to counter the wrong perception held by the Pharisees. Jesus responds to the charge of Sabbath breaking by appealing to David's example (Mark 2:23–28; Matt 12:1–8; Luke 6:1–5), thereby showing that in principle the Sabbath law might be set aside by other considerations. Jesus did not vacillate in provoking the religious establishment in order to effect emancipation in the lives of the suffering and the affected people groups. It is absorbing to note that in the periscope on the healing of the crippled man, Jesus himself precipitates the conflict by calling the crippled man forward (the Greek word elgeire accentuates this [Mark 3:3; Luke 6:8]). While the earlier studies on the Sabbath controversies dwelt more on the historical plausibility and their Christological implications, this study, drawing mainly from Mark 2:23–28 and Mark 3:1–6 and their synoptic parallels, seeks to stress their interpretive potentials for liberating the exploited and the socially ostracized ones. In his Sabbath controversies Jesus operated on two vital principles: “doing good” and “saving life” (Mark 3:4). In it one witnesses the reciprocity between practical warrants and biblical interpretation. Thus the principles Jesus has enacted could serve as interpretive paradigms in biblical interpretation today. They resonate ethical, theological and epistemological nuances. It throws new insights on how we need to interpret the scripture in the 21st century as we seek to move the margins from the hegemonies of centric forces that operate under different cover. [TRUNCATED]


Diaspora Javanese in Suriname: Moving Margins in Bible Translation
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Daud Soesilo, United Bible Societies

Javanese workers from the island of Java in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) were first recruited from 1890 to 1939 to work in plantation in Suriname a Dutch colony in northern South America also known as Dutch Guiana. Although some returned to their homeland and others took up residency in the Netherlands, the majority of these workers remained in Suriname and became Javanese in diaspora. The descendants of the Javanese contract workers are now an integral part of the Suriname society, however, as the other ethnic groups, the Javanese have retained their own identity. The Surinamese Javanese work hard in preserving their language, culture and customs in their adopted homeland. Surinamese Javanese also known as Caribbean Javanese differs significantly from the Javanese spoken in Java, Indonesia. While there are minor differences in phonology, morphology and syntax, the major differences lie in the language register as well as the lexical items, because there are many Javanese words of Java which have ceased to be used in Suriname, and it has acquired loanwords from the dominant local language, Sranan Tongo (known as Taki-taki), from Dutch (the medium of instruction at schools) as well as from Bahasa Indonesia. Since the Javanese Bible used in Indonesia is not useable in Suriname, there is a need for a different Javanese translation for these diaspora Javanese. This paper will present an analysis of the existing New Testament translation in Surinamese Javanese and an analysis of the present translation work in revising this NT and completing the OT translation. All in all, the changes in the Javanese of Suriname as compared to the Javanese in Java of Indonesia have in reality moved the margins in Bible translation for these diaspora Javanese speakers and readers.


Ritual Context in the Epistle to Hebrews
Program Unit: Epistle to the Hebrews
Mxolisi Michael Sokupa, Helderberg College

The Epistle to the Hebrews has received attention in areas such as: literary, historical and cultural contexts etc. The ritual context of the epistle remains in obscurity. This paper seeks to appraise ritual in Hebrews in light of the theological narrative of the Epistle. Ritual is often abbreviated, it is therefore not strange to find such brevity of ritual in Hebrews. This paper proposes the use of narrative analysis from a theological level to understand the ritual context of the epistle. Does the provenance of the epistle to Hebrews offer any light on its ritual context? What was going on ritually where the author was writing from? What were the ritual expectations and realities of the recipients of the epistle? There is a tension in Hebrews between the continuity of the Old Testament ritual and the discontinuity thereof. The epistle introduces and caries this tension throughout the theological narrative. Does the ritual context of the Epistle help in throwing light on the implications of this ritual tension? This paper seeks to employ an eclectic methodology that will bring the ritual, narrative and theological elements together. This method will address the questions raised and hopefully continue the debate drawing scholars from literary, theological and ritual studies to contribute in answering these questions.


Judas the Asian Antichrist: Reading Him in the Margins of John’s Gospel and 1 John
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Gilbert Soo Hoo, Singapore Bible College

In this paper I compare Judas Iscariot and the separatists (1 John 2:19) by using the Gospel’s prologue (John 1:1-18) for interpreting not only the rest of the Gospel narrative but also the Johannine letters. Scholars generally see a common tradition for John’s Gospel and the letters. That tradition is grounded in the theological-christological statement of the prologue and so I regard the prologue as the hermeneutical key for reading the Gospel and three letters. I suggest a bi-directional reading whereby Judas and the separatists serve as templates for interpreting each other, that is, Judas used to interpret the separatists and the separatists used to understand Judas. Then I hope to apply insights on betrayal and defection from this reading to Asian Christianity.


‘You and Everyone Who Does These Things Will Be Saved’ (Mand. 4.3.7 [31.7]): The Conditions and Presuppositions of Salvation in the Shepherd of Hermas
Program Unit: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Jonathan Soyars, University of Chicago

The Shepherd of Hermas attests dozens of explicit and implicit apparent conditions of salvation. In his monograph on early Christian prophecy, David Aune examined the form and function of some of these conditions within Hermas’s oracular speeches, but many others remain to be analyzed. The most prominent of Hermas’s salvific conditions include repentance, keeping God’s commandments, and avoiding double-mindedness and wealth, and they often appear in tandem with his shorthand locutions for salvation. These conditions collectively require that Christians live and believe in certain ways, which might suggest that Hermas considered salvation to depend entirely on human agency and action. However, careful analysis of the Shepherd reveals a number of theological presuppositions that undergird the possibility of fulfilling the conditions, including divine election, the Son’s cleansing people’s sins, justification of the flesh, being saved through faith, receiving forgiveness of sins in baptism, and the ongoing activity of the indwelling Spirit. This paper surveys Hermas’s conditions and presuppositions of salvation, examines the theological interplay between them, and explores their possible origins in earlier Jewish and Christian traditions. It argues that the presuppositions’ importance within the ostensibly conditional logic of salvation in the Shepherd far outweighs their being few in number and often mentioned only in passing. When Hermas’s conditions are read together with his presuppositions and not against them, it becomes clear that he grounds salvation’s conditions and the possibility of fulfilling them in the prior, ongoing, and future activity of God the Father, the Son, and the holy Spirit. Seen in this light, Hermas’s many apparent conditions of salvation become not provisos per se but paraenetic catalysts for Christians’ continual conversion in community, flowing from the knowledge that they have been, are being, and one day will be saved.


Jacob Struggling with the Angel: A Musical Exegesis
Program Unit: Judaica
Max Stern, Ariel University Center of Samaria

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day (Gen 32:24-32) The biblical episode of Jacob struggling with the Angel is frequently interpreted as symbolic of man's struggle to overcome the forces of evil – often a metaphor for the physical and spiritual tensions of his own inner being. The sounds we hear as the work opens are onomatopoeic: bleating flocks of sheep surrounding the combatants in the dead of night and responding to their blows. At times they strike one another in stone-age brutality at others they embrace in a dance of eternal love. It is a contest between ethical wisdom and sensual beauty - Jacob's angry clusters and the Angel's lustrous chords – struggling for an expression of truth. Triumphant at dawn the Patriarch remorsefully limps away from darkness into light.


And the Angels Sing: Sanctus through the Ages (A Musicological Presentation)
Program Unit: Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
Max Stern, Ariel University of Samaria

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim; each one had six wings: with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the fullness of the whole earth declareth his glory (Isaiah 6:1-3). The three-fold Holy has had immense ethical, ritual, artistic, and musical ramifications. Each repetition is replete with meaning. In an effort to bring the charismatic vision of Isaiah into social and communal consciousness, the sages of ancient Israel introduced the Tersanctus of the angelic Seraphim into liturgy, as the basis for the most important Doxology of Judaism - the Kedusha of the synagogue. As the earliest Christian congregations developed within the synagogue, they adapted and reframed the Kedusha into the Sanctus of the Mass. Many composers from the 14th century onward have dealt with the "Triple Sanctus." Certain conventions in the setting of the Sanctus can be identified. In some works, the initial Sanctus is rather florid, and its reiterations are expressed in progressively rising phrases. The angelic acclamation is interpreted either as an outpouring of sweet sounds, or as a mighty thundering of massed praise. This article examines the Sanctus in various settings and contexts from Gregorian liturgy to works by Palestrina, Mozart, Verdi, and as Jewish synagogue music by Lewandowski.


“Application Biblical Criticism” in the Age of Glocalization
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Myung Soo Suh, Hyupsung University

At least for more than one century biblical scholarship has been initiated by western scholars who have paid more attention to the biblical text and its formative history, background than the interpretation of texts from the perspective of reader’s vernacular hermeneutics. But this tendency of biblical criticism has gradually confronted with a difficulty in the age of glocalization. Above all those methodologies cannot effectively comprise the readers’ socio-political and cultural situations. For this reason reading the biblical text in reader’s social location and from the perspective of inculturation has been significantly suggested. Yet the voice is still minute. So I think now is a proper time to suggest a new methodology “Application Biblical Criticism”, which means that biblical criticism should comprise the process of application of the result of exegesis to contexts in reader’s social location in the glocal village. Basically application biblical criticism does not only to be faithful to the textual meaning through a process of scientific exegesis but also apply the textual meaning to the situation of the reader.


Cross-textual Interpretation of Solomon's Temple Construction and the Chinese Practice of Human Sacrifices in Building Projects
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Sun Yue, Center for Judaic and Inter-religious Studies Shandong University

According to Chen Lin’s poem A Wife Longs for Her Husband and the Book of Luban, we have reason to believe that many Chinese monuments and public buildings were constructed with human sacrifices as “human pillars”, which appeased the deity for protection and consolidation. Human sacrifices were also recorded in historical documents of the building of Tongwan, an ancient city in Xia Dynasty (2200-1760 B.C.E.). Although we cannot find any texts in the Hebrew Bible explicitly mentioning human sacrifice in the construction of Solomon’s Temple, there are texts that describe Solomon turning to other gods that did demand human sacrifices (Solomon built a shrine near Jerusalem for Molech, I Kg 11:7). And in Hebrew Bible as a whole there are many texts that mentioned the practice and/or prohibition of human sacrifices (Lev 18:21 Judg. 11, II Sam 21:1-11; II Kg 3:27). We can further relate ANET texts to the Hebrew texts in order to suggest plausible origins of human sacrifice in the region. This paper proposes to adopt a cross-textual reading of the above Chinese texts and the forced labor and oppression of the people in Solomon’s Temple and cities construction in I Kings 9/II Chronicles 8. Attention will also be paid to the textual evidence that shows not only that human sacrifice is present in the account, but a sharp distinction is made between Israelites and the nations when it comes to Solomon’s labor levy and slavery: “All the people who were left of the Hittites, Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites.... Solomon conscripted for forced labor...But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work” (I Kg 9:20-22; II Chron 8:7-9, c.f. Lev 25).


The Question of the Davidic Dynasty in the Books of Jeremiah and the Prophets
Program Unit:
Marvin Sweeney, Claremont School of Theology

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Rituals on Battlefield and the Historiography Account in Hittite Texts
Program Unit: Ritual in the Biblical World
Ada Taggar-Cohen, Doshisha University

This paper explores the relations between the textual evidence of Hittite rituals practice and oracular investigations, particularly those taken in times of war, and their reflection in the historiographical records of the Hittite empire of the second millennium BCE. The textual evidence raises several questions, such as what was the purpose of keeping such records, or what was the relationship between ritual practice and ritual writing. The said records were part of the historical accounts of the king and his administration, but should they be interpreted as a genuine expression of the Hittite religious tradition, or as an expression of royal propaganda? These various possibilities are examined through several textual examples and methodological considerations.


Beyond Israel, Escaping Eden
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Lizette G. Tapia-Raquel, Union Theological Seminary

The paper looks at Eden and Israel as constructs of the Christian Faith. The first part, "Beyond Israel," looks at the Samuel narratives and how David treated women, particularly Michal, Bathsheba and Rizpah, from a critical perspective. It exposes the violence against women, even and especially, by men who have power. It also delves on the homoerotic narratives about David and Jonathan. The paper is an attempt at a queer reading and argues that if David were allowed to imagine a world 'beyond Israel' and were not consumed by the need to build a dynasty and had been able to celebrate his love for Jonathan, then he would have been a kinder and more just human being. "Escaping Eden," the second part of the paper is also written from a critical perspective. It exposes how the characters in Eden are burdened with gender constructions and ideological limitations. Going beyond Israel and escaping Eden are discourses that proposes a movement from constructed spaces and a spirituality of resistance to be able to celebrate life and dignity for all.


Reading John from the Margins: Methodological Considerations to Read the New Testament in the Asian Context
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Johnson Thomaskutty, Union Biblical Seminary

The Fourth Gospel has literary, historical, and theological impetus to capture the spiritual and liberative longings of people groups. Its dramatic master plan and rhetorical persuasion provide paradigmatic and recurrent power to the reader in order to reform her/himself as an agent of transformation. The stories of the Samaritan woman (4:1-26), the blind man turned healed (9:1-41), and Lazarus (11:1-44) moves the reader’s point of view from the margins to the center. As these stories foreground the reality of borderless liberation, the text as a whole can be placed as a paradigm in the contemporary Asian context. The following questions are significant to consider at this juncture: How does the Gospel of John provide insights for a liberative reading of New Testament scriptures? How is an innovative reading by taking into consideration all peoples possible in the twenty-first Asian context? How does a gnomic rather than a descriptive reading of the New Testament writings possible in today’s context? The aim of the paper would be three-fold: first, suggesting a new way of reading the text gnomically rather than descriptively; second, considering John’s Gospel as a paradigm in order to expand the methodologies and principles to other New Testament writings (and even to the Old Testament writings); and third, facilitating an author-text-reader conglomeration in the interpretative initiatives.


Zechariah’s Vision Report in the Book of the Twelve
Program Unit: Prophets
Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, University of Aberdeen

The multitude of scholars who have worked on Zechariah’s report all know what an enigmatic and fascinating text this is. As the text stands, the vision report is part of several, gradually wider, textual corpora: Zech 1-6, Zech 1-8, the book of Zechariah, and the Book of the Twelve. Each textual corpus endeavours, at least in theory, to incorporate the vision report and to make it conform to and fit in with the surrounding material. Building on the work of those scholars who have explored the textual links between the vision report and other biblical texts (e.g. Janet Tollington, Risto Nurmela, Holger Delkurt, and Michael Stead), this paper explores the adjacent question: to what extent have the strategies that sought to integrate Zechariah’s vision report into its various textual contexts been successful? Moreover, is it more fruitful to read Zechariah’s vision report as a part of the Book of Zechariah or as a part of the Book of the Twelve and what are the key differences in these two reading strategies? The same question touches upon matters of authorship: was Zechariah’s vision report first incorporated into Zechariah and later into the Twelve or, alternatively, was it primarily situated within a literary corpus consisting of Haggai and Zech 1-8 which subsequently was connected with an early form of the Book of the Four, and only at a later stage given a literary context within an individual prophetic book?


Reading Noah and the Flood: A Fictional Encounter with Genesis 6–9
Program Unit: Bible and Its Influence: History and Impact
Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, University of Aberdeen

This paper will explore the retellings of and interactions with the biblical account of Noah and the flood (Gen 6-9) in modern literature. The four novels under scrutiny range from children’s literature, via young adult fiction, to main-stream fiction. They also represent diverse traditions and perspectives: some of the books are written from a marked Jewish or Christian perspective while others interrelate with the biblical narrative within a more secular context. The novels were furthermore published in different countries and written in different languages (Dutch, English, and Swedish). This paper will investigate how these novels enhance the biblical story by filling in the narrative gaps and providing the key dramatic personae with personality, background, and motivation for their actions. It will also look at how the novels respond to the theological problems that the biblical account raises. Why did God decide to send the flood? Why were Noah and his family spared from the catastrophe? Did Noah preach repentance whilst building the ark? Finally, this paper will note how several of the novels engage with extra-biblical texts (e.g. the Gilgamesh Epic, the book of Enoch) in order to produce a coherent and involving plot.


Rethinking the Syriac Contribution to Problems Concerning the Diatessaron
Program Unit: Bible and Syriac Studies in Context
Satoshi Toda, Hokkaido University

It is well known by now that, after the publication of a monumental book by W. L. Petersen some twenty years ago, research on Tatian's Diatessaron has taken a still more dramatic turn: various studies by U. B. Schmid et al. have shown that the so-called Western branch of the Diatessaron has in reality nothing to do with the Diatessaron (except for the Gospel Harmony in Codex Fuldensis, according to Schmid). On the other hand, the author of this paper is of the opinion that the Diatessaron was originally composed (or rather compiled) not in Syriac, but in Greek. Although this argument which was published some years ago in the journal Parole de l'Orient 36 (2011) has so far been without any repercussions, it seems that the time has already come that one should take a fresh look at materials genuinely related to the Diatessaron. It is from this perspective that the present paper intends to review the Syriac aspects of the so-called Diatessaronic studies, and to see whether it is now possible to view things differently.


Understanding Ecclesiastes 7 through the Lens of Chuang Tzu’s (Zhuangzi’s) Perspectivism
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Clement Tong, Carey Theological College

In the Chinese Union Version, Ecclesiastes 7:16 reads “do not act too righteously, and do not show yourself too wise – why bring destruction to yourself?” The passage has caused much hermeneutical unease to many Chinese Christian readers, who find the appeal against a determinant pursue of goodness difficult to negotiate and accept; in the Christian world of moral absolutism, where Paul’s urging to “press on toward the finish line” continues to ring loud, such an advice sounds ill-conceived, and to a certain degree, heretical. Applying the Taoist concept of Perspectivism of Zhuangzi (Chuang Tsz), this paper tries to offer an alternative way of understanding the Hebrew wisdom tradition underlining this chapter of Ecclesiastes. It is hoped that through the Zhuangzian worldview of perspectivism and relativism, the contextual importance of wisdom literature and its Hebrew setting can be highlighted and discussed, allowing the readers another angle to approach the text. The audience will also be invited to examine how perspectivism is perceived as a path of deeper knowledge in Zhuangzi’s writings, and how it compares with the way of wisdom in the Hebrew Bible, especially as found in the Book of Ecclesiastes.


Harmonizations in the Text of Leviticus
Program Unit: Septuagint Studies
Emanuel Tov, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Of all the textual features in the manuscripts of all the witnesses of the Torah books, harmonization is probably the most prominent feature. This view is open to some discussion, but scholars will probably agree that it is at least a very prominent phenomenon. The author has studied this phenomenon in two of the books of the Torah and it is appropriate to now devote attention to the book of Leviticus. Within a study of the harmonizing changes in the Torah, Leviticus has a special place because of its very repetitious and stereotyped language. More than the other sources, including the Samaritan Pentateuch, LXX-Leviticus is harmonizing, including some very intriguing changes. Often the LXX and Samaritan Pentateuch go together in their harmonizing tendencies, but more often the LXX reflects such changes (especially pluses) alone among the textual witnesses. Several Qumran scrolls will be analyzed as well. The paper will include an introductory analysis and will further present all the data subdivided into categories of textual relations, in Hebrew and Greek, together with statistics. The paper will substantiate the thesis that the harmonizing changes and pluses were made in the Hebrew text from which the Greek translation was made.


Complex Relationships among Human Groups, Nature and God in the Book of Judges 19-21: A Postcolonial-Ecofeminist Interpretation
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Tsong-sheng Tsan, Taiwan Theological Seminary

This paper analyses the conflicts among the Israelite tribes resulting from an ambivalent understanding of human voice and God’s will in the Book of Judges 19-21. The conflicts result in the severe civil wars and the suffering of many females. Land and cities were destroyed and females with cruelly treated. Both phenomenae are parallel and related to each other. We can comprehend these turbulent developments with some insights from a postcolonial-ecofeminist perspective. In so doing, to highlight the complex relationship among human groups, nature and God. This paper will also integrate some Asian experiences in the process of interpretations.


Feelings, Nothing More than Feelings? The Place of Emotions in Moral Judgment from a Cognitive Psychological Perspective, the Case of Mencius and Qumran
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Marcus Tso, Ambrose University and Seminary

While some Qumran scholars have begun to harness cognitive psychology in their research, no one has published yet on how cognitive psychology might illuminate the sectarian moral psychology. This paper extends my work on ethics in the Qumran sectarian literature (2010) by testing the utility of cognitive psychology in ancient religious ethics. In his 2009 article in Philosophical Psychology, David Morrow builds on and challenges Marc Hauser’s 2006 account of the causal relationship between emotions and moral judgments. Whereas Hauser labels models of moral psychology as Kantian, Humean, or Rawlsian, Morrow appeals to experimental results from cognitive science to propose a new model, one he terms Mencian. Morrow argues persuasively that his model agrees better with experimental data than Hauser’s Rawlsian model, that both emotions (Humean) and unconscious principles (Rawlsian) play a causal role in moral judgments. However, Morrow cites only one modern interpreter of the Confucian text Mengzi, the definitive textual source of Mencian thought, and no specific text from it. I aim to fill that gap and extend the conversation in the two main parts of this paper. The first part will examine briefly specific Mengzi texts that may support or contradict Morrow’s model. The second and lengthier part will examine how some sectarian texts from Qumran account for the role of emotions in making moral judgments. Results supporting Morrow’s model found in both lines of inquiry would be a strong validation of the explanatory power of cognitive science on some universal aspects of moral psychology, as evinced in ancient texts from two vastly different cultures. However, following Czachesz (2015), this exploration will also uncover some methodological problems with respect to applying cognitive science to ancient texts to inquire about moral psychology.


A Tale of Two Passovers: Determining the Direction of Dependence between Exod 12:1-14 and 12:21-27
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
Paavo Tucker, Asbury Theological Seminary

The relationship between the P and non-P Passover accounts in Exod 12:1-14* and 12:21-27* is one of the most contentious questions of Pentateuchal scholarship. Whereas earlier scholarship based on the Documentary Hypothesis often assigned v.21-27* to a pre-Priestly J or E, recent proposals by Christoph Berner, Jan Christian Gertz, and Simon Gesundheit favor a post-P assignment of v.21-27. The lack of agreement on the direction of the relationship between the texts suggests that there are no agreed-upon criteria for determining the direction of dependence. This paper will apply the criteria developed by David Carr (“Method in Determination of Direction of Dependence,” 2001) to contend that contrary to recent trends, the Priestly account in v.1-14 should be considered a redaction of v.21-27. Applying Carr’s criteria to v.12-13 shows that the Priestly account has conflated the apotropaic blood ritual of protection against the negef in the Passover account of v.21-27 with the pre-Priestly narrative of the striking of the Egyptian firstborn in 12:29-33. The Priestly account has consistently taken up conceptions from the non-P accounts and integrated them into the overarching Priestly narrative by making the blood of the Passover a sign, and the striking of the firstborn a manifestation of “judgments” against Egypt leading to a recognition of YHWH (6:6; 7:4; 12:12). The P redaction of v.21-27 also raises the possibility that the often postulated Vorlage of a Passover ritual in 3rd plural address embedded in the otherwise 2nd plural address of v.1-11, which overlaps in its central features with the likewise 3rd plural instructions in v.21-27, is better explained as resulting from the Priestly account utilizing the 3rd plural instructions in v.21-27 as the basis for its instructions in v.1-11 in order to form v.1-14 + 21-27 into a coherent sequence of command and execution of the Passover.


Revere My Sanctuary and Honor My Sabbaths: Aaronic Ritual Failure and the Possibility of Covenant Renewal in Exodus 25–40 and the Holiness Code
Program Unit: Ritual in the Biblical World
Paavo Tucker, Asbury Theological Seminary

One of the most pressing theological problems in ancient Israel was the consequences of covenant violation and the possibility of covenant restoration. The idolatrous ritual failure of the Aaronic priesthood in Ex 32-34 and its impact on Israel’s covenant with YHWH became a paradigmatic example for the frame of Deuteronomy and the possibility of covenant renewal (Deut 9). Specific textual links from Lev 26 to Exodus 25-40 suggest that the Holiness Code likewise understood the Aaronic ritual failure and its impact on the covenant as paradigmatic for the possibility of restoration, which in both Ex 32:13 and Lev 26:42-45 depends on YHWH remembering the covenant with the Patriarchs. The parenesis to avoid idolatry, keep the Sabbath, and revere the sanctuary (Lev 26:1-2) link to the Decalogue in Ex 20, the incident of Aaron and the golden calf in Ex 32-34, and the H insertion which introduces the Sabbath as a crucial aspect of the covenant in Ex 31:12-17 and 35:1-3, suggesting that H understands Ex 19-40 as a paradigmatic narrative that exemplifies the consequences of idolatry and failure to revere the sanctuary on the covenant as foundational for the climactic proclamation of the Holiness Code in Lev 26. The H structuring of Ex 25-40 with the bracketing of Ex 32-34 with introduction of the Sabbath as a sign of the covenant in 31:12-17//35:1-3 points to observance of the Decalogue and the Sabbath, as well as the gracious remembrance of the covenant with the Patriarchs by YHWH, as the foundation for the future of Israel as the people of YHWH despite the ritual failure of the Aaronides.


The Nature of Biblical Law and Textual Transmission in the Late Second Temple Period
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law
Megan Turton, University of Sydney

There are two fields of research within biblical studies that have yet to come into full communication within one another: the nature and function of biblical law, and the transmission of the biblical text in the late Second Temple period. This paper will argue that two paradigms have emerged in these two different fields of scholarship that are relevant to one another, but have yet to be brought into sufficient dialogue. They are: the “re-characterization” of biblical law, and the character of the biblical text in scribal transmission. A survey of the nature of biblical law reveals that scholarship generally accepts that the biblical laws did not originally function as “law codes” or “legislation.” However, a number of scholars now argue that a process of transformation occurred, whereby these laws became “re-characterized” as regulative, authoritative law during the Hellenistic period, as manifest by the legal practice of various Sects into the Roman era. This places the transformation of biblical law into the same period in which the Dead Sea Scrolls attest to the scribal transmission of the biblical text. An outline of the text in transmission shows that in the final centuries before the common Era, the biblical text is in a state of “textual pluriformity,” and only “stabilized” into a uniform text after the destruction of the Second Temple. Therefore, these two parallel developments need to be brought into conversation with one another, because they are (purportedly) contemporaneous, and because each of them contains correlating concepts, particularly “textual fixity.” Bringing these two areas of scholarship together raises some provoking questions that point towards a more holistic understanding of both these areas of research.


Eschatological Images and the Formative Function of Wisdom Teaching in 4Q525
Program Unit: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Elisa Uusimäki, Helsingin Yliopisto - Helsingfors Universitet

The purpose of this paper is to map the eschatological imagery of 4Q525 (4QBeatitudes) and to analyze its function in the context of 4Q525’s wisdom instruction. It will be argued that clearly eschatological beliefs are reflected especially in the latter half of the manuscript which remains in fragments but seems to have contained thirteen columns in total. The largest extant unit with speculation on end-times is fragment 15 which also provides a key for unlocking the formative function of the composition. The section in question contains a description of eternal curses that are set to take place in female folly’s dark underworld house filled with poisonous serpents and fire. The passage will be studied in light of the phenomena of curses and spells that shed light on its rhetorical purpose. It will be argued that the content of fragment 15, together with the eschatological tones found in related fragments, reveals the author’s aim: he seeks to construct the self-image of his audience in order to guide them to torah devotion. The search for wisdom cannot be separated from a more comprehensive process of spiritual formation that is meant to be undertaken by the audience. Instead, it must carry with it a way of life founded on certain beliefs.


The Practise of Spiritual Exercises according to Philo of Alexandria
Program Unit: Hellenistic Judaism
Elisa Uusimäki, Helsingin Yliopisto - Helsingfors Universitet

This paper examines the intermingling of Jewish and Graeco-Roman traditions in Philo’s view of a wise way of life. How does this Jewish author, who lived in the multicultural society of Alexandria in the first century CE, depict the cultivation of a person towards being a philosopher (filosofos), a lover of wisdom, and eventually a sage (sofos) who possesses wisdom? The analysis focuses on the embodiment of wisdom in everyday life and draws on Pierre Hadot’s studies on ancient philosophy as a lifestyle. Drawing on Hadot’s observations concerning the centrality of spiritual exercises in the search for wisdom, I will show that Philo too imagines the performance of wisdom as entailing constant practice. The treatises Quis rerum divinarum heres sit and Legum allegoriarum include two passages where Philo attributes lists of spiritual exercises to Jacob, the eponymous patriarch who represents wisdom to be attained specifically through practice. It will be argued that the exercises listed by Philo are largely familiar from Greek philosophy, yet the named exercises contain Jewish tones that “domesticate” them and enable the audience to grasp how to live a philosophical life in a Jewish manner. For Philo, the process of seeking wisdom connects Jews with Graeco-Roman philosophers. The practice of at least some of the spiritual exercises may originate from the former, yet it can coexist with and even contributes to the performance of his own Jewish tradition.


Biblical Narrations on Human Sacrifices: Different Interpretations by the Sages
Program Unit: Judaica
Daniel Vainstub, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Clearly different approaches can be distinguished in the treatment of biblical passages in the rabbinical literature depending on the nature of the biblical source and on the purpose of the discussion. Discussions on biblical material serving as basis for enacting halachic ordinances, should lead to clear conclusions. However, when analyzing materials concerning historical events in biblical times without any effect on the Halacha, the discussion could not necessary lead to an accepted conclusion. So, many times, when dealing with an historical event, the rabbinical sources just present us a variety of opinions with no intent of determining which of them is right, or harmonizing them. This paper will concentrate on the different approaches in the treatment of the diverse biblical sources concerning human sacrifices in the Old Testament in Tannaitic and Amoraitic literature. While the prohibition of human sacrifices as halachic precept is strict, the treatment of the historicity of biblical narratives on human sacrifices shows a wide range of opinions that remained open. We will analyze these opinions in order to clarify their historical and ideological background.


OT Awareness of Psalm 109:1 (LXX) in Codex Bezae
Program Unit: Textual Criticism: Manuscripts & Methods
Ronald van der Bergh, University of Pretoria

The popularity of Psalm 109:1 (LXX) in the early stages of the spread of Christianity is shown by the numerous quotations of or allusions to this text by NT authors. In this paper, I will compare the occurrences of this verse in Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis. In Codex Bezae, quotations of Psalm 109:1 (LXX) occur in Matthew 22:44, Luke 20:42-43, Mark 12:36, and Acts 2:34-35. That the text occurs so frequently in the same manuscript, written by a single scribe, affords us a glimpse into the layered history of this manuscript with regard to a single OT quotation. I will consider the layout, context and text of the quotation in all four passages, and show that there was a moderate degree of awareness in the Bezan tradition of the passage as an OT quotation.


“Lived Experiences” of the Love of God according to 1 John 4: A Spirituality of Love
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Dirk van der Merwe, University of South Africa

1 John 4 states twice explicitly and apophatically (vv 12, 20) that nobody has ever seen God, but simultaneously concedes that God can be experienced (and be seen) because He revealed Himself in Jesus Christ (4:9-10) and because He lives in believers (4:15). This dichotomy of (not)seeing God occurs in both the Old and New Testaments and occurs in particular in the corpus Johanneum (cf. Jn 1:18; 4:12; 5:37; 6:46; 14:8-11; 1 Jn 4:12, 20). The rhetoric embedded in 1 Jn 4:12, 20 endeavours to explain how the seeing or experiencing of God is actually possible. It is quite simple. It happens through his revelations of his love. This article probes to enlighten this old truth of the revelation and experience of God’s love in a fresh and different way, from the perspective of early Christian spirituality. How did the early Christians possibly experience the love of God in their daily lives? This research will start to look briefly at how the author of 1 John understands the character of God. The research will continue to express how the “love” of God (according to 1 Jn), who “is light” (1:5), who “is righteous” (2:29), and who “is love” (4:8, 16), is experienced through cognitive experience, relational experience, mystical experience, sensory experience and physical experience.


Religiosity in the Aesthetic of Song of Songs
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Pieter van der Zwan, University of Pretoria

Not only the form but also the contents of Song of Songs create aesthetic impressions and its concomitant emotions. Expressed to appeal to the aural sensation, it also describes and thus point indirectly towards the visual, olfactory, gustatory and tactile experiences. In addition, the many and various artistic ways of metabolising this anthology of love songs, celebrating the wonder of life and love, extend these visions of an ideal and perhaps even alternative reality, where the deepest meaning can be sensed. These sensations also have religious undertones when they are viewed from a psychological perspective: when being in-love is the transitional phase between aesthetic and religious experiences as neurophysiology and –psychology have been suggesting. In this manner the (post)modern question about the religiosity of Song of Songs could in this way be further elaborated upon.


"Peplèrotai Ho Kairos" (Mark 1:15): Jesus’ Time as Decisive Time in the Gospel of Mark
Program Unit: Gospel of Mark
Geert Van Oyen, Université Catholique de Louvain

The complex use of time in Mark – which is not a theoretical concept – can only be unraveled through a narrative approach of the gospel. In line with the concept of time in the Hebrew bible, time in Mark is not neutral but needs interpretation through experience. At the story level, its meaning is determined by how Jesus considers his words, deeds, death and resurrection as signs of the actual presence of Gods kingdom. This is not an objective fact but can only be understood by those who open their eyes and ears (parables, miracles) and who are ready to follow him on the way to the cross (paradoxes). Using the metaphorical and eschatological language of their time both Jesus (in the story) and the narrator (in the communication with his audience) add several dimensions to this interpretation of time: Jesus’ coming has become the ultimate basis (1:1) for all actual realizations of the coming of the kingdom in every time again and again in unpredictable and surprising ways.


God’s Breathtaking Acts in Psalm 104:29-30
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Ellen van Wolde, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen

The overall pictures of the creation of the universe in Genesis 1 and Psalm 104 are similar in many respects. Yet, on essential points there are important differences. Genesis 1 appears to focus more than Psalm 104 on the distinction and arrangement of the spatial areas, their inhabitants and the creatures’ responsibility for the sustenance of the distinctions, and emphasizes the temporal order in weekdays and Sabbath. Spatial and temporal arrangement, spatial separation and creation, these are the central processes that lie at the heart of Gen 1. It is marked by verbs that express the processes of spatial separation and of making/creation. In contrast, Ps 104 concentrates on the divine works of creation in its totality. Its perspective is that of unity and ownership. Since Ps 104 emphasizes YHWH’s creation in the framework of his overwhelming power, it only uses terms of creation. The totality of the cosmos testifies to his ownership and sovereignty. Against the background of this general picture, Ps 104: 29-30 will be analyzed in more detail. The analysis focuses on God’s (literally) breathtaking acts: He hides his face, collects some creatures’ breath and sends his own breath away. A new interpretation of the verb ??? in this context will be offered, that can resolve problems that previous interpretations of Ps 104:29-30 could not resolve, while it fits very well in the context of the following verses 31-35.


The Use of Melchizedek Tradition and the Fluidity of “Sacred Margins” in the Letter to the Hebrews
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Mothy Varkey, Marthoma Theological Seminary

From a postcolonial perspective, this paper aims to re-visit the theological and political agenda of the diaspora Jewish community behind the letter to the Hebrews in using the Melchizedek tradition. The community associates the Old Testament tradition of Melchizedek, who disappears after Gen 14:18–20 and reappears in Ps 110:4, with Jesus the High Priest. As a Canaanite king, Melchizedek, was a priest of El Eloy, the head of the Canaanite pantheon. Melchizedek combined both kingly and priestly roles. When King David conquered Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:6–10), he adopted the local (Canaanite) imperial strategy of combining religion and state so that he can manipulate and perverse religion in such a way that his imperial agenda has religious endorsement and ratifications. But, I argue that, the letter to the Hebrews customises David’s royal/imperial strategy not only to explicitly overturn Aaronic and Levitical priestocracy but also to challenge the “immovable” genealogical, ethnic, and purity boundaries. The community that shaped the letter invites its audience/readers to cross the “fixed” “sacred margins” and to embrace the “shame” of those on the “margins” by going “outside the city gates” of the “holy city”, Jerusalem (13:11). It is argued that they found a parallel to the disposal of the so-called “impure bodies” of the Yom Kippur sacrificial victims (13:11). By associating this boundary crossing imagery with the believers’ anticipated, eschatological city (13:14), the Letter argues that this “permeable boundaries” constitute the defining characteristic of the new community.


The Dashed Children of Mother City
Program Unit: Families and Children in the Ancient World
Karolien Vermeulen, University of Antwerp

The Hebrew Bible does not abstain from violent images, also not when it involves children. In this paper, I will discuss the six occurrences of dashed (???) children in the biblical text. I will argue that these children are part of a metaphor that is sometimes explicitly used, other times implicitly evoked in order to speak of the city as a relational entity. Relying on metaphor theory and roles attributed to children in the Bible by previous research, the paper will address the following issues: i) the grammatical and stylistic lay-out of each of the passages with attention for similarities as well as differences between the passages; ii) the children and their place in the metaphor “the city is a mother” underlying all references; iii) the effect of dashing children for cityscaping, and especially the effect generated by spatial contrasts. The paper aims to show that a reading informed by the above mentioned metaphor assists the reader not only in understanding the featured cities better but also their violent treatment of infants.


Reading Lamentations from the Filipino Context
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Federico Villanueva, Alliance Graduate School

About three years ago, the strongest typhoon in recorded history devastated the Philippines, leaving entire towns in ruin. I have had the opportunity to visit one of the towns worst hit by the typhoon. The experience brings me to the book of Lamentations which is written in the context of destruction. This paper is an attempt to read Lamentations from the experience of natural disasters. Like the Israelites, Filipinos viewed God as the cause of the typhoon and the destruction it wrought. They too, admit their sins. Like Lady Zion, many Filipinos persisted in their faith despite their experience. The Philippines consists of a predominantly Christian population (about 85% Catholic). Studies show that spirituality ranks number one among the coping mechanisms of Filipinos in times of natural disaster. But like the poet and Lady Zion, there were also reports of Filipinos, especially children, who expressed their disappointment with God. A reading of Lamentations from the context of natural disasters, specifically in the context of the Philippines, allows us to appreciate the polyphony of voices in Lamentations while at the same time offering a spiritual resource for those who have gone through the destruction.


The Meaning of semaino in John 12:33; 18:32; and 21:19
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Deolito V. Vistar, Jr., University of Otago

Does Jesus' crucifixion belong to the category of Johannine "signs"? This important question remains unresolved. Seeking to contribute to the discussion, this paper analyses the use and meaning of semaino in John 12:33; 18:32; and 21:19. The findings are as follows. First, the form is consistent throughout: the present active participle is used and always in the formulaic phrase semainon poio thanato. Second, as evident in the phrase, semaino is inextricably bound up with the idea of crucifixion. Third, the word serves to connect a prophetic utterance to its fulfilment. What it does is to say, "This signifies that." In John 12:32–33, Jesus' description of himself as 'lifted up' signifies his crucifixion, which is then declared fulfilled in 18:32. Similarly, in 21:18–19, a prophetic utterance of Jesus signifies Peter's martyrdom on the cross. Fourth, investigating the language of "lifted up" takes us back to John 3:14, where we find a typology between Moses' lifting up of the brazen serpent in the desert (Num 21:8–9) and Jesus' crucifixion. This OT passage uses the noun semeion twice in reference to the pole on which the brazen serpent was raised. We are reminded that semeion is John's preferred term for Jesus' messianic deeds. From these observations we may gather that semaino for John is a significant term. What maybe its significance? Its exclusive and consistent reference to crucifixion may be taken as an evidence for the conclusion that Jesus' crucifixion is for John a "sign" (we may say, the greatest "sign"). That the term is used of Peter in 21:19 does not alter this meaning: Peter too, like the Jesus, dies in obedience to God's will and for God's glory.


Is Psalm 104 an Expression (also) of Dark Green Religion?
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Hendrik Viviers, University of Johannesburg

The theocentrism of Psalm 104 sometimes leads to an undervaluing of its ecological worth, probably informed by a subtle dualistic view between God and nature (including humans). Contributors to the Earth Bible Project (Norman Habel et al) have, however, convincingly shown that the God of this psalm bonds with nature, permeates nature, sometimes even “becomes nature.” The God of this psalm is “green” compared to many other “grey” (nature- unfriendly) portrayals of God in the Bible. And in the psalm humans are part and parcel of nature. Ecological hermeneutics of suspicion (questioning anthropocentrism), identification (empathy and connectedness with Earth) and retrieval (“voice” of Earth) has brought to the fore interesting new readings of Psalm 104 compared to traditional ones. Building on these insights a further question needs to be asked: can Psalm 104 also be described as an expression of dark green religion? Bron Taylor defines dark green religion as follows: “…a deep sense of belonging to and connectedness in nature, while perceiving the earth and its living systems to be sacred and interconnected.” It not only emphasises a felt kinship with the rest of life, but it evokes awe, wonderment and humility towards nature that binds to something “greater than oneself.” Utilising especially the dark green notions of belonging, interconnectedness and sacredness, Psalm 104 will be analysed to describe anew the God-human-nature relationship. There is an overlap with Earth Bible hermeneutics but dark green religion, although so called because of its utilisation of religious jargon, has types that do not necessarily subscribe to religious views, but are scientifically informed. Is there common ground between the awe, wonderment and humility of an ancient psalmist/modern believer and a modern “Darwinist”?


Attending to Moving Margins—in Text and Con-text—Reading Matt 15:21-28 Yet Again
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Elaine M. Wainwright, Institute of Sisters of Mercy, Australia and Papua New Guinea

Matt 15:21 locates Jesus very explicitly ‘on the margin’. Ambivalence in the text, however, leaves the reader with a level of ambiguity in relation to the margin and who is crossing whose boundary. Margins morph and move in this text—ethnic to gender to age, to religion and beyond. Such morphing and moving within a biblical text turns attention to the paper proposals for this conference that, in their turn, reveal the moving margins of Asian Biblical Studies. In this paper, I propose to draw attention to these ‘moving margins’ in contemporary Asian Biblical Studies as a backdrop to the cross-marginal reading of Matt 15:21-28 that I will undertake. A third aspect of moving margins will characterize my contemporary reading lens, namely that associated with the movements of peoples not only in Asia but across our world.


Circumcision Before and After the Exile
Program Unit: Ritual in the Biblical World
Daniel Wang, University of Texas at Austin

In the scholarly discourse that surrounds circumcision in the Hebrew Bible, the Babylonian exile in the late 6th c. BCE was the defining event that led to the transformation of the nature, purpose, and practice of Israelite circumcision. As a result, circumcision is typically treated separately as either a preexilic institution or a postexilic institution, with little continuity between the two. Whatever its function or purpose may have been before the exile, most scholars follow Julius Wellhausen and proceed as if true, biblical, Israelite circumcision did not begin until the exilic period. The common argument is that circumcision before the exile was simply a “cultural” tradition that did not carry much “religious” significance. It only increased in importance during the exile because the Israelites lived among a people, the Babylonians, who did not practice circumcision. In order to prevent assimilation to the greater Mesopotamian culture, the Israelites in exile adopted various practices like circumcision to insulate themselves from Mesopotamian cultural influence and distinguish themselves as distinctly Israelite. In this paper, I will challenge this prevailing view, especially regarding the dichotomy between preexilic and postexilic circumcision. Instead, I argue that a functional view of circumcision as a kinship-generating ritual reveals that there is more continuity between preexilic and postexilic circumcision than typically acknowledged.


Is Johannine Thomas Doubting or Faithful?
Program Unit: Johannine Literature
Sunny, Kuan-Hui Wang, Central Taiwan Theological Seminary

Thomas in John’s Gospel is often regarded as a doubting disciple, thus given the name ‘Doubting Thomas.’ This image of Thomas has been passed on to us from the Greek fathers. This paper, however, argues that Thomas is not portrayed negatively in the Gospel after investigating his role in John’s Gospel and the meaning of µ? ????? ?p?st?? ???? p?st?? in John 20:29. The examination of the passages where Thomas appears in the Gospel shows that Thomas is not characterised as a doubter but a loyal courageous follower of Jesus. The major issue lies in John 20:24–29 where Thomas is often criticised for being doubting because of Jesus’ words to him, µ? ????? ?p?st?? ???? p?st??. A close examination of the usage of ?p?st?? and p?st?? in the wider context shows that it is unlikely that Jesus regards Thomas as an unbeliever. Rather it shows that Thomas is ready to become faithful once Jesus provides him a sign, namely, the wound in his body. Once Thomas receives this sign of Jesus, he responds immediately and confesses Jesus as ‘My Lord and my God’ (John 20:28). Thomas’ account serves for a positive purpose for it provides an opportunity to bring out Jesus’ beatitude on the future community of faith. It opens up a possibility of coming to faith in Jesus without seeing. Hence John records Jesus’ statement not as a rebuke to Thomas for being doubting but for the sake of his readers who are distant from the resurrection event, lack tangible evidence and will struggle to believe the resurrection of Jesus on second-hand evidence.


My Father, My Father! Chariot of Israel and Its Horsemen!? (2 Kgs 2:12; 13:14): Elisha's or Elijah's Title?
Program Unit: Prophets
Kristin Weingart, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

Among the so called prophetic narratives within the book of Kings, the stories about the "Men of God" Elijah and Elisha are by far the most elaborate ones. Elijah and Elisha are presented as closely connected. Among the connecting features is the title "Chariot of Israel and its horsemen". In 2 Kgs 2:12 Elisha cries out to Elijah using this epithet, later the Israelite king expresses his despair at Elisha's death (2 Kgs 13:14) by adressing him with it. In the current narrative sequence, the epithet is one of the features that present Elisha as the successor of Elijah. 2 Kings 2 depicts Elijah's ascend to heaven in a fiery chariot and explains why Elijah carries the title. No similar explanation is given in Elisha‘s case. But does this mean that the title originally belonged to Elijah and was later given to Elisha? The paper argues for a different direction. A look into the tradition history of images used show that the epithet is easier connected with the Elisha narratives that see him as supporter of various Israelite kings in military conflicts. In addition, the Elijah narrative shows also in other places a dependency on the Elisha material. Therefore it is likely that the title "Chariot of Israel and its horsemen?" was originally connected to the Elisha tradition and was later transferred to Elijah. Accordingly, 2 Kgs 2 was created not only to present Elijah as Elisha‘s predecessor but also to provide a scenic explanation why Elijah is carrying the title.


Once again: The Chronology of the Divided Kingdom in the Masoretic Text and the Old Greek
Program Unit: Septuagint Studies
Kristin Weingart, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

Chronological problems in the book of kings have intrigued scholars for a long time and remain the subject of ongoing debates. One of many questions related to the subject is whether the conflicting numerical data in the Hebrew and Greek textual traditions betray the existence of different chronological systems. J.D. Shenkel argued the case for the period of the divided kingdom and his reconstruction of a distinct Old Greek chronology has been widely accepted. As a result the discussion turned to the question which chronological pattern is the older one. But this shift might have come to soon. The paper raises the question whether the chronological data which Shenkel combined from OG and Proto-Lucian textual witnesses indeed establish a coherent chronological pattern. If so: How is the change from antedating to postdating in the case of Jehoram to be accounted for? Why does his regnal formular does not appear at its proper place? The situation calls for a more complex solution: (a) There are traces of a different chronological pattern in the OG starting already with Ela (1Ki 16,6). It probably came about as a result of a secondary and somewhat erroneous supplementation of a regnal formular for Omri which a scribe had missed and constructed out of the information given in 1Ki 16,23*. Whether this pattern continued beyond the reign of Ahaziah of Israel is unkown due to the lack of textual witnesses. (b) The data for Joram in 2Ki 1,17 (MT) /1,18a (L) does not agree with the OG pattern. His synchronization with Jehoram of Judah might have been prompted by a tradition behind 2Chr 21,12ff. which sees Elijah and Jehoram as contemporaries. As a whole the chronological pattern(s) attested in the Greek textual witnesses appear to be secondary to the chronological system of the MT.


Language and Rhetoric as Devices to Claims of Authenticity: Jeremiah’s Rivalry with Adversaries in 23:9-15
Program Unit: Authority and Influence in Ancient Times
Wilhelm Wessels, University of South Africa

Leadership is displayed on many levels in society. The idea of leadership in modern societies converts to occupying positions of authority and power. Expectations of leaders are to them to show the ability to take up positions of responsibility, exercise good judgement and influence people to pursue a common goal which will be to their benefit. We find such people in politics, business, education and religion to mention a few. Although the concept of leadership might be a modern term, the actual practice of exercising authority and guiding people is ancient practice. This also rings true for the many societies reflected in the Hebrew Bible. We learn from these Hebrew texts of people who were in positions of authority and power such as kings in the political domain, priest leading cultic practices and prophetic figures attempting to influence people’s relationships with Yahweh. The interest of this paper is in the conflict that raged between the prophet Jeremiah and other prophetic groups for authenticity and recognition as true prophets speaking on behalf of Yahweh. To wage in on this battle we are dependent on the literary versions of the conflict, therefore an interpreted and biased version of the scribes of the text. For the purpose of this paper Jeremiah 23:9-15 will be used as a window on the prophetic conflict. This passage will be analysed in terms of the rhetoric employed by Jeremiah of the text to establish his relation to Yahweh, to profile the opposition prophets and to convince the audience of the falseness and fate of these prophets. The broader purpose of this passage is to confirm the authority of Jeremiah as a true prophet in the prophetic tradition of Israel and Judah.


Confusion and Contradiction in OG Job 21
Program Unit: Septuagint Studies
Aaron J. West, University of Wisconsin-Madison

This paper examines the interplay of Greek stylistic concerns and Hebrew exegetical difficulties in the Old Greek translation of Job 21. The translator’s Greek uses an elevated vocabulary, idiomatic syntax, and abundant structuring devices to fashion a lexically cohesive discourse unit in a high register. However, the translator simultaneously diminishes the coherence of this section of the dialogue by making Job agree, for the most part, with his friends, where he disagrees quite vehemently in the Hebrew. The reversed meaning of the chapter is not likely to be intentional, due to theological or other concerns, as is sometimes alleged. Nor do the translator’s greatest struggles come from rare vocabulary, as is sometimes assumed. Rather, at a key transition in 21:17, the translator (somewhat understandably) interprets a rhetorical question as a direct statement, a misunderstanding which affects his translation for the rest of the chapter, with the result that the chapter provides a subtle theological corrective to his friends, that the punishment of the wicked is often delayed, rather than a direct contradiction, as in the Hebrew, where Job flatly rejects the idea that the wicked are punished. An oft-noted feature of OG Job is the large number of minuses relative to MT. In this section, at least, the minuses are likely the work of the translator, and do not stem from the Vorlage. The translator omits material for stylistic reasons, to cut down on redundant material. The long omission at the end of 21, in particular, was seen as redundant due to the translator’s reading the second half of the chapter with the opposite of its original meaning. The paper will focus on Job 21:17-22*, highlighting examples of the above-mentioned features. It will be accompanied by a handout containing the verses under consideration with an English translation.


Biblical Interpretation Doing Justice: From "People's Theology" to "Prophetic Theology"
Program Unit:
Gerald O. West, University of KwaZulu-Natal

The South African Kairos Document (1985/86) is both the product of and reflects on the necessary precursor to ‘prophetic theology’ – that is ‘people’s theology’. People’s theology is the lived-embodied-working theology of marginalised sectors as they struggle for liberation. People’s theology summons socially engaged biblical and theological scholars (who are already collaborating with them) to facilitate the formation of a prophetic theology from the inchoate and incipient threads of people’s theology. Prophetic theology (or liberation theology) emerges from, the Kairos Document asserts, the reality of organised communities of people’s theology. Given this conceptualisation of liberation theology this paper reflects on the Bible’s presence within two dimensions of the process of doing prophetic/liberation theology in contemporary South Africa. First, the paper reflects on how the Bible is configured in the public realm by the dual processes of de-nationalisation (shaped by neo-liberal capitalist forms of globalisation) and re-nationalisation (shaped by post-apartheid national building). Second, the paper reflects on how Black Theology’s notion of the Bible as ‘a site of struggle’ provides potential resources for doing prophetic theology in collaboration with the marginalised social movements of post-liberation South Africa (located within the dual processes of de-nationalisation and re-nationalisation). Though focussing on the South African context, the paper will engage with a range of other liberation theologies and sites of liberation struggles.


Paul, the Rod, and Excommunication: A Possible Solution to an Ambiguous Metaphor
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Adam White, Alphacrucis College

In 1 Corinthians 4:21, Paul gives the Christian community at Corinth a choice: “Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” But what exactly does he mean by the rod? The metaphor is generally met with ambiguity amongst commentators. Often it is glossed over with little regard to its actual implication; at other times, it is simply ignored. In this paper, I propose that by threatening to brandish the rod, Paul is in fact (metaphorically) threatening to excommunicate the Christians who are responsible for the rivalries outlined in 1 Corinthians 1:12. Several passages in the NT demonstrate that the early Christian community had a “three strikes, you’re out!” policy when it came to church discipline (e.g., Matthew 18:15–17; Titus 3:10). I suggest that a number of clues throughout 1 Corinthians indicate that this is what Paul had in mind with his use of the metaphor.


Transcendence: Exploring the Relationship between Bible and Film
Program Unit: Bible and Visual Culture
Marvin Williams, Independent Scholar

The 2014 film Transcendence, written by Jack Paglen, and directed by cinematographer Wally Pfister, raises interesting questions about the ways in which the Bible is appropriated in popular culture. This sci-fi film explores the relationship between technological advances and the supernatural. Is it possible for human beings to use technology to be “like” God? That is the overriding theme throughout the film. Dr. Will Hester (Johnny Depp) believes humanity is driven with the thought of wanting to be like God. Dr. Hester calls this achievement transcendence. For Dr. Hester and his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall), transcendence is only a theory grounded in Artificial Intelligence. However, after Dr. Hester is poisoned in a failed assassination attempt by an anti-technology terrorist group called R.I.F.T., theory becomes reality in this thought-provoking film. While Dr. Hester enjoys the idea of being like God, he will never be able to be God for a variety of reasons. Of course, there is always a downside of anyone who aims to be like God, as Dr. Hester proves. In this paper, I will delineate the biblical images and theology in the film and the ways in which the director guides us through a spiritual odyssey hidden under the rubric of technological discovery and advancement, only to realize that the revelation of God and technology are two different entities. Dr. Hester sees himself as God, but insecurity demonstrates his lack of ability to govern humanity. Perhaps, Artificial Intelligence can give meaning to life. However, it can never replace the characteristics of God—the author and giver of life.


Does the Book of Proverbs Support Prosperity Theology?
Program Unit: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom
Lindsay Wilson, Ridley College, Melbourne

Heim has argued that Prov 3:9-10 has been ‘a mainstay of "prosperity gospel"-type preaching for many decades’. In Asia this prosperity gospel push has often been associated with some megachurches and some other forms of evangelism. This paper re-examines the teaching of Proverbs to see if it can be legitimately used to ground prosperity gospel thinking. It is argued that several features of the book undermine its usefulness in promoting such thinking. Firstly, its emphasis on shaped character (including not being greedy) argues against prosperity as the goal of the good life. Furthermore, a more nuanced look at the book shows that wealth is not always pictured as a blessing. Indeed, it is sometimes used as a test of character, and wealth has its own temptations and dangers. It can even be a means to injustice, such when money is used to bribe others. Overall, the book makes it clear that some people are wealthy for reasons other than righteousness. This paper suggests that prosperity gospel readings of the book misunderstand Proverbs. Indeed, Job and Ecclesiastes seem to have arisen in response to mis-readings of Proverbs. Their teaching on wealth corrects such misunderstandings, and affirm the nuanced view of Proverbs. Thus, as far as Proverbs is concerned, Asian Christians wanting to be fully postcolonial need to look beyond the Western obsession with wealth and prosperity. The goal of the good life in Proverbs is not prosperity but godly success in daily living. This is based on the fear of the Lord, choosing wisdom not folly, and having your character shaped by wisdom.


Responding to Suffering in light of Job
Program Unit: Writings (including Psalms)
Lindsay Wilson, Ridley College, Melbourne

The book of Job contains a variety of perspectives on the subject of suffering, as Job, his friends and arbiters consider his case. Some omissions are, however, surprising. It is argued that the book does not shed much light on the possibility of Satan causing suffering, nor does it explore how the possibility of a post-mortem life with God might change how we view suffering, even though these would be natural extensions of this wisdom debate. This paper asks about whether the book of Job is about suffering, and concludes that suffering is rather only the context in which we are to exercise faith. If this is the case, what does the book teach about how to respond faithfully to suffering when it strikes? In other words, how does the book propose we respond to suffering. When dealing with those who are suffering, it is suggested that we need to understand what are the real issues that sufferers are wanting to known rather than giving ‘theological correct answers’ to questions they are not asking. Secondly, it is argued that Job’s deepest question was whether God could still be trusted, and that is still so today. Knowing why something occurred is less significant. Thirdly, a key decision is whether to turn towards God or away from him in a time of suffering. A fourth area explored is how to talk to God while undergoing suffering. It is argued that there is room for robust, open and honest communication with God, modeling from Job and the lament tradition he represents. Finally, the paper considers how to prepare ourselves for our future suffering, in the light of the richness of this book.


Toward a Reconciliation of Two Old Testament Disciplines, "History of Ancient" and "Old Testament Theology" in Korea
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Taek Joo Woo, Korea Baptist Theological University/Seminary

This paper suggests a way of reconciliating two Old Testament disciplines, 'history of ancient Israel' and 'Old Testament theology,' considering a debate of minimalist and maximalist on the history of ancient Israel. Since J. P. Gabler, the historical discipline and the theological discipline have grown to separate enterprises in the field of Old Testament interpretation. Eichrodt and von Rad show good samples for this. The key lies in the concept of history and its assumptions. To reconcile two Old Testament disciplines, I suggest to take some conceptual procedures like below. 1) A dichotomy of history versus theology should be overcome. For history is a kind of literature and a result of interpretation. Both history and theology are interpreted constructs. 2) "What it meant" and "what it means" could be bridged with the help of hermeneutics, as K. Standahl pointed out. As a Korean, I suggests that Gadamer's hermeneutics of integration may be effective. Ancient Israel and Korean experienced advanced agrarian society, which is a common ground. 3) Through the lens of dynamics of agrarian society, historical approaches to the Old Testament can be appropriated as theological interpretations for Korean faith community, in terms of "dynamics of historical analogy." 4) Biblical accounts can be read like a "virtual reality" of the computer game. Elements of fiction come from real life. Without the real, no fiction can be construed at all. Given this, the historical discipline can allow one to grasp the reality of biblical texts more accurate and fully, while the theological discipline would pursue its fruitful task. So let Korean biblical theologians play with the Bible for an Old Testament theology.


Is God Justified by Wrath?: Vindicating Paul’s Use of Psalm 51 in Romans 3:4
Program Unit: Paul and Pauline Literature
Jackson Wu, International Chinese Theological Seminary

Scholars have long struggled to reconcile the seeming contradictory use of Ps 51:4 in Rom 3:4. This paper considers why Paul uses Ps 51 in Rom 3:4, where God is declared righteous. The paper agrees with the minority of scholars that Paul refers to God’s saving righteousness in Rom 3:4; yet, it uses a basic but surprisingly unused approach. It clarifies Paul’s meaning in Rom 3 by reinterpreting Ps 51:4 in its own context. An exegesis of Ps 51:4 shows that David also speaks of God’s saving righteousness. Contrary to common opinion, these two passages are not in tension. In fact, they are mutually explanatory. According to David and Paul, God is justified because he saves sinners. As a result, this paper makes a contribution not only by harmonizing Rom 3:4/Ps 51:4; it also offers an inter-textual basis for interpreting the meaning of God's righteousness in Romans.


The Interpretations of Rom 13:1-7 in Modern China
Program Unit: Bible and Empire
Xiaxia Xue, China Graduate School of Theology

Romans 13:1-7 stands out among biblical texts in its influence on discussions of church- state relationships. This paper will explore how this hotly-debated passage is interpreted in contemporary Chinese Christian communities. One approach is to understand the text as discouraging resistance to the government. Some Chinese scholars see it as an exhortation to be subject to the government (e.g. Roland Fung, WaiYee Ng). Within an extended ethical admonition (12:1-15:13), Paul exhorts his readers to assume the responsibilities of citizenship by submitting to the governing authorities (Rome), as long as the government does not contradict the command of God (cf. Acts 5:29). Following the arguments of James Dunn and Robert Jewett, some other Chinese scholars understand the text as a pragmatic attempt by Paul to secure the safety of the Roman church. To this end, Christians are not to subvert the social order (e.g. Baoling Sun). Another approach moves in a different direction. Similar to Oscar Cullman, some commentators reinterpret the term e??????a?s ??pe?e????a?s as “angelic powers”; hence the point of the text is not submission to the government (e.g. Nang Kwok Ho). Others limit Paul's exhortation to his specific situation, arguing that it does not apply it to the present circumstances of Chinese Christians. This understanding has been popular among Hong Kong Christians since the Occupying the Centre Movement. In summary, this paper will reflect on the influence of a modern imperial political power on the interpretation of Romans 13:1-7 by showing how the text is understood within the Christian communities of the modern China.


Re-Reading the Parable of Ten Virgins
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Satoko Yamaguchi, Center for Feminist Theology & Ministry in Japan

In the churches of Japan, this parable has been taught with the emphasis on becoming one of the clever virgins in order to be welcome by Christ and enter into Basileia. In Japan, as in many countries in Asia, performing gender defined roles is both expected and regarded as a virtue. In such a culture, this parable is used to enforce the performance of gender defined roles and has consequently contributed to the ecclesial and social divide and control of women. My re-reading of this parable, pursuing the original message of Jesus, will open up a new horizon for divided and marginalized minorities in the church as well as in society as a whole.


Marriage for the Hittites – a Ritual or a Contract - from the Perspective of the Verb "hamank"
Program Unit: Ritual in the Biblical World
Hajime Yamamoto, Kyoto University

The Hittite kings, as well as other Near Eastern kings in the Late Bronze Age, often married off their princesses to foreign rulers. As they arranged those inter-dynastic marriages to establish peaceful relationships with other Great Kings but also hierarchical relationships with their subjugated kings, marriage seems to have been one of the most important diplomatic methods for the Hittites. This paper presents how the Hittite court recognized the relationship created by marriage in domestic society and diplomatic scene, focusing on the verbs and the expressions relating to marriage in the Hittite language. The usages of the Hittite verb ?amank- (“to tie”), connotes a horizontal link between two physically separated things. Its figurative meaning “to betroth” occurring in a section of the Hittite Law (§29) may indicate that marriage was thought of as horizontal relationship of a groom and a bride tied by their parents. We have other Hittite expressions that were used to describe the Hittite royal marriages and diplomatic marriages, mainly using the verb ?andai- (“to arrange a marriage”) and DAM-anni pai-/da- (“to give a woman as wife” and “to take a woman as wife”). Analyzes of the usages of the verb and the two idiomatic phrases show how the Hittite court regarded the royal marriage and the inter-dynastic marriage as horizontal relationship between a man and a woman, under the divine protection. This will be checked in light of our conception of the ritual of passage that is a crucial element of marriage.


A Synchronic Analysis of 1 Enoch
Program Unit: Apocalyptic Literature
Inchol Yang, Claremont School of Theology

Despite scholars’ endeavors to understand 1 Enoch’s influence on Judaism and Christianity, their academic works mainly focused on its diachronic aspect. In an attempt to explain Apocalypse as a genre in 1 Enoch, John J. Collins have examined how ideas of Babylonian prophecies, Persian apocalypticism, and the Hellenistic materials influenced the mythological characteristics of 1 Enoch. Although Collins’ study has shed light on the understanding of the origin of Apocalypse as a genre in 1 Enoch, he has ignored the synchronic characteristics of the present form in 1 Enoch. Moreover, since the Similitudes of Enoch was not turned up in Qumran caves, Milik, Nickelsburg and Vanderkam argue that its historical setting was composed at a later time. In this paper, as I consider scholars’ diachronic analysis on 1 Enoch, I will argue that the structure of 1 Enoch synchronically reveals the final redactor’s intent for the better instruction for his community. The Book of the Watchers in the first section of 1 Enoch functions as prologue of the whole units. It indicates why the iniquities on the earth happened and how God judges sinners. In so doing, it concludes with a kind of new Eden. In an attempt to emphasize the authority of his knowledge about the prologue, the final redactor of 1 Enoch introduces Enoch’s astronomical secrets from the Holy ones in the Book of Parables. In the Book of the Luminaries, having explained Enoch’s knowledge with three astronomical parables, the final redactor elucidates the law of heavenly luminaries more specifically. Based upon his heavenly perspective, by using the device of vaticinia ex eventu, he interprets the present crisis with Enoch’s dream. Lastly, as he analyzes today’s crisis happened because of the present generation’s unrighteousness, the final redactor continuously introduces wisdom traditions in the Epistle of Enoch.


A Text Critical Analysis of the First Taunt Song in Habakkuk 2:5-8
Program Unit: Textual Criticism: Manuscripts & Methods
Inchol Yang, Claremont School of Theology

A first taunt song of the five songs in the Book of Habakkuk (Hab. 2:5-20), so called the first woe oracle (Hab. 2:5-8), presents something of a challenge to biblical scholars who have struggled to demarcate the structure of Habakkuk chapter 2. Based upon the redaction criticism, scholars have insisted that the editor of the book of Habakkuk added Hab. 2:6-8. On the other hand, scholars have suggested that when it comes to Habakkuk as a literary unity, verse 5 functions as a bridge between Hab. 2:1-4 and 2:6-20. Although scholars’ endeavors to define characteristics of verse 5 have shed light on understanding how it functions between Hab. 2:1-4 and 2:6-20, they only apply their interpretative methodologies to demarcate the structure of Habakkuk 2 rather than comparing other ancient manuscripts. In this paper, as text criticism, I will argue that verse 5 is a new introduction part of vv. 5-8, although verse 5 is tightly connected with vv. 1-4. In an attempt to prove my argument, I will analyze two ancient manuscripts such as the Aleppo Codex of the Bible produced by Aaron ben Asher (915 C.E.) and the Habakkuk Pesher (1QpHab Column VIII; 1st cent. B.C.E.). Based upon their demarcation of Habakkuk chapter 2, it is noteworthy that verse 5 belongs to following verses rather than previous verses. This paper proceeds in two stages; first, it analyzes the demarcation of two ancient manuscripts; second, it compares Hab. 2:5-8 of the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) with a variety of manuscripts and versions of the Book of Habakkuk: the Greek Twelve Prophets Scroll from Nahal Hever (8HevXIIgr), the Murabba‘at Manuscript of the Book of the Twelve (Mur88), the Septuagint, the Targum, the Peshitta, and the Vulgate. As I consider differences among ancient manuscripts, I will explore their different theological perspectives.


Beyond Minjung Theology: A Perspective on Minjung Theology for the 21st Century
Program Unit:
Jayhoon Yang, Hyupsung University

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Probabilities and Improbabilities: A Critical Dialogue with Dennis R. MacDonald’s John and Euripides
Program Unit: Allusions in the Gospels and Acts
Jayhoon Yang, Hyupsung University

The study of Synoptic problem hardly supposes the strong literary, traditional, and theological dependency of the Gospel of John on the Synoptic Gospels. This has, in a sense, separated scholars from each other as belonging to the divided academic kingdoms of the Synoptic Gospels and the Johannine studies, respectively. As for the Fourth Gospel scholars, the research on the formation and theology of Johannine literature and community has mainly been within the boundary of, for instance, Johannine literatures, Gnosticism, the socio-politic relationship with the Jews or the Roman Empire, etc. However, some scholars have recently suggested a fresh approach to the study of formation of the Fourth Gospel by illuminating its relationship with the Synoptic gospels and Greek literatures, especially Euripides’ Bacchae. This paper will examine the probabilities and improbabilities of this hypothesis, which hopefully contribute to the expansion of research interests in the Johannine studies.


Racial Melancholia in the Book of Ruth
Program Unit: Contextual Interpretation of the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament)
Gale A. Yee, Episcopal Divinity School

This paper will analyze the Book of Ruth through the lens of Asian American cultural critics, who utilize Freud’s work, Mourning and Melancholy, to theorize racial melancholy as it appears in Asian American literature. In the Book of Lamentations grief is outwardly expressed as mourning. This is in contrast to the lack of grieving in the Book of Ruth. Although there are expressions of sorrow by Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah at their leave-taking (1:9,14), there is no narrative expression of grief by the Elimelech family for leaving one’s land because of famine, no narrative mourning by Naomi and her daughters-in-law at the deaths of husbands and sons in Ruth 1. Along with the death of her husband, Ruth expresses no grief for leaving the land of her birth and especially no grief in relinquishing her newborn son Obed to Naomi, who now becomes his mother and nurse: “A son has been born to Naomi” (Ruth 4:17). The only expression of grief in the book is Naomi’s bitter cry in Ruth 1:20-21. I will therefore argue that the grief in Ruth is turned inward as melancholy, a loss that cannot be named and therefore cannot be mourned properly. This internalized grief and the ambivalence in the narrative regarding Ruth’s Moabite status and its and her disappearance at the end of the book can be argued as an example of what Asian American critics deem as racial melancholy.


Two Kinds of Works: Works Before and After Justification by Faith
Program Unit: Biblical Theology
Tesu Yim, Institute of Second Reformation

Protestant churches in Korea and in the world are now in crisis. One of its reasons is the theology of 'faith alone' (sola fide) by M. Luther. In The Freedom of a Christian", Luther says that "faith alone, without works, justifies, makes free and saves." This doctrine of 'justification and salvation by faith alone' has resulted in the exclusion of works in the Protestant Churches, which in turn resulted in the lack of works and ethics in the Christian life. In his booklet, On Faith and Works, St. Augustine criticizes that "they (the faithful) should endanger the salvation of their souls if they acted on the false assurance that faith alone is sufficient for salvation or that they need not perform good works in order to be saved." We need works for our salvation as sayings in Matt. 19:16-19; Luke 10:25-28; Rom. 13:1-7; Gal. 5:16-23. St. Augustine says that "eternal salvation will not be given except to those who lead a good life"and "that faith cannot save without good works." For our salvation we need not only justification by faith alone, but also justification by works, too. There are two kinds of works, works before justification by faith and works after justification by faith. In this paper I will investigate two kinds of works as follows. 1) Works before Justification by Faith are unnecessary for Justification by Faith as sayings in Rom. 3:27-28; Gal. 2:16. 2) Works after Justification by Faith are necessary for Justification by works and for our salvation as sayings in Gen. 17:1; 18:19; Matt. 19:16-19(Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30); Luke 10:25-28; Rom. 13:1-7; Gal. 5:16-23; Eph. 5:3-5; Deut. 28:1-68. These passages say clearly that we need good works for our salvation after justification by faith.


Literary Anaphora as a Stylistic Device
Program Unit: Judaica
Shamir Yona, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

The term literary anaphora refers to the repetition of one or more words at the beginning of successive lines, units (of 2 or more lines), or stanzas. Often the repeated words are completely identical morphologically while in many cases the repetition can involve diverse forms of the same word or root. Anaphora has great importance for (1) indicating the beginning of successive lines, units, and stanzas; (2) indicating the boundaries of a large unit consisting of parallel lines or other mutual dependence; and (3) creating in the audience a heightened expectation for what may follow the familiar repeated element. Anaphora has been discussed frequently in older and more recent research from the Middle Ages until our own day. Unfortunately, in many more recent studies of the phenomenon insufficient attention is given to the abiding contributions of Jewish exegetes and poets such as Moses Ibn Ezra, who dealt with the issue at hand in his book "Shirat Yisrael" and Judah Messer Leon, who in his book "Nofet Zufim", made very important contributions to our understanding of anaphora. Likewise, Rabbi Moses Haim Luzzatto is rarely mentioned in modern research, notwithstanding his having greatly enhanced our understanding of anaphora. In modern research considerable attention has been given to anaphora, which is most important for understanding the structure and style of ancient Hebrew literature. In order to demonstrate the fact that anaphora continues to play an important role in ancient Hebrew literature after the close of the canon of the Hebrew Bible, I shall provide a number of examples of this phenomenon in Rabbinic Literature of late antiquity.


The Burial Reports of the Hero Revisited
Program Unit: Pentateuch (Torah)
Philip Yoo, University of Toronto

Following the death of a major figure, the Pentateuch often contains instructions and actions for the dignified burial of the deceased hero. Some of the burial reports continue to attract significant discussion in recent scholarly research on the composition of the Pentateuch. Of special interest for the formation of the non-Priestly materials in Genesis-Exodus are the burial reports of Jacob and Joseph. On the one hand, some critics place these reports as late redactional insertions that connect the originally independent (non-Priestly) ancestral and exodus traditions. On the other hand, other critics follow the classical source-critical paradigm and assign these reports to a non-Priestly source (or sources). Both of the burial reports of Jacob and Joseph demonstrate the importance of transporting the remains of the hero who died in a foreign land back to the promised land in order to be buried with the ancestors. However, not every hero in the Pentateuch who dies outside the promised land is brought into the land and buried there. God informs Moses, “You are soon to lie with your fathers” (Deut 31:16, NJPS), and Moses dies outside the promised land but—unlike Jacob and Joseph—is not buried in the promised land. Instead, Moses is buried in the land of Moab at an unknown location. This paper compares the burial reports of Jacob and Joseph to the burial report of Moses and examines how, taken together, these three burial reports offer insights into the formation of the non-Priestly Pentateuchal materials.


“Let Us Make a Covenant”: A Post-Exilic Dispute on Covenant-Making in Ezra 9–10
Program Unit: Expressions of Religion in Israel
Philip Yoo, University of Toronto

Ezra 9-10 contains the account of the mixed marriages between some of the men of the Jerusalem post-exilic community and foreign women. In response to the initial charge of sacrilege, Ezra’s community reads scripture and—through proposals, covenantal declarations, and penitential acts—interprets the relevant authoritative texts in order to arrive at a legally appropriate solution that not only addresses the original charge but also ensures the preservation and longevity of the post-exilic Yahwistic cult. In the discourse in Ezra 9-10, Shecaniah ben Jehiel remarks that some in the community have married foreign women from the peoples of the land and provokes Ezra to make a covenant (berit) with God to send away the foreign wives and their children (Ezra 10:2-4). Although the episode concludes in Ezra 10:44, a close reading of the text reveals that Shecaniah’s proposal was neither immediately accepted nor completely followed through. What was the problem with Shecaniah’s proposal? This paper explores the representation of two contrasting views on covenant-making in Ezra 9-10, which can be construed as a dispute that is tied to the question of the deity’s activity on earth within Persian period Yahwism, with one view accepted over the alternative view.


Intrigue, Investigation, Impalement, and Inscription: Oedipal Reading of the Eunuchs at the Gate (Esth 2:19-23)
Program Unit: Psychological Hermeneutics of Biblical Themes and Texts
Joonho Yoon, Drew University

The Book of Esther tells at the end of chapter 2 a story that Mordecai uncovers a regicidal conspiracy by two eunuchs at the palace gate (19-23): the affair is investigated; they are hanged on the gallows; and it is recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king. I analyze the narrative of intrigue, investigation, impalement, and inscription through the lens of the Oedipus complex, specifically by the concept of penetration. By conversing with Freud, Lacan, Kristeva, and Irigaray, I argue: from the viewpoint of masculinity, first, I suggest a more gendered and sexualized reading of the penetrative intrigue and investigation. The text says about a battle of royal penetration. Second, I apply the triadic framework of sex, food, and war, in general, and that of intercourse, banquet, and impalement, in this specific story. The image of warfare and sexuality are allusively juxtaposed with or psychoanalytically transformed into those of food and meal. The Book of Esther is all about meal during violence or killing near feast, and feast around sexuality or eroticism during feast. The Freudian orality pervades all the three siblings. Regarding the impalement, third, I equate the narrative movement of the eunuchs from gate to gallows, from threshold to treetop, with a penetrative revenge by the fatherly phallus. The text soars as a lift of phallic revenge. From the Oedipal point of view on the inscription, fourth, I observe the oppressive transition from the Freudian castration to the Lacanian inscription. The text shrinks into a record of penetrative disincarnation, as the completion of triple penetrations.


Cyrus for Judah, MacArthur for Korea: Postcolonial Parallel of Liberator and Its Aftermath
Program Unit: Postcolonial Studies
Joonho Yoon, Drew University

Many scholars agree that the main concern of the Second Isaiah is to convince the exiles to return to their land. The special identification of gentile Cyrus as the LORD’s anointed (Isa 45:1) is a shocking element in that process. The major three traditions of the biblical Israel are all interwoven in the Cyrus pericope (44:24-45:13): the creation theology, the Exodus theme, and the Davidic covenant. Cyrus is a new Moses as well as a new David, and furthermore, the ideal combination of both, i.e., the very Messiah. More salient is the identification of Cyrus with YHWH as Creator from the perspective of the Divine Warrior and the storm God. I read in military tone the Cyrus’ song in parallel with General Douglas MacArthur’s triumph during the Korean War. The tide of war was decisively turned in South Korea’ favor by General MacArthur (Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command) whose march into Seoul paralleled the Cyrus’ into Babylon. After the war, South Korea eagerly pursued the American way in every field, and became the 10th economic power in world economy, especially in “neo-colonial and neo-liberal globalization.” And now, whether one understands it in terms of internalization and/or mimicry, the story of “colonized-turning into-colonizers” (Tat-siong Benny Liew) is in full blossom in Korea, specifically in Korean evangelical churches. Does Korea completely succeed in mimicking colonial master? Facing the emergence of another empire, i.e., China, what is left for Korea to choose for its survival? Is it possible to decolonize the Korean Christians through the Bible and its interpretation?


Wars and Fightings among You: Reconsidering the Nature of Testing in James
Program Unit: Catholic Epistles
Chun Ling Yu, University of Edinburgh

Though the word peirasmos does not appear after Jas 1, the theme of testing, or suffering caused by the testing, underlies much of the rest of the epistle. Giving encouragement to believers so that they may endure through the testing can be regarded as an important purpose of James. However, it is not so clear what is the nature of the testing suffered by James’ initial audience. Traditionally, the testing in Jas 1 is regarded as coming from religious persecution. Yet there seems to be no indications in the content of the letter itself that the audience is facing acute religious persecution. Hence it seems to be more likely that by testing James refers to the trials believers encounter in everyday life. For instance, it is widely suggested that economic oppressions is one important aspect of testing in James, since the topic of rich and poor is prominent in the letter. In order to have a better understanding on the nature of testing, the content of the rest of the letter should inform one’s interpretation of the testing in Jas 1. Besides the theme of rich and poor, the other sections in James might also review the community concerns of the author, and hence give hint to the nature of the testing mentioned in the letter opening. Upon an analysis of several major pericopes in James, together with some enlightenment from social-scientific studies in group dynamics, it may be suggested that the testing mentioned in Jas 1 at least includes some sort of disorder within the faith community itself, caused by strife resulting from the evil desires within the believers. Such an interpretation would also shed further light on the coherence of the whole letter of James.


Bible Translation amongst Ethnic Minorities in Yunnan
Program Unit:
Suee Yan Yu, United Bible Societies

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Genesis 49 in the Samaritan Version of Saadya Gaon’s Translation of the Pentateuch
Program Unit: Bible and Syriac Studies in Context
Tamar Zewi, University of Haifa

The Samaritan Hebrew Pentateuch differs from the Masoretic version in many ways. The substantial variations in content and form include repetitions of some verses of the Masoretic Pentateuch in other places in the Samaritan Pentateuch, in accordance with Samaritan beliefs, or to fill in what is thought to be a lacuna in the Masoretic text; a preference for later vocabulary and forms; a preference for more intelligible versions than those of the Masoretic text; provision of solutions to contradictions and other difficulties in the Masoretic text; and reflection of theological differences. MS London BL OR7562 mainly contains a Samaritan version of Saadya Gaon’s translation of the Pentateuch, written in Judeo-Arabic in Samaritan characters. Among its other components are also various versions paralleled in the Early Samaritan Arabic Translation and its Later Revision (Shehadeh, H. 1989, 2002. The Arabic Translation of the Samaritan Pentateuch I–II. Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.), some Karaite Arabic Bible translations, some Coptic Arabic Bible translations, and more prominently, some early Eastern Christian Arabic Bible translations, especially those from the Syriac tradition found in MSS Sinai Arabic 2 and/or 4 (Zewi, T. 2015. The Samaritan Version of Saadya Gaon’s Translation of the Pentateuch. Leiden: Brill). Chapter 49 of Genesis in MS London BL OR7562 is a unique Arabic translation reflecting some of the above modifications and components. The special Samaritan characteristics of this chapter were recognized in the Samaritan Hebrew Pentateuch and also identified in its Samaritan Aramaic translation (Tal, A. 2010. ??????, ou les yeux de Juda dans la tradition samaritaine. Eds. Riaud, J. & Chaieb, M. L'oeuvre d'un orientaliste, André Caquot 1923-2004. Paris: H. Champion. Pp. 163-171). This paper is dedicated to these issues in Genesis 49 of the Arabic translation used in MS London BL OR7562.


Métis and the New Testament: Wisdom for Chinese Women from Mark 7:24–30
Program Unit: Society of Asian Biblical Studies (SABS)
Jing (Cathy) Zhang, Renmin University of China

This article uses the classical image Métis to develop a feminist reading of the dialogue between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7.24–30. Beginning with the mythological origins of Métis, the article shows how the métis motif, though marginalised in the West (NB there is no Western treatise on métis, and the word is not used after the fifth century CE), has nevertheless been preserved in communities of powerlessness that seek to challenge established structures. Indeed, the concept can be shown to have shaped ancient cultures, including China’s, both as a literary device and as a moral principle. In the light of this, the article discusses the relevance of the métis motif in the empowerment of women in China’s churches today.


The Truth of Prophecy: A Reading on the Second Part of Maimonides’ Interpretation of the Binding of Isaac
Program Unit: Judaica
Ying Zhang, East China Normal University

Maimonides states in his interpretation of Abraham’s binding of Isaac (the Akedah) in the Guide of the Perplexed III 24, that the story “contains two notions.” Two years ago at the SBL International Meeting, Vienna, I offered my reading of the first point of Maimonides’ interpretation of the story, this time I would like to present my reading of what he takes as the second point of the story, that it “consist in making known to us the fact that the prophets consider as true that which comes to them from God in a prophetic revelation.” (III 24, S. Pines translation, p. 501) This laconic and enigmatic comment, together with a brief explanation followed with it, needs to be read in light of Maimonides’ discussion in general on prophecy in Guide II 32-48, and in particular on Abraham’s being a prophet in II 46 when he enumerates the 11 degrees of prophecy. While more than a few aspects of prophecy are discussed in the Guide, the focus of Maimonides’ treatment of the Akedah is on the issues of how “prophetic revelation” is communicated to the prophets, how the prophets understand by the “prophetic revelation,” and how every “prophetic revelation” is transformed into their actions. The proposed paper would try to offer some reflections and observations to Maimonides’s view on Abraham’s being a prophet and his action in the Akedah.

 
 


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