Early Judaism and Rabbinics (EABS)

Call For Papers: Versifying Scripture: Dynamics between Poetry and Prose in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages

In this section we seek to explore the dynamics between verse and prose compositions from a broad perspective. We are interested in questions concerning the literary and cultural aspects of the different genres, the affect of the intended audience of a given text on its rhetoric and style and so on. We hope to include in the section case-study presentations alongside theoretical discussions of the bigger questions pertaining to the subject.

Additionally, we plan a textual workshop that will engage its participants in a hand-on analysis of texts in verse and prose on a given biblical theme. Among the questions that relate to the dynamics between verse and prose are the following:

• What are the differences and the similarities between the representation of biblical accounts and figures in liturgical poetry and in prose commentaries?
• What is the impact of the performative context of texts on the way they treat and represent biblical themes?
• Are there differences between prose and verse texts within the oeuvre of one author and if so what could we learn from that?

We seek submissions that deal with these questions or similar ones from a variety of disciplinarian and methodological approaches and encourage especially comparative discussions of Jewish and Christian texts. In recent years we witness a surge of interest in the dynamics between verse and prose and we hope that this section would provide a stimulating opportunity for the discussion of questions concerning this matter.

Program Unit Chairs

Propose a Paper for this Program Unit

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