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Author : Aaron Koller
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 277 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2014-01-09
Category : Bibles
ISBN : 9781107048355
This book situates the book of Esther in the intellectual history of Ancient Judaism and provides a new understanding of its purpose.
Author : John Anthony Dunne
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 170 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2014-02-12
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781620327845
What if the way the book of Esther has been taught to us in church and retold to us in films, cartoons, and romance novels has missed the original point of the story? Far from being models of piety and devotion, Esther and Mordecai seem indifferent to the faith of their ancestors. How then did this story become part of the Bible and gain the broad acceptance that it has? If the church should not neglect the story, how should it be read? Esther and Her Elusive God calls Christians to avoid the common attempts to make Esther more palatable and theological, and to reclaim this secular story as Scripture. Readers will be encouraged to see in Esther a profound message of God's grace and faithfulness to his wayward people.
Author : Aaron Koller
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 277 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2014-01-09
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781107729803
The book of Esther was a conscious reaction to much of the conventional wisdom of its day, challenging beliefs regarding the Jerusalem Temple, the land of Israel, Jewish law, and even God. Aaron Koller identifies Esther as primarily a political work, and shows that early reactions ranged from ignoring the book to 'rewriting' Esther in order to correct its perceived flaws. But few biblical books have been read in such different ways, and the vast quantity of Esther-interpretation in rabbinic literature indicates a conscious effort by the Rabbis to present Esther as a story of faith and traditionalism, and bring it into the fold of the grand biblical narrative. Koller situates Esther, and its many interpretations, within the intellectual and political contexts of Ancient Judaism, and discusses its controversial themes. His innovative line of enquiry will be of great interest to students and scholars of Bible and Jewish studies.
Author : Tal Davidovich
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 164 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : History
ISBN : 1575068184
Though Esther's position as a queen in the Persian court is unquestioned in Jewish thought, the historicity of this datum raises some questions. Scholars have pointed out that Esther, as a Jew, could not have become King Ahasuerus' wife according to a Persian law that allowed Persian kings to marry only women from seven specific noble families. Scholars do agree on the "late" production of the Book of Esther, though they differ concerning the approximate date of its composition. Nevertheless, in Jewish thought Esther was, is, and will always be regarded as the queen of Persia, an idea based, perhaps, on the need for security and comfort for diaspora Jews, who passed this story on to their children through the generations to give them hope even in their darkest hours. Esther's status in Jewish thought as a Persian queen is based on the contents of the different versions of the Book of Esther and also on the Persian socio-historical background of the events described in the book. This study includes an introduction, an examination of Esther's character in the Book of Esther, in comparison to other royal women in the OT, and in light of the Resh Galuta, and conclusions. The study follows the evolution of Esther's status inside and outside the royal palace and her power in comparison to other similarly placed women. Whether she was a member of the pilagshim or carried the title of Queen (of the Jews?) is a question of secondary importance. Of more importance is that Esther was indeed Resh Galuta, the one woman in Jewish history who is known to have been the Head of the Diaspora, the formal leader of all the Jews in exile.
Author : Leonard Jay Greenspoon,Sidnie White Crawford
Publisher : A&C Black
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2003-01-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780826466631
The proceedings of a symposium entitled Esther 2000 held in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska in April 2000, the book contains a collection of essays that engages all aspects of the biblical book of Esther. From questions of textual criticism to the history of rabbinic interpretation to speculation on the modern form of commentary, this collection is sure to contain something for everyone interested in the book of Esther. Contributors include such well-known Esther scholars as Michael Fox, David Clines, and Carey Moore.
Author : Michael V. Fox
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 345 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2010-04-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781608994953
Widely praised as a seminal contribution to the study of the Old Testament when it first appeared, Michael V. Fox's Character and Ideology in the Book of Esther is now available in a second edition, complete with an up-to-date critical review of recent Esther scholarship. Fox's commentary, based on his own translation of the Hebrew text, captures the meaning and artistry of Esther's inspiring story. After laying out the background information essential for properly reading Esther, Fox offers commentary on the text that clearly unpacks its message and relevance. Fox also looks in depth at each character in the story of Esther, showing how they were carefully shaped by the book's author to teach readers a new view of how to live as Jews in foreign lands.
Author : A.J. Berkovitz,Mark Letteney
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2018-06-14
Category : History
ISBN : 9781351063401
The historian’s task involves unmasking the systems of power that underlie our sources. A historian must not only analyze the content and context of ancient sources, but also the structures of power, authority, and political contingency that account for their transmission, preservation, and survival. But as a tool for interpreting antiquity, "authority" has a history of its own. As authority gained pride of place in the historiographical order of knowledge, other types of contingency have faded into the background. This book’s introduction traces the genesis and growth of the category, describing the lacuna that scholars seek to fill by framing texts through its lens. The subsequent chapters comprise case studies from late ancient Christian and Jewish sources, asking what lies "beyond authority" as a primary tool of analysis. Each uncovers facets of textual and social history that have been obscured by overreliance on authority as historical explanation. While chapters focus on late ancient topics, the methodological intervention speaks to the discipline of history as a whole. Scholars of classical antiquity and the early medieval world will find immediately analogous cases and applications. Furthermore, the critique of the place of authority as used by historians will find wider resonance across the academic study of history.
Author : David J. A. Clines
Publisher : A&C Black
Page : 261 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 1984-01-01
Category : Bible
ISBN : 9780905774664
Author : Leila Leah Bronner
Publisher : Westminster John Knox Press
Page : 244 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 1994-01-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0664255426
This is the first book-length attempt to focus on female biblical figures in the ancient rabbinic writings of midrash and Talmud. Primary rabbinic sources employed by the author bring new life and insight into the stories of Eve, Deborah, Hannah, Serah bat Asher, and others. As women and men today attempt to reevaluate past historical models, it serves us well to understand the values and inner workings of rabbinic thinking. The examination of what the sources actually say, and not what others would like them to have said, enable reinterpretation of women's role to proceed on an honest and authentic basis. Biblical women, reclaimed with contemporary midrash, can become paradigms for our modern lives.
Author : Jonathan Grossman
Publisher : Penn State Press
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2011-06-23
Category : History
ISBN : 9781575066585
Using narrative devices such as allusions and free associations, multivalent expressions, and irony, the author of Esther wrote a story that is about a Jewish woman, Esther, during the time of the Persian exile of Yehudites, and the Persian king, Ahasuerus, who was in power at the time. At various junctures, the author also used secret writing, or we could say that he conveys mixed messages: one is a surface message, but another, often conflicting message lies beneath the surface. For instance, the outer portrayal of the king as one of the main protagonists is an ironic strategy used by the author to highlight the king’s impotent, indecisive, “antihero” status. He may wield authority—as symbolized by his twice-delegated signet ring—but he remains powerless. Among all the concealments in the story, the concealment of God stands out as the most prominent and influential example. A growing number of scholars regard the book of Esther as a “comic diversion,” the function and intention of which are to entertain the reader. However, Grossman is more convinced by Mikhail Bakhtin’s approach, and he labels his application of this approach to the reading of Esther as “theological carnivalesque.” Bakhtin viewed the carnival (or the carnivalesque genre) as a challenge by the masses to the governing establishment and to accepted social conventions. He described the carnival as an eruption of ever-present but suppressed popular sentiments. The connection between the story of Esther and Bakhtin’s characterization of the carnivalesque in narrative is evident especially in the book of Esther’s use of the motifs of “reversal” and “transformation.” For example, the young girl Esther is transformed from an exiled Jewess into a queen in one of the turnabouts that characterize the narrative. Many more examples are provided in this analysis of one of the Bible’s most fascinating books.
Author : Gerald Friedlander
Publisher : Legare Street Press
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2022-10-26
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN : 1015466680
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Author : Wayne K. Barkhuizen
Publisher : Lexham Press
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2016-06-07
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781577997122
Although the book of Esther contains no direct references to God, his fingerprints can be found all over it. In God Behind the Scenes, Wayne K. Barkhuizen helps us trace the unseen hand of God throughout the Esther narrative, while pointing out how the book is still relevant today. As we walk through the book, we’ll see how God was indeed active in preserving the people through whom the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would one day come.
Author : Aaron Koller
Publisher : U of Nebraska Press
Page : 262 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2020-07-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780827614734
Unbinding Isaac takes readers on a trek of discovery for our times into the binding of Isaac story. Nineteenth-century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard viewed the story as teaching suspension of ethics for the sake of faith, and subsequent Jewish thinkers developed this idea as a cornerstone of their religious worldview. Aaron Koller examines and critiques Kierkegaard’s perspective—and later incarnations of it—on textual, religious, and ethical grounds. He also explores the current of criticism of Abraham in Jewish thought, from ancient poems and midrashim to contemporary Israel narratives, as well as Jewish responses to the Akedah over the generations. Finally, bringing together these multiple strands of thought—along with modern knowledge of human sacrifice in the Phoenician world—Koller offers an original reading of the Akedah. The biblical God would like to want child sacrifice—because it is in fact a remarkable display of devotion—but more than that, he does not want child sacrifice because it would violate the child’s autonomy. Thus, the high point in the drama is not the binding of Isaac but the moment when Abraham is told to release him. The Torah does not allow child sacrifice, though by contrast, some of Israel’s neighbors viewed it as a religiously inspiring act. The binding of Isaac teaches us that an authentically religious act cannot be done through the harm of another human being.
Author : Jon D. Levenson
Publisher : Westminster John Knox Press
Page : 164 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 1997-01-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780664228873
Among the books of the Old Testament, the book of Esther presents significant interpretive problems. The book has been preserved in Greek and Hebrew texts that diverge greatly from each other. As a result, Jews and Protestants usually read a version of the book of Esther that is several chapters shorter than the one in most Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. Jon D. Levenson capably guides the reader through both the longer Greek version and the shorter Hebrew one, demonstrating their coherence and their differences. This commentary listens to the voices of modern scholarship as well as rabbinic interpretation, providing a wealth of interpretive results
Author : Isaac Kalimi
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 429 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2023-04-30
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781009266093
The book of Esther is one of the most challenging books in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, not only because of the difficulty of understanding the book itself in its time, place, and literary contexts, but also for the long and tortuous history of interpretation it has generated in both Jewish and Christian traditions. In this volume, Isaac Kalimi addresses both issues. He situates 'traditional' literary, textual, theological, and historical-critical discussion of Esther alongside comparative Jewish and Christian interpretive histories, showing how the former serves the latter. Kalimi also demonstrates how the various interpretations of the Book of Esther have had an impact on its reception history, as well as on Jewish-Christian relations. Based on meticulous and comprehensive analysis of all available sources, Kalimi's volume fills a gap in biblical, Jewish, and Christian studies and also shows how and why the Book of Esther became one of the central books of Judaism and one of the most neglected books in Christianity.