Languages from the World of the Bible

ISBN-13: 9781934078617 / Angielski / Twarda / 2011 / 274 str.

Opis

The breakthrough of the alphabetic script early in the first millennium BCE coincides with the appearance of several new languages and civilizations in ancient Syria-Palestine. Together, they form the cultural setting in which ancient Israel, the Hebrew Bible, and, transformed by Hellenism, the New Testament took shape. This book contains concise yet thorough and lucid overviews of ancient Near Eastern languages united by alphabetic writing and illuminates their interaction during the first 1000 years of their attestation. All chapters are informed by the most recent scholarship, contain fresh insights, provide numerous examples from the most pertinent sources, and share a clear historical framework that makes it easier to trace processes of contact and convergence in this highly diversified speech area. They also address non-specialists. The following topics are discussed: Alphabetic writing (A. Millard), Ugaritic (A. Gianto), Phoenician and Hebrew (H. Gzella), Transjordanian languages (K. Beyer), Old and Imperial Aramaic (M. Folmer), Epigraphic South Arabian (R. Hasselbach), Old Persian (M. de Vaan/A. Lubotsky), Greek (A. Willi).

The alphabetic script is part of the lasting heritage of the ancient Near East. It unites a number of newly-emerging civilizations in ancient Syria-Palestine, which together constitute the immediate background of the Hebrew Bible. Transformed by the impact of Hellenism, they also shaped the social-historical and cultural setting of the New Testament. This work presents fresh and concise yet thorough overviews of the relevant languages and their interaction. They are informed by the most recent scholarship and share a clear historical framework.

Recenzje

Holger Gzella is to be thanked for editing a superb introduction to those languages from the realm of the Old Testament, that were written in alphabetic script. [This book] will widen the horizon of its readers, Bible scholars and students, perhaps even Semitists, and provide them with the tools to read and understand the primary sources from the world of the Hebrew Bible in the original languages.

Christian Stadel, Bibliotheca Orientalis, LXVIII No. 5-6, pgs. 519-523

O autorze

Holger Gzella, University of Leiden, Netherlands.