Alec Basson examines the divine metaphors in a selection of biblical Hebrew Psalms of Lamentation from a cognitive-anthropological perspective. He argues that the textual information in these poems is more than literary information as such; it is also a cognitive representation of the psalmist's world. In situations of affliction, the poet employs various cognitive strategies viz. cultural models, image-schemas and conceptual metaphors as a means of portraying the deity. The exploration illustrates the link between the psalmist's cultural experience, cognitive construal of reality and the...

Oystein Lund gives a new approach to texts in Isaiah 40-55 that deal with ways and desert transformation. Earlier exegesis has mainly read these texts in a literal way. In recent years, exegetes have pointed out that the so-called 'exodus texts' should rather be interpreted metaphorically. The author supports this, and accordingly seeks to continue this discourse by systematizing, intensifying, and deepening the argumentation for a metaphorical reading. He argues that most of the way-texts in Isaiah 40-55 are interrelated, and gradually contribute to explore questions regarding the...

Historically, form critical studies of prophetic literature have answered mainly historical questions. However, scholars recently have begun to address literary topics as well. This study of the book of Ezekiel addresses two such topics-literary structure and literary setting-in order to read Ezekiel as a deliberate work of literature, a prophetic composition with a highly-structured form and an intentional placement of units. Mayfield provides a discussion of the role of literary markers in structure and proposes a literary structure of the book based on two formulas: the chronological...

Kristin Moen Saxegaard demonstrates how character complexity is portrayed in the Old Testament, exemplified by the Book of Ruth. Each character in the story has its specific voice which raises a particular topic; Naomi proclaims her bitterness, Boaz is the merry character, Ruth stresses that she is a foreigner, and Yahweh is silent. Thus, character complexity generates theological themes, such as the problem of being a foreigner, and the question of God's silence. The interaction between the characters' voices elaborates multiple and nuanced perspectives to these themes which offer new...

In the narrative of Israel and Judah found in the Book of Kings, the end of a king's rule is summed up in a series of stock statements that begin with the poetic idiom for death: and the king] lay with his fathers. The summary statements all revolve around the problem of royal death and succession, encapsulated in a brief epilogue that consisted typically of a notice of burial (in the royal tombs) and the introduction of the successor. As such, the formulaic statements conveyed royal legitimacy through the ideals of political continuity and the linear descent of power. The formulaic...

Law is not only conveyed in codified clauses; it is often featured as a pivotal topic in literary texts. Existing legal relationships can determine the historical or the fictive setting of a drama or a plot, narratives can propagate laws or demonstrate their inherent problems. Literature can be used as an integral part of a strategy to implement legally justified demands, it can aim at correcting or even at denouncing legal rules. The authors of this volume examine literary and functional texts from the bible, the Ancient Near East, early Judaism and classical antiquity. They choose from the...

The earlier consensus concerning the Pentateuch and the Deuteronomistic History has been significantly challenged in recent scholarship. Because of its canonical placement, the book of Deuteronomy plays an important role in these discussions. The earlier consensus was that the D source in the Pentateuch was primarily (if not only) found in Deuteronomy and that Deuteronomy was the founding source for the Deuteronomistic History. Recently, however, some scholars are once again talking about the D source in books before and after Deuteronomy, while others are questioning the centrality of the D...