Saul was the first king of Israel (1029-1005 BCE). His life was full of drama and tribulations, and ended tragically. The book of Samuel portrays Saul as a colorful personality with excesses--as the classic tragic hero. Moreover, Saul's excellent virtues qualified him for the monarchy. He had courage and military power. Saul was modest and shy. In contrast to the positive portrayal of Saul in some biblical narrative, many other passages in the Hebrew Bible portray Saul negatively--as a paranoid man who chased demons, as obsessed with the pursuit of David. Thus he struggles constantly with his...
Saul was the first king of Israel (1029-1005 BCE). His life was full of drama and tribulations, and ended tragically. The book of Samuel portrays Saul...
While the literature of the ancient Near East portrays legendary heroes, this is not the case with the biblical narrative, which portrays the patriarchs and matriarchs as fallible human beings. Their story is a multigenerational one of family and the dynamics that exist within. Reading these stories is like hearing the echo of family feuds, which is what makes them timeless. Were the patriarchs real people? Or can we say that many details in the Book of Genesis are fictions that project later romantic ideals of life and faith? To answer these questions the author examines the patriarchs...
While the literature of the ancient Near East portrays legendary heroes, this is not the case with the biblical narrative, which portrays the patriarc...
Since Freud, the study of dreams has typically involved inquiry into past and present emotional states. The ancients, unfamiliar with the intricate byways of the human soul revealed by modern psychology, typically saw dreams as channels of communication between human beings and external sources. Shaul Bar explores the etymology of key terms for dreams in the Hebrew Bible, presents dozens of examples of biblical dreams and visions, and categorizes them as prophetic, symbolic, or incubation. He studies biblical dreams and visions in the context of similar phenomena in the literature of...
Since Freud, the study of dreams has typically involved inquiry into past and present emotional states. The ancients, unfamiliar with the intricate by...
A lifes journey that started with a struggle and deception continues into adulthood. Jacobs life was full of drama--feuding with his brother Esau, wrestling with an angel, and jealousy between his wives Rachel and Leah. One beloved wife who is barren at first and one unloved wife who is blessed with sons. Fathering children who formed the twelve tribes of Israel. The Jacob story invites the reader into tensions between settling and wandering, hope and despair, trickery and fidelity, faith and doubt. These stories reflect Jacobs life and his struggles with people and God.
Regarding the Jacob...
A lifes journey that started with a struggle and deception continues into adulthood. Jacobs life was full of drama--feuding with his brother Esau, wre...
