ABSTRACTS
EGLBS/ASOR Meeting
April 1–2, 2004
Bailey, Wilma Ann. “The Meaning of tirsâ in Exodus 20:13 (=Deuteronomy 5:17)”
Almost every English Bible translation that appeared in the latter half of the 20th century adopted the phrasing, “You shall not murder,” for the sixth commandment, in place of the traditional wording, “You shall not kill.” The argument most commonly proffered for the new wording is that the word רצח means “murder” every place where it is used in the Hebrew Bible. This is simply not true. The word appears 16 times in non-masculine participial uses. In at least four usages, the word clearly does not mean murder. Several times it does. Most often, the word appears in an ambiguous list or is unclear as to its meaning. Contrary to the NRSV, the NIV, the TANAKH, the NASV, and the REB, the weight of evidence is against the translation “murder” in the cited texts. This paper will demonstrate this to be the case and will offer a thesis as to why the new wording was uncritically adopted during the 20th century.
Barr, David L. “Jezebel’s Skinny Legs: (De)Constructing the Four Queens of the Apocalypse”
“Jezebel” is a paradigm of the wicked woman, a paradigm that John uses to both mask and unmask the identity of a real woman. She is the first of four mythic queens in John’s story, queens that hide and reveal the identities of not only of women but also of men. This blend of myth and history is unstable and this paper attempts to exploit this instability by exploring both the mythic paradigms and the actual history taken up in them. Such a reading deconstructs our simple view of gender identity and opens a space for reading the Apocalypse against its male perspective.
Baxter, Wayne S. “Healing and the ‘Son of David’: Matthew’s Warrant”
When Jesus was questioned by a doubting John the Baptist regarding his identity as Israel’s Messiah, Matthew records that Jesus answered John by alluding to prophecies that speak of miraculous healings. Clearly Jesus’ self-understanding of his messianic mission included works of healing. But while scholars agree that Matthew’s gospel stands apart from the others in that he links Jesus’ healing activity to the Christological title, “Son of David,” the Evangelist’s warrant for this connection is disputed. This paper will argue that Matthew’s warrant for connecting Jesus’ healing activity to the Son of David title is the Davidic Shepherd-King of Ezekiel 34.
Bedell, Ellen Dailey. “The Uluburun On-line Project: A Late Bronze Age Archaeological Site as a Teaching Tool for Understanding Methodology and Trade Relations”
The Uluburun Shipwreck has provided archaeologists with valuable information on the extent of trade in the Late Bronze Age. The ship, which sank off the coast of Kas, Turkey, was carrying raw materials and manufactured goods from at least seven different civilizations. The on-line “Uluburun Shipwreck Project” website has interactive areas for student exploration and research. Students use archaeological methods, including context, association, categorizing, and cross-dating, to complete a site analysis and answer research questions. The project helps students understand how archaeologists work, and gives them an appreciation of the fact that no ancient civilization existed as an isolate.
Bodner, Keith. “‘Mouse Trap’: A Text-Critical Problem with Rodents in the Ark Narrative”
The “Ark Narrative” of 1 Samuel 4–6 has proved problematic over the years in more ways than one. In its original setting, the Ark wreaks havoc in the deepest recesses of Philistine anatomy, as many members of the menacing Philistine pentapolis, both small and great alike, are afflicted with tormenting hemorrhoids. But slightly closer to home, as it were, many modern scholars have also been consternated by the perplexing compositional history of this narrative stretch. Such difficulties are no doubt augmented by a number of text-critical issues in the Ark Narrative, including the strange appearance of rodents in 1 Samuel 6 without antecedent in the Masoretic Text. The problem is that mice are present in the LXX as early as 5:6, resulting in a number of different theories among commentators. In this paper I would like to explore this issue "of mice and men (and women)," and evaluate the matter from both a text-critical and literary perspective.
Bowden, Karen. “Witness for the Excavation: M.G. Kyle at Tell Beit Mirsim”
M. G. Kyle provided financial support for W. F. Albright’s excavation at Tell Beit Mirsim (1926–1932) and served as ‘President’ of the project. Kyle also eagerly documented work and life at TBM in photographs, 16mm film, and popular accounts from the field. The presentation will draw on this material to explore the interplay of science and faith in Kyle’s experience of TBM and his growing appreciation of the distinctive culture of the excavation’s neighbors and workers. Kyle’s experience in turn illuminates a key and controversial phase in Albright’s career, in which he came to believe in the basic historicity of the Bible.
Cohen, Margaret. “The Chronicler’s Prophetic Plusses: A Response to Schniedewind”
The Chronicler’s accounts of the kings of Judah include some prophetic activity, even in cases where no prophetic mention is given in the corresponding account in Kings. The Chronicler maintains a concern for documenting the unbroken sequence of prophets under each king’s reign. In his evaluation of these prophetic “plusses,” Schniedewind categorizes the prophetic speech in Chronicles based on various technical terms and formulae. While Schniedewind’s documentation of prophetic speech is quite useful, he fails to state the importance of all of the prophetic material in Chronicles. The prophetic speech alone cannot illustrate the Chronicler’s wider agenda of demonstrating adherence to Deuteronomistic theology regarding prophecy. Without addressing prophetic speech along side prophetic source citations or narrative references to prophets, Schniedewind has overlooked a crucial element of the Chronicler’s larger historiographic structure.
Corley, Kathleen. “Women and the Jesus Movement”
For decades scholars have argued that Jesus’ teaching fostered inclusive communities and the full participation of women. This talk challenges that assumption that Jesus himself fought patriarchal limitations on women. Rather, his authentic teaching suggests that, while Jesus critiques class and slave/free distinctions in his culture, his critique did not extend to unequal gender distinctions. The presence of women among his disciples is explained on the basis of the presence of women among many Greco-Roman religions and philosophical groups, including the Judaism of Jesus’ own day.
Crowell, Brad. “‘Because They Pursued the Gods of Edom’: Religion and Society in Iron Age Edom”
Biblical texts mention little about Edomite religion, although 2 Chronicles 25:20 has been used to suggest that there was a hierarchical pantheon in Edom. The divine name Qaus prevails in the epigraphic remains and as the most common theophoric element in Edomite personal names. Yet the interface of archaeological and textual data with an analysis of the type of society in Edom yields a portrait of Edomite religion that is tribally based with different elements expressing loyalty to a variety of local and regional deities. The likelihood that Iron Age Edom was a tribal society ruled by elite that worshiped Qaus explains both the prevalence of Qaus in the artifact database and the absence of a hierarchical pantheon in the Edomite religious symbol system.
Davidson, E. T. A. “The Art of Judges”
One of the characteristics of the author of Judges is his ability to conceive, create, and sustain an elaborate structure, a marvelous design of many interlocking pieces that expresses the complexity and wonder of the ancient world. Judges is a polyphonic work. It is a challenging puzzle, a game of great intricacy, a jewel with thousands of facets. It is an ingenious interweaving of contrasting threads, a tapestry that would be worthy of the Gobelins. Its design would delight the Mozart of The Marriage of Figaro and be the envy of Gödel, Escher, and Bach. Whereas the greatest designers, like Michelangelo or Dante, needed immense canvases, the author of Judges was a miniaturist who was able to pack almost an infinity of meaning into a tiny space. Of what does its art and uniqueness consist? And why is it important that we accord this anonymous artist of antiquity a full measure of appreciation?
Dewey, Arthur. “Insurgency in the Empire: Boudica and Paul”
My paper attempts to read Paul from an example of the underside by considering the uprising of Boudica in Britain. If Paul was writing Romans in a “coded” fashion, that is, as an insurgence against the Gospel of the Empire, can we begin to understand the constraints of his experiment by looking at a new contemporary attempt to refuse Roman subordination. Hence Boudica, the woman warrior of East Anglia.
Dozeman, Thomas B. “The Role of Biblical Geography in the Discipline of Geography and Religion”
The field of geography and religion investigates the ways in which religious beliefs and practices interact with their environment. The discipline is divided into two phases. (1) Religious geography is characteristic of the pre-modern period when all geographical representations were made to conform to religious pre-suppositions. (2) Geography of religion arises in the modern period, when social scientific methodologies changed the study of geography to a more rationalistic and historical orientation. Geographers of religion note the important role of Biblical geography in both phases of their discipline. I will briefly summarize the changing role of Biblical geography in the discipline of geography and religion and explore the methodological challenges that Biblical geography possess for contemporary interpreters of the Hebrew Bible.
Fiensy, David A. “Jesus and Ritual Purity”
Some recent interpreters of the historical Jesus (e.g., M. Borg) maintain that Jesus rejected ritual purity concerns and that Mark 7:1–23 makes this conclusion necessary. I propose to offer four arguments to the contrary and to examine the text in Mark as a “complaint” text such as we find in the Mishnah. In this light, the pericope from Mark only suggests that Jesus and the Pharisees had different understandings of the purity laws.
Fulton, Deirdre N. “Shiloh: A Re-examination”
Shiloh has been a popular subject for Biblical scholars interested in broad historical criticism, beginning in the 19th century, but rarely has been examined as a case study alone. The Biblical texts reveal several different snapshots of the cult center, from the initial settlement of the site after the Israelite conquest, to the loss of the ark and its diminishing cultic significance. I want to reexamine the archaeological evidence as it relates to the Biblical texts, the role of Shiloh as a cult center, and its changing function in the Biblical texts. Among the scholars to be discussed are Noth, Friedman, Thompson, and Davies.
Gale, Aaron. “The Economic Basis of the Matthean Community”
Evidence is strong that the Galilean region was prosperous and active in trade and commerce in the first century. Many goods were imported and exported to and from Galilee, and the Jewish population was an integral part of this activity. Textual evidence suggests that the Matthean community, itself a conservative Jewish Christian group located in Galilee, was prosperous as well. In fact, when placed alongside the other Synoptic Gospels, Matthew's text indicates a distinct and unique preference for terms and concepts linked to wealth and prosperity. Some of the topics that will be covered in this paper include Matthew's views on coinage and taxation, as well as the Matthean community's relation to the larger Roman economic system.
Giles, Terry and William Doan. “Performance Analysis Applied to the Prophet Amos”
Susan Niditch, in her book Oral World and Written Word, suggests that “some works of the Hebrew Bible were composed in oral performance in accordance with certain conventions of composition, content, structure, and style.” What Niditch calls conventions we propose to label a “Performance Mode of Thought” in which oral performances were conveyed and compositional characteristics of which still reside imbedded in the written literature. In this paper, we present an analytic grid for examining the Performative aspects of prophetic literature and apply that analytic method to select texts from the prophecy of Amos.
Gordley, Matthew E. “Seeing Stars at Qumran: The Interpretation of Balaam and His Oracle in the Damascus Document and Other Qumran Texts”
Balaam’s fourth oracle (Numbers 24:17) appears as a direct quotation three times in the Dead Sea Scrolls and is alluded to at least one other time. This paper explores the various uses of Balaam’s oracle at Qumran and uses them as a window into the way the community interpreted its authoritative texts. This study is enhanced by being set against the wider backdrop of the Balaam tradition and its generally negative interpretation in the Second Temple period. Conclusions shed light on the types of scriptural interpretation practiced in the community and on the community's perception of its history and future.
Hanges, James. “How to Build a Mystery Sanctuary: Site Geography & the Cult of Palaimon at Isthmia.”
This presentation will argue that the progressively elaborated site plan of the Isthmian sanctuary of Palaimon, including its most complex stage, was largely determined by the orientation of each successive facility on a subterranean relic of the early Greek stadium of the sanctuary of Poseidon. Evidence from the Roman appropriation of this water reservoir suggests that this feature was the cult’s adyton from its beginnings and that the incorporation of its multiple access points not only determined the location of the sanctuary’s Roman stoa but also carries implications regarding the mystery ritual itself.
Jackson, Glenna. “How Can a Tutsi Soldier be a Good Samaritan to a Hutu in Burundi?”
As a newcomer to the Continent of Africa nearly four years ago, I was immediately humbled as a New Testament scholar. I discovered quickly that Africans know far more and have better insights into the study of the New Testament than we as westerners could ever possibly hope to have. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate those insights and discuss the research I have been able to do in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, Angola, Burundi, and Mozambique.
Jackson-McCabe, Matt. “No Male & Female (Gal 3:28): Sex & the Transformation Of Bodies in Pauline Myth”
The precise force of Paul’s declaration that “there is no male and female” for those who have been “baptized into Christ” is a matter of debate. Some have taken it as a symbolic way of announcing the dissolution of patriarchal social structures within the Christian community, while others read it as reflective of a mythological expectation for an ultimate return to an assumed primal androgyny. This paper interprets Paul’s statements in light of Thomas Laqueur’s study of ancient constructions of sex, and argues that they are grounded in a mythological expectation of a new humanity characterized not by androgyny, but by undifferentiated masculinity.
Johnson, Michael. “‘The Price…Is Above Rubies’: Wisdom and Facets of Creativity in Job”
One theory of human creativity (Rhodes, 1961) and its practical application (Isaksen, 2000) suggest a new approach to the book of Job. This study uses the essence of the theory to examine the cardinal strands of the Job drama as a paradigm for wise behavior that encompasses moral, social, practical, and aesthetic concerns. Within a schema of the whole text, the focus will be on chapter 28. This poem deals with the challenge of aligning habits of personal decision-making with one’s world view. The inevitable and inexplicable challenge of life itself both imperils and validates the exercise and the fruits of human creativity.
Kiley, Mark. “Johannine Interaction with Hebrew”
What do we make of the fact that some clusters of themes in the Hebrew dictionary also occur as clusters in John? For example, words surrounding Basar (flesh) include baqash (seek), bar (son) and barah (eat), all of which occur in John 6. Similarly, Hebrew Dam (blood) is surrounded by words for breast, beloved, cleanse, the poor, resemble and go out, all of which are relevant to John 13. And the Hebrew words dagah (multiply), dag (fish), dagan (grain), dud (basket) and day (sufficiency) seem strangely familiar as a group. And of course this latter collocation is not peculiar to John.
Kincaid, John Matthew. “Living in Two Worlds: Tension and Ambiguity in 1 Cor. 11:2–16”
1 Cor 11:2–16 presents two realities that are equally important to Paul, namely, the new life in Christ and life in contemporary society. The respective importance of both creates tension and ambiguity not only for the apostle but also for the Corinthian community. I will argue that the passage evidences this tension and ambiguity through Paul’s instructions to the community which demonstrate his allegiance to the culture in which he lives yet, at the same time, comes into conflict with his egalitarian ideal of all being one in Christ.
Kozar, Joseph, S. M. “Meeting the Perfect Stranger: The Literary Role and Social Location of the Encounter Between Jesus and the Strange Exorcist in Mark 9:38–41”
Texts are messages sent to target audiences. In a sense, the meaning, scope, and significance of a text can be understood as more determined by the target than the source. In Mark 9:38–41 Jesus leaves the Mount of Transfiguration and encounters a strange exorcist. This character is able to do the very thing the disciples cannot, exorcize in Jesus’ name (see 9:18). Jesus’ begins his ministry with an exorcism (1:25); the strange exorcist’s final casting out of a demon leads to a predictive narration of others helping the Markan community (9:41). This paper is a study of the literary connections and social implications for Mark’s community of this strange figure. It examines this association in terms of the social roles and practices of the Markan community embedded in the Gospel text.
Labs, Lynn. “Vengeance in the Apocalypse & Its Implications for Politics of Retaliation in the Modern World”
The motif of vengeance is foundational to the theology of John's Apocalypse. The violence that accompanies divine retribution begins after the call of the saints for vengeance (Rev. 6:10) and continues throughout the remainder of the text. This paper examines the theme of divine vengeance together with three motifs associated with God's judgment: wrath of God, torment of the wicked, and punishment by fire and brimstone. The first-century view that only God appropriately establishes divine justice in the world is contrasted to the modern notion that human retaliation is an appropriate way to participate in divine judgment.
Lasher, Mary A. “Creativity and the Parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Mark”
This paper examines how the parable of the Sower in Mark’s gospel can be a metaphor for any creative process. I weave together a brief history of the interpretations of this parable with the notion of metaphors imposed on us by our culture versus those with the ability to transform us. I argue that the parable of the Sower can be interpreted as a metaphor for how we grow creatively as individuals toward authenticity and toward life as disciples of Jesus. With this authenticity and life, we are able to challenge the metaphors of our day which are accepted as truth yet keep us in bondage to systems of power and authority other than God’s.
Long, Jamie Ann. “Let the Children Come: The Experience of the Marginalized”
Primarily using the New Testament reference Mark 10:13–16, this paper will focus on Jesus’ emphasis on the importance of becoming like a child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Social norms and mores relevant to the time and culture describe a child as having the social status lower than that of a slave or even a non-person. Jesus uses this condition symbolizing the status of humanity compared to the kingdom of heaven. In illustrating this relationship, I draw on experiences at Fairfield Orphanage in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, where acts of the children and staff were in accordance to the message found in Mark 10:13–16.
Melcher, Sarah J. “‘I Surely Would Be a Prophet’: Interpretations of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic in African-American Slave Narratives”
Building upon a previous paper which examined interpretations of Biblical prophecy and apocalyptic in African-American anti-slavery pamphlets from the period of 1790–1860, this paper explores the diverse applications of prophetic and apocalyptic motifs in African-American slave narratives from the same era. In moving from one genre to another, prophetic and apocalyptic motifs continue to be a significant literary resource for African American liberation writers of the antebellum period.
Miller, Robert D., II “Gentiles in the Psalter: Universalism without Mission”
The Psalms predict an eschatological inclusion of the Gentiles or realize that inclusion now in anticipation. Israel, however, is never portrayed as acting to bring this about. There is a universal outlook without missionary consciousness. God will draw the nations to himself by drawing them into Israel, mediator of this action of God. But evidence also suggests that the concept of integrating gentiles was a part of Israel’s first formation as a community. The coming of the Gentiles to God infuses the initial constitution of Israel itself, from its origin the means of Gentile salvation and of adoption by Yahweh.
Myers, Jacob D. “An Alternative Argumentum: A Re-assessment of Paul’s Use of Intertextuality in Romans 1:20–25”
Contemporary New Testament scholarship has misread the intertextuality of Romans 1:20–25. I demur from Richard Hays’ position, which seats Genesis 1–3 as undergirding Paul’s argument in Romans 1:18–2:1 in general and 1:20–25 in particular. Similarly I disagree with Dale Martin’s perspective that Paul is echoing the ‘birth of idolatry’ narrative found in Jubilees. Along grammatical/linguistic and theological lines, I argue that Paul is most likely echoing the Wisdom of Solomon in Romans 1:20–25.
Richard, Suzanne. “A Unique EB IV Bronze Weapon from Khirbet Iskander, Jordan: Evidence for Elites?”
A bronze socketed spearhead was found in the 1997 excavations at Khirbet Iskander, Jordan. It dates to the Early Bronze IV period, ca. 2300–2000 BCE, the cultural span and well-preserved remains for which the site is best known. The artifact is one of the earliest examples of bronze in the southern Levant. The spearhead is significant because it provides new information on the transition to tin/bronze alloying processes in the southern Levant at the end of the third millennium, BCE. It offers intriguing evidence for elites residing at Khirbet Iskander, in a period generally considered a rural or pastoral-nomadic period.
Saari, Aaron. “The Gospel of Mark: Anti-Disciple Propaganda?”
Is Mark's Gospel a "repository," as it were, of mid- to late-first-century oral traditions about the disciples and the "twelve?" When one separates the various narratives, a curious pattern emerges, in which the disciples (particularly Peter, John, and James) are painted with a negative brush, only to once again be redeemed through a later narrative that seems to directly contradict the previous negative narrative. My paper asks if the Markan editor compiled various oral traditions that originated from two separate, feuding camps of Jesus believers who had very different ideas about the authority of the disciples.
Scalf, Kevin. “Prayer and The Call of Paul”
Is there any indication within the Pauline corpus that Paul ever relied on divine assistance, or prayer, to support him and his apostolic works within the Jesus movement? If this evidence exists, how can Paul’s relationship to prayer become a model for believing persons? I will respond to both of these questions by analyzing five references to prayer, ascribed to Paul, within the authentic Pauline texts. I will submit that, after his unexpected encounter with the risen Christ, Paul’s thought processes and belief system changed. This kairos phenomenon was forceful and challenged him to reevaluate the relationship between Jewish law and the Spirit as it related to God’s covenantal relationship with all of creation, particularly within the emerging Jesus tradition. Thus, prayer was a significant source life and identity for Paul.
Seibert, Eric A. “Solomon’s Execution Orders (1 Kings 2:13–46): Political Propaganda or Scribal Subversion?”
Most scholars routinely regard the portrayal of Solomon’s treatment of Adonijah, Abiathar, Joab, and Shimei in 1 Kings 2:13–46 as political propaganda crafted to defend the king against charges of wrongdoing. While not denying that possibility, I argue that the presence of numerous subversive elements in this ostensibly propagandistic text suggest it was written—at least in part—by a subversive scribe(s). I discuss how this scribe(s), likely commissioned to produce a piece of political propaganda, utilized literary subversion to promote his own subtle critique of the king in the process of completing that assignment.
Stulman, Louis. “Reading the Prophets Canonically: Jeremiah as Case Study”
“How can I [understand what I am reading] unless someone guides me” (Acts 8:30). The prophetic literature in the Hebrew Bible has a reputation of being perplexing, even enigmatic. For ancient readers as well as for the modern novice and scholar alike, this body poses formidable problems. In this paper, I suggest that beginnings and endings of prophetic “books” provide interpretive clues for negotiating the difficult terrain. The internal markers to which I refer are the prophetic superscriptions and the endings of hope. These markers are often viewed negatively by readers, under the influence of historicism; it is not unusual to hear them referred to disparagingly as “extraneous,” “later,” “secondary,” and “inauthentic.” I will argue, by using the book of Jeremiah as a case study, that these internal patterns are actually evocative literary maps.
Weaver, Jason. “John and the Adultery Mime”
Many similarities can be found between Revelation 2.20–3 and the Adultery Mime of the Greco-Roman world. Research and reading of ancient Adultery Mimes and their particular uses demonstrate that John employs the Adultery Mime as a literary weapon against his enemies in Thyatira. By doing so, John was able to destroy the reputation of his enemies and gain strength to his cause. My hope with this paper is to show that the Greco-Roman world was not ignored by John rather, it was used to bolster his defenses.
Weinstein, Michael. “How Universal Is Universal: The Noahide Laws”
Written for ha-goyim, the non-Jews, the seven Noahide Laws are derived from the Book of Genesis, as interpreted in the Talmud. These laws have been interpreted as the universal laws and general commandments, as all people are the descendants of Noah. The Jewish laws, all 613 Commandments were not revealed to the Jews, the descendants of Abraham, until Moses accepted the Law on Mount Sinai. This study will look at how the Noahide Commandments are to be followed and respected by non-Jews, according to the Talmudic tradition, and how they could be actually interpreted in the Christian traditions today.
Williams, Kara. “The Apocalyptic ‘Parable’”
An exegesis that portrays the tensions caused by Luke, an anti-apocalyptic historian, trying to follow the apocalyptic Q Source closely. These tensions are displayed in an examination of Luke 17:22–37 which corresponds with Matthew 24:17–18, 23, 26–28, 37–41. This paper reveals that Luke creates consonance between his purpose as a historian and his anti-apocalyptic beliefs by creating an apocalyptic “parable.”
Williamson, Rick L. “Thrones in the Apocalypse: Symbols of Judgment and Justice”
Examines thrones in the book of Revelation, considering how they function as symbols of judgment and justice. Notes the tension and irony in the reversal of an image, earthly powers overturned by heavenly power. Gives attention to justice issues that may be addressed from the text (race, gender, militarism).
Wolfe, Lisa M. “Seeing Gives Rise to Disbelieving: Qohelet’s ‘Absurd’ (hebel) Search for Divine Justice”
Qohelet’s reality does not reflect his ideology that God will enforce retribution. This challenges his view of divine justice. Qohelet therefore concludes, “everything is absurdity.” His rhetoric illustrates absurdity by starkly contrasting “the way things should be” and “the way things are,” provoking his audience to a hermeneutic of suspicion. The only recourse he offers is to “seize the day.” Ultimately he remains in the cognitive dissonance that results from believing that God will judge while seeing no evidence of divine justice.