EGLBS/ASOR with CBA 2006 ABSTRACTS

Adams, Marcus P., "Ethical Motivations and the Alexandrinus Text of 4 Maccabees"

This paper examines textual variants in the text of 4 Maccabees as presented in codex Alexandrinus that relate to the diminished rewards the martyrs receive for their bravery, how the torturers and torture acts are described, and how the martyrs’ direct speech about these torture acts is presented. Rather than providing an etiology for these variants which might attribute them to scribal intentionality, this study seeks to show that the reader of Alexandrinus would be more likely to give assent to the author’s thesis, i.e., that pious reason is the supreme master of the passions, because of the manner in which the martyrs and their tortures are depicted in the text.

Aune, David Charles, "The Function of Fear in Pauline Psychagogy (Moral Guidance)"

This paper investigates ways in which the apostle Paul deals with the emotion of fear as part of the moral guidance provided for his communities (often referred to as “psychagogy.”) Part one presents Paul’s treatment of troublesome fears. Paul provides assurance to his readers that, by virtue of their standing in Christ, they have been freed from certain fears and are given the confidence to face other fears. Part two explores Paul’s use of fear and threatening language in 2 Cor 10-12 and Rom 13. Following conventional rhetorical practices, Paul uses fear both to defend his apostolic identity and to motivate his readers toward virtuous behavior and positive action.

Baldwin, Clinton, "The Fluidity of the Greek Manuscript Tradition: Evidence of Scripture as Tradition and a Faith Document"

As textual critics today compare variant readings they can no longer assume that their best textual choices represent the words of the autographs. This leaves open the issue as to what constitutes the original text of scripture. In addition, the close link between the oral/theological traditions and the written documents accentuates the view that Scripture is tradition. This article synthesizes vital aspects of this discussion and affirms scripture, not just as tradition, but as a faith document that points beyond itself to Jesus. It also demonstrates that the fluidity of the manuscript tradition bears evidence that scripture is not the final authority, Jesus Christ is.

Barnett, Michael, "Psalm 28: Our Song for Life"

I exegete Psalm 28 using the hermeneutical method of autobiographical criticism growing up as a gay in America. To help me survive the pain and violence perpetuated in our patriarchal society, I looked to God to comfort me. I analyze the powerful significance of this lament for me and for others who are minorities oppressed by the powers that be. I consider this Psalm a prayer to God from David and Jonathan to protect their special love. Finally, I conclude that we need to sing our voices through Psalm 28 in our worship to celebrate our liberation as children of God.

Bedal, Leigh-Ann, "Pools and Gardens in the Bible Lands: symbols of royal power and prestige"

Formal gardens have a long history of use as political propaganda, symbolizing man’s control of nature, the king’s ability to assure fertility of the land, and an empire’s expansion of territory. This paper surveys the royal gardens of the Ancient Near East-­in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Judea and Nabataea­-and evaluates the development of gardens and pools as a metaphor for the conspicuous consumption of precious resources by a wealthy and prosperous kingdom.

Beech, Timothy, "Noah as Preacher of Repentance: The Development and Influence of Noachic Speech in Sibylline Oracles 1-2"

Among the writers of the Second Temple Period, there are at least a handful who include substantive reworkings of the Flood Narrative within their rhetorical arguments and agendas. Somewhat unique among these is the writer of Sibylline Oracles 1-2, who, among her innovations, puts the words of a substantial sermon on repentance into the mouth of Noah—a feature that is completely foreign to the original Genesis Flood Narrative. This paper will survey the development of Noachic speech in SibOr 1-2, highlighting the implications of this development within the rhetorical argument of the Sibyl, and concluding with suggestions about the possible trajectories of development of this tradition.

Bordjadze, Karlo (“Bacho”), "Identity of four empires in the book of Daniel"

This paper seeks to establish the identity of four kingdoms in the book of Daniel.  While the suggestion that they are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and the yet unknown future evil kingdom is not a new one, our analysis is based on the genre of the apocalyptic and the chiastic structure of the book. The message of the book of Daniel, being in line with other apocalyptic literature, is threefold.  God is in control.  Evil will be dealt with.  The faithful will be vindicated.  The author(s) of Daniel artfully embed this threefold message in the structure of the book of Daniel through the use of chiasm.

Bretscher, Paul G., "The Two-fold Secret of Knowing Jesus Historically"

Creedal Christianity reads the Gospels with the perception of Jesus, "the Son of God," as deity-incarnate in history. Waves of "historical Jesus" study over two centuries have not found him. Secret 1: The name "son of God" for Jesus must be understood throughout as covenant language rooted in Moses and the prophets, with "Father" for God as its obverse.            Secret 2: Every word, sentence, or story preserved in the scriptures must be viewed as an ancient “artifact” testifying in some way to the history that produced it, to be understood by the mind of whoever first said what is said the way it is said.

Callan, Terrance, "The Style of Galatians"

Especially since the publication of H. D. Betz's commentary in 1979 much attention has been given to rhetorical analysis of Paul_s letter to the Galatians. Discussion has focused on the species of Galatians' rhetoric, i.e., whether it is forensic, deliberative or epideictic; little attention has been given to its style. In this paper I attempt to supply that lack. I begin by describing stylistic ornamentation of Galatians with respect to vocabulary and syntax and proceed to discuss the presence of plain, middle and grand styles in Galatians. Finally I consider the implications of stylistic analysis for interpretation of Galatians.

Chambers, Adam, "Church Buildings & Their Meaning for Rural Communities in the Transjordan 4^th-7^th cent. CE"

Church buildings became significant symbols of social and economic status to Christian communities in the east, both urban and rural, from first through the seventh centuries brought about by the change of position of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Construction and control of church buildings and property become increasingly important issue after the fourth century for conveying political and religious legitimacy, but also social status, for Christians in the east. This paper will discuss how and why this trend develops and how it is illustrated in certain Christian communities in the east like the Decapolis city of Abila in the Transjordan.

Cohen, Margaret, "What’s Bothering Jeremiah? Or, What torah, sheker & the Book of Genesis have to do w/ Jeremiah’s Message"

Jeremiah scholarship must tackle the question of what Jeremiah refers to when he uses sheker or hevel. Beyond their convenient translations as “lie” or “delusions,” these words have subtle distinctions in Jeremiah’s text and a close examination of their grammatical uses and literary contexts yields insight into Jeremiah’s overall message. Furthermore, the text’s use of torah also requires thorough analysis to reveal the intended meaning of the author. This paper will explore such meaning through textual analysis of the key words in question and will explore how these terms define which worldview Jeremiah affirms and which he condemns.

Cooley, Jeffrey, "A Dark Day Indeed: Darkness Motifs in Accounts of Yahweh’s Judgment"

Darkness is a common feature in the Bible’s presentation of Yahweh’s imminent judgment, often referred to as “the Day of Yahweh.” This paper discusses the various motifs of darkness presented in these accounts of divine judgment and highlights those motifs’ connotations. These include: signaling Yahweh’s advent, characterizing his presence, and the manifestation of his punishment.

Crowell, Brad, "Copper, Khirbet an-Nahas, and the Foundations of the Edomite State"

Recent excavations in the copper-mining district of the Wadi Arabah in southern Jordan have uncovered a “fortress” at Khirbet an-Nahas. Published evidence suggests the fortress was first used in the eleventh and tenth centuries BCE. Excavators intimated that the foundation of the Edomite kingdom should be dated to this period instead of the commonly accepted dates between the late-8^th to mid-7^th centuries. This presentation will evaluate the claim that Khirbet an-Nahas is an Edomite center and demonstrate that it should be related to Egyptian mining interests in the region in the Late Bronze Age and possibly the Tel Masos network of the eleventh century.

Cushman, Beverly W., "Harem Politics and the Case of Bat-Sheba"

The title gebîrâ in the Hebrew Bible has been discussed in terms of a cultic role, a political role, and as a title accorded to royal women who influenced the politics of Israel and Judah through their strong personalities.  This paper reviews the ancient Near Eastern documents that refer to the political influence of the Queen or Queen Mother in the royal court.  It then reviews documentation from the households of the royal family of the Ottoman Empire as a means of further supporting the argument that the title gebîrâ in the Hebrew Bible refers to a woman who is fulfilling a particular role in the polygynous royal harem.  With the role of the gebîrâ defined, it is then argued that, in 1 Kings 1-2, Bat-Sheba fulfills the role of the ancient Near Eastern gebîrâ.

Dewey, Arthur, "The Gospel of Trajan"

This paper examines Trajan’s Column as an embodiment of the Gospel of Empire. The very rhetoric embedded in the figuring and linking of images delivers a triumphant note of the power (dunamis) of the Gospel of Rome. This paper suggests that we may learn something of Gospel construction from the silent witness of the Column.

Doan, William and Terry Giles The Chronicler's use of the Song of Asaph"

Portions of the Hebrew Bible originated as oral performances. Traces of those performances still reside within the literature.  This paper is an application of performance criticism to the Song of Asaph, which is constructed partly from selections taken from various psalms. Inclusion of the song has a rhetorical effect in the prose. The 1 Chronicles section can give us an insight as to how the prose was changed by the inclusion of the song.  This paper will argue that performance concepts such as iconic and dialectic modes of presentation enhance our understanding of the Hebrew Bible.

Dwyer, Timothy, “'Righteousness through the Law' (Gal 2:20): The Deuteronomic Basis of A concept Paul Rejects"

Recent major works by Francis Watson (2004) and Christopher Stanley (2004), along with the recently formed SBL seminar on “Paul and Scripture,” have brought new life to the study of Paul’s use of his bible. However, there are still major gaps in recognition of allusions to scripture. This paper probes the basis in Deuteronomy 6:25, overlooked by commentators, of a concept Paul rejects in Galatians 2:21 (with a variation in Philippians 3:9). The concept of righteousness from the law comes from the Torah itself. This impacts debates on Paul’s hermeneutics, exegesis, and rhetoric, and brings an unexpected twist to the identification of the “teachers” (L. Martyn).

Ellens, J. Harold, "The Distinctives of the Son of Man in John"

The Son of Man in the Synoptic Gospels is an earthly figure who achieves heavenly characteristics and role, graduating to the quasi-divine status of Eschatological Judge. This figure in the Synoptic Gospels seems sometimes to be Jesus and sometimes not. The Son of Man in John is a heavenly figure in whom the divine logos is resident from the outset, and, whereas this gospel suggests that everyone knows the Son of Man is the Eschatological Divine Judge, each time such a thing is suggested it is followed by a Jesus-monologue in which he goes to great pains to deny that he is such. So what/who is he?

Evans, Paul, "Re-evaluating 2 Kings 18-19 as a Source for the Reconstruction of Sennacherib's Campaign Against Judah"

This paper provides a close reading of the Hezekiah-Sennacherib narrative of 2 Kings 18-19 which, with the aid of a Rhetorical analysis, will: 1) reassess putative sources found in the text (questioning the traditional A and B source delineations); and 2) reveal common misreadings of the biblical text (e.g., that a siege of Jerusalem is referred to and that Sennacherib's army is said to be defeated outside the walls of Jerusalem).  This study will then analyze the implications of these results for the use of this biblical text in historical reconstruction.

Fulton, Deirdre N., "The Language of Writing in Jeremiah"

Jeremiah details several examples of the importance of recording words, chiefly in chapters 30-36. These examples and the need to document information reflect the significance of written tradition that is contemporary with Jeremiah. This paper will examine the syntax and vocabulary used in Jeremiah both in MT and LXX and also 4Q Jeremiah B in order to investigate the textual traditions at work. Further, I will also discuss the context of writing especially in relation to Ezekiel.

Gombis, Timothy G., Obedience to Revelation and Jewish Identity: Paul’s Argument From Scripture in Galatians 3:11-12"

A common reading of Galatians 3:11-12 states that Paul believes the Mosaic Law fails to justify and is diametrically opposed to believing in Jesus Christ as the ground of justification. On this view, Paul cites Hab. 2:4 to support his claim that it is obvious that justification comes only by faith and Lev. 18:5 to claim that the Mosaic Law has an operating dynamic that is directly opposed to faith in Christ. I critique this reading and offer another, arguing that Paul does not contrast the Mosaic Law and the gospel in Gal. 3:11-12, but argues from the plain sense meaning of the two Old Testament texts.

Greer, Jonathan, "A Chronology of “Idolatry” in the Book of Jeremiah"

One of Jeremiah’s major concerns was “idolatry.” Devotion to the traditional deities of the nation’s ancestors was widespread and the reason for the predicted exile. Yet the accusations of the postexilic prophets are noticeably void of denouncements of the “gods of the nations.” What happened and when? Traditionally, the time in exile after 586 BCE has been viewed as the purging period after which strict Yahwism was the norm. This paper will argue that a chronological look at the text of Jeremiah alongside of the historical data may detail an earlier purging that followed the preliminary exile of 597 BCE.

Hicks-Lee, Shane, "Are Jonathan and David Friends, Political Allies and Perhaps More?"

Jonathan and David’s relationship in the narratives of I & II Samuel reflects a close friendship with underlying political language written in the style of the Ancient Near East; however, there may exist a homo-romantic undercurrent to the text that many readers miss. Looking at the language employed and how key words are used elsewhere in Scripture may offer a new understanding of their relationship. Comparing Sampson and Delilah, Beloved and Lover, Achilles and Petroclus, and others may also shed light on a relationship often overlooked.

Holt, Darlene Sue, "David and Saul: The Significance of Šema’, and a King after God’s own Heart"

This paper takes the events from 1 Samuel 22: Saul’s slaughter of the priests of Nob, 1 Samuel 25: David’s sparing of Nabal’s household, as well as the importance of the verb šema’ (hear/listen to/obey), and uses them to explain why David was a good king and Saul a bad king. Saul fails and David succeeds based on their ability to listen.

Johnson, Lee, "Examining Funk’s Apostolic Parousia in the Corinthian Correspondence: The Impact of the Epistolary Apostle"

An examination of the individual elements of Funk’s “apostolic parousia” reveals that Paul uses this discrete epistolary feature in peculiar ways within the Corinthian correspondence. The pattern of omissions of certain elements of the apostolic parousia and the persistence of others in Paul’s letters to Corinth sheds light upon the interpersonal relationship between the apostle and the community. Concomitantly, the discovery of Paul’s deliberate manipulation of this epistolary device challenges such trends in current pauline scholarship that claim that there was a programmatic missionary plan for each of Paul’s targeted cities and that Paul was a skilled rhetorician who followed classical conventions.

Johnson, Michael, "De-construction in Psalm 23"

This study uses the Creative Problem Solving hermeneutic presented at previous meetings to examine the explicit and implicit significance of Psalm 23. Explicitly, through the text’s vocabulary, God appears as a creative person: eight aspects of the divine shepherd’s work create the ideal press for His follower. Implicitly, through latent imagery, the poem as a process catalogs the constituent parts of Yahweh’s sheep. The psalmist’s ovine identity—the Creator’s product--emerges piecemeal through the aggregation of two-dozen body parts beneath the text’s surface.  Uncovering these discrete parts sheds fresh light on this beloved poem’s interplay of animal and human imagery.

Jung, Chang-Wook, "Distinction b/w pisteuw + eiv + Accusative and pisteuw + Dative: Its Implication for Exegesis"

Most recent scholars admit that there is no clear distinction between pisteuw + eiv + Accusative and pisteuw + Dative (person). They argue that some instances like those in John 2.23 and 5.24 nullify such distinction. In John 2.23, although the first expression is used, it does not refer to genuine faith. In contrast, pisteuw takes the dative in John 5.24 but it clearly points to adequate faith. They fail to recognize, however, that a proper explanation is to be given concerning these instances if they carefully look at the context and grammatical features: the two constructions are used to express two different meanings.

Kaiser, Chris, "Yahweh Texts in the New Testament and Early Judaism: Disjunctive or Doxological?"

The use of OT Yahweh texts in reference to Jesus Christ is a major feature in the case for an early high Christology. Some reviewers have dismissed the value of Yahweh texts by pointing to their occasional use for OT heroes and for angelic mediators in other Jewish documents (a “disjunctive” interpretation). If so, the mere existence of Yahweh texts in the NT does not necessarily raise Jesus above the status of Moses or Enoch/Metatron. In order to advance this discussion with concrete data, I focus on those NT Yahweh texts that may have been interpreted disjunctively in early Jewish documents.

Karshner, Edward, "Beast of Burden or Weapon of God?: Considering Nature and Human Responsibility "

This paper seeks to examine what the Hebrew texts say about the role of humanity and ecological responsibility. Rather than take a creationist or “green” position, this paper will explore the function of humanity as established in Genesis 1-2 and then move on to the first ecological disaster, the deluge depicted in Genesis 6-9. Extra-textual works shed light on the cause, method, and purpose of the Genesis flood. This paper argues that while God is the only entity capable of destroying the world, human arrogance and denial of responsibility create the situation and necessity for global destruction.

Kerkeslager, Allen, "Agrippa I and the Judeans of Alexandria"

Research on the Herodian king Agrippa I indicates that his proclivities were typical of other Hellenized elites who grew up in Rome and shared a similar mixed ancestry. Nevertheless, scholars continue to assert that Agrippa championed the Judeans of Alexandria in the conflicts associated with his visit to the city in 38 CE. Through an analysis of papyri, the works of Philo, and other sources, this paper will demonstrate that Agrippa distanced himself from the Alexandrian conflicts. This comple-ments arguments that the catalyst for the most devastating phase of the violence in 38 was a Judean crime against Rome.

Kim, Paul, "Jonah Read Intertextually"

This paper explores an intertextual reading of Jonah. Intertextuality in this reading will focus on the linguistic and thematic correlations in order to examine how the book may have been intended to be read in dialogue with three other interrelated texts: (1) the flood account in Genesis, (2) the mention of the prophet’s name during the reign of Jeroboam II in 2 Kings 14:23-29, and (3) the oracles concerning Nineveh in Nahum. The paper hopes to delineate and appreciate the metaphorical and thematic interconnections present in Jonah and thereby shed further light on its canonical place within the twelve prophetic books and the Hebrew Bible.

Lawrence, Jonathan, "Baths beyond the River – Assessing Ritual Baths in Roman Transjordan"

Miqva’ot, stepped bathing pools, are cited as one indicator of Jewish presence in Roman Palestine.  Several such structures exist in the Transjordan, some of them in locations not known for Jewish activity in the Roman period.  This paper will compare these structures to other kinds of bathing installations and to other acknowledged miqva’ot.  Since some Jewish-Christian groups were reputed to continue Jewish ritual bathing practices, it will consider how these sites are related to Christian presence in the Transjordan.  If some of these were Jewish-Christian in nature, our assumptions about indicators of Jewish presence may need to be reconsidered.

Lozano, Gilbert, "The Yahwistic Vision of Deutero Isaiah: Did the prophet exaggerate the threat to Yahwism? "

Scholarship of the exilic period has assumed that the Judean community in Babylon had culturally assimilated replacing the worship of YHWH with the worship of Babylonian deities. If that were the case, Deutero Isaiah could be interpreted as an appeal to return to trust in YHWH. Recent developments, however, suggest that the Judean community in Babylon retained a fairly important Yahwistic continuity, prompting the need to reconsider the role and function of Deutero Isaiah. This paper examines the evidence of continuous Yahwism among the exiled Judeans and proposes ways in which the poetry of Deutero Isaiah may have functioned for the community of Judeans in the sixth century BCE.

McDaniel, Karl, "Tax Evasion, Honour Intact: Rendering Caesar His Due"

This paper examines the apothegm, “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s….” Using the social scientific paradigm of honour-shame, the study discusses the way in which the Pharisees and Herodians attempted to entrap Jesus. The Gospels indicate that Jesus won the debate in question but do not elaborate on the way in which this was accomplished. Using historical critical methodology, the apothegm can be read both antithetically and as parallel, resulting in a typical Greco-Roman claim (Caesar = God) or a traditional Jewish claim (there is but one God) and resolving many tensions in the narrative left unaddressed by other interpretations.

McGrath, James F., "History and Fiction in the Acts of Thomas: The State of the Question"

This paper will explore the account of Thomas' journey to India as recounted in the Acts of Thomas. Details like the Brahmin custom of bathing before meals represent the sorts of details that could have formed part of the knowledge about India in Syria in this period. However, the emphasis on celibacy in the Acts of Thomas and its failure to allude to the renunciation tradition within Hinduism suggest that the work is created to illustrate Encratite Christian concerns rather than to transmit genuine information about Thomas or India. Thomas traveling to India may be a plausible historical datum, even if the material about his travels there is fictitious.

Monighan-Schaefer, Johanna, "Theological & Artistic Interpretations of the Apocalyptic Woman (Rev. 12)"

This paper illustrates the close relationship between theology and art as exemplified by the image of the apocalyptic woman. Theologians and artists have assigned the woman of Revelation 12 a number of differing interpretations: as Mary, mother of God, as an image for the people Israel or as a personification of the Christian church. Various works of art from the Middle Ages, the Reformation period as well as from the 19th and 20th century will be analyzed and compared to the theological interpretations of that time period.

Mittelman, Rachel, "Egypt through Jeremiah’s Eyes"

Modern scholarship has long determined that royal propaganda had a clear influence on Egyptian literature. Further, non-Egyptian historical sources, such as certain books of the Bible, can be used to determine the extent to which propagandistic elements appear in these Late Period Egyptian texts. The book of Jeremiah is one non-Egyptian reference that provides a foreign-historical perspective through which it is possible to view socio-political climate of ancient Egypt. In this paper, I will examine Jeremiah’s view of Late Period Egypt and compare this view to the contemporary Egyptian sources.   I will also examine Jeremiah’s attitude towards Egyptians within its larger Levantine context.

Paige, Terence, "Who were the Corinthians?"

In the last sixty-five years archaeologists and classicists have increasingly emphasized the Roman character of Corinth from the mid-first century B.C. onwards. New Testament scholars have recently begun debating what to make of this trend: was there only a Latin-speaking elite among the population (Wayne Meeks)? Or was this a thoroughly Roman city in language and culture, distinct from all its Achaean neighbors (Bruce Winter)? This study re-examines the evidence for the culture of first century Corinth, looking at physical and literary evidence. The results have important implications for reconstructing this city in the New Testament era.

Phinney, D. Nathan, "The Representation of Prophetic Intermediation and the Book of Ezekiel"

One persistent problem in the study of Israelite prophecy involves the variety of intermediary behaviors described in the prophetic corpus. This paper demonstrates that an awareness of this variety exists in the biblical book of Ezekiel and argues that Ezekiel’s awareness of the diversity of intermediary experiences and their modes of literary representation enables him carefully and intentionally to represent himself as actually having had these various experiences. This has the two-fold effect of portraying Ezekiel as an expert on Ancient Israel’s prophetic traditions and of offering a persuasive argument to the exile (and later) community of the prophet’s authenticity.

Radine, Jason, "The Structure of Amos 6"

This paper argues that there is a chiastic structure in Amos ch. 6 that is similar to and balances the long recognized chiasm of ch. 5. This chiasm has been overlooked in the past, partly because of attempts to read ch. 6 in the context of larger structures that involve the final form of the book, when this final form may be very different from the book¹s form at the time of the composition of ch. 6. This chiastic structure can be of help in solving the long standing problems of the presence of the Zion reference in Amos 6:1.

Reed, David A., "The Shrink and the Saint: Albert Ellis and St. Paul in Conversation Over the Ethics and Moral Choices of Rom 6 "

This paper attempts to step outside both the standard Protestant-Catholic debates about Paul's binarism works/faith and the rhetoric of the so-called "new" and/or "fresh" perspective on Paul. To do so, it utilizes psychologist Albert Ellis's ABC method of irrational thought in order to demonstrate that human beings have the capacity (i.e., "free will") to re-programme their thinking in order to change irrational behaviour into rational. This method will then be applied to Paul's moral rhetoric in Romans 6, arguing that what Ellis advocates in the 20th and 21st centuries, Paul, knowingly or unknowingly, advocated in the 1st century.

Richard, Suzanne, "The High Place at Khirbet Iskander"

Standing Stones (mazzevoth), “circles-of-stone,” and other cultic features are well known throughout the Sinai and Negev, as well as Transjordan. In the 2004 Expedition to Khirbet Iskander, a stone installation was discovered on the summit of the mountain behind and directly overlooking the site. This paper will analyze the various components of the Iskander installation with a view to understanding its possible function as a cultic “high place.” The paper will likewise discuss the installation in the larger context of standing stone features in the “Desert Culture” of the Sinai and Negev.

Seibert, Eric A., "The Woman Who Prevented a Massacre (1 Sam 25): Abigail as a Paragon of Peacemaking"

This paper examines the portrayal of Abigail in 1 Samuel 25 with an eye toward determining the extent to which her words and deeds exemplify those of a peacemaker.  In doing so, this paper considers both the possibilities and problems involved in taking such an approach.  Attention will be given to features of the narrative that both support and challenge the notion that Abigail can be used as a paragon of peacemaking.  Additionally, a few guidelines will be offered to assist interpreters who choose to use this passage (and others) in the Hebrew Bible to promote peacemaking.

Stepp, Perry L., "Succession in the New Testament World"

Current discussion of the authority relationships in the New Testament is hampered by the lack of a historically grounded understanding of succession and its function in ancient texts. Today’s interpreters understand succession in terms of apostolic succession, the passing on of apostolic office from predecessor to successor. But ancient texts depict succession in a much more flexible way, describing everything from delegation of a task (weak succession) to predecessor redivivus (strong succession). How should this depiction affect our reading of authority relationships in the New Testament (e.g., the apostles’ relationship to Jesus, Timothy’s and Titus’s relationship to Paul)?

Stulman, Louis, "Interpretive Strategies for Reading the Latter Prophets in the Twenty-First Century"

Building on recent developments in the interpretation of the Latter Prophets, this paper makes several proposals for reading prophetic texts in the early years of the twenty-first century: 1) the prophetic literature is at-risk or trauma literature that inhabits a world under siege and on the verge of symbolical, cultural, and geo-political collapse; 2) nearly every prophetic text shows marked signs of liminality, danger, and palpable disease due to hegemonic forces, often located on the Tigris and Euphrates; 3) the prophetic literature is a rich and varied response to this massive disjunction and emotional wreckage; 4) employing an alternative theo-political script, the Latter Prophets function as survival and meaning-making literature.

Sparks, Andrew, "Moses on the Mountain and the Motifs of Heavenly Ascent"

One expression of Moses’ importance in the Pentateuch is his intimacy with God. In each instance of theophany, Moses ascends a mountain to encounter God.  These accounts of theophany share features common to the literary phenomenon of heavenly ascents.  Specifically, Moses’ heavenly ascents that are recorded in biblical and extra-biblical literature contain a complex of motifs shared by diverse accounts of heavenly ascents.  Furthermore, the textual tradition of Moses’ ascents is reworked in various social contexts.  In order to account for textual variances and motific development in a systematic and objective manner, a method of motific analysis that incorporates stress analysis is used.

Wright, William M., "Greco-Roman Character Typing and the Presentation of Judas in the Fourth Gospel"

Within the canons of Greco-Roman literary composition, there existed the compositional technique of portraying characters as stereotypes. A character could be portrayed literarily as consistently exhibiting particular virtues and vices. After examining the programmatic statements in progymnastic and rhetorical handbooks and actual instances of characterization in literary texts, I will argue that John’s presentation of Judas resembles these Greco-Roman techniques of typical characterization. The analysis of Judas as a character type (specifically, the typical traitor) gives insight into his literary function in John. It also suggests further research into the use of Greco-Roman compositional techniques in the Fourth Gospel.

Zents, Tiffany, "Divinatory Practice of the lost cult of Tammuz: Ecclesiastes 11.1-6"

Ecclesiastes 11.1 has traditionally been understood in conjunction with verse 2, and interpreted as a maxim for smart investment or almsgiving. This paper proposes that verses 1-6 allude to Mesopotamian religious and divination practices, particularly those associated with the cult of Tammuz, the god of fertility; and reinterprets Ecclesiastes 11.1-2 in light of cultic practices such as grain offerings to Tammuz and related images reflected in Akkadian literature.