Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons^™

The Fate And Power Of Heroic Bones And The Politics Of Bone Transfer In Ancient Israel And Greece, Brian R. Doak

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

No abstract provided.

Ezekiel’S Topography Of The (Un-)Heroic Dead In Ezekiel 32:17–32, Brian R. Doak

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

This essay is an attempt to address several interpretive problems in Ezek 32:17–32 in light of religious ideas prominent in ancient Mediterranean expressions of hero cult. Previous studies have not adequately dealt with the richness of Ezekiel’s striking and unusual imagery in this passage, and I contend that a reading that more fully develops the meaning of Ezekiel’s presentation vis-à-vis the history of religious ideas regarding the power of the heroic dead is the most appropriate one in terms of Ezekiel’s overarching message in this chapter. I argue that Ezekiel’s invocation of ancient Israelite heroic traditions involving the Gibborim and …

The Last Of The Rephaim: Conquest And Cataclysm In The Heroic Ages Of Ancient Israel, Brian R. Doak

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

This dissertation explores the role of giants in the narrative and historiographic worlds of symbol, geography, and religion in ancient Israel. The Nephilim, Anaqim, Rephaim, Emim, Zamzumim/Zuzim, some Gibborim, and other individuals (e.g., Goliath) can all be classified as “giants”—not only with respect to their height and other physical properties, but also with respect to the negative moral qualities assigned to giants in antiquity. Previous interpreters have treated giants as merely a fantastical prop against which God’s agents emerge victorious. I argue that giants are a theologically and historiographically generative group, through which we gain insight into central aspects of …

Bab Edh-Dhra', Numeira, And The Biblical Patriarchs: A Chronological Study, Kris J. Udd

Dissertations

Problem. Bab edh-Dhra' and Numeira have been identified by archaeologists as possible candidates for two of the biblical cities of the plain, but their existence in the Early Bronze Age III is too early to match the biblical narrative (Gen 19) by many chronologies of ancient Canaan. This study sought to determine if there is sufficient flexibility in the archaeological and biblical chronologies to make the identification of Bab edh-Dhra' and Numeira with the cities of the plain a viable interpretation.

Method. The range of dates possible for both the archaeological data and the biblical narratives was analyzed. …

Theology Of Blindness In The Hebrew Scriptures, Ray Mcallister

Dissertations

Problem: A number of passages in the Hebrew Scriptures discuss blindness. Scholars have studied them individually, but not with a view to developing a theology of blindness. The purpose of the present dissertation, then, is to analyze theological implications of blindness in the Hebrew Scriptures systematically.

Methodology: This dissertation systematically analyzes blindness in the Hebrew Scriptures against their ancient Near Eastern background. The study looks at cultic implications, causation, social justice, healing, and social and religious meanings of blindness. Both physical and metaphorical aspects of blindness are examined. First, blindness in the ancient Near East is considered, with emphasis on …

Assur Is King Of Persia: Illustrations Of The Book Of Esther In Some Nineteenth-Century Sources, Steven W. Holloway

Libraries

The marriage of archaeological referencing and picture Bibles in the nineteenth century resulted in an astonishing variety of guises worn by the court of Ahasuerus in Esther. Following the exhibition of Neo-Assyrian sculpture in the British Museum and the wide circulation of such images in various John Murray publications, British illustrators like Henry Anelay defaulted to Assyrian models for kings and rulers in the Old Testament, including the principal actors in Esther, even though authentic Achaemenid Persian art had been available for illustrative pastiche for decades. This curious adoptive choice echoed British national pride in its splendid British Museum collection …

Understanding The History Of Ancient Israel (Book Review), Brian R. Doak

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Review of H.G.M. Williamson, ed., Understanding the History of Ancient Israel. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007, xxD432 pp, ISBN 978 0 19 726401 0

The Book Of Daniel In Light Of The Ancient Near Eastern Literary And Material Finds: An Archaeological Perspective, Patrick Mazani

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the text of the book of Daniel in light of some ancient Near Eastern archaeological discoveries. While chapter 1 of this research is introductory, chapter 2 begins by investigating personal and place names mentioned in Daniel and making a comparative analysis between the claims of Daniel's text and related archaeological discoveries. Archaeological evidence shows that the place names mentioned in the book of Daniel were real geographical locations where historical events are claimed to have taken place. Archeological materials not only help clarify some words, phrases, and locations of places, but seem to show that at least …

A Reevaluation Of Some Iconographic Motifs On The Taanach Cult Stand, Brian R. Doak

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Since its discovery in 1968, the so-called “Taanach cult stand” has generated no small amount of scholarly controversy; indeed, the unique combination of images on the stand evoke a variety of interpretations, perhaps due to the sheer number of key iconographic motifs used in combination and their implications for the history of religion within the borders of ancient “Israel” in the 10th century BCE. The imagery on the Taanach stand raises a series of provocative questions regarding many recent discussions, such as: Was the Israelite national deity, YHWH, depicted iconographically in ancient Israel, and are any of these images on …

Eckart Otto, Das Deuteronomium: Politische Theologie Und Rechtsreform In Juda Und Assyrien, Steven W. Holloway

Libraries

No abstract provided.

Smart Mobs, Bad Crowds, Godly People And Dead Priests: Crowd Symbols In The Josianic Narrative And Some Mesopotamian Parallels, Steven W. Holloway

Libraries

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Of Hezekiah To David And Solomon In The Books Of Chronicles, Mark A. Throntveit

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Classification Of The Greek Manuscripts Of 1 Peter With Special Emphasis On Methodology, Kenneth Keumsang Yoo

Dissertations

The problem. Either because of methodological flaws or because of inadequate databases, Greek manuscripts of 1 Peter have not been satisfactorily examined. This study is an attempt to establish a better textual critical method and to apply it to a larger database. The method identifies new statistical techniques that facilitate quantitative analysis, necessary to establish the tentative groups that are used for the profiling of manuscripts.

The method. The method I used for the classification of Greek manuscripts of 1 Peter combines the computer-generated profile method and a statistical technique known as factor analysis. The profile method has …

William Robertson Smith, Lectures On The Religion Of The Semites: Second And Third Series, Edited By John Day, Steven W. Holloway

Libraries

No abstract provided.

Ammon In The Hebrew Bible: A Textual Analysis And Archaeological Context Of Selected References To The Ammonites Of Transjordan, James Roger Fisher

Dissertations

The study of the Transjordanian Iron-Age (ca. 1200-550 BC) state of Ammon is important to students of the Bible because of the numerous references to the Ammonites (bene 'ammon) included in the historical and prophetic sections of the Hebrew canon. The book of Genesis traces the ancestry of the "Sons of Ammon" to an eponymous ancestor named Ben Ammi--son/grandson of Abraham's nephew Lot (Gen 39:17).

Chapter 1 points out how Ammon--though often ignored or slighted in studies up to the mid-20th century--increasingly receives scholarly attention. It also shows a need for applying the results of archaeological research to facilitate a …

The Chronicler's Speeches And Historical Reconstruction, Mark A. Throntveit

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Benjamin Mazar, Biblical Israel: State And People, Philip R. Davies, In Search Of ‘Ancient Israel’, John Van Seters, Prologue To History: The Yahwist As Historian In Genesis, Steven W. Holloway

Libraries

No abstract provided.

Sociopolitical Structure Of Transjordanian Societies During The Late Bronze And Iron I Ages (Ca. 1500-1000 B.C.), Paul Z. Gregor

Dissertations

According to the biblical account the Transjordanian region was occupied with somewhat organized societies during the time of the Exodus (ca. 15th century B.C.). Unfortunately, archaeological excavations could not confirm this account, and as result, the biblical data have been dismissed as unreliable and historically inaccurate.

The purpose of this study was to provide the most recent archaeological data as well as to reinterpret the old data to see whether or not the biblical account bears any historical value. For this reason, this dissertation provides evidence from three fields: archaeological, anthropological, and biblical.

In spite of Glueck's claim that Transjordan …

Thomas Podella, Ṣôm-Fasten: Kollektive Trauer Um Den Verborgenen Gott Im Alten Testament, Steven W. Holloway

Libraries

No abstract provided.

Jeremy Hughes, Secrets Of The Times: Myth And History In Biblical Chronology, Steven W. Holloway

Libraries

No abstract provided.

Giovanni Garbini, History & Ideology In Ancient Israel, Steven W. Holloway

Libraries

No abstract provided.

Historical Foundations: Studies Of Literary References To Hesban And Vicinity, Arthur J. Ferch, Malcolm B. Russell, Werner K. Vyhmeister

All Books

"Historical contextualization is vitally important in attaining a view of Tell Hesban as its contemporaries described it. A spectrum of periods are analyzed from their contemporary literary sources: pre-classical and classical sources (Werner K. Vyhmeister), Arab sources (Malcolm B. Russell), a review of critical studies of Old Testament references to the site (Arthur J. Ferch), and traveller's accounts since 1806 (Werner K. Vyhmeister)." AU Press catalogue

The "Throne Of God" Motif In The Hebrew Bible, Daegeuk Nam

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the biblical significance and theological implications of the "throne of God" motif through an exegetical investigation of the texts of the Hebrew Bible which have direct reference to it.

Chapter I states the problems which the biblical "throne of God" motif poses, and also theobjectives, limitations, methodology, and procedure of this study.

Chapter II reviews pertinent literature since theturn of the century. This survey reveals thecurrent status of investigation on our topic to be only fragmentary.

Chapter III is devoted to the investigation of the"divine throne" motif in ancient Near Eastern literatures such as Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite, …

Correlations Between Old Aramaic Inscriptions And The Aramaic Section Of Daniel, Zdravko Stefanovic

Dissertations

Problem. In scholarly debates on the origin of DA, the corpus of OA texts has not received full attention. Thus, there is a lack of comparative studies between DA and OA. This type of study serves a twofold purpose: It contributes to providing an answer to the questions of origin of DA, and it provides fresh insights into both OA and DA.

Method. This study of OA texts has been organized into seven sections which pertain to the literary and linguistic character of every one of the inscriptions: Description, Nature, Structure, Vocabulary, Orthography and Phonology, Morphology, and Syntax. The discussion …

Lesser Gods Of The Ancient Near East And Some Comparisons With Heavenly Beings Of The Old Testament, K. Merling Alomia

Dissertations

This study examines the concept and imagery of heavenly beings as they appear described and depicted in the texts and iconography of the Ancient Near East, and compares the variegated concept and imagery with the angelic realm in the Old Testament.

Utilizing motifs commonly repeated in the mytho-epic literature of the Fertile Crescent--such as the divine assembly and its diverse constituency, the protector gods, the messenger gods, the sons of the gods, the warrior gods, the demonic gods, etc.--the study exposes the diversity among heavenly beings and their place within the divine realm or the hierarchical pantheon. The study abounds …

The Concept Of Vengeance In The Book Of Revelation In Its Old Testament And Near Eastern Context, Joel Nobel Musvosvi

Dissertations

This study attempts to resolve the theological and ethical problems raised by the call for and rejoicing at vengeance as they appear in Rev 6:9-11 and Rev 19:2, respectively. Central to the study is the question of whether vengeance in Revelation expresses a vindictive human attitude or a divine attribute of justice.

In Chapter 1 a review of pertinent literature reveals the lack of agreement among scholars on the interpretation of vengeance in Revelation. Chapter 2 examines the concept of vengeance as it occurs in several Ancient Near Eastern vassal treaties, the Old Testament, and Pseudepigrapha. This examination reveals that …

Psalm 23:2 Reconsidered, Richard S. Tomback

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Heshbon In The Bible And Archaeology, Siegfried H. Horn

All Books

No abstract provided.

Horn-Motifs In The Hebrew Bible And Related Ancient Near Eastern Literature And Iconography, Margit Linnéa Süring

Dissertations

This investigation studies the presence of the horn-motifs on a philological, literary, and iconographical basis in both the ancient Near Eastern context and the Hebrew Bible.

The first chapter is devoted to a review of prior studies, particularly in the twentieth century. Throughout almost all this century, the "history-of-religion" school and the "form-critical" school have taken the lead in archaeological and biblical interpretations. New trends of interpretation developed in the late 1960s on some aspects due to the scientifically and systematically improved archaeological approach. Prior individual studies focusing on fragmentary aspects did not sufficiently elucidate the horn-motif. A comprehensive study …