Jewish Studies

The contributors to this volume investigate the portrayal of Israel's and Judah's relations with neighboring groups in the books of Samuel (including the Philistines, Amalekites, Edomites, Arameans, and Gibeonites) through a combination of literary, historical, and archaeological perspectives.

In the exegetical literature, Plutarch's Parallel Lives are often used as comparative texts for the Gospels. But how can and should the comparison between the Gospels and the Vitae be carried out, and what benefits can be gained from it? - In an examination of the research debate on the genre affiliation of the Gospels, David Staub develops his own approach, which he presents and tests using a comparison between Plutarch's Life of Numa and the Gospel of Luke as an example.

Paul von Otting is the first to present a comprehensive monograph on the cultural history of the (late) ancient death penalty, critically revising the prevailing conception of a regime of violence during this period. In addition, he determines the place of capital punishment within the changing society and culture of the late antique world, offering new insights into the nature of pre-modern criminal justice.

David Wyman examines documentary and literary sources to compose a detailed description of civic benefaction, including the phenomenon of benefactors who risk their lives. He then analyzes how Paul's letter to the Galatians incorporates the language, motifs, and relational dynamics of benefaction.