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.

The contributors to this edited volume explore creation concepts in antiquity and aspects of caring for creation in ancient Jewish and Christian texts. Moreover, they inquire about the relevance of these texts and topics to today's earth ethics and ecological crises.

The New Testament's prohibition of divorce reflects the symbolic role of marriage as representing God's covenant with His people. Klaus Neumann examines adultery and divorce in the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, and the New Testament, highlighting the linguistic challenges in translating adultery as unfaithfulness and its impact on views of marriage and fidelity.

What happens to the deliberate, defiant sinner? The Hebrew Bible prescribes kārēt / »cutting off«. Donald J. Wold's semantic-field analysis across Hebrew, Greek, Qumran, and rabbinic sources - bolstered by Akkadian and Egyptian parallels - reveals that only God enacts kārēt - a curse denying eternal life to high-handed offenders.