By the time we get to the end of a story we generally have a pretty good idea of who the characters are and what the plot is about and, probably, what the conclusion of the tale has in store for us. The book Ruth is much the same. When we get to chapter 4–whatContinue reading “Laps and Levirite Marriage: The Proper Care and Feeding of Children in Ruth 4”
Tag Archives: Law of Moses
Justice: Texts, Tensions, Textures
Perhaps the greatest dangers we have when we approach the Bible as a single, unified story brought about by a single, divine mind is that we may read it as a flat, textureless narrative where we suppress and “fix” any differences because we–understandably but mistakenly–think that differences are the same as contradictions. And, since mostContinue reading “Justice: Texts, Tensions, Textures”
Justice: Daughters, Inheritances, and Changing Laws
When we treat a text as two-dimensional we read it as a flat text. One of the greatest dangers in studying the Scriptures, but perhaps especially the Law of Moses, is that we tend to read it like a flat text. (I think we’ll understand better what this means by the end of the blog,Continue reading “Justice: Daughters, Inheritances, and Changing Laws”
Justice: Kings and Case Laws
Janet Shafner, ‘The Wise Woman of Tekoa’ In 2 Samuel 14, we read about the Wise Woman of Tekoa coming to King David to seek justice for her unusual situation. There, were read: When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage andContinue reading “Justice: Kings and Case Laws”
Rape in the Ancient World (Slaves)
Genesis 37 is one of the most famous texts in the Hebrew Bible. In this narrative we read that Joseph—having been sold as a slave to the Egyptians due to jealousy by his brothers—is very beautiful. Beautiful enough that his master’s wife lusted after him and wanted to sate his lust. Repeatedly she commands, “LieContinue reading “Rape in the Ancient World (Slaves)”
Ben Neviim 