Lamentations in Ancient and Contemporary Contexts., 2008
During the Crusades, Jewish liturgy experienced a revival of the practice of complaint prayer or ... more During the Crusades, Jewish liturgy experienced a revival of the practice of complaint prayer or lament. This article discusses Isaac Bar Shalom's poem, "There is no one like you among the dumb." This piyut memorializes a massacre that took place during the Second Crusade.
This article challenges suggestions that knowledge of Akkadian literary texts was mediated to bib... more This article challenges suggestions that knowledge of Akkadian literary texts was mediated to biblical writers through the scribal culture of Late Bronze Age (LB) Canaan. Its conclusions are based on what is known about scribal education in LB Canaan, the contents of the archives of Ugarit, and analyses of literary borrowing (hybridity) used in post-colonial studies. LB Canaanite scribes were able to resist the cultural influences that result in hybridity because their political circumstances differed from those under which the authors of biblical texts operated.
Writing Laws in Antiquity. Edited by Dominique Jaillard and Christophe Nihan. Beihefte zur Zeitsc... more Writing Laws in Antiquity. Edited by Dominique Jaillard and Christophe Nihan. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur Altorientalische und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte, vol. 19. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2017. Pp. 170. €58.
The chapter surveys evidence from West Asian and Mesopotamian sources, focusing on texts written ... more The chapter surveys evidence from West Asian and Mesopotamian sources, focusing on texts written in Akkadian, Aramaic, Hebrew, and Hittite. Although modern scholarship distinguishes international treaties from domestic loyalty oaths, the difference is not recognized in ancient Near Eastern documents. Both types of agreements are discussed under five headings: relationships between treaties and other legal documents; the concept of the vassal treaty; forms; ratification; and covenants with gods. Each heading points to areas of ongoing research and discussion. These include the administration of oaths; difficulties in identifying vassal treaties; origin and development of treaty forms; and motivations for producing treaty documents. Among issues relevant to biblical studies are links between treaties and dynastic promises; categorization of biblical treaty texts; the role of sacrifice; and connections between covenants and vows.
Cases of politically oriented rituals used to maintain the kingdom of Judah and its successor soc... more Cases of politically oriented rituals used to maintain the kingdom of Judah and its successor societies are surveyed from the beginning of the Davidic monarchy through to the Hasmonaean era. Preference is given to the concept of “national religion” instead of “official” or “state religion” to describe attempts to centralize worship on Jerusalem during this period. Challenges were posed to these efforts by Judah’s internal religious pluralism. Social configurations at the family and local levels were maintained by forms of worship not always amenable to subordination to centralized authority. After a general discussion of the concept of political rituals, interactions between the impulse towards a national religion and forms of family and local cultic practices are described. The ideology of kingship (especially in the royal psalms), and the politics of sacrifice in the post-exilic era receive particular attention.
Exposure to violence is recognized as a major health concern among adolescent populations. The ev... more Exposure to violence is recognized as a major health concern among adolescent populations. The evidence base that links religious involvement with risks for child violence is inconsistent. In a national analysis involving a weighted sample of 24,307 young people, we studied the perpetration of violence (fighting and bullying), as well as victimization by violence (bullying only), among young people who were affiliated with religious groups. One in four young Canadians reported involvement in such groups. Study findings confirmed some unique patterns among this group. First, these religiously involved children reported the same or greater levels of perpetration of violence than other children. Second, religiously involved children reported the same or greater levels of experiencing victimization from violence. Third, religious involvement appeared to protect against engagement in certain overt risk-taking behaviors, but not violence. These patterns were consistent even after adjustme...
This article seeks to add to the possible readings of Job by suggesting that the book portrays an... more This article seeks to add to the possible readings of Job by suggesting that the book portrays and responds to the shaming potential of a form of monotheistic faith in ancient Israel. The first section of the article defines the concept of toxic religion as a shaming belief system. The second section analyzes the conflict between Job and his dialogue partners in terms of a perfectionist retribution theology, a form of toxic religion. The third section suggests that the YHWH speeches in Job 38-41 undo some repressive beliefs which support such a theology. There are analogues between the challenge to these repressive beliefs and recovery from shaming family systems. The empowerment of Job's daughters in 42:15 is seen to be an appropriate response to YHWH's revelation by Job.
Lamentations in Ancient and Contemporary Contexts., 2008
During the Crusades, Jewish liturgy experienced a revival of the practice of complaint prayer or ... more During the Crusades, Jewish liturgy experienced a revival of the practice of complaint prayer or lament. This article discusses Isaac Bar Shalom's poem, "There is no one like you among the dumb." This piyut memorializes a massacre that took place during the Second Crusade.
This article challenges suggestions that knowledge of Akkadian literary texts was mediated to bib... more This article challenges suggestions that knowledge of Akkadian literary texts was mediated to biblical writers through the scribal culture of Late Bronze Age (LB) Canaan. Its conclusions are based on what is known about scribal education in LB Canaan, the contents of the archives of Ugarit, and analyses of literary borrowing (hybridity) used in post-colonial studies. LB Canaanite scribes were able to resist the cultural influences that result in hybridity because their political circumstances differed from those under which the authors of biblical texts operated.
Writing Laws in Antiquity. Edited by Dominique Jaillard and Christophe Nihan. Beihefte zur Zeitsc... more Writing Laws in Antiquity. Edited by Dominique Jaillard and Christophe Nihan. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur Altorientalische und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte, vol. 19. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2017. Pp. 170. €58.
The chapter surveys evidence from West Asian and Mesopotamian sources, focusing on texts written ... more The chapter surveys evidence from West Asian and Mesopotamian sources, focusing on texts written in Akkadian, Aramaic, Hebrew, and Hittite. Although modern scholarship distinguishes international treaties from domestic loyalty oaths, the difference is not recognized in ancient Near Eastern documents. Both types of agreements are discussed under five headings: relationships between treaties and other legal documents; the concept of the vassal treaty; forms; ratification; and covenants with gods. Each heading points to areas of ongoing research and discussion. These include the administration of oaths; difficulties in identifying vassal treaties; origin and development of treaty forms; and motivations for producing treaty documents. Among issues relevant to biblical studies are links between treaties and dynastic promises; categorization of biblical treaty texts; the role of sacrifice; and connections between covenants and vows.
Cases of politically oriented rituals used to maintain the kingdom of Judah and its successor soc... more Cases of politically oriented rituals used to maintain the kingdom of Judah and its successor societies are surveyed from the beginning of the Davidic monarchy through to the Hasmonaean era. Preference is given to the concept of “national religion” instead of “official” or “state religion” to describe attempts to centralize worship on Jerusalem during this period. Challenges were posed to these efforts by Judah’s internal religious pluralism. Social configurations at the family and local levels were maintained by forms of worship not always amenable to subordination to centralized authority. After a general discussion of the concept of political rituals, interactions between the impulse towards a national religion and forms of family and local cultic practices are described. The ideology of kingship (especially in the royal psalms), and the politics of sacrifice in the post-exilic era receive particular attention.
Exposure to violence is recognized as a major health concern among adolescent populations. The ev... more Exposure to violence is recognized as a major health concern among adolescent populations. The evidence base that links religious involvement with risks for child violence is inconsistent. In a national analysis involving a weighted sample of 24,307 young people, we studied the perpetration of violence (fighting and bullying), as well as victimization by violence (bullying only), among young people who were affiliated with religious groups. One in four young Canadians reported involvement in such groups. Study findings confirmed some unique patterns among this group. First, these religiously involved children reported the same or greater levels of perpetration of violence than other children. Second, religiously involved children reported the same or greater levels of experiencing victimization from violence. Third, religious involvement appeared to protect against engagement in certain overt risk-taking behaviors, but not violence. These patterns were consistent even after adjustme...
This article seeks to add to the possible readings of Job by suggesting that the book portrays an... more This article seeks to add to the possible readings of Job by suggesting that the book portrays and responds to the shaming potential of a form of monotheistic faith in ancient Israel. The first section of the article defines the concept of toxic religion as a shaming belief system. The second section analyzes the conflict between Job and his dialogue partners in terms of a perfectionist retribution theology, a form of toxic religion. The third section suggests that the YHWH speeches in Job 38-41 undo some repressive beliefs which support such a theology. There are analogues between the challenge to these repressive beliefs and recovery from shaming family systems. The empowerment of Job's daughters in 42:15 is seen to be an appropriate response to YHWH's revelation by Job.
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