Turmoil, Trauma and Tenacity in Early Jewish Literature

Description

This volume is written in the context of trauma hermeneutics of ancient Jewish communities and their tenacity in the face of adversity (i.e. as recorded in the MT, LXX, Pseudepigrapha, the Deuterocanonical books and even Cognate literature. In this regard, its thirteen chapters, are concerned with the most recent outputs of trauma studies. They are written by a selection of leading scholars, associated to some degree with the Hungaro-South African Study Group. Here, trauma is employed as a useful hermeneutical lens, not only for interpreting biblical texts and the contexts in which they were originally produced and functioned but also for providing a useful frame of reference. As a consequence, these various research outputs, each in their own way, confirm that an historical and theological appreciation of these early accounts and interpretations of collective trauma and its implications, (perceived or otherwise), is critical for understanding the essential substance of Jewish cultural identity. As such, these essays are ideal for scholars in the fields of Biblical Studies—particularly those interested in the Pseudepigrapha, the Deuterocanonical books and Cognate literature. Table of Contents Abbreviations Introduction I Wisdom Writings Afflictions and Trauma in the Book of Ben Sira Trauma and the Origin of Idolatry in Wisdom 14:15 Within the Broader Religious-Philosophical Context II Educational Stories / Legends Trauma, Purity, and Ritual in LXX Esther’s Prayer Walking in the Ways of Righteousness Divine Punishment and Trauma in the Book of Tobit Triumph over Trauma in Tobit (GII) The Performative Function of Turmoil, Trauma and Tenacity in Judith 1–8 III Historiography The Martyr Narratives in 2 Maccabees 6:18–7:42 The Hostages’ Tales The Historiography of Trauma in Josephus IV Septuagint and New Testament A Matrix for Matriarchs Tenacity’s Trailhead Contributors Biographies Subject Index Classical Author Index Biblical Author Index