Open-Mindedness in the Bible and Beyond Volume

Working with Professor Bob Becker's scholastic approach of open-mindedness as a thematic starting point, the contributions to this volume reflect upon changing paradigms within biblical scholarship, and in how biblical scholarship is taught. Taken together, they offer a multifaceted and informative indication of how open-mindedness in one's approach can yield fascinating results across the study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible.

The range in topic of the contributions is exemplified in the difference between the first chapter, which works from the personal anecdote of the changing opinion of its author to make a wider point about models for Pentateuchal formation, and the third chapter, which comments on the current state of the study of ancient Israel in universities today. Other contributions include; an essay on the subject of space as a social construct in Isaiah 24-27; civil courage and whether the Bible allows room for protest; the question of monotheism in Persian Judah; the historical Ezra, and the telling of the story of Joseph (Genesis 50: 15-21) in children's Bibles in the Netherlands. The contributors include Hugh Williamson, Ehud Ben Zvi, Rainer Albertz, Karel von der Toorn, and Christoph Uehlinger.

• Table Of Contents
• I. INTRODUCTION - Lester L. Grabbe and Marjo C. A. Korpel
• II. ARTICLES
  • Open-mindedness for Understanding the Formation of the Pentateuch: The Challenge of Exod. 19–20 - Rainer Albertz, University of Münster, Germany
  • EMPIRE! `… and gave him a seat above the seats of the other kings who were with him in Babylon': Jeremiah 52:31–34: Fact or Fiction? - Hans M. Barstad, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Ben Sira and Song of Songs: What about Parallels and Echoes? - Pancratius C. Beentjes, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
  • Open-mindedness and Planning for the Future of Academic Studies in Ancient Israel History - Ehud Ben Zvi, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
  • Isaiah 24-27: Spacing a Prophetic Vision - Willem A. M. Beuken, Catholic University Leuven, Belgium
  • Einübung in den aufrechten Gang: Beispeile für Zivilcourage in den Samuelbüchern - Walter Dietrich, University of Bern, Switzerland
  • Swords or Ploughshares? The Transition from the Late Bronze to the Early Iron Age in Northern Jordan - Meindert Dijkstra and Karel Vriezen, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
  • Penetrating the Legend: In Quest of the Historical Ezra - Lester L. Grabbe, University of Hull, England
  • Joseph, the Pastor and the Conqueror of Evil by Using Good:Observations on Genesis 5015-21 in Dutch Children's and Family Bibles - Cornelis Houtman, Protestant Theological University at Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • Leading Scholars and the Interpretation of Scripture: The Case of LXX Haggai 2:1-9 - Arie Van Der Kooij, Leiden University, the Netherlands
  • Memories of Exile and Return in the Book of Ruth - Marjo C. A. Korpel, Protestant Theological University at Groningen, the Netherlands
  • The Question of Job - Peter Machinist, Harvard University, USA
  • The Open Mind of the Man Born Blind (John 9) - Maarten J. J. Menken, University of Tilburg, the Netherlands
  • Jerusalem: Nightmare and Daydream in Micah - Johannes De Moor, Protestant Theological University at Amsterdam and Groningen (formerly Kampen), the Netherlands.
  • Four Notes on the Ancient Near Eastern Marzea? - Nadav Na'Aman, Tel Aviv University, Israel
  • The Abolition of the Cult of the Dead Kings in Jerusalem (Ezek 43:6-9) - Herbert Niehr, University of Tübingen, Germany
  • A Human and a Deity with Conflicting Morals (Qohelet 2:26) - Paul Sanders, Protestant Theological University at Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • A Prophet Contest: Jeremiah 28 Reconsidered - Klass A. D. Smelick, University of Ghent, Belgium
  • Comparing the Book of Judges to Greek Literature - Klass Spronk, Protestant Theological University at Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • Speaking of Gods: Dimensions of the Divine in the Ancient Near East - Karel Van Der Toorn, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • Is the Critical, Academic Study of the Bible Inextricably Bound to the Destinies of Theology? - Christoph Uehlinger, University of Zürich, Switzerland
  • Biblical Studies and the Art of Civilization Maintenance - Anne-Mareike Wetter, Leiden University, the Netherlands
  • A New Divine Title in Isaiah 10:17 - Hugh M. G. Williamson, Oxford University, England