Longing for Egypt and Other Unexpected Biblical Tales
- Editore:
SHEFFIELD PHOENIX PR LTD
- Collana:
- Hebrew Bible Monographs
- EAN:
9781906055141
- ISBN:
1906055149
- Pagine:
- 300
- Formato:
- Hardback
- Lingua:
- Inglese
Descrizione Longing for Egypt and Other Unexpected Biblical Tales
Readers of all persuasions have a tendency to privilege simple interpretations over complex, unsettling, readings. The more fraught the issue, the more often we find in the history of interpretation that a simple reading has been generated that masks its complexity. 'Longing for Egypt and Other Unexpected Biblical Tales' explores seven cases of textual complexity masked by simple readings. One chapter uncovers a counter-intuitive longing for Egypt alongside the Exodus account of liberation from persecution. Another shows how what appears to be a critical attitude in the Bible towards other gods may reflect inner-Israelite tensions rather than some principled antipathy toward others. Yet another confronts the praise of God as a perfect king with the use of the language of divine kingship as a vehicle for constructive criticism. All seven chapters share a focus on the formation of identity. Arguably the Bible's most sensitive subject, for its authors and for present-day readers, this topic has generated a host of simple readings that conceal immense complexity.
