Books by Robert D Miller II
Coniectanea Biblica, 2022
This book presents a new window on the legal system of Ancient Israel. Building on the understand... more This book presents a new window on the legal system of Ancient Israel. Building on the understanding that Israel was a society where writing was the medium for some forms of discourse but not others, where written texts were performed orally and rewritten from oral performances, Robert D. Miller II, OFS, examines law and jurisprudence in this oral-and-literate world. Using Iceland as an ethnographic analogy, Miller shows how law was practiced, performed, and transmitted; the way written artifacts of the law fit into oral performance and transmission; and the relationship of the detritus of law that survives in the Hebrew Bible, both Torah and Proverbs, to that earlier social world.
Wilderness as Metaphor for God in the Hebrew Bible, 2022
The ancient Israelite authors of the Hebrew Bible were not philosophers, so what they could not s... more The ancient Israelite authors of the Hebrew Bible were not philosophers, so what they could not say about God in logical terms, they expressed through metaphor and imagery. To present God in His most impenetrable otherness, the image they chose was the desert. The desert was Ancient Israel’s southern frontier, an unknown region that was always “elsewhere”: “from that elsewhere, God has come”—“God came from the South” (Hab 3:3); “God, when you marched from the desert” (Ps 68:8); “from his southland mountain slopes” (Deut 33:2).
Robert Miller explores this imagery, shedding light on what the biblical authors meant by associating God with deserts to the south of Israel and Judah. Biblical authors knew of its climate, flora, and fauna, and understood this magnificent desert landscape as a fascinating place of literary paradox. This divine desert was far from lifeless, its plants and animals were tenacious, bizarre, fierce, even supernatural. The spiritual importance of the desert in a biblical context begins with the physical elements whose impact cognitive science can elucidate. Travelers and naturalists of the past two millennia have experienced this and other wildernesses, and their testimonies provide a window into Israel'’s experience of the desert. A prime focus is the existential experience encountered. Confronting the desert’s enigmatic wildness, its melding of the known and unknown, leads naturally to spiritual experience. The book’s panoramic view of biblical spirituality of the desert is illustrated by the ways spiritual writers—from Biblical Times to the Desert Fathers to German Mysticism—have employed the images therefrom. Revelation and renewal are just two of many themes. Folklore of the Ancient Near East, and indeed elsewhere, that deals with the desert / wilderness archetype has been explored via Jungian psychology, Goethean Science, enunciative linguistics, and Hebrew philology. These ‘philosophies’ contribute to this exploration of the Hebrew Bible’s desert metaphor for God.
Yahweh: Origin of a Desert God, 2021
Recognizing the absence of a God named Yahweh outside of ancient Israel, this study addresses th... more Recognizing the absence of a God named Yahweh outside of ancient Israel, this study addresses the related questions of Yahweh's origins and the biblical claim that there were Yahweh-worshipers other than the Israelite people. Beginning with the Hebrew Bible, with an exhaustive survey of ancient Near Eastern literature and inscriptions discovered by archaeology, and using anthropology to reconstruct religious practices and beliefs of ancient Edom and Midian, this study proposes an answer. Yahweh-worshiping Midianites of the Early Iron Age brought their deity along with metallurgy into ancient Palestine and the Israelite people.
History, Archaeology, and Culture of the Levant , 2019
In Western tradition, St. George is known as the dragon slayer. In the Middle East, he is called ... more In Western tradition, St. George is known as the dragon slayer. In the Middle East, he is called Khidr (“Green One”), and in addition to being a dragon slayer, he is also somehow the prophet Elijah. In this book, Robert D. Miller II untangles these complicated connections and reveals how, especially in his Middle Eastern guise, St. George is a reincarnation of the Canaanite storm god Baal, another “Green One” who in Ugaritic texts slays dragons.
The Dragon, the Mountain, and the Nations investigates the origins, manifestations, and meanings... more The Dragon, the Mountain, and the Nations investigates the origins, manifestations, and meanings of a myth that plays a major role in the Hebrew Bible and a substantial role in the New Testament: the dragon-slaying myth.
The dragon-slaying myth has a hoary ancestry, extending back long before its appearance in the Hebrew Bible, and a vast range, spanning as far as India and perhaps even Japan. This book is a chronicle of its trajectories and permutations. The target of this study is the biblical myth. This target, however, is itself a fluid tradition, responding to and reworking extrabiblical myths and reworking its own myths. In this study, Robert Miller examines the dragon and dragon-slaying myth throughout India, the proto-Indo-European cultures, and Iran, and among the Hittites as well as other ancient Near Eastern and Mesopotamian traditions, and then throughout the Bible, including Genesis, the Psalms, Daniel, and ultimately the New Testament and the book of Revelation. He shows how the myth pervades many cultures and many civilizations and that the dragon is always conquered, despite its many manifestations. In his conclusion, Miller points out the importance of the myth as a hermeneutic for understanding key parts of biblical literature.
Is there a gap between the academic study of the Bible and the work of theologians? What lies be... more Is there a gap between the academic study of the Bible and the work of theologians? What lies behind this gap? And most important, how have biblical scholars tried to bridge the gap with hermeneutical methods? This book addresses the exegesis vs. theology impasse and categorizes the most important attempts to bridge it over the past century, especially those of the last decades. These attempts are assessed and evaluated so that readers can see the philosophies undergirding each and the potential each has for a true "theological interpretation" of the Bible.
Festschrift for Prof. Ch. R. Krahmalkov
Although 'Theologies of the Old Testament' continue to proliferate, most of these do not interact... more Although 'Theologies of the Old Testament' continue to proliferate, most of these do not interact with the many recent studies of Israelite religion that have appeared. Drawing on archaeology and other ancient Near Eastern material, these studies present a reconstruction of religious life in ancient Israel that ought to be of some importance for the theological interpretation of the biblical text. This collection of essays integrates reconstructions of ancient Israelite religious practice into theologically-oriented interpretation of the Old Testament. In essays ranging from discussion of Sumerian hymns to early Iron Age incense burners, respected biblical scholars and archaeologists provide new insights into the biblical theology of the Christian Bible.
This compilation of scholarship by internationally known academicians in the fields of Jewish and... more This compilation of scholarship by internationally known academicians in the fields of Jewish and Holocaust history is dedicated to the memory of Saul S. Friedman, who served as professor of Jewish history at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio and was one of the architects of Holocaust and Genocide education in the United States.
In 1969, Friedman received his Ph.D. in history from Ohio State University, and that year, he began what would become a forty year tenure as a professor in the history department at Youngstown State. In those forty years, he served his university and community with distinction. He was an enormously popular teacher and prodigious scholar, publishing twelve books, an astonishing feat for any scholar. In the late 1980s, he turned to documentary film making, and five of these productions, including one on French Holocaust survivor Robert Clary, won regional Emmy Awards.
Friedman was a tireless advocate on behalf of the Jewish community as well, and a leader in the Zionist Organization of America. He served as a trustee for the Lillian Schermer Charitable Foundation and was instrumental in the dedication of a Holocaust memorial at the Youngstown Jewish Community Center. Over his extraordinary career, he received six distinguished professorships and the Ohio Humanities Council's Richard Bjornson Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to the Humanities. The culmination of his work came in 2000 when he received an endowment from the Clayman Family of Youngstown to establish a Jewish Studies program at YSU.
Twelve scholars from across the globe have participated in this project in recognition of Friedman's importance to Jewish and Holocaust Studies. They cover the expanse of Jewish history from ancient to modern, with a particular emphasis on the Holocaust. Robert D. Miller (Catholic University of America) and Rafael Frankel (Haifa University) write about ancient Israel, while Edward Alexander (University of Washington, Seattle), Zev Garber (Los Angeles Valley College), and Monty Penkower (Machon Lander Graduate School of Jewish Studies) address issues related to modern Jewish history. Presenting new areas of research in Holocaust Studies are Jonathan Friedman (West Chester University), Rafael Medoff (The David Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies), Helene Sinnreich (Youngstown State University), Dennis Klein (Kean University), Steven Jacobs (University of Alabama), Gershon Greenberg (American University), and Rochelle L. Millen (Wittenberg University).
"This book explains how Israel understood its relationship with Yahweh. This ambitious enterprise... more "This book explains how Israel understood its relationship with Yahweh. This ambitious enterprise begins with one Aramaic text from the periphery of the Neo-Assyrian vassal system and eventually leads to theological reflections on the nature of God’s dealings with humanity. Israel borrowed language from Assyria in describing its covenant with God, and this book reveals what “covenant” meant, and that it is not “covenant” at all, but “grace.”
Addressing the state of the question on covenant in the Old Testament, this book moves the field forward using new texts and new directions. It shows that Israel borrowed language from Neo-Assyrian royal propaganda to describe its relationship with God. The Assyrian ideology packaged for and received in Levantine states like Judah is illustrated with the Barrakab inscription from Samal, and identical language to Barrakab is found in the Old Testament. This book explains what the language meant in Assyrian ideology, how and when it was adopted in Judah, how it came to be in exilic parts of the Old Testament, and what the language meant in the biblical context especially in the Exile. Finally, the broader theological implications of the latter are explored in dialogue with contemporary theologians. The book thus takes seriously the study of the text in its ancient context in order to highlight the theological content and its modern relevance."
Providing a comprehensive study of "oral tradition" in Israel, this volume unpacks the nature of ... more Providing a comprehensive study of "oral tradition" in Israel, this volume unpacks the nature of oral tradition, the form it would have taken in ancient Israel, and the remains of it in the narrative books of the Hebrew Bible. The author presents cases of oral/written interaction that provide the best ethnographic analogies for ancient Israel and insights from these suggest a model of transmission in oral-written societies valid for ancient Israel. Miller reconstructs what ancient Israelite oral literature would have been and considers criteria for identifying orally derived material in the narrative books of the Old Testament, marking several passages as highly probable oral derivations. Using ethnographic data and ancient Near Eastern examples, he proposes performance settings for this material. The epilogue treats the contentious topic of historicity and shows that orally derived texts are not more historically reliable than other texts in the Bible.
An illuminating social history of ancient Israel, Chieftains of the Highland Clans offers an unus... more An illuminating social history of ancient Israel, Chieftains of the Highland Clans offers an unusually thorough and original reconstruction of Israelite society prior to the rise of the monarchy around 1000 B.C. Using the latest archaeological research and anthropological theories, Robert Miller presents an intriguing picture of what life was like in early Israel. Ethnographic evidence from diverse cultures suggests the "complex chiefdom" model as the most appropriate for the archaeology of twelfth- and eleventh-century highland Palestine. This model details the economic and political realities of prestate societies with ascribed rank and hierarchical political control. As he applies and fine-tunes the complex chiefdom model, Miller illustrates areas of potential correspondence and contradiction between his reconstruction and the biblical text. Students of archaeology, Palestine, and the Hebrew Bible will not want to miss Miller's fresh and fascinating conclusions about the sociopolitical nature of early Israel.
The observation that scholarly work on the Bible is of little use to theologians is the starting ... more The observation that scholarly work on the Bible is of little use to theologians is the starting premise for this volume. As a possible solution to this impasse, the contributors explore the potential insights provided by a distinct tradition of biblical interpretation that has its roots in both the patristic School of Antioch and in the Syriac Fathers, such as Ephrem and Jacob of Sarug, and which has survived and developed in the Churches of the Antiochene Patrimony, such as the Maronite and Syriac. Some of the essays have a patristic focus, examining Aphrahat (Craig Morrison), Ephrem (Sidney Griffith), the 4th-century Book of Steps (Robert Kitchen), John Chrysostom (Paul Tarazi), and other Syriac fathers (Edward Mathews). Others engage with modern historical-critical method more directly (Angela Harkins, Stephen Ryan, Anthony Salim). Another still challenges the very assumption assumed by other contributors of an Antiochene “School” (John O’Keefe). The volume concludes with a series of responses from Paul Russell, Robert Miller, and Ronald Beshara, respectively, that consider the various essays from different angles. Here one of the key questions asked is whether biblical interpretation done “with Antioch” is relevant to the church today.
The history of Israel is a much-debated topic in Old Testament studies. On one side are minimalis... more The history of Israel is a much-debated topic in Old Testament studies. On one side are minimalists who find little of historical value in the Hebrew Bible. On the other side are those who assume the biblical text is a precise historical record. Many serious students of the Bible find themselves between these two positions and would benefit from a careful exploration of issues in Israelite history.
This substantive history of Israel textbook values the Bible's historical contribution without overlooking critical issues and challenges. Featuring the latest scholarship, the book introduces students to the current state of research on issues relevant to the study of ancient Israel. The editors and contributors, all top biblical scholars and historians, discuss historical evidence in a readable manner, using both canonical and chronological lenses to explore Israelite history.
Contents
Preface Bill T. Arnold and Richard S. Hess
Introduction: Foundations for a History of Israel Richard S. Hess
1. The Genesis Narratives Bill T. Arnold
2. The Exodus and Wilderness Narratives James K. Hoffmeier
3. Covenant and Treaty in the Hebrew Bible and in the Ancient Near East Samuel Greengus
4. Early Israel and Its Appearance in Canaan Lawson G. Stone
5. The Judges and the Early Iron Age Robert D. Miller II
6. The Story of Samuel, Saul, and David Daniel Bodi
7. United Monarchy: Archaeology and Literary Sources Steven M. Ortiz
8. The Biblical Prophets in Historiography James K. Mead
9. Late Tenth- and Ninth-Century Issues: Ahab Underplayed? Jehoshaphat Overplayed? Kyle Greenwood
10. Eighth-Century Issues: The World of Jeroboam II, the Fall of Samaria, and the Reign of Hezekiah Sandra Richter
11. Judah in the Seventh Century: From the Aftermath of Sennacherib's Invasion to the Beginning of Jehoiakim's Rebellion Brad E. Kelle
12. Sixth-Century Issues Peter van der Veen
13. Fifth- and Fourth-Century Issues: Governorship and Priesthood in Jerusalem André Lemaire
14. The Hellenistic Period David A. deSilva
Indexes
Papers by Robert D Miller II
Melita Theologica, 2019
I am wary of drawing more precise connections. Some cite the 12th-century Babylonian "Weidner Chr... more I am wary of drawing more precise connections. Some cite the 12th-century Babylonian "Weidner Chronicle" as a parallel to the so-called Deuteronomistic History, since it presents cycles of good and bad kings to help contemporary rulers avoid the fate of Naram-Sin, whose sins are anachronistic, since Babylon was not built in his lifetime. So, supposedly, 1 Kings 13-14 and 2 Kings 17 are parallel, propagandistic for Josiah as the "Weidner" was for Nebuchadnezzar. But the "Weidner Chronicle's" line of causality reaches back beyond history to the divine realm, while the Deuteronomistic History's reaches back to a moment in history; and unlike Yahweh's Law, Marduk's divine will that is outed was that he wanted more sh. e Mesha Stela is a much closer parallel to the Bible, not only because of its Deuteronomistic language and theology but also in its geographical, non-chronological arrangement.; Bill T.
Stone-Campbell Journal, 2020
The concept of Tsedeqa in the book of Amos is broader than suggested by the English words often u... more The concept of Tsedeqa in the book of Amos is broader than suggested by the English words often used to translate it, such as “righteousness” or “charity.” Amos uses the Hebrew term in connection with indicting Israel’s enemies primarily for war crimes and Israel itself for the wanton disregard of its own poor. This essay analyzes Amos’s use of the term in dialogue with the (South) African concept of ubuntu, which concerns human dignity and solidarity, and demonstrates that Amos sees tsedeqa as the core of morality and reflective of God’s actions.
Ugarit-Forschungen, 2021
Mot, personified death, plays a major role in the Ugaritic Baal myths
and cognate texts of the He... more Mot, personified death, plays a major role in the Ugaritic Baal myths
and cognate texts of the Hebrew Bible. Unlike Baal’s other foe, Yamm, however, it is unclear what Mot actually is intended to look like – in spite of “his” clear personification. Using the Ugaritic and biblical texts, comparative Ancient Near Eastern material, and comparative mythology, this essay argues that Mot is envisioned as a wolf, in both Ugaritic myth and the Bible.
Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 2021
This essay explores the first chapter of the Book of Daniel as an example of resistance against a... more This essay explores the first chapter of the Book of Daniel as an example of resistance against an empire. Using the experience of Native Americans, especially children at the Carlisle Residential Indian School, the tropes of naming, diet, and the body in Daniel 1 are read as a call to resistance and gamesmanship in the narrative environment of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the authorial context of the Selucid Hellenistic Empire. With reference to similar situations in South Africa and elsewhere, this reading of the story in Daniel 1 sees a promise of God's support in religious fidelity accompanied by cultural code switching.
Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft , 2017
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Books by Robert D Miller II
Robert Miller explores this imagery, shedding light on what the biblical authors meant by associating God with deserts to the south of Israel and Judah. Biblical authors knew of its climate, flora, and fauna, and understood this magnificent desert landscape as a fascinating place of literary paradox. This divine desert was far from lifeless, its plants and animals were tenacious, bizarre, fierce, even supernatural. The spiritual importance of the desert in a biblical context begins with the physical elements whose impact cognitive science can elucidate. Travelers and naturalists of the past two millennia have experienced this and other wildernesses, and their testimonies provide a window into Israel'’s experience of the desert. A prime focus is the existential experience encountered. Confronting the desert’s enigmatic wildness, its melding of the known and unknown, leads naturally to spiritual experience. The book’s panoramic view of biblical spirituality of the desert is illustrated by the ways spiritual writers—from Biblical Times to the Desert Fathers to German Mysticism—have employed the images therefrom. Revelation and renewal are just two of many themes. Folklore of the Ancient Near East, and indeed elsewhere, that deals with the desert / wilderness archetype has been explored via Jungian psychology, Goethean Science, enunciative linguistics, and Hebrew philology. These ‘philosophies’ contribute to this exploration of the Hebrew Bible’s desert metaphor for God.
The dragon-slaying myth has a hoary ancestry, extending back long before its appearance in the Hebrew Bible, and a vast range, spanning as far as India and perhaps even Japan. This book is a chronicle of its trajectories and permutations. The target of this study is the biblical myth. This target, however, is itself a fluid tradition, responding to and reworking extrabiblical myths and reworking its own myths. In this study, Robert Miller examines the dragon and dragon-slaying myth throughout India, the proto-Indo-European cultures, and Iran, and among the Hittites as well as other ancient Near Eastern and Mesopotamian traditions, and then throughout the Bible, including Genesis, the Psalms, Daniel, and ultimately the New Testament and the book of Revelation. He shows how the myth pervades many cultures and many civilizations and that the dragon is always conquered, despite its many manifestations. In his conclusion, Miller points out the importance of the myth as a hermeneutic for understanding key parts of biblical literature.
In 1969, Friedman received his Ph.D. in history from Ohio State University, and that year, he began what would become a forty year tenure as a professor in the history department at Youngstown State. In those forty years, he served his university and community with distinction. He was an enormously popular teacher and prodigious scholar, publishing twelve books, an astonishing feat for any scholar. In the late 1980s, he turned to documentary film making, and five of these productions, including one on French Holocaust survivor Robert Clary, won regional Emmy Awards.
Friedman was a tireless advocate on behalf of the Jewish community as well, and a leader in the Zionist Organization of America. He served as a trustee for the Lillian Schermer Charitable Foundation and was instrumental in the dedication of a Holocaust memorial at the Youngstown Jewish Community Center. Over his extraordinary career, he received six distinguished professorships and the Ohio Humanities Council's Richard Bjornson Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to the Humanities. The culmination of his work came in 2000 when he received an endowment from the Clayman Family of Youngstown to establish a Jewish Studies program at YSU.
Twelve scholars from across the globe have participated in this project in recognition of Friedman's importance to Jewish and Holocaust Studies. They cover the expanse of Jewish history from ancient to modern, with a particular emphasis on the Holocaust. Robert D. Miller (Catholic University of America) and Rafael Frankel (Haifa University) write about ancient Israel, while Edward Alexander (University of Washington, Seattle), Zev Garber (Los Angeles Valley College), and Monty Penkower (Machon Lander Graduate School of Jewish Studies) address issues related to modern Jewish history. Presenting new areas of research in Holocaust Studies are Jonathan Friedman (West Chester University), Rafael Medoff (The David Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies), Helene Sinnreich (Youngstown State University), Dennis Klein (Kean University), Steven Jacobs (University of Alabama), Gershon Greenberg (American University), and Rochelle L. Millen (Wittenberg University).
Addressing the state of the question on covenant in the Old Testament, this book moves the field forward using new texts and new directions. It shows that Israel borrowed language from Neo-Assyrian royal propaganda to describe its relationship with God. The Assyrian ideology packaged for and received in Levantine states like Judah is illustrated with the Barrakab inscription from Samal, and identical language to Barrakab is found in the Old Testament. This book explains what the language meant in Assyrian ideology, how and when it was adopted in Judah, how it came to be in exilic parts of the Old Testament, and what the language meant in the biblical context especially in the Exile. Finally, the broader theological implications of the latter are explored in dialogue with contemporary theologians. The book thus takes seriously the study of the text in its ancient context in order to highlight the theological content and its modern relevance."
This substantive history of Israel textbook values the Bible's historical contribution without overlooking critical issues and challenges. Featuring the latest scholarship, the book introduces students to the current state of research on issues relevant to the study of ancient Israel. The editors and contributors, all top biblical scholars and historians, discuss historical evidence in a readable manner, using both canonical and chronological lenses to explore Israelite history.
Contents
Preface Bill T. Arnold and Richard S. Hess
Introduction: Foundations for a History of Israel Richard S. Hess
1. The Genesis Narratives Bill T. Arnold
2. The Exodus and Wilderness Narratives James K. Hoffmeier
3. Covenant and Treaty in the Hebrew Bible and in the Ancient Near East Samuel Greengus
4. Early Israel and Its Appearance in Canaan Lawson G. Stone
5. The Judges and the Early Iron Age Robert D. Miller II
6. The Story of Samuel, Saul, and David Daniel Bodi
7. United Monarchy: Archaeology and Literary Sources Steven M. Ortiz
8. The Biblical Prophets in Historiography James K. Mead
9. Late Tenth- and Ninth-Century Issues: Ahab Underplayed? Jehoshaphat Overplayed? Kyle Greenwood
10. Eighth-Century Issues: The World of Jeroboam II, the Fall of Samaria, and the Reign of Hezekiah Sandra Richter
11. Judah in the Seventh Century: From the Aftermath of Sennacherib's Invasion to the Beginning of Jehoiakim's Rebellion Brad E. Kelle
12. Sixth-Century Issues Peter van der Veen
13. Fifth- and Fourth-Century Issues: Governorship and Priesthood in Jerusalem André Lemaire
14. The Hellenistic Period David A. deSilva
Indexes
Papers by Robert D Miller II
and cognate texts of the Hebrew Bible. Unlike Baal’s other foe, Yamm, however, it is unclear what Mot actually is intended to look like – in spite of “his” clear personification. Using the Ugaritic and biblical texts, comparative Ancient Near Eastern material, and comparative mythology, this essay argues that Mot is envisioned as a wolf, in both Ugaritic myth and the Bible.
Robert Miller explores this imagery, shedding light on what the biblical authors meant by associating God with deserts to the south of Israel and Judah. Biblical authors knew of its climate, flora, and fauna, and understood this magnificent desert landscape as a fascinating place of literary paradox. This divine desert was far from lifeless, its plants and animals were tenacious, bizarre, fierce, even supernatural. The spiritual importance of the desert in a biblical context begins with the physical elements whose impact cognitive science can elucidate. Travelers and naturalists of the past two millennia have experienced this and other wildernesses, and their testimonies provide a window into Israel'’s experience of the desert. A prime focus is the existential experience encountered. Confronting the desert’s enigmatic wildness, its melding of the known and unknown, leads naturally to spiritual experience. The book’s panoramic view of biblical spirituality of the desert is illustrated by the ways spiritual writers—from Biblical Times to the Desert Fathers to German Mysticism—have employed the images therefrom. Revelation and renewal are just two of many themes. Folklore of the Ancient Near East, and indeed elsewhere, that deals with the desert / wilderness archetype has been explored via Jungian psychology, Goethean Science, enunciative linguistics, and Hebrew philology. These ‘philosophies’ contribute to this exploration of the Hebrew Bible’s desert metaphor for God.
The dragon-slaying myth has a hoary ancestry, extending back long before its appearance in the Hebrew Bible, and a vast range, spanning as far as India and perhaps even Japan. This book is a chronicle of its trajectories and permutations. The target of this study is the biblical myth. This target, however, is itself a fluid tradition, responding to and reworking extrabiblical myths and reworking its own myths. In this study, Robert Miller examines the dragon and dragon-slaying myth throughout India, the proto-Indo-European cultures, and Iran, and among the Hittites as well as other ancient Near Eastern and Mesopotamian traditions, and then throughout the Bible, including Genesis, the Psalms, Daniel, and ultimately the New Testament and the book of Revelation. He shows how the myth pervades many cultures and many civilizations and that the dragon is always conquered, despite its many manifestations. In his conclusion, Miller points out the importance of the myth as a hermeneutic for understanding key parts of biblical literature.
In 1969, Friedman received his Ph.D. in history from Ohio State University, and that year, he began what would become a forty year tenure as a professor in the history department at Youngstown State. In those forty years, he served his university and community with distinction. He was an enormously popular teacher and prodigious scholar, publishing twelve books, an astonishing feat for any scholar. In the late 1980s, he turned to documentary film making, and five of these productions, including one on French Holocaust survivor Robert Clary, won regional Emmy Awards.
Friedman was a tireless advocate on behalf of the Jewish community as well, and a leader in the Zionist Organization of America. He served as a trustee for the Lillian Schermer Charitable Foundation and was instrumental in the dedication of a Holocaust memorial at the Youngstown Jewish Community Center. Over his extraordinary career, he received six distinguished professorships and the Ohio Humanities Council's Richard Bjornson Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to the Humanities. The culmination of his work came in 2000 when he received an endowment from the Clayman Family of Youngstown to establish a Jewish Studies program at YSU.
Twelve scholars from across the globe have participated in this project in recognition of Friedman's importance to Jewish and Holocaust Studies. They cover the expanse of Jewish history from ancient to modern, with a particular emphasis on the Holocaust. Robert D. Miller (Catholic University of America) and Rafael Frankel (Haifa University) write about ancient Israel, while Edward Alexander (University of Washington, Seattle), Zev Garber (Los Angeles Valley College), and Monty Penkower (Machon Lander Graduate School of Jewish Studies) address issues related to modern Jewish history. Presenting new areas of research in Holocaust Studies are Jonathan Friedman (West Chester University), Rafael Medoff (The David Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies), Helene Sinnreich (Youngstown State University), Dennis Klein (Kean University), Steven Jacobs (University of Alabama), Gershon Greenberg (American University), and Rochelle L. Millen (Wittenberg University).
Addressing the state of the question on covenant in the Old Testament, this book moves the field forward using new texts and new directions. It shows that Israel borrowed language from Neo-Assyrian royal propaganda to describe its relationship with God. The Assyrian ideology packaged for and received in Levantine states like Judah is illustrated with the Barrakab inscription from Samal, and identical language to Barrakab is found in the Old Testament. This book explains what the language meant in Assyrian ideology, how and when it was adopted in Judah, how it came to be in exilic parts of the Old Testament, and what the language meant in the biblical context especially in the Exile. Finally, the broader theological implications of the latter are explored in dialogue with contemporary theologians. The book thus takes seriously the study of the text in its ancient context in order to highlight the theological content and its modern relevance."
This substantive history of Israel textbook values the Bible's historical contribution without overlooking critical issues and challenges. Featuring the latest scholarship, the book introduces students to the current state of research on issues relevant to the study of ancient Israel. The editors and contributors, all top biblical scholars and historians, discuss historical evidence in a readable manner, using both canonical and chronological lenses to explore Israelite history.
Contents
Preface Bill T. Arnold and Richard S. Hess
Introduction: Foundations for a History of Israel Richard S. Hess
1. The Genesis Narratives Bill T. Arnold
2. The Exodus and Wilderness Narratives James K. Hoffmeier
3. Covenant and Treaty in the Hebrew Bible and in the Ancient Near East Samuel Greengus
4. Early Israel and Its Appearance in Canaan Lawson G. Stone
5. The Judges and the Early Iron Age Robert D. Miller II
6. The Story of Samuel, Saul, and David Daniel Bodi
7. United Monarchy: Archaeology and Literary Sources Steven M. Ortiz
8. The Biblical Prophets in Historiography James K. Mead
9. Late Tenth- and Ninth-Century Issues: Ahab Underplayed? Jehoshaphat Overplayed? Kyle Greenwood
10. Eighth-Century Issues: The World of Jeroboam II, the Fall of Samaria, and the Reign of Hezekiah Sandra Richter
11. Judah in the Seventh Century: From the Aftermath of Sennacherib's Invasion to the Beginning of Jehoiakim's Rebellion Brad E. Kelle
12. Sixth-Century Issues Peter van der Veen
13. Fifth- and Fourth-Century Issues: Governorship and Priesthood in Jerusalem André Lemaire
14. The Hellenistic Period David A. deSilva
Indexes
and cognate texts of the Hebrew Bible. Unlike Baal’s other foe, Yamm, however, it is unclear what Mot actually is intended to look like – in spite of “his” clear personification. Using the Ugaritic and biblical texts, comparative Ancient Near Eastern material, and comparative mythology, this essay argues that Mot is envisioned as a wolf, in both Ugaritic myth and the Bible.