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Hanna Tervanotko

McMaster University, Religious Studies, Faculty Member

University of Helsinki, Department of Biblical Studies, Alumna

Universtät Wien, Institut für Judaistik, Alumna

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I am Associate Professor of Religious Studies at McMaster University. My research concentrates on two main themes: female figures in ancient Jewish texts and Greek and Jewish divination. With regards to the first theme, my doctoral dissertation focused on the figure of Miriam in ancient Jewish literature. Later I revised the dissertation into a monograph (2016). My examination of the portrayal of Miriam in the ancient texts have led me to ask more broadly about the status of female figures, women and gender reflected in the ancient literature.

In my second book I explore methods of divination referred to in the ancient Jewish texts in the broader cultural contexts of ancient Eastern Mediterranean. While doing this, I sometimes look at the material through the lens of comparative religion, whereas other times I rely on earlier studies on cultural continuum.

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Francis Borchardt

NLA University College

Shawna Dolansky

Carleton University

Appalachian State University

Izaak J de Hulster

University of Münster

Beth Alpert Nakhai

University of Arizona

Emory University

Southwestern Christian University

University of Sao Paulo

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Books by Hanna Tervanotko

An Oracle of Encouragement to the High Official Martû-Inurta (SAA XXXVI.1) - from Nissinen Anti-Festschrift

by Christopher B. Hays, Jonathan Stökl, Hanna Tervanotko, Ehud Benzvi, Carly L. Crouch, and Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

A newly found fragment of a cuneiform text found very recently in a private collection in Kuopio ... more A newly found fragment of a cuneiform text found very recently in a private collection in Kuopio was recently joined with a fragment (K.4209) from the Kouyunjik collection at the British museum. It is now clear that the text is not, as previously thought a short god list, but instead contains an oracle from Queen Mulissu to an unknown individual, Martû-Inurta (“rod of Ninurta”). It is the aim of this brief textual note to present this newly joined text and to discuss a number of surprising and unique expressions found in it. Only further research will show the impact of this tablet on our understanding of Neo-Assyrian prophecy, metaphors in the Hebrew Bible, as well as cross-cultural communication in the ancient world.

Denying Her Voice: The Figure of Miriam in Ancient Jewish Literature

Draft version of the table of contents of the monograph, published in 2016.

Crossing Imaginary Boundaries: The Dead Sea Scrolls in the Context of Second Temple Judaism

by Mika Pajunen and Hanna Tervanotko

Finnish scholars have been involved in the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in ever growing numbers ... more Finnish scholars have been involved in the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in ever growing numbers since the 1950s. This volume pays tribute to this Helsinki school of Qumran studies, which is presently one of the largest in the world, by presenting the work of the Finnish scholars currently active in this field of study. The contributions of Crossing Imaginary Boundaries explore the Dead Sea Scrolls within the broader context of Second Temple Judaism. The volume challenges the reader to rethink critically the categories and interdisciplinary borders currently used in the study of ancient Jewish texts. In particular, Qumran research has frequently been seen as a limited esoteric area closed off from other areas of Biblical studies. This collection is an attempt to question and bridge some of these imaginary boundaries between scholarly disciplines and to demonstrate the importance of crossing them in order to get a fuller understanding of all these ancient texts and their underlying social phenomena.

Papers by Hanna Tervanotko

Gender and Gender Research in a Research Community: CSTT as a Case Study

Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions: Methodological Encounters and Debates, 2024

This chapter will discuss gender in Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence Changes in Sacred Tex... more This chapter will discuss gender in Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions (CSTT) from two distinct but interconnected perspectives. The first part of the article (Section 2) examines how gender appeared as a concern within CSTT. In order to discern the ways in which gender has appeared as a subject of interest within this academic community, this study will investigate how gender has emerged in the organizational structure of the CSTT and in its collective scholarly activities. When investigating the CSTT as an organization, this study will focus on hierarchical structures, group makeup, and hiring outcomes. When examining the CSTT as a locus of scholarly research and production, this article will highlight both inputs and outputs. It will look at what types of events were hosted by the CSTT, what guests were invited, who gave papers, what they gave papers about, and how the papers addressed topics related to gender. Through examination of the spheres of the CSTT’s existence, this paper will center gender and the style thereof as integral to the epistemological success of this academic community.

Changes in research on Judaism in the Hellenistic and early Roman periods

Studia Theologica - Nordic Journal of Theology

This article offers an overview of what every theologian and scholar of religion should know abou... more This article offers an overview of what every theologian and scholar of religion should know about changes in biblical studies that have taken place concerning the past depreciation of Second Temple Judaism, the use of newly discovered sources and their implications, as well as integrative approaches to top-down (reflected beliefs, prescribed practices, textual sources) and bottom-up (intuitive beliefs, lived practices, material culture) processes. Changes in the field lead to the rewriting of the history of the Bible and of Judaean society in the Greco-Roman context. By means of this co-authored research article, we wish to demonstrate the benefit of, as well as the need for, interdisciplinary work in the study of antiquity.

Pseudepigrapha and Gender_abstract

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Fifty Years of the Pseudepigrapha Section at the SBL, 2019

"Pseudepigrapha and Gender, " in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Fifty Years of the Pseudepigra... more

Continue to Sing, Miriam! The Song of Miriam in 4Q365

Ancient Jew Review, 2019

In this paper I explore the Song of Miriam preserved in the Qumran manuscript 4Q365-a text that h... more In this paper I explore the Song of Miriam preserved in the Qumran manuscript 4Q365-a text that has been transmitted to us under the titles 4QReworked Pentateuch c and 4QPentateuch c. By focusing on the material evidence, I will discuss how this manuscript provides important insight into how the Song of Miriam was understood by its ancient audiences. Published in Ancient Jew Review, May 12, 2019.

How did ancient authors understand Miriam's role as a prophet?

Paper published in Bible Odyssey (2018) https://www.bibleodyssey.org/people/main-articles/miriam

CSTT AND GENDER e-booklet

by Hanna Tervanotko, Saana Svärd, and Francis Borchardt

From June to August 2018, Centre of Excellence in "Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions" hosted... more From June to August 2018, Centre of Excellence in "Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions" hosted on its website a forum discussion on various aspects related to “gender”. The papers by Saana Svärd and Hanna Tervanotko, Rick Bonnie, Francis Borchardt, and Anneli Aejmelaeus that were posted on the website were originally presented during the last Annual Meeting of the Centre in May 2018 in Tvärminne, Finland.

Since the organizers of the panel, the authors and all the CSTT community would like to continue this important discussion, all the papers available in a small e-booklet entitled “CSTT and Gender” that is stored and freely accessible in Zenodo’s Open Repository (doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.998281).

"The Princess Did Provide All Things, as Though I Were Her Own" (Exagoge 37–38): Reading Exodus 2 in the Late Second Temple Era (2017) [pre-print version]

"'The Princess Did Provide All Things, as Though I Were Her Own' (Exagoge 37-38): Reading Exodus ... more "'The Princess Did Provide All Things, as Though I Were Her Own' (Exagoge 37-38): Reading Exodus 2 in the Late Second Temple Era," in The Bible and Women: An Encyclopaedia of Exegesis and Cultural History. Volume 3.1: Early Jewish Writings (ed. Eileen Schuller and Marie-Theres Wacker; Atlanta: SBL Press, 2017), 143-164.

Panel statement: Feminist Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Retrospect.pdf

A book review panel on Feminist Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Retrospect (ed. Susan Schol... more A book review panel on Feminist Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Retrospect (ed. Susan Scholz; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2013, 2014, 2016). The panel statement was presented at the European Association of Biblical Studies meeting in Leuven in July 2016. Later it was published in lectio difficilior 2/2016.

Unreliability and Gender? Untrusted Female Prophets in Ancient Greek and Jewish Texts

An article published in Journal of Ancient Judaism 6.3 (2015).

The Image of Female Prophets in Ancient Greek and Jewish Literature. Journal of Ancient Judaism 2015. Volume 6, Issue 3.

by Hanna Tervanotko, Jonathan Stökl, and Max Grossman

The contents of this thematic issue of the JAJ include: Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... more The contents of this thematic issue of the JAJ include:
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

Jonathan Stökl
Deborah, Huldah, and Innibana: Constructions of Female Prophecy in
the Ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible . . . . . . .320

Agnethe Siquans
“She Dared to Reprove Her Father:” Miriam’s Image as a Female
Prophet in Rabbinic Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

Hanna Tervanotko
Unreliability and Gender? Untrusted Female Prophets in Ancient
Greek and Jewish Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358

Manuela Giordano
From Gaia to the Pythia: Prophecy Suits Women . . . 382

Book Reviews

Revue de Qumran 106/27 (2015)

by Hanna Tervanotko, Corrado Martone, Todd Scacewater, Lydia Lee 李思琪, and Garrick Allen

Members of Levite Family and Ideal Marriages in Aramaic Levi Document, Visions of Amram and Jubilees (2015) [pre-print version]

Published in Revue de Qumrân 106 (2015): 155-176

Gendered Beauty: on the portrayal of beautiful men and women in the Hebrew Bible (2015) [pre-print version]

Published in So Good, So, Beautiful: Studies in Psalms, ethics, aesthetics, and hermeneutics (ed.... more

‘Obey me like your mother’: Deborah’s Leadership in Light of Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum 33 (2015)

Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum (L.A.B.) employs the term ‘mother’ several times in ch. 33, which o... more Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum (L.A.B.) employs the term ‘mother’ several times in ch. 33, which outlines Deborah’s farewell speech and her death. The significance of
the term has been interpreted in different ways in the past. This article first analyzes L.A.B. 33, where the term ‘mother’ features prominently in order to discover the author’s use of the term. It is argued that term ‘mother’ with regard to Deborah in L.A.B. should be understood as a title implying political leadership.

"A Trilogy of Testaments? The Status of the Testament of Qahat versus Texts Attributed to Levi and Amram" (2014)

Speaking in Dreams: The Figure of Miriam and Prophecy (2013) [pre-print version]

Published in Prophets Male and Female: Gender and Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible, the Eastern Medit... more

"'You Shall See': Rebekah’s Farewell Address in 4Q364 3 ii 1–6" (2012)

An Oracle of Encouragement to the High Official Martû-Inurta (SAA XXXVI.1) - from Nissinen Anti-Festschrift

by Christopher B. Hays, Jonathan Stökl, Hanna Tervanotko, Ehud Benzvi, Carly L. Crouch, and Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

A newly found fragment of a cuneiform text found very recently in a private collection in Kuopio ... more A newly found fragment of a cuneiform text found very recently in a private collection in Kuopio was recently joined with a fragment (K.4209) from the Kouyunjik collection at the British museum. It is now clear that the text is not, as previously thought a short god list, but instead contains an oracle from Queen Mulissu to an unknown individual, Martû-Inurta (“rod of Ninurta”). It is the aim of this brief textual note to present this newly joined text and to discuss a number of surprising and unique expressions found in it. Only further research will show the impact of this tablet on our understanding of Neo-Assyrian prophecy, metaphors in the Hebrew Bible, as well as cross-cultural communication in the ancient world.

Denying Her Voice: The Figure of Miriam in Ancient Jewish Literature

Draft version of the table of contents of the monograph, published in 2016.

Crossing Imaginary Boundaries: The Dead Sea Scrolls in the Context of Second Temple Judaism

by Mika Pajunen and Hanna Tervanotko

Finnish scholars have been involved in the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in ever growing numbers ... more Finnish scholars have been involved in the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in ever growing numbers since the 1950s. This volume pays tribute to this Helsinki school of Qumran studies, which is presently one of the largest in the world, by presenting the work of the Finnish scholars currently active in this field of study. The contributions of Crossing Imaginary Boundaries explore the Dead Sea Scrolls within the broader context of Second Temple Judaism. The volume challenges the reader to rethink critically the categories and interdisciplinary borders currently used in the study of ancient Jewish texts. In particular, Qumran research has frequently been seen as a limited esoteric area closed off from other areas of Biblical studies. This collection is an attempt to question and bridge some of these imaginary boundaries between scholarly disciplines and to demonstrate the importance of crossing them in order to get a fuller understanding of all these ancient texts and their underlying social phenomena.

Gender and Gender Research in a Research Community: CSTT as a Case Study

Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions: Methodological Encounters and Debates, 2024

This chapter will discuss gender in Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence Changes in Sacred Tex... more This chapter will discuss gender in Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions (CSTT) from two distinct but interconnected perspectives. The first part of the article (Section 2) examines how gender appeared as a concern within CSTT. In order to discern the ways in which gender has appeared as a subject of interest within this academic community, this study will investigate how gender has emerged in the organizational structure of the CSTT and in its collective scholarly activities. When investigating the CSTT as an organization, this study will focus on hierarchical structures, group makeup, and hiring outcomes. When examining the CSTT as a locus of scholarly research and production, this article will highlight both inputs and outputs. It will look at what types of events were hosted by the CSTT, what guests were invited, who gave papers, what they gave papers about, and how the papers addressed topics related to gender. Through examination of the spheres of the CSTT’s existence, this paper will center gender and the style thereof as integral to the epistemological success of this academic community.

Changes in research on Judaism in the Hellenistic and early Roman periods

Studia Theologica - Nordic Journal of Theology

This article offers an overview of what every theologian and scholar of religion should know abou... more This article offers an overview of what every theologian and scholar of religion should know about changes in biblical studies that have taken place concerning the past depreciation of Second Temple Judaism, the use of newly discovered sources and their implications, as well as integrative approaches to top-down (reflected beliefs, prescribed practices, textual sources) and bottom-up (intuitive beliefs, lived practices, material culture) processes. Changes in the field lead to the rewriting of the history of the Bible and of Judaean society in the Greco-Roman context. By means of this co-authored research article, we wish to demonstrate the benefit of, as well as the need for, interdisciplinary work in the study of antiquity.

Pseudepigrapha and Gender_abstract

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Fifty Years of the Pseudepigrapha Section at the SBL, 2019

"Pseudepigrapha and Gender, " in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Fifty Years of the Pseudepigra... more

Continue to Sing, Miriam! The Song of Miriam in 4Q365

Ancient Jew Review, 2019

In this paper I explore the Song of Miriam preserved in the Qumran manuscript 4Q365-a text that h... more In this paper I explore the Song of Miriam preserved in the Qumran manuscript 4Q365-a text that has been transmitted to us under the titles 4QReworked Pentateuch c and 4QPentateuch c. By focusing on the material evidence, I will discuss how this manuscript provides important insight into how the Song of Miriam was understood by its ancient audiences. Published in Ancient Jew Review, May 12, 2019.

How did ancient authors understand Miriam's role as a prophet?

Paper published in Bible Odyssey (2018) https://www.bibleodyssey.org/people/main-articles/miriam

CSTT AND GENDER e-booklet

by Hanna Tervanotko, Saana Svärd, and Francis Borchardt

From June to August 2018, Centre of Excellence in "Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions" hosted... more From June to August 2018, Centre of Excellence in "Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions" hosted on its website a forum discussion on various aspects related to “gender”. The papers by Saana Svärd and Hanna Tervanotko, Rick Bonnie, Francis Borchardt, and Anneli Aejmelaeus that were posted on the website were originally presented during the last Annual Meeting of the Centre in May 2018 in Tvärminne, Finland.

Since the organizers of the panel, the authors and all the CSTT community would like to continue this important discussion, all the papers available in a small e-booklet entitled “CSTT and Gender” that is stored and freely accessible in Zenodo’s Open Repository (doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.998281).

"The Princess Did Provide All Things, as Though I Were Her Own" (Exagoge 37–38): Reading Exodus 2 in the Late Second Temple Era (2017) [pre-print version]

"'The Princess Did Provide All Things, as Though I Were Her Own' (Exagoge 37-38): Reading Exodus ... more "'The Princess Did Provide All Things, as Though I Were Her Own' (Exagoge 37-38): Reading Exodus 2 in the Late Second Temple Era," in The Bible and Women: An Encyclopaedia of Exegesis and Cultural History. Volume 3.1: Early Jewish Writings (ed. Eileen Schuller and Marie-Theres Wacker; Atlanta: SBL Press, 2017), 143-164.

Panel statement: Feminist Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Retrospect.pdf

A book review panel on Feminist Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Retrospect (ed. Susan Schol... more A book review panel on Feminist Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Retrospect (ed. Susan Scholz; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2013, 2014, 2016). The panel statement was presented at the European Association of Biblical Studies meeting in Leuven in July 2016. Later it was published in lectio difficilior 2/2016.

Unreliability and Gender? Untrusted Female Prophets in Ancient Greek and Jewish Texts

An article published in Journal of Ancient Judaism 6.3 (2015).

The Image of Female Prophets in Ancient Greek and Jewish Literature. Journal of Ancient Judaism 2015. Volume 6, Issue 3.

by Hanna Tervanotko, Jonathan Stökl, and Max Grossman

The contents of this thematic issue of the JAJ include: Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... more The contents of this thematic issue of the JAJ include:
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

Jonathan Stökl
Deborah, Huldah, and Innibana: Constructions of Female Prophecy in
the Ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible . . . . . . .320

Agnethe Siquans
“She Dared to Reprove Her Father:” Miriam’s Image as a Female
Prophet in Rabbinic Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

Hanna Tervanotko
Unreliability and Gender? Untrusted Female Prophets in Ancient
Greek and Jewish Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358

Manuela Giordano
From Gaia to the Pythia: Prophecy Suits Women . . . 382

Book Reviews

Revue de Qumran 106/27 (2015)

by Hanna Tervanotko, Corrado Martone, Todd Scacewater, Lydia Lee 李思琪, and Garrick Allen

Members of Levite Family and Ideal Marriages in Aramaic Levi Document, Visions of Amram and Jubilees (2015) [pre-print version]

Published in Revue de Qumrân 106 (2015): 155-176

Gendered Beauty: on the portrayal of beautiful men and women in the Hebrew Bible (2015) [pre-print version]

Published in So Good, So, Beautiful: Studies in Psalms, ethics, aesthetics, and hermeneutics (ed.... more

‘Obey me like your mother’: Deborah’s Leadership in Light of Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum 33 (2015)

Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum (L.A.B.) employs the term ‘mother’ several times in ch. 33, which o... more Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum (L.A.B.) employs the term ‘mother’ several times in ch. 33, which outlines Deborah’s farewell speech and her death. The significance of
the term has been interpreted in different ways in the past. This article first analyzes L.A.B. 33, where the term ‘mother’ features prominently in order to discover the author’s use of the term. It is argued that term ‘mother’ with regard to Deborah in L.A.B. should be understood as a title implying political leadership.

"A Trilogy of Testaments? The Status of the Testament of Qahat versus Texts Attributed to Levi and Amram" (2014)

Speaking in Dreams: The Figure of Miriam and Prophecy (2013) [pre-print version]

Published in Prophets Male and Female: Gender and Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible, the Eastern Medit... more

"'You Shall See': Rebekah’s Farewell Address in 4Q364 3 ii 1–6" (2012)

"Miriam Misbehaving? The Figure of Miriam in 4Q377 in Light of Ancient Jewish Literature" (2011)

"'Hope of the Enemy has Perished' The Figure of Miriam in the Qumran Library" (2009) [pre-print version]

Published in From Qumran to Aleppo : a discussion with Emanuel Tov about the textual history of J... more

“Aligned” or “Non-Aligned”? The Textual Status of the Qumran Cave 4 Manuscripts of the Minor Prophets

by Hanne von Weissenberg, Hanna Tervanotko, and Mika Pajunen

Perspectives on the Formation of the Book of the Twelve: Methodological Foundations - Redactional Processes - Historical Insights Edited by Rainer Albertz, James D. Nogalski, Jakob Wöhrle. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 433. Walter de Gruyter, 2012. Pages 381-396. , 2012

Review of The Levites and Boundaries of Israelite Identity

Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 2019

Book review of Mark Leuchter, The Levites and the Boundaries of Israelite Identity. Oxford: Oxfor... more

Review of The Role of Women in Work and Society in the Ancient Near East

Review of The Role of Women in Work and Society in the Ancient Near East (ed. Brigitte Lion and C... more

Review of The Perspective from Mt Sinai: The Book of Jubilees and Exodus (preprint version)

Review of Betsy Halpern Amaru, The Perspective from Mt Sinai: The Book of Jubilees and Exodus (JA... more

Review of Stacy Davis, Haggai and Malachi (Wisdom Commentary Series)

This review of Stacy Davis's commentary on Haggai and Malachi was published in Review of Biblical... more

Review of Rewriting and Interpreting the Hebrew Bible: The Biblical Patriarchs in the Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Review of Devorah Dimant and Reinhard G. Kratz, eds., Rewriting and Interpreting the Hebrew Bibl... more

Review of The Subversion of the Apocalypses in the Book of Jubilees by Todd R. Hanneken

Published in JSJ 45 (2014): 401-403

Kings and Power: Exploring Jewish Texts in their Hellenistic Contexts: Workshop in Helsinki, December 3-4, 2016 (Call for Papers)

by Hanna Tervanotko, Elisa Uusimäki, and Tuukka Kauhanen

Kings and Power: Exploring Jewish Texts in their Hellenistic Contexts is a two day workshop. The ... more Kings and Power: Exploring Jewish Texts in their Hellenistic Contexts is a two day workshop. The meeting days are December 3-4, 2016. The aim of this workshop is to provide the scholars of different levels (doctoral students, postdocs and senior researchers) with a forum where to interact beyond disciplinary boundaries. With this purpose in mind, we invite junior and senior researchers to submit a proposal for our meeting.

"The Dead Sea Scrolls and Hellenism" April 13-14, 2016, Groningen

The fifth international meeting of the Groningen-Leuven network of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The meet... more

Magi(cians) in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Greek Literature (2016)

This is an article published in a Finnish volume Raamattu ja Magia ("the Bible and Magic") edite... more

Kuuluiko Qumranin liikkeeseen naisia? Naiset Qumranin teksteissä [Were there Women in the Qumran Community? The Status of Women in Qumran Literature] (2013)

"Kuuluiko Qumranin liikeeseen naisia? Naiset Qumranin teksteissä" TA 118 (2013): 279-282. Publis... more

Dead Sea Scrolls and Hellenism: Concluding Remarks for the Fifth Meeting of the Groningen-Leuven Network of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Dead Sea Scrolls and Hellenism, Fifth Meeting of the Groningen-Leuven Network of the Dead Sea Scr... more

What is Beautiful is Good: Examining the Significance of Sarah's Beauty in Genesis Apocryphon 20:2-9

Advances in Ancient Biblical and Near Eastern Research, 2022

The description of Sarah in Genesis Apocryphon 20:2–9 may be the only narrative containing a woma... more The description of Sarah in Genesis Apocryphon 20:2–9 may be the only narrative containing a woman’s physiognomic description that has been preserved in ancient Jewish texts. First, by reading the references in light of physiognomics, which assumes that physical aesthetics reflect inner qualities, I analyze the beauty preferences expressed in this text. I make use of physiognomic descriptions in ancient Near Eastern and Greek texts to uncover what the aesthetic preferences may have indicated in antiquity. Second, whereas others have proposed that the physiognomic examination concerns Sarah as a spouse, I argue that the description
of Sarah’s appearance does not concern her relationship with Abraham. Rather, the passage speaks of Sarah’s own qualities, which the Egyptians are able to recognize thanks to their physiognomic examination; they examine Sarah as a possible spouse for the king and find her suitable. Also, based on Sarah’s looks, the Egyptians conclude that she possesses wisdom.

"Let us cast lots, so that we may know" (Jonah 1:7): Oracle of Lot as a Ritual-like Activity in Ancient Jewish Texts

by Hanna Tervanotko and Kyle Schofield

Biblical Interpretation, 2021

This article seeks to push further scholarly interest and discussion about the ancient Jewish use... more This article seeks to push further scholarly interest and discussion about the ancient Jewish use of the oracle of lot, which has historically been hindered by its categorization as a divinatory method, by including ritual into its categorization. This article explores the ways in which the oracle of lot, as portrayed in Jewish literature, can be categorized under Catharine Bell's description of ritual-like activity. First, the article gives a general overview of the methods, materials, and functions that the oracle of lot had in the ancient world. Following this discussion, we move on to four case studies where we examine the ritual-like characteristics of the oracle of lot as attested in four Jewish texts: 1 Samuel 14, Jonah 1, Esther 3, and the Community Rule (1QS).

"Sarah the Princess: Tracing the Hellenistic Afterlife of a Pentateuchal Female Figure," Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament 32/2 (2018): 271–290.

by Hanna Tervanotko and Elisa Uusimäki

This article analyses Philo of Alexandria’s and Josephus Flavius’s interpretations of Sarah from ... more This article analyses Philo of Alexandria’s and Josephus Flavius’s interpretations of Sarah from the viewpoint of social and political power attached to her. Both ascribe the figure royal attributes (i.e. she is depicted as a princess or queen) and other features that promote her as a virtuous model and an individual of public standing. A variety of emphases, philological and philosophical interpretations alike, jointly serve to construct Sarah’s exemplarity. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that different dimensions of biblical female figures may be revealed when their role as spouses and mothers is not taken as the starting point of analysis in studies concerning the reception history of biblical women.

Reading God’s Will? Function and Status of Oracle Interpreters in Ancient Jewish and Greek Texts

Article published in Dead Sea Discoveries Vol. 24 No. 3 2017

"Changes in Research on Judaism in the Hellenistic and Early Roman Periods: An Invitation to Interdisciplinarity," Studia Theologica 71 (2017): 1-27.

by Elisa Uusimäki, Jutta Jokiranta, Katri Antin, Rick Bonnie, Raimo Hakola, and Hanna Tervanotko

This article offers an overview of what every theologian and scholar of religion should know abo... more This article offers an overview of what every theologian and scholar of religion
should know about changes in biblical studies that have taken place concerning the past
depreciation of Second Temple Judaism, the use of newly discovered sources and their
implications, as well as integrative approaches to top-down (reflected beliefs, prescribed
practices, textual sources) and bottom-up (intuitive beliefs, lived practices, material culture) processes. Changes in the field lead to the re-writing of the history of the Bible and of Judaean society in the Greco-Roman context. By means of this co-authored research article, we wish to demonstrate the benefit of, as well as the need for, interdisciplinary work in the study of antiquity.

Course Syllabus of Fall 2017: Women in the Biblical Tradition

by Hanna Tervanotko and Katharine Fitzgerald

The role and status of women in antiquity is still debated. In this course we will analyze the po... more The role and status of women in antiquity is still debated. In this course we will analyze the portrayal of women in Biblical literature taking into consideration some material artifacts. We will read how women are depicted in different genres of literature, and what the ancient authors tell about women. In addition, we will explore some key theories of the feminist and gender studies and their application to the Biblical studies. What factors may have influenced the ways in which the ancient authors portrayed women? By analyzing the portrayal of women and gender in antiquity the course will also provide conceptual tools to engage in contemporary debates concerning them.

Mooseksen kirjojen muokatut versiot: Qumranin tekstilöytöjen merkitys kirjallisten perinteiden kehityksen ymmärtämiselle

by Jessi Orpana and Hanna Tervanotko

Teologinen Aikakauskirja, 2013