essays in biblical culture and bible translationby harry m. orlinsky
TRANSCRIPT
Essays in Biblical Culture and Bible Translation by Harry M. OrlinskyReview by: Dennis PardeeJournal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 98, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1978), p. 343Published by: American Oriental SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/598790 .
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Brief Reviews of Books Brief Reviews of Books Brief Reviews of Books Brief Reviews of Books
Nordwestsemitische Studien zum Hoseabuch. By WILLI-
BALD KUHNIGK. [Biblica et Orientalia No. 27.] Rome: BIBLICAL INSTITUTE PRESS. 1974. Pp. xxiv + 177. $12.00.
We have here yet another dissertation done under M. Dahood at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. It follows the now familiar pattern of applying Dahood's
philological methods to parts of a given section of the Hebrew Bible. A brief perusal of this commentary and an examination of the indices (which, as usual in works
prepared under Dahood, are very complete) are sufficient to ascertain that the methodology and, therefore, the results are vintage "Dahoodic." A good example of the
methodology may be cited from p. 11: in lahmi (Hos. 2:7) the 1 c.s. pronominal suffix -f is described as dative, with no nuancing whatever in the application of classical
grammatical terminology and categories to a Semitic
language, and with no apparent recognition that the entire question is a matter of modern translation (be it into German or English).
DENNIS PARDEE
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Essays in Biblical Culture and Bible Translation. By HARRY M. ORLINSKY. New York: KTAV. 1974. Pp. xv + 462. $15.00.
Orlinsky has shared with five of his former students the task of gathering in this volume twenty-four of his
popular essays, many of them originally presented as
speeches. They are indeed popular essays and not meant
primarily for scholars. They are useful, however, for
anyone who wants to see how one of today's leading biblical scholars presents his field to a non-specialist audience. I was particularly impressed by two major themes which kept reappearing in these essays: 1) The word eisegesis as a derogatory term for interpretation based on presupposition; 2) Orlinsky's passionate defense of the necessity for Jews to have a Jewish translation of the Bible, unaffected by Christian interpretations. One
might fear that the second preoccupation would impinge upon the first, but I did not find a single rendition of a text in this volume which is open to such a charge.
DENNIS PARDEE THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Biblical and Oriental Studies. Vol. 2: Bible and Ancient Oriental Texts. By U. CASSUTO. Translated by ISRAEL ABRAHAMS. Jerusalem: MAGNES PRESS. 1975. Pp. xi + 286. $15.00.
Israel Abrahams continues translating Cassuto's works into English, here offering us a collection and translation
Nordwestsemitische Studien zum Hoseabuch. By WILLI-
BALD KUHNIGK. [Biblica et Orientalia No. 27.] Rome: BIBLICAL INSTITUTE PRESS. 1974. Pp. xxiv + 177. $12.00.
We have here yet another dissertation done under M. Dahood at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. It follows the now familiar pattern of applying Dahood's
philological methods to parts of a given section of the Hebrew Bible. A brief perusal of this commentary and an examination of the indices (which, as usual in works
prepared under Dahood, are very complete) are sufficient to ascertain that the methodology and, therefore, the results are vintage "Dahoodic." A good example of the
methodology may be cited from p. 11: in lahmi (Hos. 2:7) the 1 c.s. pronominal suffix -f is described as dative, with no nuancing whatever in the application of classical
grammatical terminology and categories to a Semitic
language, and with no apparent recognition that the entire question is a matter of modern translation (be it into German or English).
DENNIS PARDEE
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Essays in Biblical Culture and Bible Translation. By HARRY M. ORLINSKY. New York: KTAV. 1974. Pp. xv + 462. $15.00.
Orlinsky has shared with five of his former students the task of gathering in this volume twenty-four of his
popular essays, many of them originally presented as
speeches. They are indeed popular essays and not meant
primarily for scholars. They are useful, however, for
anyone who wants to see how one of today's leading biblical scholars presents his field to a non-specialist audience. I was particularly impressed by two major themes which kept reappearing in these essays: 1) The word eisegesis as a derogatory term for interpretation based on presupposition; 2) Orlinsky's passionate defense of the necessity for Jews to have a Jewish translation of the Bible, unaffected by Christian interpretations. One
might fear that the second preoccupation would impinge upon the first, but I did not find a single rendition of a text in this volume which is open to such a charge.
DENNIS PARDEE THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Biblical and Oriental Studies. Vol. 2: Bible and Ancient Oriental Texts. By U. CASSUTO. Translated by ISRAEL ABRAHAMS. Jerusalem: MAGNES PRESS. 1975. Pp. xi + 286. $15.00.
Israel Abrahams continues translating Cassuto's works into English, here offering us a collection and translation
Nordwestsemitische Studien zum Hoseabuch. By WILLI-
BALD KUHNIGK. [Biblica et Orientalia No. 27.] Rome: BIBLICAL INSTITUTE PRESS. 1974. Pp. xxiv + 177. $12.00.
We have here yet another dissertation done under M. Dahood at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. It follows the now familiar pattern of applying Dahood's
philological methods to parts of a given section of the Hebrew Bible. A brief perusal of this commentary and an examination of the indices (which, as usual in works
prepared under Dahood, are very complete) are sufficient to ascertain that the methodology and, therefore, the results are vintage "Dahoodic." A good example of the
methodology may be cited from p. 11: in lahmi (Hos. 2:7) the 1 c.s. pronominal suffix -f is described as dative, with no nuancing whatever in the application of classical
grammatical terminology and categories to a Semitic
language, and with no apparent recognition that the entire question is a matter of modern translation (be it into German or English).
DENNIS PARDEE
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Essays in Biblical Culture and Bible Translation. By HARRY M. ORLINSKY. New York: KTAV. 1974. Pp. xv + 462. $15.00.
Orlinsky has shared with five of his former students the task of gathering in this volume twenty-four of his
popular essays, many of them originally presented as
speeches. They are indeed popular essays and not meant
primarily for scholars. They are useful, however, for
anyone who wants to see how one of today's leading biblical scholars presents his field to a non-specialist audience. I was particularly impressed by two major themes which kept reappearing in these essays: 1) The word eisegesis as a derogatory term for interpretation based on presupposition; 2) Orlinsky's passionate defense of the necessity for Jews to have a Jewish translation of the Bible, unaffected by Christian interpretations. One
might fear that the second preoccupation would impinge upon the first, but I did not find a single rendition of a text in this volume which is open to such a charge.
DENNIS PARDEE THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Biblical and Oriental Studies. Vol. 2: Bible and Ancient Oriental Texts. By U. CASSUTO. Translated by ISRAEL ABRAHAMS. Jerusalem: MAGNES PRESS. 1975. Pp. xi + 286. $15.00.
Israel Abrahams continues translating Cassuto's works into English, here offering us a collection and translation
Nordwestsemitische Studien zum Hoseabuch. By WILLI-
BALD KUHNIGK. [Biblica et Orientalia No. 27.] Rome: BIBLICAL INSTITUTE PRESS. 1974. Pp. xxiv + 177. $12.00.
We have here yet another dissertation done under M. Dahood at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. It follows the now familiar pattern of applying Dahood's
philological methods to parts of a given section of the Hebrew Bible. A brief perusal of this commentary and an examination of the indices (which, as usual in works
prepared under Dahood, are very complete) are sufficient to ascertain that the methodology and, therefore, the results are vintage "Dahoodic." A good example of the
methodology may be cited from p. 11: in lahmi (Hos. 2:7) the 1 c.s. pronominal suffix -f is described as dative, with no nuancing whatever in the application of classical
grammatical terminology and categories to a Semitic
language, and with no apparent recognition that the entire question is a matter of modern translation (be it into German or English).
DENNIS PARDEE
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Essays in Biblical Culture and Bible Translation. By HARRY M. ORLINSKY. New York: KTAV. 1974. Pp. xv + 462. $15.00.
Orlinsky has shared with five of his former students the task of gathering in this volume twenty-four of his
popular essays, many of them originally presented as
speeches. They are indeed popular essays and not meant
primarily for scholars. They are useful, however, for
anyone who wants to see how one of today's leading biblical scholars presents his field to a non-specialist audience. I was particularly impressed by two major themes which kept reappearing in these essays: 1) The word eisegesis as a derogatory term for interpretation based on presupposition; 2) Orlinsky's passionate defense of the necessity for Jews to have a Jewish translation of the Bible, unaffected by Christian interpretations. One
might fear that the second preoccupation would impinge upon the first, but I did not find a single rendition of a text in this volume which is open to such a charge.
DENNIS PARDEE THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Biblical and Oriental Studies. Vol. 2: Bible and Ancient Oriental Texts. By U. CASSUTO. Translated by ISRAEL ABRAHAMS. Jerusalem: MAGNES PRESS. 1975. Pp. xi + 286. $15.00.
Israel Abrahams continues translating Cassuto's works into English, here offering us a collection and translation
of sixteen journal and Festschrift articles originally published between 1936 and 1950 in five different lan-
guages. Eight were originally in Hebrew (one of which had already been translated into English, IEJ 12 [1962]: 77-86), five in Italian, and one each in French, German, and English. It will be a handy form in which to refer
English speaking students to Cassuto's articles, and many of us will fully appreciate here for the first time his contributions in Modern Hebrew. One wonders at some of the choices, however. Why include two articles that have already appeared in English in readily accessible
journals (IEJ 12, BASOR 119)? And why publish Cassuto's second article on the Lachish ostraca (MGWJ 83), but not his first (RSO 16)?
At the end of this volume are assembled text, author, and subject indices for both volumes of Biblical and Oriental Studies.
DENNIS PARDEE THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
gntwn Imqr' vwlhqr hmzrh hqdwm (Shnaton: An Annual
for Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies). Editors, JONAS C. GREENFIELD and MOSHE WEINFELD.
Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv: ISRAEL BIBLE COMPANY. 1975
(vol. 1). Pp. 260 + xxvii. 95 Israeli pounds.
The first volume of this new annual contains eighteen studies on biblical or biblically related subjects by various scholars, some well known, others little known in the United States, most of them professors of one branch or another of Near Eastern studies in Israel. The articles are in Hebrew, with English summaries (the summaries
range in length from a few lines to a page and a half). The authors and titles are: Y. Avishur, "Phoenician Topoi in Proverbs"; Z. Ben-Barak, "The Religious-Prophetic Background of the 'Law of the King' in Deuteronomy"; J. Blau, "Philological Notes on the Bible based on Me- dieval Judaeo-Arabic"; M. Fishbane, "The Biblical 'ot"; H. Hakkak, "The Nature of the Covenant in the 'Manual of Discipline"'; A. Hurwitz, "On the Term
sip n'l in Ruth 4:7"; S. E. Loewenstamm, "New Proposals to Analyze the Composition of the Plague Pericope"; J. Naveh, "Aramaic Ostraca from Beer Sheba"; B. Oded, "Assyria and the Phoenician City-States at the Time of the Assyrian Empire-II"; M. Parnas, "'Edut, 'Edot, 'Edwot in the Bible, against the Background of Ancient Near Eastern Documents"; H. Raviv, "The sCbut name and its Components at Alalakh"; N. M. Sarna, "On the Problem of the Order of the Biblical Books"; E. Tov, "The Contribution of Textual Criticism to the Literary Criti- cism and Exegesis of Jeremiah-the Hebrew Vorlage of the LXX of Chapter 27"; M. Weinfeld, "The Loyalty
of sixteen journal and Festschrift articles originally published between 1936 and 1950 in five different lan-
guages. Eight were originally in Hebrew (one of which had already been translated into English, IEJ 12 [1962]: 77-86), five in Italian, and one each in French, German, and English. It will be a handy form in which to refer
English speaking students to Cassuto's articles, and many of us will fully appreciate here for the first time his contributions in Modern Hebrew. One wonders at some of the choices, however. Why include two articles that have already appeared in English in readily accessible
journals (IEJ 12, BASOR 119)? And why publish Cassuto's second article on the Lachish ostraca (MGWJ 83), but not his first (RSO 16)?
At the end of this volume are assembled text, author, and subject indices for both volumes of Biblical and Oriental Studies.
DENNIS PARDEE THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
gntwn Imqr' vwlhqr hmzrh hqdwm (Shnaton: An Annual
for Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies). Editors, JONAS C. GREENFIELD and MOSHE WEINFELD.
Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv: ISRAEL BIBLE COMPANY. 1975
(vol. 1). Pp. 260 + xxvii. 95 Israeli pounds.
The first volume of this new annual contains eighteen studies on biblical or biblically related subjects by various scholars, some well known, others little known in the United States, most of them professors of one branch or another of Near Eastern studies in Israel. The articles are in Hebrew, with English summaries (the summaries
range in length from a few lines to a page and a half). The authors and titles are: Y. Avishur, "Phoenician Topoi in Proverbs"; Z. Ben-Barak, "The Religious-Prophetic Background of the 'Law of the King' in Deuteronomy"; J. Blau, "Philological Notes on the Bible based on Me- dieval Judaeo-Arabic"; M. Fishbane, "The Biblical 'ot"; H. Hakkak, "The Nature of the Covenant in the 'Manual of Discipline"'; A. Hurwitz, "On the Term
sip n'l in Ruth 4:7"; S. E. Loewenstamm, "New Proposals to Analyze the Composition of the Plague Pericope"; J. Naveh, "Aramaic Ostraca from Beer Sheba"; B. Oded, "Assyria and the Phoenician City-States at the Time of the Assyrian Empire-II"; M. Parnas, "'Edut, 'Edot, 'Edwot in the Bible, against the Background of Ancient Near Eastern Documents"; H. Raviv, "The sCbut name and its Components at Alalakh"; N. M. Sarna, "On the Problem of the Order of the Biblical Books"; E. Tov, "The Contribution of Textual Criticism to the Literary Criti- cism and Exegesis of Jeremiah-the Hebrew Vorlage of the LXX of Chapter 27"; M. Weinfeld, "The Loyalty
of sixteen journal and Festschrift articles originally published between 1936 and 1950 in five different lan-
guages. Eight were originally in Hebrew (one of which had already been translated into English, IEJ 12 [1962]: 77-86), five in Italian, and one each in French, German, and English. It will be a handy form in which to refer
English speaking students to Cassuto's articles, and many of us will fully appreciate here for the first time his contributions in Modern Hebrew. One wonders at some of the choices, however. Why include two articles that have already appeared in English in readily accessible
journals (IEJ 12, BASOR 119)? And why publish Cassuto's second article on the Lachish ostraca (MGWJ 83), but not his first (RSO 16)?
At the end of this volume are assembled text, author, and subject indices for both volumes of Biblical and Oriental Studies.
DENNIS PARDEE THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
gntwn Imqr' vwlhqr hmzrh hqdwm (Shnaton: An Annual
for Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies). Editors, JONAS C. GREENFIELD and MOSHE WEINFELD.
Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv: ISRAEL BIBLE COMPANY. 1975
(vol. 1). Pp. 260 + xxvii. 95 Israeli pounds.
The first volume of this new annual contains eighteen studies on biblical or biblically related subjects by various scholars, some well known, others little known in the United States, most of them professors of one branch or another of Near Eastern studies in Israel. The articles are in Hebrew, with English summaries (the summaries
range in length from a few lines to a page and a half). The authors and titles are: Y. Avishur, "Phoenician Topoi in Proverbs"; Z. Ben-Barak, "The Religious-Prophetic Background of the 'Law of the King' in Deuteronomy"; J. Blau, "Philological Notes on the Bible based on Me- dieval Judaeo-Arabic"; M. Fishbane, "The Biblical 'ot"; H. Hakkak, "The Nature of the Covenant in the 'Manual of Discipline"'; A. Hurwitz, "On the Term
sip n'l in Ruth 4:7"; S. E. Loewenstamm, "New Proposals to Analyze the Composition of the Plague Pericope"; J. Naveh, "Aramaic Ostraca from Beer Sheba"; B. Oded, "Assyria and the Phoenician City-States at the Time of the Assyrian Empire-II"; M. Parnas, "'Edut, 'Edot, 'Edwot in the Bible, against the Background of Ancient Near Eastern Documents"; H. Raviv, "The sCbut name and its Components at Alalakh"; N. M. Sarna, "On the Problem of the Order of the Biblical Books"; E. Tov, "The Contribution of Textual Criticism to the Literary Criti- cism and Exegesis of Jeremiah-the Hebrew Vorlage of the LXX of Chapter 27"; M. Weinfeld, "The Loyalty
of sixteen journal and Festschrift articles originally published between 1936 and 1950 in five different lan-
guages. Eight were originally in Hebrew (one of which had already been translated into English, IEJ 12 [1962]: 77-86), five in Italian, and one each in French, German, and English. It will be a handy form in which to refer
English speaking students to Cassuto's articles, and many of us will fully appreciate here for the first time his contributions in Modern Hebrew. One wonders at some of the choices, however. Why include two articles that have already appeared in English in readily accessible
journals (IEJ 12, BASOR 119)? And why publish Cassuto's second article on the Lachish ostraca (MGWJ 83), but not his first (RSO 16)?
At the end of this volume are assembled text, author, and subject indices for both volumes of Biblical and Oriental Studies.
DENNIS PARDEE THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
gntwn Imqr' vwlhqr hmzrh hqdwm (Shnaton: An Annual
for Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies). Editors, JONAS C. GREENFIELD and MOSHE WEINFELD.
Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv: ISRAEL BIBLE COMPANY. 1975
(vol. 1). Pp. 260 + xxvii. 95 Israeli pounds.
The first volume of this new annual contains eighteen studies on biblical or biblically related subjects by various scholars, some well known, others little known in the United States, most of them professors of one branch or another of Near Eastern studies in Israel. The articles are in Hebrew, with English summaries (the summaries
range in length from a few lines to a page and a half). The authors and titles are: Y. Avishur, "Phoenician Topoi in Proverbs"; Z. Ben-Barak, "The Religious-Prophetic Background of the 'Law of the King' in Deuteronomy"; J. Blau, "Philological Notes on the Bible based on Me- dieval Judaeo-Arabic"; M. Fishbane, "The Biblical 'ot"; H. Hakkak, "The Nature of the Covenant in the 'Manual of Discipline"'; A. Hurwitz, "On the Term
sip n'l in Ruth 4:7"; S. E. Loewenstamm, "New Proposals to Analyze the Composition of the Plague Pericope"; J. Naveh, "Aramaic Ostraca from Beer Sheba"; B. Oded, "Assyria and the Phoenician City-States at the Time of the Assyrian Empire-II"; M. Parnas, "'Edut, 'Edot, 'Edwot in the Bible, against the Background of Ancient Near Eastern Documents"; H. Raviv, "The sCbut name and its Components at Alalakh"; N. M. Sarna, "On the Problem of the Order of the Biblical Books"; E. Tov, "The Contribution of Textual Criticism to the Literary Criti- cism and Exegesis of Jeremiah-the Hebrew Vorlage of the LXX of Chapter 27"; M. Weinfeld, "The Loyalty
343 343 343 343
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