Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) in Ancient Jewish Exegesis

Studies in Literary Form and Hermeneutics
Erscheinungsjahr 1997
ISBN: 978-90-04-10630-7
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 51, 416 Seiten, Format (B × H): 166 mm x 245 mm, Gewicht: 889 g

Reihe: Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism

This exploration of Genesis 38 in three interpretive writings shows how new meanings emerge through encounters between the biblical text and later Jewish communities.
A literary reading within the canon suggests that the story of Judah and Tamar points to the morally ambiguous origins of David's lineage. Ancient Jewish exegesis, however, challenges this understanding. The Testament of Judah interprets Genesis 38 as the story of a warrior king's tragic downfall. Targum Neofiti develops it to illustrate the concept "sanctification of the (divine) Name". and Genesis Rabbah portrays it as a series of providential events issuing in the royal and messianic lineage.
Esther Marie Menn pioneers a fresh approach to the study of biblical interpretation by analyzing the relation between interpretative genre, altered plot structure, and cultural values.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Menn, Esther

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Jüdische Studien Jüdische Studien
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Bibelwissenschaften Bibelwissenschaften: Sachbuch, Erbauung, Didaktik
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Heilige & Traditionelle Texte, Mythologie, Vergleichende Mythologie

Über Autor(innen)

Esther Marie Menn, Ph.D. (1995) University of Chicago Divinity School, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia.