Envisioning Writing: Texts and Power in Early Judaism
Envisioning Writing: Texts and Power in Early Judaism

Envisioning Writing: Texts and Power in Early Judaism

in Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies

by Donald C. Polaski

Pages 256
Publisher T&T Clark
Published 2016
ISBN-13 9780567027023
This work traces the development of Judaism as a Scriptural religion, claiming that this did not arise from discrete moments of "political" authority (e.g., Sinai, Josiah, Ezra), but was part of a complex and multifarious negotiation involving writing, literacy, orality and the socio-political power of the Persian, Greek and Roman empires.

  • Table Of Contents
  • Introduction - Writing, Orality, Power and Empire: A Model
  • Section One - Prophets, Moses and Deuteronomists: Learning to Write
    • The Written Prophets: Setting the Record Straight
    • Deuteronomy and Moses (an expansion of my article from Postmodern Interpretations of the Bible)
    • Josiah, Joshua and Imperial Textuality (a revision of my article from Semeia Studies)
  • Section Two - Inscribing Yehud
    • The Prophets Learn to Write (Ezekiel, Zechariah, Malachi)
    • Nehemiah: Subject of the Empire (a revision of my paper delivered at 2004 SBL)
    • Ezra: The Discipline of Letters
  • Section Three - Engraved Invitations: Writing at the Table of the Powerful
    • Esther: A Writing Carnival?
    • The Letter of Aristeas: A Hellenistic Writing Symposium
    • Writing and Resistance in Daniel 1-6 (an expansion of my JBL paper)
  • Section Four - Writing and the Sectarian Subject
    • Irresistible Texts
    • Daniel's Vision and the Empire
    • Jubilees and Torah
    • 1 Enoch: Writing the Sectarian Subject
    • Writing by the Dead Sea: 4QMMT as Signifier
  • Conclusion

Reviews

Add Your Review

This book has not been reviewed.