The Old Testament book of Job was written as a philosophical and theological inquiry to the relationship between the God and humankind: Is it determined by external circumstances or an internal relationship? What happens when the external (favorable) circumstances unexpectedly take a turn for the worse? How is the “inner man” impacted? Is one’s relationship with…
The question is: “Why are the biblical authors so interested in the role of chariot divisions? What do chariots represent?” I have to admit that I was really surprised at how many times the word “chariots” appears in the Bible. I guess it makes sense due to the military focus of many of the books; however, finding “chariots”…
The “Song of Deborah” is one of the oldest passages in the Bible. It is a poetic war memorial honoring the sole female judge: Deborah. It portrays Israel as a royal family, a group of princes who ally together to defeat the Canaanite King Sisera. The battle is recounted in such a way as to make it memorable and…
This article assumes that the Old Testament was compiled after the fall of the Northern Kingdom, with the bulk of its composition taking place after the fall of the Southern Kingdom. The purpose of this article is to answer the question whether or not it is possible to duplicate the process of sculpting national identity through a complete redaction and reinterpretation…