David Volgger
Pontifical University Antonianum, Faculty of Theology, Faculty Member
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In der vorliegenden Untersuchung geht es um den Nachweis, dass fünf Kriterien für die Texte zu Isaak und Jakob in Gen 25-50 von zentraler Bedeutung sind. Wie bereits in einer vorangehenden Analyse zu Gen 12-25 werde ich davon ausgehen und... more
In der vorliegenden Untersuchung geht es um den Nachweis, dass fünf Kriterien für die Texte zu Isaak und Jakob in Gen 25-50 von zentraler Bedeutung sind. Wie bereits in einer vorangehenden Analyse zu Gen 12-25 werde ich davon ausgehen und dafür argumentieren, dass auch in Gen 25-50 drei relativ unabhängige Quellen die Basis für die Textkomposition darstellen. Darüber hinaus wird die Textanalyse ergeben, dass Abschnitte wie Gen 24 (und damit verbunden 26,2-5 und 46,2-5); evtl. 27; *29-33; 36 und Gen 37; (38); 39-45 (die „Josefserzählung“) eine gründlichere Kenntnis der anderen Quellen und ein erhöhtes Niveau literarischer Bearbeitung aufweisen. Man könnte in diesen Fällen auch von Quellen zweiten Grades sprechen. Da alle „Quellen“ mit den fünf Kriterien übereinstimmen und sich in ihrer inhaltlichen Darstellung und systematischen Aussage gleichen, liegt es nahe, für ihre Genese ein ähnliches soziales Ambiente und eine ähnliche Entstehungszeit anzunehmen.
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Die Textanalysen zur Volkswerdung unter Abraham in Gen 11,27-25,18 (ohne Gen 24) konzentrieren sich auf die Frage: Verwenden die drei Quellen unterschiedliche Konzeptionen für dieses Thema oder gleichen sie sich diesbezüglich. Ich werde... more
Die Textanalysen zur Volkswerdung unter Abraham in Gen 11,27-25,18 (ohne Gen 24) konzentrieren sich auf die Frage: Verwenden die drei Quellen unterschiedliche Konzeptionen für dieses Thema oder gleichen sie sich diesbezüglich. Ich werde dafür argumentieren, dass die drei Quellen ganz ähnliche Kriterien verwenden, wenn sie von der Volkswerdung Israels sprechen, und folglich wohl in vergleichbaren sozialen Milieus ausformuliert worden sind. Zudem werde ich die These vertreten, dass der Endredaktor nur marginal in die Quellen eingegriffen hat. Mit Gen 12,1-3 werde ich eine erste Sondierung vornehmen und vier Kriterien für das Entstehen des Volkes Abrahams ausmachen. Im Anschluss daran werde ich die Grunddynamik zur Volkswerdung Abrahams in allen drei Quellen nachzeichnen und mit den vier Kriterien in Gen 12,1-3 vergleichen.
Le analisi testuali del divenire del popolo di Abramo in Gen 11,27-25,18 (senza Gen 24) si concentrano sulla domanda se le tre fonti usano concezioni diverse per questo tema o sono simili sotto questo aspetto. Sosterrò che le tre fonti usano criteri molto simili quando parlano di Israele che diventa un popolo, e di conseguenza possono essere state formulate in ambienti sociali comparabili. Inoltre, sosterrò che l’editore finale è intervenuto solo marginalmente nelle fonti. Con Gen 12,1-3, farò un primo sondaggio e identificherò quattro criteri per la nascita del popolo di Abramo. In seguito, traccerò le dinamiche di base in tutte e tre le fonti e le confronterò con i quattro criteri identificati in Gen 12,1-3.
Le analisi testuali del divenire del popolo di Abramo in Gen 11,27-25,18 (senza Gen 24) si concentrano sulla domanda se le tre fonti usano concezioni diverse per questo tema o sono simili sotto questo aspetto. Sosterrò che le tre fonti usano criteri molto simili quando parlano di Israele che diventa un popolo, e di conseguenza possono essere state formulate in ambienti sociali comparabili. Inoltre, sosterrò che l’editore finale è intervenuto solo marginalmente nelle fonti. Con Gen 12,1-3, farò un primo sondaggio e identificherò quattro criteri per la nascita del popolo di Abramo. In seguito, traccerò le dinamiche di base in tutte e tre le fonti e le confronterò con i quattro criteri identificati in Gen 12,1-3.
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This article deals with the question of whether God’s jealousy and, subsequently, the threat of divine power diminishes or even negates the free acceptance of the divine commandments (Torah) by Israel. The analysis of the two central... more
This article deals with the question of whether God’s jealousy and, subsequently, the threat of divine power diminishes or even negates the free acceptance of the divine commandments (Torah) by Israel. The analysis of the two central concepts of «God’s jealousy» and «the people’s free choice» shows that in the Pentateuch they are not yet in tension. It is argued that the tension becomes explicit only when the Torah is approached in a different (contemporary) context. In democratic countries, religious authorities that accept the Pentateuch as divine revelation must realize that the sanctioning of their members cannot go against the laws of the democratic state with its monopoly of power.
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Summary: The present study of the second creation story, Gen 2,4b- 3,24, focuses on the divine prohibition in 2,16f and the declarations to the snake, to the wife and to Adam in 3,14-19 and attempts to interpret these verses in the... more
Summary: The present study of the second creation story, Gen 2,4b- 3,24, focuses on the divine prohibition in 2,16f and the declarations to the snake, to the wife and to Adam in 3,14-19 and attempts to interpret these verses in the context of the narrative. Because Yhwh Elohim only completes his creation activity in 3,21 with the creation of the humans’ clothes, the two divine announcements in 2,16f and 3,14-19 belong to the creation phase. For the time beyond the garden of Eden, the divine prohibition in 2,16f no longer has any importance, yet it still remains a narrative prerequisite for the unfolding of the curse in 3,14-19, that in turn concretely describes the reality of creation after the transgression of the divine prohibition. The theological narrative Gen 2,4b-3,24 seems to disclose the deep structure of creation that is not only due to divine, but also to human action. Therefore, it also serves as a bridge to and as a preparation for the historical narrative that follows after the creation phase.
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The article examines the concept of “blessing” in the first creation narrative in Gen 1:1-2:4a. God blesses not only living creatures, specifically the prototypes of animals created on the fifth day (cf. 1:22) and the prototypes of man... more
The article examines the concept of “blessing” in the first creation narrative in Gen 1:1-2:4a. God blesses not only living creatures, specifically the prototypes of animals created on the fifth day (cf. 1:22) and the prototypes of man created on the sixth day (cf. 1:28-30), but also the seventh day, when He ceases from creating (cf. 2:3). The goal of creation is therefore fulfilled only on the seventh day. Living things are authorized to participate in the realization of the goal of creation. However, Gen 1:1-2:4a does not tell a “story”, in which creatures become active.
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The examination of Genesis 4:3-16 illustrates what the tragic story of Cain and Abel contributes to the understanding of the divine Torah. The text analysis is primarily focused on the sacred texts before and after the murder of Cain.
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Der Artikel erörtert einige Besonderheiten in der RomanTetralogie »Josef und seine Brüder« von Thomas Mann gegentüber dem biblischen Text Gen 37-50. Dabei geht es in erster Linie um den Ort und die Aussagenintention derTamar-Episode Gen... more
Der Artikel erörtert einige Besonderheiten in der RomanTetralogie »Josef und seine Brüder« von Thomas Mann gegentüber dem biblischen Text Gen 37-50. Dabei geht es in erster Linie um den Ort und die Aussagenintention derTamar-Episode Gen 38 im Josefroman. Diese Episode ist deshalb von besonderem Interesse, weil Thomas Mann die Erzählabfolge der Bibel im großen und ganzen beibehalten, in diesem Fall aber eine Umstellung vorgenommen hat. Es stellt ich daher die Frage, ob die neue Textstruktur im Josefroman ein Hinweis darauf ist, wie Thomas Mann Gen 38 verstanden hat.
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The Old Testament institution of the Levirate (from the Latin for brother-in-law) is linked above all to these three texts:: the narrative of Tamar in Gn 38, the law found in Dt 25, 5-10, the Book of Ruth (especially chapter 4). Even... more
The Old Testament institution of the Levirate (from the Latin for brother-in-law) is linked above all to these three texts:: the narrative of Tamar in Gn 38, the law found in Dt 25, 5-10, the Book of Ruth (especially chapter 4). Even though these three refer to this institution in different ways, this study sets out to accentuate the common characteristics of the three texts. Thus it is shown that at the origin of each one is the death of an Israelite, a physical death that threatens to become total extinction in the absence of a descendant able to keep up worthily in Israel the memory of the dead man. This study thus interprets the texts of Gn 38, Dt 25, 5-10 and Ruth 4, in this order, demonstrating thereby how the disaster that is death is being limited, and life regains the place due to it in Israel.
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The argument of Sacrifice is important in Genesis 1-11. Gen 4,3-5 and 8,20-21 mention a gift made for Yhwh. In both texts men act without a clear order by God. The offering of gifts does not express a positive progress of human plans or... more
The argument of Sacrifice is important in Genesis 1-11. Gen 4,3-5 and 8,20-21 mention a gift made for Yhwh. In both texts men act without a clear order by God. The offering of gifts does not express a positive progress of human plans or acts. It is not clear if Yhwh really accepted the offerings. The offerings of Abel, Cain or Noah are ambiguous human works. The reader of Gen 1-11 is a witness of God’s plan of creating life notwithstanding the dangerous jealousy of men and the end of life upon earth. He does not learn anything definitive about the gift men offer to Yhwh.
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The Temple Scroll (11Q19) dedicates about two and a half columns to the Day of Atonement (25,10-27,10). The present study concentrates on the content of the transmitted text (25,10-16; 26-3-13, and 27,01-02.1-10), analyses its structure,... more
The Temple Scroll (11Q19) dedicates about two and a half columns to the Day of Atonement (25,10-27,10). The present study concentrates on the content of the transmitted text (25,10-16; 26-3-13, and 27,01-02.1-10), analyses its structure, and explains its development of thought. The focus of the text seems to be on the concept of the sin-offering. First, the sin-offering of a he-goat makes part of the common festival sacrifice. Second, the two rams belong as burnt-offering to the special sin-offering of the Feast. And third, a he-goat for YHWH is offered as a special sin-offering on the altar of burnt-offering, whereas, a second he-goat for Azazel bears all the sins of Israel and is sent out into the desert. Since the he-goat for Azazel does not get in touch with the altar of burnt-offering, it cannot be classified as a burnt-offering. Moreover, it shares only one major feature with the other sin-offerings, namely, to remove sins.
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This study deals with the Mosaic Torah as a text in its received form. Whoever announces the sacred Torah speaks firstly with heavenly authority. In Israel many people claimed this. The recording of their words lends the message permanent... more
This study deals with the Mosaic Torah as a text in its received form. Whoever announces the sacred Torah speaks firstly with heavenly authority. In Israel many people claimed this. The recording of their words lends the message permanent authority. In the corpus Ex-Dtn we read many times that Moses put into writing or read out the instructions of Yhwh, but the extent and content of the Torah are not exactly determined. Even the Torah quotations in Jos. 8,32.35 (24,26), 2Kgs 22f., and Neh 8 cannot be directly related to the model text of Ex-Dtn. Current analyses of the Mosaic Torah are mostly based on the Leningrad Codex of the 11th century. Its text, however, deviates in many ways from the relevant Qumran fragments. Moreover, the critical edition and the translations of the Mosaic Torah confirm its textual polymorphism. Hence, any document that claims to be Mosaic Torah must be individually analysed. This applies to the model text of Gen-Dtn as also to the Book of Jubilees and the Temple Scroll. The Qumran texts confirm that the Mosaic Torah in the form of Gen-Dtn enjoyed a special status, as nearly all the Torah citations correspond with it. Thus the authorship and the recipients determine the kind of written Mosaic Torah that is chosen and transmitted in the process of Yhwh's continuing revelation to Israel.
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This article examines the positions of scholars with regard to the addressees of the Book of Wisdom. It turns out that, generally speaking, neither ‘Pagans’ nor ‘Jews’ are the recipients of the Book of Wisdom. If Wisdom cannot be... more
This article examines the positions of scholars with regard to the addressees of the Book of Wisdom. It turns out that, generally speaking, neither ‘Pagans’ nor ‘Jews’ are the recipients of the Book of Wisdom. If Wisdom cannot be considered primarily a political work, the Book’s instruction to its addressees, ‘Kings and Rulers’, seems rather to point to a literary model in ancient Jewish texts from the 1st century B.C. to the 1st century A.D. Our knowledge of the primary recipients of the writings of Philo of Alexandria and Flavius Josephus confirms this. The themes of ‘conversion’ and ‘changing one’s approach’ give these texts, especially the Book of Wisdom, a very particular orientation. Appropriate addressees are above all pagans who are well-off and culturally involved, and who show an interest in Jewish traditions.
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This article explores the formation of the Holy Canonical Scriptures of Judaism. Of imporrance was the new understanding of the Holy Scriptures in the context of the Hellenistic rulers in favour of the Judaic people. The Holy Scriptures,... more
This article explores the formation of the Holy Canonical Scriptures of Judaism. Of imporrance was the new understanding of the Holy Scriptures in the context of the Hellenistic rulers in favour of the Judaic people. The Holy Scriptures, when placed within the context of these letters, are seen as having, in some statements, a legal significance wir hin the Hebrew society. The written aspect of the traditions is thus emphasised. Judaic scribes contributed a lot to this development, because they had access to rhe written decrees of the rulers and to the written Judaic traditions. The Hellenistic influence on the formation of the Holy, Canonical Scriptures can be presumed also because of rhe Judaic access to the big libraries as, for example, that of Alexandria. The Hellenistic library methodology seems to have influenced the Hebrew way of dealing with the Holy Scriptures. Moreover the Judaic Holy Scriptures obtained their definite stamp from the integration of exile experience. The contact with other cultures and rulers is to be subordinared to the Judaic way of life, which, beginning from the time of the Maccabean crisis saw a greater legal significance in certain aspects of the Holy Canonical Scriptures.
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This article proposes the following interpretation of Ex. 3,14: "God said to Moses: I shall be who shall (will) be. He said: Thus you say to the sons of Israel: I shall be in so far as he has sent me to you." In favor of this... more
This article proposes the following interpretation of Ex. 3,14: "God said to Moses: I shall be who shall (will) be. He said: Thus you say to the sons of Israel: I shall be in so far as he has sent me to you." In favor of this interpretation the author examines the context of Ex. 3,14, the story of Moses´ vocation, and the structure of the speech situation and the dynamics of the usage of the divine names in Ex. 3,1-4,12. In a final paragraph the universal significance of Moses´ vocation is outlined.
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This article sets forth and indicates different sources of Israelite relationship with death. It examines the archeological findings and messages of Israelite graves, the relevant texts from Kohelet and Wisdom, the related Tora texts, the... more
This article sets forth and indicates different sources of Israelite relationship with death. It examines the archeological findings and messages of Israelite graves, the relevant texts from Kohelet and Wisdom, the related Tora texts, the interrogation of the dead Samuel in 1 Sam 28 and the traditions of the deaths of Moses and Eliah. The OT texts are understood within the perspective of the YHWH cult Centralisation in Jerusalem and the written Mose-Tora. A short insight in greek and roman tomb inscriptions and their explanation will make the interpretation-model of Centralisation more plausible.
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In this article the author takes up the discussion of the "Pendenskonstruktion" in Biblical Hebrew. It is integrated in the framework of Generative Grammar. At the same time, similar syntactical phenomena of Accadian and Greek language... more
In this article the author takes up the discussion of the "Pendenskonstruktion" in Biblical Hebrew. It is integrated in the framework of Generative Grammar. At the same time, similar syntactical phenomena of Accadian and Greek language are analysed. Each time nominal phrases and their syntactical function are explained. The nominal phrases are differentiated according to anaphors, pronominal and lexical phrases. The "Casus-Filter" provides a sentence theory based on these nominal elements. It helps to justify their syntactical function in a precise and sound manner.
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With the help of the Masoretic vocalisation the Hebrew consonantal text of Isa 53,10 was translated as follows: 'And YHWH was pleased with his bruised one (he accepted him) whom he had allowed to become sick. When you make his life an... more
With the help of the Masoretic vocalisation the Hebrew consonantal text of Isa 53,10 was translated as follows: 'And YHWH was pleased with his bruised one (he accepted him) whom he had allowed to become sick. When you make his life an Asham guilt offering he will see his offspring and live long. The Lord’s plan will succeed through him.' The comparison with ancient witnesses to the text has confirmed this interpretation. The investigation of how Isa 52,13-53,12 is embedded in the entire book of Isaiah has also shown that this interpretation is meaningful. In this context a positive sense was given to the anonymity of the 'Servant' and to the anonymity of the 'we' who speak from 53,1. For this anonymity communicates all possible divine revelations after Isaiah through God’s word to Isaiah. YHWH’s word lasts for ever and so will outlast all changes of time. Meanwhile the metaphorical comparison of the Servant with an Asham guilt offering (Isa 53,10) serves as a hermeneutical category for the possibility, disclosed by YHWH, of restoring the damaged relationship between God and Israel through insight into the past history of guilt. In conclusion Isa 52,13-53,12 was also interpreted as an image for the story or stories of Israel.
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Per affrontare l’attuale crisi ecologica viene proposta una ermeneutica trinitaria al posto dell’ermeneutica tripartita “vedere – giudicare – agire” che sembra dominare la maggior parte dell’enciclica “Laudato Sì”. La rilevante narrativa... more
Per affrontare l’attuale crisi ecologica viene proposta una ermeneutica trinitaria al posto dell’ermeneutica tripartita “vedere – giudicare – agire” che sembra dominare la maggior parte dell’enciclica “Laudato Sì”. La rilevante narrativa si dovrebbe basare sugli concetti teologici “conversione”, “peccato” e “redenzione” che si trovano sviluppati tra l’altro nei due racconti della creazione in Gen 1-3 e nel commento paolino della redenzione di tutte le persone attraverso Gesù Cristo in Rom 5.
