Abstract: In Casting Down the Host of Heaven Cat Quine analyses the ambiguous nature of the H... more Abstract: In Casting Down the Host of Heaven Cat Quine analyses the ambiguous nature of the Host and explores the role of ritual in the polemic against their worship. Although commonly assumed to be YHWH’s divine army, the book reveals their non-military and fluid nature. Quine demonstrates that it was the fluidity of the Host and their roles in the divine realm that permitted the creation of wide-ranging polemic against their worship. Her analysis shows that this polemic was expressed in ritual terms which persuaded its audiences, both ancient and modern, of its legitimacy and authority.
This book is a revision of my PhD thesis completed at the University of Nottingham 2015-2018, under the supervision of Prof C.L. Crouch and Prof. C. Hempel, funded by Midlands3Cities AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership.
Athaliah in Josephus is rarely studied. This paper thus seeks to build on Christopher Begg's text... more Athaliah in Josephus is rarely studied. This paper thus seeks to build on Christopher Begg's text-critical work by discussing the literary effect of Josephus' embellishments to the Athaliah narratives. Athaliah in Josephus is shown to be more explicitly foreign and illegitimate than in the biblical texts, but also a more dynamic, rounded character.
This paper argues that 1 Kings 20 is a literary composition that creates an idealised picture of ... more This paper argues that 1 Kings 20 is a literary composition that creates an idealised picture of kingship and military victory wherein the king combines with the elders, prophets, and deity to reject the impositions of vassalage and defeat their enemy. Yet, the story subverts the image, and the king is raised up only to be brought down. The result is a didactic reflection on the futility of strong kingship and military victory without appropriate Yahwistic acknowledgement. As such, 1 Kgs 20 appropriately heralds the beginning of the end of the Omride dynasty and undermines any positive associations of military strength they may have had.
*Happy to send offprint if you can't access it* In Exodus 2, Moses has two mothers; his Hebrew mo... more *Happy to send offprint if you can't access it* In Exodus 2, Moses has two mothers; his Hebrew mother, who nurses him and the daughter of Pharaoh, who financially supports his Hebrew mother, adopts him, and names him. Pharaoh’s daughter appears in scholarly discussions, yet little attention is given to her role as mother of Moses. Indeed, this motherhood is downplayed in the biblical texts, and also in biblical scholarship, wherein the daughter of Pharaoh is absent from many discussions of biblical mothers and is at times relegated beneath the birthmother in commentaries. This article argues that we should remember and celebrate the daughter of Pharaoh as a mother of Moses.
While the kingdom of Israel experienced eight military coups in its shorter history , the kingdom... more While the kingdom of Israel experienced eight military coups in its shorter history , the kingdom of Judah saw only four assassinations of its monarchs, three of which were Athaliah, her usurper, and his successor. 1 This sequence of untimely royal deaths in Judah stands in contrast to the stability of Israel's royal line under the Jehuite dynasty, whose kings are said to have entreated Yahweh, sought advice from prophets, and defeated Judah at Beth-Shemesh. From a later perspective it seems that whereas Yahweh previously protected the Judahite kings, in the ninth-eighth centuries BCE the Jehuite kings enjoyed Yahweh's favour more than the Davidides. This paper thus considers the theopolitical impact of untimely royal deaths in ninth-eighth century Judah and argues that the instability of the Judahite royal line after her marriage contributed to the negative biblical portrayal of Athaliah and the Omride-Judahite alliance. Résumé. Cependant que le royaume d'Israël a connu huit coups d'État, le royaume de Juda n'a subi que quatre assassinats royaux, parmi lesquels Athalie, son usurpateur et son suc-cesseur. Cette séquence tranche avec la stabilité de la dynastie jéhuite, dont les rois implo-rent Yahvé, cherchent conseil auprès des prophètes, et défont Juda à Beth-Shémesh. De ce point de vue, il semble qu'aux IXᵉ-VIIIᵉ s. av. J.-Ch. les rois jéhuites bénéficient plus que les davidides de la faveur de Yahvé, alors même que ce dernier protégeait jusqu'alors les rois judaïtes. Cet essai s'intéresse donc à l'impact théopolitique de ces morts royales prématu-rées et suggère que l'instabilité de la dynastie judaïte après le mariage d'Athalie a contri-bué au portrait négatif que la Bible dépeint d'elle et de l'alliance omrido-judaïte.
Athaliah and Alexandra were the only two women to rule as queens of Judah/Judaea in their own rig... more Athaliah and Alexandra were the only two women to rule as queens of Judah/Judaea in their own right and both women’s reigns are reported in Josephus’ writings. Despite their uniqueness, however, Athaliah and Alexandra are rarely compared in scholarship; the former is usually dismissed, and focus centred on the latter. This article contends that there are historical similarities between the two, but literary differences. Josephus could have referred to Athaliah or used elements of her portrayal in his presentation of Alexandra but does not, creating the impression that Alexandra was completely different to her predecessor. It may be instructive, therefore, to consider why Josephus literarily isolates the queens and what this means for his interpretation of Alexandra.
*feel free to email us for an offprint if you do not have institutional access!*
**If you don't have access, I am happy to sent you an offprint**
Military officers who posed a th... more **If you don't have access, I am happy to sent you an offprint** Military officers who posed a threat to the kings of Israel are readily found throughout the biblical texts. Although officers were often loyal servants who fought battles on behalf of their kings, they could also prove dangerous adversaries if the tide of opinion turned against the monarchs. In this light, it is interesting that YHWH’s divine army never mentions any generals or ranks; despite its innumerable numbers, YHWH had sole command. This paper explores whether this portrayal of YHWH’s divine army was a natural consequence of the authors’ focus on YHWH, or whether it was influenced by an awareness of the threat that military commanders could pose toward their kings.
Recent research demonstrates that maternal grief functions paradigmatically to epitomize despair ... more Recent research demonstrates that maternal grief functions paradigmatically to epitomize despair and sorrow in the Hebrew Bible. These literary uses of maternal grief reinforce the stereotype of womanhood, defined by devotion to children and anguish at their loss. In 1-2 Kings, narratives about unnamed bereaved mothers are used politically to create a contrast with named biblical queens who lose their sons but never grieve for them. Although 1-2 Kings names the queen mothers alongside the male rulers, these mothers have no agency or when they do, they act more like men than women. Neo-Assyrian inscriptions attest the masculinity of royal female power, and this article argues that conceptions of royal female power in Judah were similar. By contrasting the masculine queens with stereotyped "real men" and "real women," traditional gender performances literarily overcome the institution of queenship. While the queens are polemicized, unnamed mothers emerge as the female heroes of Kings. Royal female power is demoted beneath reproductive ability and emotional responses to children, while the gender fluidity of royal power is circumscribed.
**If you don't have access, I am happy to send you an offprint**
That YHWH was perceived to comma... more **If you don't have access, I am happy to send you an offprint** That YHWH was perceived to command a divine army in the heavens brooks no argument. Traditionally, the phrase “host of heaven” (צבא השׁמים) has been associated with this divine army. In this article I reassess the relevant evidence and argue that the host of heaven are not portrayed in this role. The biblical texts contain numerous references to YHWH’s divine army, but these forces are never called a host (צבא). Rather, the diversity of terminology employed in reference to YHWH’s army suggests that it possessed no fixed terminology. It may be that the biblical authors deliberately did not use the term host in order to avoid associating YHWH’s divine army too closely with the weaknesses of human armies.
Why were the brothers of king Ahaziah at Beth-Eked in Israel, following the deaths of king Ahazia... more Why were the brothers of king Ahaziah at Beth-Eked in Israel, following the deaths of king Ahaziah and his northern ally, king Joram? This paper takes a closer look at the events of Beth-Eked in 2Kgs 10:13–14 and proposes that the brothers of Ahaziah represent a Judahite delegation seeking to maintain שׁלום with the Omrides in response to Jehu’s coup. If so, then Olyan’s observation of the ironic use of שׁלום in 2Kgs 9 should be extended to 2Kgs 10. In addition, it suggests that Jehu’s slaughter of the Judahites at Beth-Eked was the major turning point in the breaking of the Omride-Judahite alliance, rather than the initial deaths of the two kings.
With the exception of Nahum 3:16, in the Hebrew Bible Yahweh alone has the power to multiply huma... more With the exception of Nahum 3:16, in the Hebrew Bible Yahweh alone has the power to multiply humans so that they will be as innumerable as the stars. Nineveh’s multiplication of her merchants “more than the stars of the heavens” (Nah 3:16) was, therefore, tantamount to a challenge to Yahweh’s divine power. The destruction of Nineveh demonstrated that Yahweh answered this challenge.
**If you don't have access, I am happy to send you an offprint**
Isaiah 48:1-11 has been describe... more **If you don't have access, I am happy to send you an offprint** Isaiah 48:1-11 has been described as a difficult passage due to a perceived discord between its harsh tone and the message of comfort espoused elsewhere in Isaiah 40-55. This paper analyses this passage with regard to four groups of arguments, namely, proposals of a Judahite origin for the text, the archaeological evidence for settlement continuity in the Benjaminite region in the Neo-Babylonian period, the development and use of the patriarchal traditions in the sixth century, and studies of hidden polemic. By drawing these together, this paper proposes that the house of Jacob in Isaiah 48:1-2 could be understood as addressing a sixth century Judahite community in the Benjaminite region, perhaps in the vicinity of Bethel.
This paper argues that Micaiah’s heavenly vision (1Kgs 22:19–23) and 1Kgs 22 as a whole function ... more This paper argues that Micaiah’s heavenly vision (1Kgs 22:19–23) and 1Kgs 22 as a whole function as interpretive keys which explain subsequent material to the reader. Micaiah’s heavenly vision explains that the following Aramean victory and the death of the king of Israel (1Kgs 22:29–36) did not present a challenge to Yahweh’s supreme authority, but confirmed it. On a broader scale, 1Kgs 22 combined themes and events from the material around it (1Kgs 16–21; 2Kgs 3–13) to create a narrative that explained the historical events of the rise of the Arameans and the downfall of the Omrides. The chapter uses Ahab and Jehoshaphat as representatives of the kings of Israel and Judah to tell a story which explained how Yahweh used the Arameans to bring about the fall of the Omrides and free Judah from Israelite control.
This paper demonstrates that the bird and the mountains phrase in Ps 11:1 compares well with a co... more This paper demonstrates that the bird and the mountains phrase in Ps 11:1 compares well with a common metaphor relating to siege warfare and military conquest found in Neo-Assyrian royal inscriptions and considers the resulting implications.
Recent research has shown that city gates were a place of judgement, execution, and public displa... more Recent research has shown that city gates were a place of judgement, execution, and public displays in ancient Israel and the ancient Near East. This article explores the role of the gate on the literary level in the narratives concerning the deaths of Eli, Abner and Jezebel. It demonstrates how the function of gates in ancient Israel, and the institutions associated with them, allow the narrator to draw on themes of judgement, punishment and order, as well as creating a sense of irony throughout.
This article aims to bring together the discussions surrounding creation and humanity in Isaiah 4... more This article aims to bring together the discussions surrounding creation and humanity in Isaiah 40-55 and Genesis 1:26. The article demonstrates that Deutero-Isaiah’s view of humanity is incompatible with that of the P narrative, rendering attempts to cite it in support of Genesis 1 ineffective. It argues that the application of the terms in Genesis 1:26 to Seth alone of Adam’s sons in Genesis 5 suggests a program of election, or selection, necessary to counter the theological difficulties raised by potentially stating that Israel’s enemies were also made in the image of God. The theological implications for understanding humanity’s position in the cosmos are evident. The inclusiveness with which theologians have tended to read Gen 1:26-7 (as applicable to all humanity) is called into question.
This two day interdisciplinary conference examined the possible borders and boundaries in Ancient... more This two day interdisciplinary conference examined the possible borders and boundaries in Ancient Israel covering a wide range of themes: theology, history, archaeology and the social sciences. Keynote addresses were delivered by Prof. Christopher B. Hays (Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena CA.), Prof. Mahri Leonard-Fleckman (Providence College, Rhode Island) and Prof. Shayna Sheinfeld (Centre College, Danville KY.). Other papers covered the interaction between Israel and Judah, and the surrounding nations; the movement of peoples, including migration, deportation and invasion; metaphorical boundaries; boundaries within ancient languages; and the use of borders or boundaries in the construction of identity in the biblical texts.
Abstract: In Casting Down the Host of Heaven Cat Quine analyses the ambiguous nature of the H... more Abstract: In Casting Down the Host of Heaven Cat Quine analyses the ambiguous nature of the Host and explores the role of ritual in the polemic against their worship. Although commonly assumed to be YHWH’s divine army, the book reveals their non-military and fluid nature. Quine demonstrates that it was the fluidity of the Host and their roles in the divine realm that permitted the creation of wide-ranging polemic against their worship. Her analysis shows that this polemic was expressed in ritual terms which persuaded its audiences, both ancient and modern, of its legitimacy and authority.
This book is a revision of my PhD thesis completed at the University of Nottingham 2015-2018, under the supervision of Prof C.L. Crouch and Prof. C. Hempel, funded by Midlands3Cities AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership.
Athaliah in Josephus is rarely studied. This paper thus seeks to build on Christopher Begg's text... more Athaliah in Josephus is rarely studied. This paper thus seeks to build on Christopher Begg's text-critical work by discussing the literary effect of Josephus' embellishments to the Athaliah narratives. Athaliah in Josephus is shown to be more explicitly foreign and illegitimate than in the biblical texts, but also a more dynamic, rounded character.
This paper argues that 1 Kings 20 is a literary composition that creates an idealised picture of ... more This paper argues that 1 Kings 20 is a literary composition that creates an idealised picture of kingship and military victory wherein the king combines with the elders, prophets, and deity to reject the impositions of vassalage and defeat their enemy. Yet, the story subverts the image, and the king is raised up only to be brought down. The result is a didactic reflection on the futility of strong kingship and military victory without appropriate Yahwistic acknowledgement. As such, 1 Kgs 20 appropriately heralds the beginning of the end of the Omride dynasty and undermines any positive associations of military strength they may have had.
*Happy to send offprint if you can't access it* In Exodus 2, Moses has two mothers; his Hebrew mo... more *Happy to send offprint if you can't access it* In Exodus 2, Moses has two mothers; his Hebrew mother, who nurses him and the daughter of Pharaoh, who financially supports his Hebrew mother, adopts him, and names him. Pharaoh’s daughter appears in scholarly discussions, yet little attention is given to her role as mother of Moses. Indeed, this motherhood is downplayed in the biblical texts, and also in biblical scholarship, wherein the daughter of Pharaoh is absent from many discussions of biblical mothers and is at times relegated beneath the birthmother in commentaries. This article argues that we should remember and celebrate the daughter of Pharaoh as a mother of Moses.
While the kingdom of Israel experienced eight military coups in its shorter history , the kingdom... more While the kingdom of Israel experienced eight military coups in its shorter history , the kingdom of Judah saw only four assassinations of its monarchs, three of which were Athaliah, her usurper, and his successor. 1 This sequence of untimely royal deaths in Judah stands in contrast to the stability of Israel's royal line under the Jehuite dynasty, whose kings are said to have entreated Yahweh, sought advice from prophets, and defeated Judah at Beth-Shemesh. From a later perspective it seems that whereas Yahweh previously protected the Judahite kings, in the ninth-eighth centuries BCE the Jehuite kings enjoyed Yahweh's favour more than the Davidides. This paper thus considers the theopolitical impact of untimely royal deaths in ninth-eighth century Judah and argues that the instability of the Judahite royal line after her marriage contributed to the negative biblical portrayal of Athaliah and the Omride-Judahite alliance. Résumé. Cependant que le royaume d'Israël a connu huit coups d'État, le royaume de Juda n'a subi que quatre assassinats royaux, parmi lesquels Athalie, son usurpateur et son suc-cesseur. Cette séquence tranche avec la stabilité de la dynastie jéhuite, dont les rois implo-rent Yahvé, cherchent conseil auprès des prophètes, et défont Juda à Beth-Shémesh. De ce point de vue, il semble qu'aux IXᵉ-VIIIᵉ s. av. J.-Ch. les rois jéhuites bénéficient plus que les davidides de la faveur de Yahvé, alors même que ce dernier protégeait jusqu'alors les rois judaïtes. Cet essai s'intéresse donc à l'impact théopolitique de ces morts royales prématu-rées et suggère que l'instabilité de la dynastie judaïte après le mariage d'Athalie a contri-bué au portrait négatif que la Bible dépeint d'elle et de l'alliance omrido-judaïte.
Athaliah and Alexandra were the only two women to rule as queens of Judah/Judaea in their own rig... more Athaliah and Alexandra were the only two women to rule as queens of Judah/Judaea in their own right and both women’s reigns are reported in Josephus’ writings. Despite their uniqueness, however, Athaliah and Alexandra are rarely compared in scholarship; the former is usually dismissed, and focus centred on the latter. This article contends that there are historical similarities between the two, but literary differences. Josephus could have referred to Athaliah or used elements of her portrayal in his presentation of Alexandra but does not, creating the impression that Alexandra was completely different to her predecessor. It may be instructive, therefore, to consider why Josephus literarily isolates the queens and what this means for his interpretation of Alexandra.
*feel free to email us for an offprint if you do not have institutional access!*
**If you don't have access, I am happy to sent you an offprint**
Military officers who posed a th... more **If you don't have access, I am happy to sent you an offprint** Military officers who posed a threat to the kings of Israel are readily found throughout the biblical texts. Although officers were often loyal servants who fought battles on behalf of their kings, they could also prove dangerous adversaries if the tide of opinion turned against the monarchs. In this light, it is interesting that YHWH’s divine army never mentions any generals or ranks; despite its innumerable numbers, YHWH had sole command. This paper explores whether this portrayal of YHWH’s divine army was a natural consequence of the authors’ focus on YHWH, or whether it was influenced by an awareness of the threat that military commanders could pose toward their kings.
Recent research demonstrates that maternal grief functions paradigmatically to epitomize despair ... more Recent research demonstrates that maternal grief functions paradigmatically to epitomize despair and sorrow in the Hebrew Bible. These literary uses of maternal grief reinforce the stereotype of womanhood, defined by devotion to children and anguish at their loss. In 1-2 Kings, narratives about unnamed bereaved mothers are used politically to create a contrast with named biblical queens who lose their sons but never grieve for them. Although 1-2 Kings names the queen mothers alongside the male rulers, these mothers have no agency or when they do, they act more like men than women. Neo-Assyrian inscriptions attest the masculinity of royal female power, and this article argues that conceptions of royal female power in Judah were similar. By contrasting the masculine queens with stereotyped "real men" and "real women," traditional gender performances literarily overcome the institution of queenship. While the queens are polemicized, unnamed mothers emerge as the female heroes of Kings. Royal female power is demoted beneath reproductive ability and emotional responses to children, while the gender fluidity of royal power is circumscribed.
**If you don't have access, I am happy to send you an offprint**
That YHWH was perceived to comma... more **If you don't have access, I am happy to send you an offprint** That YHWH was perceived to command a divine army in the heavens brooks no argument. Traditionally, the phrase “host of heaven” (צבא השׁמים) has been associated with this divine army. In this article I reassess the relevant evidence and argue that the host of heaven are not portrayed in this role. The biblical texts contain numerous references to YHWH’s divine army, but these forces are never called a host (צבא). Rather, the diversity of terminology employed in reference to YHWH’s army suggests that it possessed no fixed terminology. It may be that the biblical authors deliberately did not use the term host in order to avoid associating YHWH’s divine army too closely with the weaknesses of human armies.
Why were the brothers of king Ahaziah at Beth-Eked in Israel, following the deaths of king Ahazia... more Why were the brothers of king Ahaziah at Beth-Eked in Israel, following the deaths of king Ahaziah and his northern ally, king Joram? This paper takes a closer look at the events of Beth-Eked in 2Kgs 10:13–14 and proposes that the brothers of Ahaziah represent a Judahite delegation seeking to maintain שׁלום with the Omrides in response to Jehu’s coup. If so, then Olyan’s observation of the ironic use of שׁלום in 2Kgs 9 should be extended to 2Kgs 10. In addition, it suggests that Jehu’s slaughter of the Judahites at Beth-Eked was the major turning point in the breaking of the Omride-Judahite alliance, rather than the initial deaths of the two kings.
With the exception of Nahum 3:16, in the Hebrew Bible Yahweh alone has the power to multiply huma... more With the exception of Nahum 3:16, in the Hebrew Bible Yahweh alone has the power to multiply humans so that they will be as innumerable as the stars. Nineveh’s multiplication of her merchants “more than the stars of the heavens” (Nah 3:16) was, therefore, tantamount to a challenge to Yahweh’s divine power. The destruction of Nineveh demonstrated that Yahweh answered this challenge.
**If you don't have access, I am happy to send you an offprint**
Isaiah 48:1-11 has been describe... more **If you don't have access, I am happy to send you an offprint** Isaiah 48:1-11 has been described as a difficult passage due to a perceived discord between its harsh tone and the message of comfort espoused elsewhere in Isaiah 40-55. This paper analyses this passage with regard to four groups of arguments, namely, proposals of a Judahite origin for the text, the archaeological evidence for settlement continuity in the Benjaminite region in the Neo-Babylonian period, the development and use of the patriarchal traditions in the sixth century, and studies of hidden polemic. By drawing these together, this paper proposes that the house of Jacob in Isaiah 48:1-2 could be understood as addressing a sixth century Judahite community in the Benjaminite region, perhaps in the vicinity of Bethel.
This paper argues that Micaiah’s heavenly vision (1Kgs 22:19–23) and 1Kgs 22 as a whole function ... more This paper argues that Micaiah’s heavenly vision (1Kgs 22:19–23) and 1Kgs 22 as a whole function as interpretive keys which explain subsequent material to the reader. Micaiah’s heavenly vision explains that the following Aramean victory and the death of the king of Israel (1Kgs 22:29–36) did not present a challenge to Yahweh’s supreme authority, but confirmed it. On a broader scale, 1Kgs 22 combined themes and events from the material around it (1Kgs 16–21; 2Kgs 3–13) to create a narrative that explained the historical events of the rise of the Arameans and the downfall of the Omrides. The chapter uses Ahab and Jehoshaphat as representatives of the kings of Israel and Judah to tell a story which explained how Yahweh used the Arameans to bring about the fall of the Omrides and free Judah from Israelite control.
This paper demonstrates that the bird and the mountains phrase in Ps 11:1 compares well with a co... more This paper demonstrates that the bird and the mountains phrase in Ps 11:1 compares well with a common metaphor relating to siege warfare and military conquest found in Neo-Assyrian royal inscriptions and considers the resulting implications.
Recent research has shown that city gates were a place of judgement, execution, and public displa... more Recent research has shown that city gates were a place of judgement, execution, and public displays in ancient Israel and the ancient Near East. This article explores the role of the gate on the literary level in the narratives concerning the deaths of Eli, Abner and Jezebel. It demonstrates how the function of gates in ancient Israel, and the institutions associated with them, allow the narrator to draw on themes of judgement, punishment and order, as well as creating a sense of irony throughout.
This article aims to bring together the discussions surrounding creation and humanity in Isaiah 4... more This article aims to bring together the discussions surrounding creation and humanity in Isaiah 40-55 and Genesis 1:26. The article demonstrates that Deutero-Isaiah’s view of humanity is incompatible with that of the P narrative, rendering attempts to cite it in support of Genesis 1 ineffective. It argues that the application of the terms in Genesis 1:26 to Seth alone of Adam’s sons in Genesis 5 suggests a program of election, or selection, necessary to counter the theological difficulties raised by potentially stating that Israel’s enemies were also made in the image of God. The theological implications for understanding humanity’s position in the cosmos are evident. The inclusiveness with which theologians have tended to read Gen 1:26-7 (as applicable to all humanity) is called into question.
This two day interdisciplinary conference examined the possible borders and boundaries in Ancient... more This two day interdisciplinary conference examined the possible borders and boundaries in Ancient Israel covering a wide range of themes: theology, history, archaeology and the social sciences. Keynote addresses were delivered by Prof. Christopher B. Hays (Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena CA.), Prof. Mahri Leonard-Fleckman (Providence College, Rhode Island) and Prof. Shayna Sheinfeld (Centre College, Danville KY.). Other papers covered the interaction between Israel and Judah, and the surrounding nations; the movement of peoples, including migration, deportation and invasion; metaphorical boundaries; boundaries within ancient languages; and the use of borders or boundaries in the construction of identity in the biblical texts.
The confirmed structure for the 19th Iron Age Student Research Symposium, hosted this year at the... more The confirmed structure for the 19th Iron Age Student Research Symposium, hosted this year at the University of Leicester in collaboration with the universities of Birmingham and Nottingham.
19th-21st May, with career development workshop on the 22nd May.
Athaliah in Josephus is rarely studied. This paper thus seeks to build on Christopher Begg’s text... more Athaliah in Josephus is rarely studied. This paper thus seeks to build on Christopher Begg’s text-critical work by discussing the literary effect of Josephus’ embellishments to the Athaliah narratives. Athaliah in Josephus is shown to be more explicitly foreign and illegitimate than in the biblical texts, but also a more dynamic, rounded character.
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Books and Volumes
This book is a revision of my PhD thesis completed at the University of Nottingham 2015-2018, under the supervision of Prof C.L. Crouch and Prof. C. Hempel, funded by Midlands3Cities AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership.
Link: https://brill.com/view/title/56994
Articles
Link to publisher's website: https://brill.com/view/journals/vt/aop/article-10.1163-15685330-bja10041/article-10.1163-15685330-bja10041.xml
Moses. Indeed, this motherhood is downplayed in the biblical texts, and also in biblical scholarship, wherein the daughter of Pharaoh is absent from many discussions of biblical mothers and is at times relegated beneath the birthmother in commentaries. This article argues that we should
remember and celebrate the daughter of Pharaoh as a mother of Moses.
*feel free to email us for an offprint if you do not have institutional access!*
Military officers who posed a threat to the kings of Israel are readily found throughout the biblical texts. Although officers were often loyal servants who fought battles on behalf of their kings, they could also prove dangerous adversaries if the tide of opinion turned against the monarchs. In this light, it is interesting that YHWH’s divine army never mentions any generals or ranks; despite its innumerable numbers, YHWH had sole command. This paper explores whether this portrayal of YHWH’s divine army was a natural consequence of the authors’ focus on YHWH, or whether it was influenced by an awareness of the threat that military commanders could pose toward their kings.
Link: https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/opth/6/1/article-p407.xml
That YHWH was perceived to command a divine army in the heavens brooks no argument. Traditionally, the phrase “host of heaven” (צבא השׁמים) has been associated with this divine army. In this article I reassess the relevant evidence and argue that the host of heaven are not portrayed in this role. The biblical texts contain numerous references to YHWH’s divine army, but these forces are never called a host (צבא). Rather, the diversity of terminology employed in reference to YHWH’s army suggests that it possessed no fixed terminology. It may be that the biblical authors deliberately did not use the term host in order to avoid associating YHWH’s divine army too closely with the weaknesses of human armies.
Link: https://doi.org/10.15699/jbl.1384.2019.3
Link: https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/zatw.2019.131.issue-4/zaw-2019-4001/zaw-2019-4001.xml
Publisher's website: https://brill.com/abstract/journals/vt/69/3/article-p498_10.xml
Isaiah 48:1-11 has been described as a difficult passage due to a perceived discord between its harsh tone and the message of comfort espoused elsewhere in Isaiah 40-55. This paper analyses this passage with regard to four groups of arguments, namely, proposals of a Judahite origin for the text, the archaeological evidence for settlement continuity in the Benjaminite region in the Neo-Babylonian period, the development and use of the patriarchal traditions in the sixth century, and studies of hidden polemic. By drawing these together, this paper proposes that the house of Jacob in Isaiah 48:1-2 could be understood as addressing a sixth century Judahite community in the Benjaminite region, perhaps in the vicinity of Bethel.
http://jot.sagepub.com.ezproxy.nottingham.ac.uk/content/40/4/399.full.pdf+html
Conference Organisation
This book is a revision of my PhD thesis completed at the University of Nottingham 2015-2018, under the supervision of Prof C.L. Crouch and Prof. C. Hempel, funded by Midlands3Cities AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership.
Link: https://brill.com/view/title/56994
Link to publisher's website: https://brill.com/view/journals/vt/aop/article-10.1163-15685330-bja10041/article-10.1163-15685330-bja10041.xml
Moses. Indeed, this motherhood is downplayed in the biblical texts, and also in biblical scholarship, wherein the daughter of Pharaoh is absent from many discussions of biblical mothers and is at times relegated beneath the birthmother in commentaries. This article argues that we should
remember and celebrate the daughter of Pharaoh as a mother of Moses.
*feel free to email us for an offprint if you do not have institutional access!*
Military officers who posed a threat to the kings of Israel are readily found throughout the biblical texts. Although officers were often loyal servants who fought battles on behalf of their kings, they could also prove dangerous adversaries if the tide of opinion turned against the monarchs. In this light, it is interesting that YHWH’s divine army never mentions any generals or ranks; despite its innumerable numbers, YHWH had sole command. This paper explores whether this portrayal of YHWH’s divine army was a natural consequence of the authors’ focus on YHWH, or whether it was influenced by an awareness of the threat that military commanders could pose toward their kings.
Link: https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/opth/6/1/article-p407.xml
That YHWH was perceived to command a divine army in the heavens brooks no argument. Traditionally, the phrase “host of heaven” (צבא השׁמים) has been associated with this divine army. In this article I reassess the relevant evidence and argue that the host of heaven are not portrayed in this role. The biblical texts contain numerous references to YHWH’s divine army, but these forces are never called a host (צבא). Rather, the diversity of terminology employed in reference to YHWH’s army suggests that it possessed no fixed terminology. It may be that the biblical authors deliberately did not use the term host in order to avoid associating YHWH’s divine army too closely with the weaknesses of human armies.
Link: https://doi.org/10.15699/jbl.1384.2019.3
Link: https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/zatw.2019.131.issue-4/zaw-2019-4001/zaw-2019-4001.xml
Publisher's website: https://brill.com/abstract/journals/vt/69/3/article-p498_10.xml
Isaiah 48:1-11 has been described as a difficult passage due to a perceived discord between its harsh tone and the message of comfort espoused elsewhere in Isaiah 40-55. This paper analyses this passage with regard to four groups of arguments, namely, proposals of a Judahite origin for the text, the archaeological evidence for settlement continuity in the Benjaminite region in the Neo-Babylonian period, the development and use of the patriarchal traditions in the sixth century, and studies of hidden polemic. By drawing these together, this paper proposes that the house of Jacob in Isaiah 48:1-2 could be understood as addressing a sixth century Judahite community in the Benjaminite region, perhaps in the vicinity of Bethel.
http://jot.sagepub.com.ezproxy.nottingham.ac.uk/content/40/4/399.full.pdf+html
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