In his recent God’s Battalions: The Case for the Crusades , Rodney Stark challenges the conventional notion that Islamic civilization was more advanced than Christendom’s in the early middle ages. One part of his case is to show that much of Islamic civilization depended on the . . . . Continue Reading »
Davies and Allison point to numerous links between Matthew 2 and 27: the phrase “king of the Jews” (2:2; 27:11); chief priests (2:4; 27:12, 20); the Christ (2:2; 27:17, 22); “all Jerusalem” and “all the people” (2:3; 27:25); warning to Gentiles in a dream (2:12; . . . . Continue Reading »
Within the inclusio described in the last post, there are three sections: the episode of Judas and the thirty pieces of silver (27:3-10), Pilate’s interrogation of Jesus (27:11-14), and the offer to the Jews of a prisoner release (27:15-26). The last two sections are, roughly, . . . . Continue Reading »
Matthew tells us that the Jews delivered Jesus to PIlate the governor (27:2), but then interrupts his story of Jesus’ trial before Pilate with the episode of Judas’ remorse (27:3-10) before getting back to Jesus before the governor. Why? The structure of the passage helps to . . . . Continue Reading »
At the feast, Pilate offers to release ( apoluo ) a prisoner to the people. Earlier in Matthew, the verb is used with some frequency to describe the release of a wife, a divorce (Matthew 1:19; 5:31-34; 19:3, 7-8). In other passages, it means “send away,” as when the . . . . Continue Reading »
Prior to the Song of Songs, women’s bodies are mainly described in terms of function. Eve is the “mother of the living”; wombs are for giving children; breasts are for nursing. Rules of uncleanness for women focus on childbirth and menstruation, again relating the . . . . Continue Reading »
In Hebrew, the word nadib does double duty. It describes the “willing” spirit that inspires the people to donate to the tabernacle construction (Exodus 35:5), and the willing spirit that David hopes Yahweh will create in him (Psalm 51:14). It means generous, liberal. At the . . . . Continue Reading »
On the First Things web site today, they’ve posted a little article of mine on Rosenstock-Huessy, in memory of his death, February 24, 1973. You can find it here: http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2010/02/fathers-and-sons . . . . Continue Reading »
Some conservative commentators on the Song (e.g., Christopher Mitchell) are reluctant to admit hat the Song plays off pagan mythology, poetry, and iconography. But the evidence provided by other commentators (such as Keel) is overwhelming: The Song does make use of standard ANE love lyrics . . . . Continue Reading »
The bride’s description of her lover is a description of a statue: He has a head of gold (v. 11), hands of gold adorned with beryl (v. 14), an abdomen of ivory with sapphires (v. 14), and legs of alabaster set in pedestals of gold (v. 15). This conjures up the temple and the tabernacle, . . . . Continue Reading »
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