AbstractThe concept “covenant” plays a prominent role in Old Testament literature. Although we have come a long way since Eichrodt’s Theologie des Alten Testaments (1961), in which the author suggested that “covenant” is the central concept that forms the key to the theology of the Old Testament, no biblical scholar would deny that the special relationship between two parties expressed with the Hebrew term ברית deserves dedicated study. The term ברית appears 284 times in the Hebrew Bible, expressing a variety of relationships between human agents, but particularly the relationship between Yahweh and the people of Israel.

AbstractThis chapter discusses that the Chronicler's work is particularly important for Pentateuchal studies when viewed from the perspective of the early reception of the Pentateuch. The Chronicler, as an early reader of the "primary history" can shed valuable light on different aspects of Pentateuchal research, some of which is illustrated in the chapter. The chapter discusses some illustrations from Chronicles studies which may suggest some avenues for fruitful interaction with Pentateuchal research. These illustrations center around two questions, namely "What does the book of Chronicles reflect of the extent of the 'primary history'?" and "What does the book of Chronicles reflect of the negotiation of a new (All-Israelite) identity in Persian period Yehud? The chapter shows how the Chronicler as Early Reader interacted with the "primary history" in order to negotiate a new identity in the late Persian period.

AbstractIn recent years, the study of Chronicles has moved from historiographical interests to rhetorical interests.¹ This means that researchers are no longer primarily asking what historiographical value the book holds, in comparison to other historiographies such as the Primary History and the Deuteronomistic History (or, more pointedly, the books of Samuel–Kings). One of the main foci in Chronicles research now is determining how the book communicated rhetorically by latching onto older traditions, while simultaneously contributing to the discourses of the late Persian or early Hellenistic periods.² A synoptic comparison with the (mainly biblical) sources used by the Chronicler assists

AbstractReflections on Leadership in Achaemenid Yehud: Case Studies from the Chronicler’s Imperial, Provincial, Tribal, and Cultic Rhetoric was published in Transforming Authority on page 201.

AbstractThe very first work of “history” penned in the Western tradition begins its first paragraph with setting the context of the work as the conflict between Greek and Persian. Herodotus of Halicarnassus, an Ionian Greek from the fringes of the Persian Empire, constructed his historie as an account of the formation of Greek identity in relation to the Other. This tendency may also be found in the annals and royal inscriptions of the ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and eastern Mediterranean cultures that preceded the creation of historiography in the Persian period. We may also find this tendency in the biblical narratives of Kings and Ezra- Nehemiah. The book of Chronicles, however, has not been investigated from this perspective. Previous generations of scholarship were apt to see the Other in Chronicles as Samaritans, but this construction was based on the assumed common authorship of Chronicles and Ezra- Nehemiah. In this essay I will explore another possibility for the Other against whom Israel is constructed in Chronicles. One possibility that I raise further in the conclusion is that Chronicles is not a work of historiography at all, or, if it is, it is a radical innovation in the fundamental rules of the genre as understood in antiquity.

AbstractSnyman discusses the genealogy of Judah in 1 Chr 2:3-4:23 in light of recent theoretical developments in anthropological studies on the formation of ethnicity and construction of power. The function of this genealogy constructed by the Judean elite for its own benefit is illuminated by a comparison with South African genealogical concerns in the post- apartheid era. Snyman further speculates on the social location of those who constructed, related, and advanced this genealogy of Judah in Persian period Yehud in light of this comparative evidence. [Abstracted by: Steven J. Schweitzer] Abstract Number: OTA27-2004-OCT-1808

AbstractThe Africa Bible Commentary is a unique publishing event—the first one-volume Bible commentary produced in Africa by African theologians to meet the needs of African pastors, students, and lay leaders. Interpreting and applying the Bible in the light of African culture and realities, it furnishes powerful and relevant insights into the biblical text that transcend Africa in their significance. The Africa Bible Commentary gives a section-by-section interpretation that provides a contextual, readable, affordable, and immensely useful guide to the entire Bible. Readers around the world will benefit from and appreciate the commentary’s fresh insights and direct style that engage both heart and mind. Key features: · Produced by African biblical scholars, in Africa, for Africa—and for the world · Section-by-section interpretive commentary and application · More than 70 special articles dealing with topics of key importance in to ministry in Africa today, but that have global implications · 70 African contributors from both English- and French-speaking countries · Transcends the African context with insights into the biblical text and the Christian faith for readers worldwide