Magne Sæbø (Hg.)
Hebrew Bible / Old Testament
The History of Its Interpretation
In co-operation with Chris Brekelmans and Menahem Haran
The first Part of the Hebrew Bible / OldTestament-project deals with questions of the canon with regard to its interpretation from the jewish, new testament, rabbinic, and patristic point of view and embraces the time up to Augustin.
In volume two again well known scholars – Jewish, Protestant, Roman Catholic – from North America, Israel, and various European countries, contribute to medieval interpretation and exegesis of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (5th through 12th centuries). Geographically, they cover most of the world as it was known in the times of the Renaissance to the Enlightenment: from Syria to Spain, from Rome to the Rhine and the Seine.
In the penultimate part volume III/1 the long and complex history of reception and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament through the ages is pursued to the nineteenth century’s special situation with its new methods and problems. Due to an increased historical knowledge in many fields and an expanding cultural context, the phenomenon of ‘history’ became the object of an as yet unsurpassed fascination; ‘history’ was the new key concept – partly in form of a ‘historicism’. With regard to biblical studies in general and the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament in particular a decisive historical-critical approach came into focus, which generated tension between this new method and the traditional scriptural interpretation of the Church – and in turn also relatively severe controversies between opposing fronts.
The indexes (names, topics, references to biblical sources and a broad body of literature beyond) are the key to the wealth of information provided.
