Marko Marttila

Juha Pakkala

Hanne von Weissenberg

The articles in this volume investigate changes in texts that became to be regarded as holy and unchangeable in Judaism and Christianity. The volume seeks to draw attention to the empirical evidence from Qumran, the Septuagint as well as from passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that have been shaped by the use of other texts. The contributions are divided into three main sections: The first section deals with methodological questions concerning textual changes. The second section consists of concrete examples from the Hebrew Bible, Qumran and Septuagint on how the texts were changed, corrected, edited and interpreted. The contributions of the third section will investigate the general influence and impact of Deuteronomistic ideology and phraseology on later texts."

Rewriting and Interpreting Authoritative Traditions in the Second Temple Period

Changes in Scripture

The biblical concept of Israel as the Chosen People raises the difficult question about the fate of other nations. Earlier wisdom literature did not argue in national terms but in Ben Sira we have the first known sage who combined wisdom instructions and the history of his people. Ben Sira’s work gives valuable insight into the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the first quarter of the second century BCE. Ben Sira attempted to defend the religious and cultural heritage of the Jewish people in order to avoid assimilation, but at the same time he acknowledged wisdom traditions of other nations.

Marko Marttila

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