Pericope: Scripture as written and read in antiquity

Volumes published

Volume 1

Marjo C.A. Korpel, Josef M. Oesch (eds),
Delimitation Criticism: A New Tool in Biblical Scholarship,
Assen: Van Gorcum, 2000 (ISBN 90 232 3656 4).

Papers read at the first meeting of the Pericope Group, Utrecht, 6-9 August, 2000.

Contents:
M.C.A. Korpel, Introduction to the Series Pericope (1-50); M. van Amerongen, Structuring Division Markers in Haggai (51-79); R. de Hoop, Lamentations: The Qinah-Metre Questioned (80-104); K.D. Jenner, The Unit Delimitation in the Syriac Text of Daniel and its Consequences for the Interpretation (105-129); M.C.A. Korpel, Unit Division in the Book of Ruth -- With Examples from Ruth 3 (130-148); J.C. de Moor, Micah 7:1-13: The Lament of a Disillusioned Prophet (149-196); J. Oesch, Skizze einer synchronen und diachronen Gliederungskritik im Rahmen der alttestamentlichen Textkritik (197-229); J. Renkema, The Literary Structure of Obadiah (230-276); P. Sanders, Ancient Colon Delimitations: 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18 (277-311); E. Tov, The Background of the Sense Divisions in the Biblical Texts (312-350); Index of Authors (351-355); Index of Texts (356-365).

Orders: Brill, The Netherlands (order Volume 1 from Brill) or Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake (order Volume 1 from Eisenbrauns).

 

Volume 2

Marjo C.A. Korpel,
The Structure of the Book of Ruth,
Assen: Van Gorcum, 2001 (ISBN 90 232 3657 2).

The Book of Ruth reads like a novella. Scholars agree on the literary virtuosity of its author, but are deeply divided about the way she or he has structured the work. For the first time ever, the present study on the structure of the Book of Ruth makes use of hitherto neglected evidence from ancient Hebrew, Greek, Syriac and Latin manuscripts in an attempt to create a more objective basis for discussions about the book's structure.

This type of structural analysis is a powerful new tool in the hands of Bible scholars. Structural irregularities appear to elucidate the redactional history of the Book of Ruth. Structural breaks and links appear to function as markers indicating a certain understanding of the text to the exclusion of other possibilities.

The question of divine justice comes out as the central theme of the book. Is it justified to accuse God of injustice, as Naomi did? The time when this problem was most virulent was the exilic and post-exilic period. Naomi appears to stand for the old Zion, the embittered widow of Lamentations 1. Ruth is a personification of the new Zion, the bride whom her divine husband will marry again. The remarkable openness to an active role of foreigners and women in the restoration of Israel is a deliberate protest against the draconic measures of Ezra and Nehemiah against marriages with foreign women.

Orders: Brill, The Netherlands (order Volume 2 from Brill) or Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake (order Volume 2 from Eisenbrauns).

 

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