Paul Sanders | Protestant Theological University, The Netherlands (original) (raw)

Papers by Paul Sanders

https://sahd-online.com/words/chashman/, 2024

See https://sahd-online.com/words/chashman/ The Hebrew word חַשְׁמַנִּים occurs only in Psalm 68:... more See https://sahd-online.com/words/chashman/ The Hebrew word חַשְׁמַנִּים occurs only in Psalm 68:32. It was often translated as ‘envoys’ or ‘ambassadors’, but that interpretation seems to have been inspired only by the context and has no etymological basis whatsoever. On the basis of possible cognates in Egyptian and Akkadian scholars nowadays understand it as referring to precious objects, such as objects of bronze or dyed cloth, or the detergent natron. It is a more attractive option to identify חַשְׁמַנִּים with amethysts. This proposal is new, but its advantage is that amethyst was highly valued and that it was mined in Egypt, in an area close to Kush (see Ps 68:32b). It implies that חַשְׁמַנִּים is a cognate of Egyptian ḥsmn, ‘amethyst’, just like Akkadian ḫašmānu. In Egyptian, there are only relatively early attestations of ḥsmn, ‘amethyst’, but if Psalm 68 is an old composition the occurrence of a cognate in 68:32 is explicable.

Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, 2023

In the preserved fragments of a famous Torah scroll from the seventh or eighth century CE no orth... more In the preserved fragments of a famous Torah scroll from the seventh or eighth century CE no orthographic differences occur with the text of the more recent Aleppo Codex, while there are orthographic differences with the other ancient Bible codices. The relationship between the scroll and the Aleppo Codex is looser as far as the division into sections is concerned, but the tradition according to which five specific lines must be written above Exodus 15:1–19 has this very scroll as its source.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are fragments of the oldest Hebrew Bible text, while the Aleppo Codex and th... more The Dead Sea Scrolls are fragments of the oldest Hebrew Bible text, while the Aleppo Codex and the Leningrad Codex are the oldest complete versions, written by the Masoretes in the 10th and 11th centuries, respectively. The Ashkar-Gilson Manuscript falls in between the early scrolls and the later codices. This article discusses the role the Ashkar-Gilson Manuscipt had in bridging the gap between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the later Aleppo Codex and Leningrad Codex.

The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, 2022

This article addresses introductory issues concerning the origin, function, and relevance of the ... more This article addresses introductory issues concerning the origin, function, and relevance of the Masoretic accentuation. Initially, the accents were added neither to indicate the stressed syllable of words, nor the syntactical aspects of the text, nor to represent melodies. From their first occurrence, the recitative function of the accents was their true raison d’être. It is obvious that the musical (i.e. melodic) function was not a major concern for the Masoretes. The comprehensive Tiberian system of accentuation includes a subsystem for the Three Books (Psalms, Job 3:2–42:6, Proverbs) and another one for the Twenty-one Books (rest of the Hebrew Bible). The more equivocal and less adequate accentuation system of the Three Books is the oldest. The system of the Twenty-one Books is more transparent and adequate. It can be considered as the final product of an extended process.

According to their descriptions in the Hebrew Bible, the Urim and Thummim had a physical identity... more According to their descriptions in the Hebrew Bible, the Urim and Thummim had a physical identity. They are described as objects that played a crucial role in a legitimate oracular procedure that aimed at determining the will of God. The objects were entrusted to the high priest, who carried them in a square pouch. The high priest cast (or drew?) the Urim and Thummim at least once when the king or another important figure wanted to know the will of God. Unfortunately, a positive identification is impossible due to the paucity of the evidence. In view of the extra-biblical material, part of which came to light only recently, it seems legitimate to conceive the Urim and the Thummim as differently shaped lots, either two different objects, or two sets of different objects.
For this and other lexicographical articles, see https://sahd-online.com/

Present-day readers, including Jews and Christians, tend to be shocked by the account of the purp... more Present-day readers, including Jews and Christians, tend to be shocked by the account of the purposeful execution of seven descendants of Saul in 2 Samuel 21:1–14. Traditionally, the narrative was presumed to justify David’s decision to have them killed. Nowadays, the story is often read with suspicion. Does the homicide really serve a purpose, and is the way in which it is justified convincing? The elimination of Saul’s relatives may have served David well. A new analysis of three non-biblical texts from the ancient Near East demonstrates that the plot of the biblical episode largely fits a known conceptual pattern. This pattern indicates what a responsible king must do in times of misery. The comparison shows that some critical readings of 2 Samuel 21:1–14 lack a solid basis, while others have a point. Despite the elements that do not make sense to twenty-first-century readers, both the biblical and the non-biblical texts appear to exhibit positive aspects of ancient religious thinking.

For a long time, Qoh. 2:26 was regarded as a crux interpretum. First it was seen an addition by a... more For a long time, Qoh. 2:26 was regarded as a crux interpretum. First it was seen an addition by a pious redactor and later the words טוב “good” and חוטא “sinner” were supposed to have a non-moral sense. However, these interpretations are inconvincing. A related passage in the Babylonian composition Ludlul Bēl Nēmeqi suggests that in Qoh. 2:26 God’s assessment of human behaviour is supposed to differ from the assessment by humans themselves. God may see as wrong what humans regard as right and vice versa. In the Ugaritic legend of Aqhat, the goddess ʽAnat regards the rebellion of the prince Aqhat as sinful, although his conduct is beyond reproach. She reacts impulsively and kills him. Although this parallel casts some light on the interpretation of Qoh. 2:26, the idea that God’s judgment is arbitrary does not suit the theology of Qohelet. Qohelet cannot embrace God’s rule, but he cannot reject it either.

This article discusses some of the few reconstructions of Ugaritic texts in KTU2 that were not re... more This article discusses some of the few reconstructions of Ugaritic texts in KTU2 that were not repeated in KTU3. Some illuminating examples of the withdrawal of older reconstructions and the introduction of new ones are described, with the aim of showing when the inclusion of textual reconstruction in a text edition can be justifiable and when not. It is demonstrated that a text edition should not include hypothetical reconstructions in the main text. Footnotes are a better means to show which reconstructions have been proposed. They can also be used to specify which interpretations of damaged letters are possible.

Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database 2021 – The interpretation of Hebrew פֶּלֶךְ as a spindle is... more Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database 2021 –
The interpretation of Hebrew פֶּלֶךְ as a spindle is beyond doubt in Proverbs 31:19. In 2 Samuel 3:29, the interpretation of פֶּלֶךְ as a spindle is also the most convincing option. This interpretation is confirmed by most of the ancient translations and the cognates in other Semitic languages. The interpretation as a walking stick (see Septuagint) lacks a lexicographical basis. For this and other lexicographical articles, see https://sahd-online.com/

Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database 2021 – In Biblical Hebrew, the verb טוה means ‘to spin’. It... more Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database 2021 –
In Biblical Hebrew, the verb טוה means ‘to spin’. It designates the production of threads from fibres, especially wool and flax, but apparently also the plying together of two or more thin threads to form a stronger yarn. These activities were usually carried out by women with a ‘spindle’. For this and other lexicographical articles, see https://sahd-online.com/

Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database, 2017 - The Hebrew word מחרשׁה/מחרשׁת occurs three times ... more Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database, 2017 -

The Hebrew word מחרשׁה/מחרשׁת occurs three times in 1 Samuel 13:20-21. Especially the twofold occurrence in the same list of agricultural implements in 13:20 raises questions. The word has cognates in other Semitic languages and occurs also in the Mishnah. Apparently, however, part of the earliest translators were confused about its meaning. One of the occurrences refers to a traditional scratch plough or to its metal plough-point. The other occurrence may represent a hoe, a mattock, an adze, or another agricultural implement. For this and other lexicographical articles, see https://sahd-online.com/

In the Hebrew Bible we find the self-imprecation “So may God do to me and more also!” (2 Sam 3,35... more In the Hebrew Bible we find the self-imprecation “So may God do to me and more also!” (2 Sam 3,35, 1 Kgs 2,23, etc.). In many cases, the phrase is immediately conditioned: “So may God do to me and more also, if you will not be the commander of the army” (2 Sam 19,14). God may punish the speaker, if the latter fails his promise. Ancient Mesopotamian sources suggest that the word “So” in the Hebrew expression originally referred to a gesture in use when taking an oath: the touching of the throat. The biblical passages where the expression occurs do not display any resistance to the use of the formula as such, even though it was often pronounced inconsiderately. However, the textual alteration in 1 Sam 25,22 shows that there was opposition to the idea that the pious king David failed a promise that he had reinforced using the self-imprecatory phrase.

This well-known phrase consciously interprets the defeat of the Armada (1588) as a mighty act of ... more This well-known phrase consciously interprets the defeat of the Armada (1588) as a mighty act of God. The phrase has a biblical background, but there are also parallels in other literature from the ancient Near East, for instance in the Hittite annals of Mursili II.

NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion, 2006

De recente ontdekking van een ostracon (beschreven potscherf) uit IJzertijd IIA (± 1000-925 v.C.)... more De recente ontdekking van een ostracon (beschreven potscherf) uit IJzertijd IIA (± 1000-925 v.C.) in Khirbet Qeiyafa heeft geleid tot het trekken van vergaande conclusies. In dit artikel presenteren de auteurs de tekst en een vertaling en laten ze zien dat bepaalde conclusies niet goed onderbouwd zijn. De auteurs betogen dat de tekst geschreven moet zijn door een schrijversleerling en dat het niet gaat om een document dat de historiciteit van David of de betrouwbaarheid van de Bijbel aantoont, zoals anderen beweerden. Het ostracon laat echter ook zien dat er in deze vroege periode meer geschreven werd dan sommige geleerden geneigd waren te denken. De tekst lijkt moreel besef tot uitdrukking te brengen, waarbij de auteurs benadrukken dat het karakter van dit besef niet uniek bijbels of Israëlitisch was.

https://sahd-online.com/words/chashman/, 2024

Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, 2023

The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, 2022

Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database, 2017 - The Hebrew word מחרשׁה/מחרשׁת occurs three times ... more Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database, 2017 -

NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion, 2006

In the Hebrew Bible, the “pausal system” is a set of variations in voweling and stress position m... more In the Hebrew Bible, the “pausal system” is a set of variations in voweling and stress position marking the ends of units of various sizes. Pausal forms are already well known and have long been included in grammatical works. However, it is rarely noticed that many pausal forms occur at unexpected positions. They may be marked with any disjunctive accent, or even with one of the conjunctive accents. The pausal forms represent an earlier division of the text and deserve special attention. In addition to the pausal forms, the retraction of word stress (nesigah) and the use of the vowel qameṣ on conjunctive waw also appear to mark the ends of units. All these indicators are included in this comprehensive study of the pausal system and in the accompanying list of terminal markers. This is the first classified list of all the relevant forms in the Hebrew Bible.

E.J. Revell is Professor Emeritus of the Department of Near Eastern Studies, University of Toronto, Canada.

This inventive study concerns a systematic analysis of the translation techniques emerging in the... more This inventive study concerns a systematic analysis of the translation techniques emerging in the Tell Fekheriyeh inscription from the ninth century BCE, which includes an Akkadian text and a parallel Aramaic version, also known as KAI 309. Authors Carly L. Crouch and Jeremy M. Hutton selected this bilingual for their exploration, since other multilingual inscriptions comprising an Akkadian text and a version in a Northwest Semitic language are much more fragmentary. The Akkadian and Aramaic texts of the Tell Fekheriyeh inscription, written on a basalt statue, are quite long and have been preserved nearly completely.

Review published in Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift 2020

Ancient Near Eastern texts contain many examples of direct speech of humans or deities who refer ... more Ancient Near Eastern texts contain many examples of direct speech of humans or deities who refer to themselves in the grammatical third person, either using third-person verbal forms and third-person pronouns, or denoting themselves with their distinctive names or epithets. This use of the third person, which is known as “illeism”, is also widespread in the Bible.

This book contains an introduction to the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, a lengthy poem composed by the hig... more This book contains an introduction to the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, a lengthy poem composed by the high priest Ilumilku. The introduction is followed by a new Italian translation of the text and of some related Ugaritic texts written by other scribes.

Despite its small size, this book is an impressive source of information about the Decalogue.

Most of Roland Meynet's publications concern the Synoptic Gospels, with rhetorical analysis as hi... more Most of Roland Meynet's publications concern the Synoptic Gospels, with rhetorical analysis as his characteristic approach. This book, however, focuses on the eight alphabetic acrostics in the book of Psalms (9–10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, 145). Meynet questions whether the negative judgment regarding these poems, especially as expressed in the twentieth century (from Hermann Gunkel onward) that implies that their alphabetic structure has prevented the psalmists from providing their compositions with a coherent overall design, is correct. His answer is radical: contrary to what other scholars claim, the rhetorical structure of the poems concerned transcends the device for the alphabetic acrostic. The eight poems have been composed with the same care as the other psalms, and each one has a coherent structure. Meynet is aware of the hierarchy of the various rhetorical levels that make up a Biblical Hebrew poem and systematically describes the poetic structures of the eight psalms at all their levels, from the smallest rhetorical units up to the level of the complete poem. When labeling the various poetic units he uses his own terminology (17): a membre (others: colon) is the smallest rhetorical unit; a segment (others: poetic line) comprises two or three membres, sometimes only one, with most segments coinciding with a Masoretic verse; a morceau (English: piece; others: strophe) comprises one, two, or three segments; a

In his book, based on his dissertation, Christian Metzenthin describes the characteristics of the... more In his book, based on his dissertation, Christian Metzenthin describes the characteristics of the interpretation of Isaiah in the extra-biblical texts from Qumran.

Welk jaar is het nu? Of: Welke datum is het vandaag? Als dat aan je gevraagd wordt, moet je eigen... more Welk jaar is het nu? Of: Welke datum is het vandaag? Als dat aan je gevraagd wordt, moet je eigenlijk eerst zeggen: Dat ligt eraan. Van welke jaartelling ga je uit? Er zijn nu eenmaal verschillende jaartellingen en daar horen verschillende data bij. De meeste hebben een religieuze achtergrond.

The role of men and women. A discussion of the translation of 2 Samuel 3:29. In Dutch.