Between the Poet and the Legislator – on Wonder and Ambivalence in Hebrew Liturgical Poetry (original) (raw)

Biblical Hebrew Poetry Conference (Durham, UK, 24-25 June 2019)

Key Questions: The aim of the conference is the recontextualization of biblical Hebrew poetry with the goal of moving beyond reconstructive historical work to constructive theological work. To this end, papers will address: • How might we read Hebrew poetry as divine communication? What is the theological significance of this poetry within the context of a given community of faith? • How do the biblical poets construct meaning? How do faithful readers of these poems creatively read biblical poetry to find meaning for today? • How might poetry facilitate an encounter with God? How can we embody a proper responsiveness to what a particular poem is doing/saying? • What can the genre of poetry do that another genre cannot do? Speakers include: John Goldingay, Ellen Davis, Katie Heffelfinger, Benjamin Sommer, Shai Held, David Firth, June Dickie, and Yisca Zimran

The impact of the Old Testament on modern Hebrew poetry in Israel

1980

PR&TAOE My thesis "The Impact of the Old Testament on Modern Hebrew Poetry in Israel" deals with representative Younger Poets of the Generation of the Fifties, as well as with two poets who first published their work in the 194-0's prior to the Israeli War of Independence of 194-8-9. The latter are poets who, in the case of Amir Gilboa represent the transition to the poets of the 1950's, or, in the case of Haim Gury, have since changed their style in keeping with post-independence trends. Thus, although in the narrowest sense, a "younger poet" is a poet who first published his work during or after the War of Independence, the poets of the Generation of the Forties discussed in my thesis are usually classed as Younger Poets. The layout of this thesis is very easy to follow. Each chapter focusses on one poet, and analyzes one or more of his poems. However, in chapter four, although the poet under discussion is basically Natan Zach, for purposes of comparison, I have also analyzed a poem by Natan Alterman, a poet of the Generation of the Twenties, who has been called the "father" of the Younger Poets. Appendix II, which consists of the poems analyzed in the body of the thesis, and Appendix III (English translations of the poems) do not include poems from which I have quoted only a few lines for discussion purposes. Unless otherwise acknowledged, quotations from poems or reference works are translated by myself. The poems in the appendices which I have translated are as follows: An Initiation of a Prophet in an Army Camp A Sort of End of Days King Saul and I An Exact Account of the Music the Biblical Saul Heard Behold a Day of Battle and Its Eve Have Ended Another Poem about Absalom Gifts from Kings Where Hebrew words or proper names have already been accepted into the English language with a conventional spelling (e.g., Saul, Al.^alom, k-iHHutz, and so on), I have kept that spelling. With the poets' names, I have followed previously published transcriptions. Where there are variations (e.g., Qu/iy or Qou/ii, Amickai or Amikai, Sack or Zack, and so on), I have chosen what seemed to me to be the personal preference of the poet himself. At times, it has seemed appropriate to romanize isolated Hebrew words or phrases, both within the main text and in the footnotes, especially in discussions on poetics. These words have been rendered, for the purpose of maximum simplicity, in a system of transcription that indicates minimum phonemic contrasts. In other words, where Israeli speakers make a variety of additional distinctions in their speech, and where these distinctions are optional (e.g., between k and y ; o and n ; 3 and p ' ; 1.. [all c], and so on), Chapter One Much can be learned about the way in which modern Israeli verse deals with biblical themes by reference to Erich Auerbach's discussion of European literary traditions in his oft translated book Mimesis. The biblical narrative, he says, omits descriptive details. He summarizes the reason for this as follows: 1 tie world o/ the Scripture stories is not sat is-fLied with claiming to He a historically t/me reality-it insists that it is the only real world, is destined lor autocracy. All other scenes, issues, and ordinances have no right to appear independently o/ it, and it is promised that all ol them, the history ol all mankind, will He given their due place within its Irame, will He suHord inated to it. 7 he Scripture stories do not, like homer* s , court our flavor, they do not flatter us that they may please us and enchant us-they seek to suHject us, and il we refuse to He suHjected we are reHels. Let no one oHject that this goes too lar, that not the stories, Hut the /religious doctrine, raises the claim to aHsolute authority' , Hecause the stories are not, like homer's, simply narrated "reality." doctrine and promise are incarnate in them and inseparaHle-fLrom them' ,-lor that very reason they are Iraught with "Hackground" and mysterious, containing a second, concealed meaning. In the story ol [the Binding] ol Isaac, it is not only Qod's intervention at the Heginning and the end, Hut even the factual and psycho log ical elements which come Hetween, that are mysterious, merely touched upon, Inaught with Hackground; and thene-fLone they require suHtle investigation and interpretation, they demand them. Since so much in the story is dark and incomplete, and since the reader knows that Qod is a hidden Qod, his ellort to interpret it constantly linds something new to leed upon.1

A New Song: Biblical Hebrew Poetry as Jewish and Christian Scripture

2023

This volume explores the fresh riches of biblical poetry for communities of faith by bringing together a diverse roster of Jewish and Christian scholars to explore biblical Hebrew poetic texts within the context—and for the benefit—of communities of faith. A New Song includes nine essays on the hidden intricacies of poetry in the Hebrew Bible, ten poems in dialogue with biblical poetry, and three reflective responses. These thoughtful essays and poems encourage readers to join in the singing of the old songs anew. Contributors include Jason Byassee, Ellen Davis, June Dickie, David Firth, Susan Gillingham, John Goldingay, C.T.R. Hayward, Katie M. Heffelfinger, Rabbi Shai Held, Micheal O’Siadhail, Benjamin D. Sommer, and Yisca Zimran. Features poems by Maria Apichella, Kilby Austin, Edward Clarke, Jacqueline Osherow, Micheal O’Siadhail, Michael Symmons Roberts, Richard G. Rohlfing Jr., and Jock Stein.

1997-Analysing Biblical Hebrew Poetry

JSOT 74 (1997) 77-93, 1997

That analysing Biblical Hebrew Poetry (BHP) is not an easy task needs no proof. Many essays have been published in recent years but no accepted solution is in sight. 1 Among the numerous unresolved problems, we find the very nature of poetry itself. 2 It is my intention to propose what seems to me a simple, unpretentious, yet effective way of analysing BHP starting from the smallest units. The main characteristics of poetry versus prose are the following: 1) segmented versus linear communication; 2) parallelism of similar bits of information versus sequence of different bits of information; 3