"And God Separated the Light from the Darkness" (Gen 1:4) - On the Role of Borders in the Priestly Texts of the Pentateuch (2016) (original) (raw)

Borders play a critical role in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the context of the Priestly texts of the Pentateuch. The concept of separation is fundamental to the creation narrative, illustrating a complex relationship between order, identity, and the delineation of boundaries in various dimensions, including cosmological, geographical, and moral categories. This analysis emphasizes how separations serve both to establish order and to reflect a dynamic understanding of borders, suggesting that they are not fixed but subject to interpretation and context.