The Pentateuch

The Pentateuch Thomas Hieke, Christopher T. Begg, and Fred W. Guyette ________ 1517. Pentateuch Joel S. Baden and Jeffrey Stackert (eds. ), The Pentateuch and Its Readers (FAT 170; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2023). Pp. viii + 454. €159. ISBN 978–3-16–160820–9; ISBN 978–3-16–160821–6 (eBook). This collection of 18 essays honors Baruch J. Schwartz for his publications, his generative ideas, and his lineage of students. The essays in this volume treat the Pentateuch and its composition; priesthood, cult, and Priestly texts; major religious ideas expressed in the Hebrew Bible, and the reception of biblical texts and ideas, especially those related to the Pentateuch. The introduction by the two editors briefly summarizes the contributions. The volume comes with three indexes: ancient sources, authors, and subjects. For abstracts of the essays, see ##1104, 1105, 1108, 1128, 1138, 1144, 1152, 1155, 1159, 1164, 1170, 1203, 1213, 1217, 1291, 1366, 1389, 1410. —T. H. 1518. Genesis 1: 28 in Luther's Thought and in the Early Wittenberg Reformation Brandt C. Klawitter, A Forceful and Fruitful Verse: Genesis 1: 28 in Luther's Thought and Its Place in the Wittenberg Reformation (1521–1531) (Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Europäische Geschichte; Mainz Abteilung für Abendländische Religionsgeschichte 269; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck (2) Background: Tension, Ambiguity, and Discussion Surrounding a Verse; (3) The Emergence of a Verse; (4) Contesting a Verse: the Debate Surrounding Genesis 1: 28 (1522–1524) ; (5) Confessing and Conforming to a Verse—the Ongoing Influence of Genesis 1: 28; and (6) The Future of a Verse and Concluding Thoughts. The volume's "Appendix" features: (1) Apologia Confessio Augustanae Art. 23 Comparison Table; (2) List of Works Cited; (3) Abbreviations; (4) Glossary; and (5) General Index. —C. T. B. 1519. Blood and Liminality in the Book of Exodus Ficco Fabrizio, Blood and Liminality: A Common Thread in the Book of Exodus (Analecta Biblica Studia 18; Rome: Gregorian and Biblical Press, 2023). Pp. 270. 35. ISBN 9791259860224. The Book of Exodus describes several ritual actions that involve the shedding of blood. (1) In Exod 4: 24–26, God is very angry at Moses and attacks him, but we don't know why exactly. Is it because Moses's commitment to the God-given task of liberating the Hebrew slaves is wavering? In any case, Zipporah saves Moses's life by quickly circumcising their son, and God evidently accepts her action as a sign of obedience. (2) In Exod 12: 6, 21–23, the Angel of Death is being sent to strike the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. But how will the angel know which dwellings belong to Hebrew families and "pass over" those homes without harming their firstborn sons? This is what prompts God to tell the Hebrews to mark their doors with the blood of a lamb. When the Angel of Death sees the blood, the angel will know which families are to be spared. (3) In Exod 24: 3–8 Moses teaches the Hebrews all of God's commands. The people respond: "All the words that Yhwh has uttered we will do!" But their covenant with God is only fully sealed after Moses has poured the blood of oxen on both the altar and the people. (4) When Aaron and his sons are consecrated as priests, this ritual, too, is completed by the sprinkling of blood. . .