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William G. Dever, Did God Have A Wife? Archaeology And Folk Religion In Ancient Israel

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Perspectives on Hebrew Scriptures III
This chapter is in the book Perspectives on Hebrew Scriptures III
422 PERSPECTIVES ON HEBREW SCRIPTURES "Ubn and Esther 8, 10.14: A Semantic Note," TAW107 [1995]: 301-3). Furthermore, culturally sensitive comments should go beyond the mere focus on Western society (be it USA or European centered) but needs to interact with non-Western readings of the biblical text as well. Notwithstanding these minor critical remarks, I highly recommend this volume for the serious student of biblical narrative and theology. William G. Dever, DID GOD HAVE A WIFE? ARCHAEOLOGY AND FOLK RELIGION IN ANCIENT ISRAEL (Grand RapidsXCambridge, UK: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005). Pp. xvi + 344. Cloth, US $25.00, UK £15.95. ISBN 0-8028-2852-3. Reviewed, by Steve Wiggins Dever's recent contribution continues a long string of publications fo-cusing on ancient Israelite religion, and specifically, Asherah. The dis-tinction of his own interpretation of these phenomena, according to the author, is the full incorporation of archaeological material into the discussion. The work is wide-ranging, seeking to synthesize religion, biblical study, women's studies, and the development of monotheism. Herein lies an inevitable problem—each of these disciplines, in addition to archaeology itself, is highly specialized and requires considerable finesse. The ability of any one expert in these areas to take on this en-terprise would be severely taxed. The book begins with a definition of the very broadly used term "religion" and a review of the history of the study of Israel's religion. Specialists in the study of religion show no consensus on a definition of religion, but Dever seems to accept a Tillichian "ultimate concern" (p. 2) definition. Immediately this raises the question of what material re-mains can tell us about this profoundly internal human inclination. The stress on religion, particularly folk religion, as experiential (p. 12), stresses the difficulty of applying archaeological remains in any kind of precise way to the inner lives of largely non-literate people. Dever's
© 2019 Gorgias Press LLC

422 PERSPECTIVES ON HEBREW SCRIPTURES "Ubn and Esther 8, 10.14: A Semantic Note," TAW107 [1995]: 301-3). Furthermore, culturally sensitive comments should go beyond the mere focus on Western society (be it USA or European centered) but needs to interact with non-Western readings of the biblical text as well. Notwithstanding these minor critical remarks, I highly recommend this volume for the serious student of biblical narrative and theology. William G. Dever, DID GOD HAVE A WIFE? ARCHAEOLOGY AND FOLK RELIGION IN ANCIENT ISRAEL (Grand RapidsXCambridge, UK: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005). Pp. xvi + 344. Cloth, US $25.00, UK £15.95. ISBN 0-8028-2852-3. Reviewed, by Steve Wiggins Dever's recent contribution continues a long string of publications fo-cusing on ancient Israelite religion, and specifically, Asherah. The dis-tinction of his own interpretation of these phenomena, according to the author, is the full incorporation of archaeological material into the discussion. The work is wide-ranging, seeking to synthesize religion, biblical study, women's studies, and the development of monotheism. Herein lies an inevitable problem—each of these disciplines, in addition to archaeology itself, is highly specialized and requires considerable finesse. The ability of any one expert in these areas to take on this en-terprise would be severely taxed. The book begins with a definition of the very broadly used term "religion" and a review of the history of the study of Israel's religion. Specialists in the study of religion show no consensus on a definition of religion, but Dever seems to accept a Tillichian "ultimate concern" (p. 2) definition. Immediately this raises the question of what material re-mains can tell us about this profoundly internal human inclination. The stress on religion, particularly folk religion, as experiential (p. 12), stresses the difficulty of applying archaeological remains in any kind of precise way to the inner lives of largely non-literate people. Dever's
© 2019 Gorgias Press LLC

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. TABLE OF CONTENTS VI
  3. Preface XII
  4. Abbreviations XIV
  5. Vol. 6 (2006)
  6. The Core Story In The Prologue-epilogue Of The Book Of Job 1
  7. Chronicles And The Chronicler: A Response To I. Kalimi, An Ancient Israelite Historian: Studies In The Chronicler, His Time, Place, And Writing 29
  8. Introduction 30
  9. Comments 32
  10. Comments 43
  11. Comments 48
  12. Comments 55
  13. Comments 66
  14. History, Historiography, Historical Evaluation, And Credibility— Chronicles In Its Context: A Response To Reviews Of An Ancient Israelite Historian: Studies In The Chronicler, His Time, Place, And Writing 70
  15. Lex Talionis in Exod 21:22-25: Its Origin And Context 99
  16. The State Of The Field Of Hebrew Bible Study: In Conversation With John J. Collins, The Bible After Babel: Historical Criticism In A Postmodern Age (Eerdmans, 2005) 113
  17. Introductory Remarks 114
  18. The Bible After Babel, Indeed 118
  19. Brief Comments On John Collins's The Bible After Babel 123
  20. My Response To The Bible After Babel 129
  21. Evil And The Disruption Of Order: A Structural Analysis Of The Acrostics In The First Book Of Psalms 133
  22. ''You Shall Not Abhor An Edomite, For He Is Your Brother": The Tradition Of Esau And The Edomite Genealogies From An Anthropological Perspective 175
  23. On The Elusiveness And Malleability Of "Israel" 217
  24. Nahum And The Greek Tradition On Nineveh's Fall 247
  25. Why Does Eleazar Sprinkle The Red Cow Blood? Making Sense Of A Biblical Ritual 267
  26. The Formation And Intention Of The Haggai-Zechariah Corpus 287
  27. Issues In The Linguistic Analysis Of A Dead Language, With Particular Reference To Ancient Hebrew 303
  28. Reviews Vol. 6 (2006)
  29. John H. Hayes, Ed., Hebrew Bible: History Of Interpretation 333
  30. E.J. Revell, The Designation Of The Individual: Expressive Usage In Biblical Narrative 335
  31. Daniel L. Simundson, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah 340
  32. Peter W. Flint And Patrick D. Miller, Eds., With The Assistance Of A. Brunell And R. Roberts, The Book Of Psalms: Composition And Reception 342
  33. Louis Stulman, Jeremiah 347
  34. Ian Young, Ed. Biblical Hebrew: Studies In Chronology And Typology 350
  35. Ruth Fidler, "Dreams Speak Falsely"? Dream Theophanies In The Bible: Their Place In Ancient Israelite Faith And Traditions 353
  36. Martin Kessler, Ed., Reading The Book Of Jeremiah: A Search For Coherence 355
  37. Enrique Nardoni, Rise Up, O Judge: A Study Of Justice In The Biblical World 359
  38. Matthias Henze, Ed., Biblical Interpretation At Qumran 361
  39. Ruth Fidler, "Dreams Speak Falsely"? Dream Theophanies In The Bible: Their Place In Ancient Israelite Faith And Traditions 364
  40. Frank Anthony Spina, The Faith Of The Outsider: Exclusion And Inclusion In The Biblical Story 369
  41. Ulla Susanne Koch, Secrets Of Extispicy. The Chapter Multäbiltu Of The Babylonian Extispicy Series And Nlsirti Bäriti Texts Mainly From Assurbanipal's Library 372
  42. David Penchansky, Twilight Of The Gods: Polytheism In The Hebrew Bible 375
  43. Terence E. Fretheim, God And World In The Old Testament: A Relational Theology Of Creation 378
  44. Rolf Rendtorff, The Canonical Hebrew Bible: A Theology Of The Old Testament 381
  45. Nathan MacDonald, Deuteronomy And The Meaning Of 'Monotheism' 385
  46. Bruce K . Waltke, The Book Of Proverbs, Chapters 1 - 15 388
  47. Richard S. Hess, Song Of Songs 391
  48. Stephen L . Cook, The Social Roots Of Biblical Yahwism 396
  49. Andrew G. Vaughn And Ann E. Killebrew, Eds., Jerusalem In Bible And Archaeology: The First Temple Period 399
  50. Lisbeth S. Fried, The Priest And The Great King: Temple-Palace Relations In The Persian Empire 407
  51. Jan A. Wagenaar, Origin And Transformation Of The Ancient Israelite Festival Calendar 411
  52. Marvin A. Sweeney, The Prophetic Literature 413
  53. Nick Wyatt, The Mythic Mind: Essays On Cosmology And Religion In Ugaritic And Old Testament Literature 416
  54. Linda M. Day, Esther 419
  55. William G. Dever, Did God Have A Wife? Archaeology And Folk Religion In Ancient Israel 422
  56. Kenton L. Sparks, Ancient Texts For The Study Of The Hebrew Bible: A Guide To The Background Literature 425
  57. Eliott Rabin, Understanding The Hebrew Bible: A Reader's Guide 428
  58. Marc Zvi Brettler, How To Read The Bible 431
  59. Ralph W. Klein, 1 Chronicles: A Commentary 434
  60. T.A. Perry, The Honeymoon Is Over: Jonah's Argument With God 436
  61. Ehud Ben Zvi, Hosea 439
  62. David Toshio Tsumura, Creation And Destruction: A Reappraisal Of The Chaoskampf Theory In The Old Testament 445
  63. Terence E . Fretheim, God And World In The Old Testament: A Relational Theology Of Creation 448
  64. Marjo Korpel And Josef Oesch, Eds. Layout Markers In Biblical Manuscripts And Ugaritic Tablets 450
  65. Walter Brueggemann, The Book That Breathes New Life: Scriptural Authority And Biblical Theology 452
  66. Roy E. Gane, Cult And Character: Purification Offerings, Day Of Atonement, And Theodicy 454
  67. Leo Perdue, Reconstructing Old Testament Theology: After The Collapse Of History 457
  68. Michael Avioz, Nathan's Oracle (2 Samuel 7) And Its Interpreters 460
  69. Irmtraud Fischer, Women Who Wrestled With God: Biblical Stories Of Israel's Beginnings 463
  70. Eileen M. Schuller, The Dead Sea Scrolls: What Have We Learned? 465
  71. Andrei A. Orlov, The Enoch-Metatron Tradition 468
  72. Carol Meyers, Exodus 472
  73. Index 475
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https://doi.org/10.31826/9781463214821-051

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. TABLE OF CONTENTS VI
  3. Preface XII
  4. Abbreviations XIV
  5. Vol. 6 (2006)
  6. The Core Story In The Prologue-epilogue Of The Book Of Job 1
  7. Chronicles And The Chronicler: A Response To I. Kalimi, An Ancient Israelite Historian: Studies In The Chronicler, His Time, Place, And Writing 29
  8. Introduction 30
  9. Comments 32
  10. Comments 43
  11. Comments 48
  12. Comments 55
  13. Comments 66
  14. History, Historiography, Historical Evaluation, And Credibility— Chronicles In Its Context: A Response To Reviews Of An Ancient Israelite Historian: Studies In The Chronicler, His Time, Place, And Writing 70
  15. Lex Talionis in Exod 21:22-25: Its Origin And Context 99
  16. The State Of The Field Of Hebrew Bible Study: In Conversation With John J. Collins, The Bible After Babel: Historical Criticism In A Postmodern Age (Eerdmans, 2005) 113
  17. Introductory Remarks 114
  18. The Bible After Babel, Indeed 118
  19. Brief Comments On John Collins's The Bible After Babel 123
  20. My Response To The Bible After Babel 129
  21. Evil And The Disruption Of Order: A Structural Analysis Of The Acrostics In The First Book Of Psalms 133
  22. ''You Shall Not Abhor An Edomite, For He Is Your Brother": The Tradition Of Esau And The Edomite Genealogies From An Anthropological Perspective 175
  23. On The Elusiveness And Malleability Of "Israel" 217
  24. Nahum And The Greek Tradition On Nineveh's Fall 247
  25. Why Does Eleazar Sprinkle The Red Cow Blood? Making Sense Of A Biblical Ritual 267
  26. The Formation And Intention Of The Haggai-Zechariah Corpus 287
  27. Issues In The Linguistic Analysis Of A Dead Language, With Particular Reference To Ancient Hebrew 303
  28. Reviews Vol. 6 (2006)
  29. John H. Hayes, Ed., Hebrew Bible: History Of Interpretation 333
  30. E.J. Revell, The Designation Of The Individual: Expressive Usage In Biblical Narrative 335
  31. Daniel L. Simundson, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah 340
  32. Peter W. Flint And Patrick D. Miller, Eds., With The Assistance Of A. Brunell And R. Roberts, The Book Of Psalms: Composition And Reception 342
  33. Louis Stulman, Jeremiah 347
  34. Ian Young, Ed. Biblical Hebrew: Studies In Chronology And Typology 350
  35. Ruth Fidler, "Dreams Speak Falsely"? Dream Theophanies In The Bible: Their Place In Ancient Israelite Faith And Traditions 353
  36. Martin Kessler, Ed., Reading The Book Of Jeremiah: A Search For Coherence 355
  37. Enrique Nardoni, Rise Up, O Judge: A Study Of Justice In The Biblical World 359
  38. Matthias Henze, Ed., Biblical Interpretation At Qumran 361
  39. Ruth Fidler, "Dreams Speak Falsely"? Dream Theophanies In The Bible: Their Place In Ancient Israelite Faith And Traditions 364
  40. Frank Anthony Spina, The Faith Of The Outsider: Exclusion And Inclusion In The Biblical Story 369
  41. Ulla Susanne Koch, Secrets Of Extispicy. The Chapter Multäbiltu Of The Babylonian Extispicy Series And Nlsirti Bäriti Texts Mainly From Assurbanipal's Library 372
  42. David Penchansky, Twilight Of The Gods: Polytheism In The Hebrew Bible 375
  43. Terence E. Fretheim, God And World In The Old Testament: A Relational Theology Of Creation 378
  44. Rolf Rendtorff, The Canonical Hebrew Bible: A Theology Of The Old Testament 381
  45. Nathan MacDonald, Deuteronomy And The Meaning Of 'Monotheism' 385
  46. Bruce K . Waltke, The Book Of Proverbs, Chapters 1 - 15 388
  47. Richard S. Hess, Song Of Songs 391
  48. Stephen L . Cook, The Social Roots Of Biblical Yahwism 396
  49. Andrew G. Vaughn And Ann E. Killebrew, Eds., Jerusalem In Bible And Archaeology: The First Temple Period 399
  50. Lisbeth S. Fried, The Priest And The Great King: Temple-Palace Relations In The Persian Empire 407
  51. Jan A. Wagenaar, Origin And Transformation Of The Ancient Israelite Festival Calendar 411
  52. Marvin A. Sweeney, The Prophetic Literature 413
  53. Nick Wyatt, The Mythic Mind: Essays On Cosmology And Religion In Ugaritic And Old Testament Literature 416
  54. Linda M. Day, Esther 419
  55. William G. Dever, Did God Have A Wife? Archaeology And Folk Religion In Ancient Israel 422
  56. Kenton L. Sparks, Ancient Texts For The Study Of The Hebrew Bible: A Guide To The Background Literature 425
  57. Eliott Rabin, Understanding The Hebrew Bible: A Reader's Guide 428
  58. Marc Zvi Brettler, How To Read The Bible 431
  59. Ralph W. Klein, 1 Chronicles: A Commentary 434
  60. T.A. Perry, The Honeymoon Is Over: Jonah's Argument With God 436
  61. Ehud Ben Zvi, Hosea 439
  62. David Toshio Tsumura, Creation And Destruction: A Reappraisal Of The Chaoskampf Theory In The Old Testament 445
  63. Terence E . Fretheim, God And World In The Old Testament: A Relational Theology Of Creation 448
  64. Marjo Korpel And Josef Oesch, Eds. Layout Markers In Biblical Manuscripts And Ugaritic Tablets 450
  65. Walter Brueggemann, The Book That Breathes New Life: Scriptural Authority And Biblical Theology 452
  66. Roy E. Gane, Cult And Character: Purification Offerings, Day Of Atonement, And Theodicy 454
  67. Leo Perdue, Reconstructing Old Testament Theology: After The Collapse Of History 457
  68. Michael Avioz, Nathan's Oracle (2 Samuel 7) And Its Interpreters 460
  69. Irmtraud Fischer, Women Who Wrestled With God: Biblical Stories Of Israel's Beginnings 463
  70. Eileen M. Schuller, The Dead Sea Scrolls: What Have We Learned? 465
  71. Andrei A. Orlov, The Enoch-Metatron Tradition 468
  72. Carol Meyers, Exodus 472
  73. Index 475
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