Jan Christian Gertz

Die Genesis gehört zu den wirkmächtigsten Büchern des Alten Testaments: Die Erzählungen der biblischen Urgeschichte haben in unserem Kulturraum das Selbst- und Weltbild wie kaum ein anderes Literaturwerk geprägt und über Jahrhunderte den wichtigsten Orientierungspunkt für die Kosmologie und Anthropologie geboten. Die Geschichte der Erzeltern Abraham und Sara und ihrer Nachkommen ist ein Grundtext für die Identität des biblischen und nachbiblischen Israel. Der vorliegende Band vereinigt ausgewählte Studien von Jan Christian Gertz, in denen er sich der Entstehungs- und Auslegungsgeschichte sowie der Theologie des Buches Genesis zuwendet, die Bedeutung der biblischen Urgeschichte im Kontext der Literatur- und Geistesgeschichte des alten Vorderen Orients beschreibt und der Frage nach dem Verhältnis des Buches Genesis zur folgenden Exoduserzählung nachgeht.

Biblical prehistory considers the origin of the world and its order, the origin of man and the origins of culture. It is an expression of the basic conviction, which was widespread in ancient cultures and based on the natural history of the time, that everything present and everything future received its essence in the beginning. In this sense, the biblical prehistory offers less an explanation of the origin of the world, but is primarily an attempt to interpret man's experience of himself and his environment. At the center of this reflection in exemplary narratives, which are accompanied by natural history, genealogical and geographical explanations, is the human being in his diverse relationships to fellow human beings, to non-human creation and to God. Jan Christian Gertz makes a new commentary with his work prehistory, whose stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah's Ark and the Tower of Babel have shaped our self-image and worldview like few other literary works. The commentary offers readers inside and outside the subject a clearly understandable synthesis of previous research and places prehistory in the context of the literatures of the ancient Near East. The revision of the commentary on the biblical prehistory for the Old Testament German follows that by Gerhard von Rad from 1949, the last revision of which was published in 1972.

This title presents a comprehensive and profound introduction to the literature and history of the Old Testament. Beginning with methods and sources, this Handbook looks at the Biblical text, archaeology, other texts, and iconography. It explores varying exegetical methods, including historical criticism, canonical approach, feminist, social scientific and liberation theology. Methods in archaeology, Hebrew epigraphic and iconography are also covered. The second section is devoted to the history and religious history of Ancient Israel. Introductory matters, such as fundamental terminology and definitions, ethnic identity, ancestors and the dead, geography and time reckoning are explicated before the book moves on to a historical survey from the Iron Age (c. 1200 BCE) to the early Roman period (ending about 63 CE). The heart of the book is a detailed survey of the Hebrew canonical books, section by section and book by book. The discussion for each book includes: biblical presentation and content; problems arising from the history of literary analysis and research; the origin and growth of the writing; the theology; and notes on reception history. This book will provide students with everything they need to study the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.

This title provides a comprehensive and profound introduction to the literature and history of the Old Testament. Beginning with methods and sources, this Handbook looks at the Biblical text, archaeology, other texts, and iconography. It explores varying exegetical methods, including historical criticism, canonical approach, feminist, social scientific and liberation theology. Methods in archaeology, Hebrew epigraphic and iconography are also covered. The second section is devoted to the history and religious history of Ancient Israel. Introductory matters, such as fundamental terminology and definitions, ethnic identity, ancestors and the dead, geography and time reckoning are explicated before the book moves on to a historical survey from the Iron Age (c. 1200 BCE) to the early Roman period (ending about 63 CE). The heart of the book is a detailed survey of the Hebrew canonical books, section by section and book by book. The discussion for each book includes: biblical presentation and content; problems arising from the history of literary analysis and research; the origin and growth of the writing; the theology; and notes on reception history. This book will provide students with everything they need to study the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.

Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--Universit'at G'ottingen, 1993/94.