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The Bible Translator
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Review of Biblical Literature
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"Marriage and Family in the Biblical World" is an anthology comprising essays authored by six specialists, centrally aimed at undertaking a comparative and theological exploration across six distinct cultural contexts prevalent during biblical times. The primary objective is to offer an insightful examination into the dynamics of marriage and family within these historical settings. The collection presents an expansive panorama of source materials derived from antiquity, with a dedicated focus on the intricate nuances of marital and familial structures. These ancient cultures serve as the foundational underpinning upon which contemporary perceptions and practices regarding the family have evolved. The six cultural settings meticulously examined encompass the Ancient Near East, Old Testament Israel, Greece, Rome, Second Temple Judaism, and the New Testament. This paper systematically presents a comprehensive summary of the fundamental conclusions of each contributing author, delineating their key arguments, methodologies, and discoveries. Through this synthesis, it aspires to offer an inclusive comprehension of the diverse perspectives encapsulated within the book. Subsequently, the paper transitions into a critical evaluation of the essays, addressing both the strengths and limitations evident within the scholarly contributions.
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An analysis of Bible stories about the patriarchs’ treatment of their children reveals pathological family patterns, which reoccur in subsequent generations. The outcome of parental favoritism and of unhealthy coalitions is sibling rivalry, leading to hatred and to violence among the children. The transgenerational chain of pathologies is traced back to God’s differential treatment of Cain and Abel and to the resultant murder. The legitimization of family pathologies by the biblical stories is discussed.
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Journal of Biblical Literature
This volume investigates the sibling rivalry motif found in the Hebrew Bible, particularly the preference given to younger siblings. Greenspahn argues that the choice of ultimogeniture (election of the youngest child) over primogeniture (election of the oldest child) does not emanate from legal mandate, nor does it arise as a protest against some prevailing custom. Ultimogeniture conforms to a widespread folk motif that evokes innocence, vulnerability, and destiny. These stories portraying younger siblings prevailing over older ones also "serve as complex parables of God's relationship to his chosen people and reflect Israel's own discomfort with the contradiction between its theology of election and the reality of political weakness" (inside jacket leaf). The introduction surveys some representative occurrences of sibling rivalry and harmony in biblical and extrabiblical material and makes several observations that set the stage for the investigation of the five subsequent chapters: "the overwhelming majority of biblical heroes who emerge triumphant in these tales are younger offspring" (p. 5); "ancient Israelite practice was far more fluid than is usually allowed, with fathers apparendy free to give whatever preferences there might be to the son of their choice" (p. 5); such fluidity was the true "social reality rather than a system of automatic preference for firstborns" (p. 5); these stories "do not simply repeat a common motif, but. each has its own agenda and some actually have several" (p. 6). Chapter 1 scans the apparent preference for elder offspring in biblical and extra-biblical material and concludes that this is "not only a wide-ranging practice, which reaches from antiquity to contemporary social life, but also a productive literary and theological motif ' (p. 29). Chapter 2 investigates this motif under several headings: sacrifice of firstborns, inheritance, Israelite inheritance, bëkôr, and succession. In each of these Greenspahn offers new interpretations. Sacrifice of Firstborns: "the available evidence does not justify the inference that firstborns, or any children for that matter, were actually killed on a regular basis, either in Israel or among her neighbors" (p. 36). Inheritance: "Near Eastern practice in the areas of ritual, inheritance, and succession conforms remarkably well to what has been found elsewhere, with diverse approaches as its most notable characteristic" (p. 81). Israelite Inheritance: "Biblical accounts of Israelite inheritance and succession confirm the impression that holders of both property and hereditary office were free to grant preferential treatment to whichever offspring they wished" (p. 81). Bëkôr: "The semantic ambiguity of the title bëkôr, which designates the benefi-117
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