Textual Boundaries in the Bible

When turning up a newspaper, headlines immediately draw attention to the
subjects the editorial staff deemed most important. Headings of chapters
and paragraphs in a book help to understand the structure of the work.
Indentation and punctuation steer our interpretation in many unobtrusive
ways. Few people realize that these tricks to promote a particular
understanding of a written document were invented thousands of years ago
in the world of the Bible. The series Pericope is praised for its
introduction of the innovative method of delimitation criticism in
biblical scholarship.











This volume contains contributions on text division in ancient
manuscripts and modern Bible translations (examples from Genesis,
Numbers, Samuel, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah, Song of Songs, Ezra and Romans).
Layout often clarifies a writer's intention, but is sometimes used to
force an interpretation on the reader that is clearly incompatible with
the writer's goals. Required reading for translators as well as readers
of the Bible!