Animal Rights and the Hebrew Bible
Published on 20. September 2023
Book
Hardback
160 pages
978-0-19-760938-5 (ISBN)
Description
Does the Hebrew Bible ascribe an implicit form of legal personhood or legal rights to animals? If so, which animals--domesticated or wild, or both--receive which rights, and for what purpose? Scholars have been slow to consider these questions, and animal-oriented research as a whole, in the field of biblical studies. For the first time, author Saul M. Olyan addresses these questions in detail and explores how the evidence of the Hebrew Bible might contribute to contemporary debates about animal rights in the academy, in the courts, in the public square, and in religious communities.
In this book, Olyan demonstrates that seven different biblical texts extend both legal personhood and rights to animals. The rights conferred upon them are mainly specific and situational, and the legal personhood associated them is in most cases best characterized as limited. Nonetheless, he argues that the animal rights described by these texts are genuine because they are not contingent on the needs or demands of others, they do not disappear or give way because of conflict with the interests of another legal person, and they may not be violated with impunity. Finally, Olyan considers how the biblical texts examined in his analyses might be used to extend or strengthen the arguments of those advocating for animals in judicial, academic, political, or religious settings.
In this book, Olyan demonstrates that seven different biblical texts extend both legal personhood and rights to animals. The rights conferred upon them are mainly specific and situational, and the legal personhood associated them is in most cases best characterized as limited. Nonetheless, he argues that the animal rights described by these texts are genuine because they are not contingent on the needs or demands of others, they do not disappear or give way because of conflict with the interests of another legal person, and they may not be violated with impunity. Finally, Olyan considers how the biblical texts examined in his analyses might be used to extend or strengthen the arguments of those advocating for animals in judicial, academic, political, or religious settings.
Reviews / Votes
Saul Olyan brilliantly demonstrates how a number of biblical texts see animals as possessing rights and personhood. This is an outstanding book that makes a major scholarly contribution and brings clarity to a subject that is often misunderstood. * Geoffrey Claussen, Lori and Eric Sklut Scholar in Jewish Studies and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies, Elon University * This detailed study includes an introduction, a conclusion, and five substantive chapters that analyze biblical texts in depth...Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * Choice * Scholars will benefit from Olyan's nuanced interrogations of these biblical texts, demonstrating that certain passages can "strengthen and advance contemporary arguments in favor of animal rights". * Choice * Activists and others interested in the legal, religious, and historical status of animals will benefit greatly from Olyan's book. * Ken Stone, JSRNC * This book is an enjoyable and informative read. Olyan expertly deals with the contemporary legal and ethical discussions surrounding animal welfare and animal rights and frames his study as a corrective to broad claims about the Hebrew Bible's devaluation and lack of interest in animal welfare. Olyan's work is careful and well written, rendering this an excellent and digestible study for specialists and nonspecialists alike. * Carson Bay, H-Net Reviews * This is an interesting work for anyone interested in the issues addressed, which essentially concern the law. * Catherine Vialle, Melanges De Science Religieuse Journal * O. has done a service to the academic field of biblical studies and the religious communities for whom the Bible is foundational by providing an overview of animal rights law and a careful, historical contextual analysis of relevant passages * Arthur Walker-Jones, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly * Olyan's writing is as clear and straightforward as it comes and offers different things for different readers. Those in gender studies will be interested in Olyan's argument that, in theBible, gender does not make animals unequal as often as it makes humans unequal. * Beth Berkowitz, Journal of Modern Jewish Studies * Does the Hebrew Bible recognize animal rights? Can it serve as a source of inspiration for contemporary animal-rights activism? These are the questions addressed in this important book. ..Olyan's book makes a significant contribution to the study of animal rights in the Hebrew Bible in particular and to the broader discourse on rights more generally... * Yael Shemesh, Review of Biblical Literature * Saul Olyan has produced a valuable and essential text for discussions of the rights and treatment of animals both in the biblical text as well as today. His treatment of the biblical text accepts textual development and multiple voices within the Bible, and he represents these differing voices fairly. The book is written in an easily accessible style, such that it can be commended to any interested in the issue of animal rights in the Bible. * J. Blair Wilgus, Professor of Biblical Studies, Hope International University *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 237 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
366 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-760938-5 (9780197609385)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Saul M. Olyan
Animal Rights and the Hebrew Bible
E-Book
11/2023
OUP eBook
€53.99
Available for download
Saul M. Olyan
Animal Rights and the Hebrew Bible
E-Book
11/2023
OUP eBook
€53.99
Available for download
Person
Saul M. Olyan is the Samuel Ungerleider Jr. Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of Religious Studies at Brown University. He is the author of nine books, including Violent Rituals of the Hebrew Bible (2019) and Friendship in the Hebrew Bible (2017), and is the editor or co-editor of thirteen books. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and St. John's College, University of Cambridge, as well as a grant from the American Philosophical Society. In 2016, he was president of the New England and Eastern Canada region of the Society of Biblical Literature.
Content
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1, Four Legal Texts in the Hebrew Bible that Evince a Concern for Animal Rights Chapter 2, Animals as Covenant Partners in Genesis 9:8-17 and Hosea 2:20 (Eng. 2:18) Chapter 3, Animal Culpability and Its Ramifications for Legal Status Chapter 4, Symmetry or Asymmetry According to the Law? The Case of Domesticated Animals and Human Beings Chapter 5, Animal Welfare: The Evidence of Biblical Texts Conclusion Index
Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1, Four Legal Texts in the Hebrew Bible that Evince a Concern for Animal Rights Chapter 2, Animals as Covenant Partners in Genesis 9:8-17 and Hosea 2:20 (Eng. 2:18) Chapter 3, Animal Culpability and Its Ramifications for Legal Status Chapter 4, Symmetry or Asymmetry According to the Law? The Case of Domesticated Animals and Human Beings Chapter 5, Animal Welfare: The Evidence of Biblical Texts Conclusion Index