
Violent Rituals of the Hebrew Bible
Saul M. Olyan(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 19. November 2019
Book
Hardback
180 pages
978-0-19-068190-6 (ISBN)
Description
Although seldom studied by biblical scholars as a discrete phenomenon, ritual violence is mentioned frequently in biblical texts, and includes ritual actions such as disfigurement of corpses, destruction or scattering of bones removed from a tomb, stoning and other forms of public execution, cursing, forced depilation, the legally-sanctioned imposition of physical defects on living persons, coerced potion-drinking, sacrificial burning of animals and humans, forced stripping and exposure of the genitalia, and mass eradication of populations. This book, the first to focus on ritual violence in the Hebrew Bible, investigates these and other violent rites, the ritual settings in which they occur, their various literary contexts, and the identity and aims of their agents in order to speak in an informed way about the contours and social aspects of ritual violence as it is represented in the Hebrew Bible.
Reviews / Votes
The Author deserves our gratitude * H.G.M. WILLIAMSON, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament * While drawing on Olyan's previous research on the dual themes of ritual and violence, there are a wealth of new and compelling insights and observations developed in this book. The result is a masterful study that more than fulfills Olyan's aims of bringing "the study of ritual violence in the Hebrew Bible from the margins of the field to its center". This book will be essential reading for scholars of biblical literature with interests in violence and ritual as discrete phenomena, as well as biblical literature and the ancient world more generally. * Laura Quick, Society of Biblical Literature * This book is a marvel of original scholarship. Saul Olyan brings an innovative perspective to texts that seemed to hold no more secrets. His study of a neglected theme in the Hebrew Bible teases out new and compelling insights. A must-read for anyone interested in biblical literature, the ancient world, and the ritual aspects of violence. * Karel van der Toorn, author of Scribal Culture and the Making of the Hebrew Bible * Olyan is one of the most original interpreters of the Hebrew Bible of this generation, with his distinctively anthropological approach. In this study, he casts new light on violence in the biblical world, by showing that it was not an ad hoc phenomenon but was deeply embedded in the rituals of society. At the same time, he shows that the role of ritual was not confined to the cult. * John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament, Yale University * What one wants in a book is a new way of thinking and reading. Olyan provides that here in spades. Violent Rituals brings together and illuminates material in the Hebrew Bible that is not always easy to read about. Clearly written, with a strong theoretical framework, it fills a gap between ritual studies and work on violence. It will open your eyes to things you would not have seen before. * Bernard M. Levinson, Berman Family Chair of Jewish Studies and Hebrew Bible, University of Minnesota *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
440 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-068190-6 (9780190681906)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Saul M. Olyan
Violent Rituals of the Hebrew Bible
E-Book
10/2019
OUP eBook
€46.99
Available for download

Saul M. Olyan
Violent Rituals of the Hebrew Bible
E-Book
10/2019
OUP eBook
€36.99
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, most recently, of Friendship in the Hebrew Bible.
Author
Samuel Ungerleider Jr. Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of Religious StudiesSamuel Ungerleider Jr. Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of Religious Studies, Brown University
Content
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter 1: Ritual Violence Prescribed
Chapter 2: Violent Rites Narrated
Chapter 3: Ritual Violence Envisioned
Chapter 4: Ritual Inversion and Mitigating Rites
Chapter 5: The Role of Circumstantially Dependent Rites in Ritual Violence
Chapter 6: The Social Dimensions of Ritual Violence
Conclusion
Notes
Indexes
Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter 1: Ritual Violence Prescribed
Chapter 2: Violent Rites Narrated
Chapter 3: Ritual Violence Envisioned
Chapter 4: Ritual Inversion and Mitigating Rites
Chapter 5: The Role of Circumstantially Dependent Rites in Ritual Violence
Chapter 6: The Social Dimensions of Ritual Violence
Conclusion
Notes
Indexes