Another paper, more nerves/excitement

So, a few minutes ago I submitted another Tanach-related paper to a fairly good Israeli Tanach journal. This is not my Levitical Cities paper. I decided to take an extended break from that one to clear my head and finish my BA schoolwork. During my spare time, I focused on three projects in particular: Two Tanach papers and a midrash paper. So, the first of these papers, which was submitted today, is about a curious verse in Melachim, which Biblical Criticism scholars have (naturally) thought to be distorted. I propose in the paper two chiddushim: The first explains why the verse is not distorted and in fact can be explained easily based on a phenomenon found in colloquial Hebrew throughout the ages (yup - from Tanachic times [including epigraphic sources!!] through modern Israeli Hebrew). The second proposes a new interpretation for the verse as a whole, drawing on symbolism and comparison to many other sources. I'd love to share more, but I'd like to see this thing get through (for a change...). So, as with the LC paper, unfortunately, I won't get into any other details for the time being.

So, that's some more nerves/excitement on my already nerve-wracked brain. I really, really hope this one gets through, because I really put in my heart and soul into this one, and this time, unlike the LC paper, I wrote it on my own. I shared some of the ideas along the way with some friends and one professor, but didn't get actual writing tips from anyone. This is truly a test of my mettle.

---

As I mentioned, there's another Tanach-related paper in the works. I actually thought I'd send that one in today or tomorrow. but then I had a brainstorm that allowed me to finish the other paper, so I sent that one in. I also need to finish one last assignment for my BA before term starts. So maybe I'll be able to send this one by the end of next week. The topic is about an incredibly obscure Tanachic character, on whom I believe I can suggest a couple of chiddushim, which may illuminate his short appearance in Tanach (Book of Yehoshua, by the way).

Finally, there's a long-term midrash paper I've been working on for oh, about a year and a half now (on and off, of course). It's not really Tanach related - sure, some Tanachic themes do appear, but that's not the core. Perhaps I'll share more in the future on the other blog.

Small update [26th Tishrei 5785]
I received an email today from the board of the journal to which I had submitted the paper yesterday, and was informed that upon a first glance, the paper looks like it could fit the journal, which is promising. However, they're working right now on finishing last year's journal, so it'll take a couple of months until they get to working on the next one. And of course, I don't have any idea how many other papers have already been submitted for the next journal. So in short, I'll have to stay patient for some months.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pre-Islamic Arabian Dust Worship

One of my interests is researching idolatrous practices mentioned in Tanach and later Jewish sources. For the last three years or so, I've been conducting an on-and-off search for the possible identity of a deity hinted at in this section of the Talmud, tractate  Bava Metzia 86b : "The Gemara continues its analysis of the verse: “Let now a little water be fetched and wash your feet” ( Genesis 18:4 ). Rabbi Yannai, son of Rabbi Yishmael, said that the guests said to Abraham: Are you suspicious that we are  Arabs who bow to the dust of their feet ?" It is reasonable to conclude that the sages were aware of an Arabian pagan cult that practiced some form of dust worship. Last year I discovered that one of my professors shares this interest in researching idolatry and even wrote his doctorate on idol worship mentioned in Talmudic literature, although he was focused on particular pagan religions (Greece, Rome, and a couple of others) and didn't analyze this quote. But I did
Read more

Anakim, Rephaim, oh my!

This week's parsha features Bnei Yisrael passing through Edom and the two Emorite countries - Sichon's country and Og's country ( Bamidbar 21:21-35 ). Og was the last of the Rephaim ( Devarim 3:11 ), a race of giants that were wiped out way back during the War of the Four and Five Kings in Beresheet ( 14:5 ). Some midrashim state that Sichon was also a giant, of the antediluvian kind (for example, Devarim Rabbah 11:10 ). Looking through Tanach it occurred to me that giants might be frightening, but they obviously aren't unbeatable. David and his men defeated a number of giants, and, as mentioned already, the four Mesopotamian kings managed to defeat the Rephaim. And yet, two parshas ago, when the spies told Bnei Yisrael that there were Anakim in the Land of Yisrael ( Bamidbar 13:28 ), Kalev and Yehoshua said nothing about "hey, guys, giants are not unbeatable!" Kalev made a more generalized statement, that "yes we can, because we have Hashem!" ( ibid
Read more

The Girgeshites

Long time no see... Life has been incredibly busy and is still a bit busy, but at least I have time for making a post on occasion. Here's an interesting thought about the Girgeshites. The Girgeshites (הגרגשי) were one of the seven Canaanite nations. According to Yerushalmi Sheviit 6:1 : "For Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said, Joshua sent three orders to the Land of Israel before they entered the Land: Those who want to evacuate should evacuate, those who want to make peace should make peace, those who want to go to war should go to war. The Girgasites evacuated, believed in the Holy One, praised be He, and went to Africa." Famously, Procopius also brought a version of this tradition in his work The History of Wars, IV : " In that country there dwelt very populous tribes, the Gergesites and the Jebusites and some others with other names by which they are called in the history of the Hebrews.  Now when these nations saw that the invading general was an irresistible prodigy
Read more