OTE and We
Long time no post. Last week I came across a biblical studies journal I hadn't heard of before, the OTE: Old Testament Essays. It's a South Africa-based journal, but like most academic journals includes papers by authors from around the world, including some Israelis and/or Jews. There were several fascinating articles, but something else also caught my eye: A significant number of papers over the years (I would guess a minimum of 50% of their total papers, for a journal established in the 80s!) have to do with the relationship between the Bible and Africa in general, and between South Africa in particular. Topics include: Bible studies in Africa, what portions of the Bible can be used to understand African history and culture, what portions can be used to assist various aspects of modern African society, how African culture can help interpret certain aspects of the Bible, the Bible as a guidebook for African societies, and more. And so I thought to myself: Wow, this is impress...