Tanach Thoughts

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...

Or, "My uneducated thoughts on the "The Pentateuchal Dietary Proscription against Finless and Scaleless Aquatic Species in Light of Ancient Fish Remains" study by Adler and Lernau".  Last week, a study came out called " The Pentateuchal Dietary Proscription against Finless and Scaleless Aquatic Species in Light of Ancient Fish Remains " by Dr. Yonatan Adler and Prof. Omri Lernau, both Israeli archeologists. Naturally, the world was shaken to its core from their conclusion that ancient Israelites and even later Jews did not, it seems, adhere to fish kashrut laws. I read the study a couple of times and thought I'd put down my thoughts on the matter. But beforehand, I'd like to know how much of the conclusions of the study were written by Dr. Adler. Adler is a religious Jew who works in the University of Ariel, not necessarily one of those Tel Aviv minimalists. However, the study includes arguing for a Hellenistic dating of Nechemiah. What. Huh? C...