The Temptation and Fall of Eve (1808) by William Blake. Here’s another insight from Ziony Zevit, this time about the nature of the serpent in Genesis 3. The serpent was ‘arūwm. People characterized as ‘arūwm conceal what they feel and what they know (Prov 12:16, 23). They esteem knowledge and plan how to use it in … Read more
Death of Abel (1865) by Gustave Doré. I continue to be highly impressed by Ziony Zevit’s new book What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden? Zevit’s analysis of the Garden of Eden pericope in Genesis is very informative. Here is another instance of an insight that comes Zevit’s close reading of the text. The story … Read more
Destruction of Leviathan (1865) by Gustave Doré Not according to Ziony Zevit. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” On the basis of this well-known rendering, it can be argued that the ancient Israelites believed in creation ex nihilo, that is, creation out of nothing. This happens not to be the case. … Read more
One of the Lachish ostraca (7th century BCE), written in paleo-Hebrew script. Some time ago I posted a blog entry at Interpreter on the atheist polemicist Richard Dawkins’ argument that the Book of Mormon is a fraud because Joseph Smith rendered his translation into Jacobean English. Dawkins’ argument is (and I’m not making this up) … Read more