This week’s Featured Resource is A Companion to Biblical Interpretation in Early Judaism, edited by Matthias Henze.
This work offers a wide selection of essays on the overarching techniques of early biblical interpretation, as well as particular examples from specific texts (i.e. Use of the Scripture in the Community Rule, in The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, or in the Genesis Apocryphon)
The introductory essay by James Kugel (comprising Part 1 of the volume) is especially helpful. He begins by outlining historical factors that contributed to the rise of early biblical interpretation, focusing particularly on the Babylonian exile. Among the returnee’s from Babylonian deportation, there was not only an increasing need to reestablish Israelite society with the scriptures of Israel, but the actual interpretation of Torah became a primary concern (cf. Nehemiah 8:1-8). Kugel outlines four overarching assumptions held by these early biblical interpreters: (1) The Bible is fundamentally a cryptic document. (2) The Bible is a great book of lessons. (3) The Bible is perfectly consistent and free of error or internal contradiction. (4) Every word of Scripture comes from God. An examination of the interpretation of Genesis 5:21-24 in 1 Enoch demonstrates how these four assumptions would actually function in the interpretive task.
The three essays that comprise Part 2 focus upon biblical interpretation within the Hebrew canon itself (Yair Zakovitch), the Septuagint (Martin Rösel), and with the Targum literature (Edward M. Cook). The rest of the volume centers on the specific interpretive techniques in prominent texts from early Judaism. These essays provide an excellent introduction to the tendencies of any particular book one might be interested in studying further. So Jacques van Ruiten addresses the book of Jubilees (using early Abraham as a test case), Benjamin G. Wright III considered the book of Ben Sira, and Peter Enns examines the Wisdom of Solomon. Philo and Josephus are also considered by Gregory E. Sterling and Zuleika Rodgers respectively.
In sum, A Companion to Biblical Interpretation in Early Judaism is a great starting point for anyone interesting in familiarizing themselves in the exciting particularities of the earliest forms of biblical interpretation.