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The State of the Art: Biblical Scholarship and the Holy Land

The State of the Art: Biblical Scholarship and the Holy Land Studying the Bible in Jerusalem raises unique exegetical questions. The establishment of the state-for-Jews (Judenstaat) inevitably led to the expulsion of Arabs, while Jerusalem itself remains a major issue of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. The conflict has international implications also, highlighted since 11 September 2001. The killings on that day precipitated the ‘War on Terrorism’ and the USA's ‘Civilizing Crusade’, with more to come. The ‘Christian Right’ in the US, with its characteristic interpretation of the Bible, has considerable influence over US policy. The establishment biblical academy, however, shows few signs of moral perturbation arising from the fact that the Bible is alleged to justify the political arrangements in the Holy Land. This article argues that biblical scholars, in addition to attending to the original contexts of the biblical authors, ought to engage in a moral evaluation of their writings, particularly those land traditions that continue to fuel violence, not least in the Land of the Bible itself. Biblical scholars have the moral responsibility to engage in real, contemporary issues with a view to helping construct a better world. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Holy Land Studies Edinburgh University Press

The State of the Art: Biblical Scholarship and the Holy Land

Prior, Michael
Holy Land Studies , Volume 1 (2): 192 – Mar 1, 2003
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Publisher
Edinburgh University Press
Copyright
© The Continuum Publishing Group Ltd 2003
ISSN
1474-9475
eISSN
1750-0125
DOI
10.3366/hls.2003.0003
Publisher site
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Abstract

Studying the Bible in Jerusalem raises unique exegetical questions. The establishment of the state-for-Jews (Judenstaat) inevitably led to the expulsion of Arabs, while Jerusalem itself remains a major issue of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. The conflict has international implications also, highlighted since 11 September 2001. The killings on that day precipitated the ‘War on Terrorism’ and the USA's ‘Civilizing Crusade’, with more to come. The ‘Christian Right’ in the US, with its characteristic interpretation of the Bible, has considerable influence over US policy. The establishment biblical academy, however, shows few signs of moral perturbation arising from the fact that the Bible is alleged to justify the political arrangements in the Holy Land. This article argues that biblical scholars, in addition to attending to the original contexts of the biblical authors, ought to engage in a moral evaluation of their writings, particularly those land traditions that continue to fuel violence, not least in the Land of the Bible itself. Biblical scholars have the moral responsibility to engage in real, contemporary issues with a view to helping construct a better world.

Journal

Holy Land Studies – Edinburgh University Press

Published: Mar 1, 2003

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