Scribes and Scribalism - (The Hebrew Bible in Social Perspective) by Mark Leuchter (Paperback)

About the Book

This volume examines the varied roles of scribes and scribal practices in ancient Israel and Judah, shedding light on the social world of the Hebrew Bible.

Book Synopsis

This volume is a concentrated examination of the varied roles of scribes and scribal practices in ancient Israel and Judah, shedding light on the social world of the Hebrew Bible. Divided into discussion of three key aspects, the book begins by assessing praxis and materiality, looking at the tools and materials used by scribes, where they came from and how they worked in specific contexts. The contributors then move to observe the power and status of scribal cultures, and how scribes functioned within their broader social world. Finally, the volume offers perspectives that examine ideological issues at play in both antiquity and the modern context(s) of biblical scholarship. Taken together, these essays demonstrate that no text is produced in a void, and no writer functions without a network of resources.

Review Quotes

[E]ach of these essays contributes important insights on the ways that ancient scribes created their identity through the practice of their art.

Horizons: Journal of the College Theological Society

The volume will be useful to readers interested in philosophical, postmodern, and social-historical perspectives on the status and social environments of scribes in ancient Israel.

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

About the Author