Material Culture of the Bible

Scholarly discussions of biblical interpretation often ignore the fact that language and literature form an integral part of a people''s culture, that interpretation therefore implies the total cultural system of the relevant literature, and that biblical interpretation consequently implies inter-cultural communication. This book explores the theoretical and practical implications of this observation from a cultural anthropological perspective, looks at recent anthropological studies of ancient Israelite society, supplies practical examples of a cultural interpretation of ancient Hebrew narratives, and discusses the impact of the notions ''cultural relativity'' and ''inter-cultural communication'' for biblical interpretation.