Agnethe Siquans – författare

Die Erzählung des Exodus gehört zu den prägendsten Texten der biblischen Überlieferung. Als Ursprungsgeschichte Israels hat sie nicht nur jüdische Identität grundlegend bestimmt, sondern auch in Christentum und Islam zentrale Wirkung entfaltet. Die Beiträge dieses Bandes zeigen, wie das Exodus-Narrativ in unterschiedlichen religiösen und kulturellen Kontexten als Identitätsmarker fungiert und dabei zugleich theologische wie soziale Herausforderungen impliziert. Einerseits gilt das Buch Exodus als normative und autoritative Schrift, die Orientierung für Glauben und Lebenspraxis bietet. Andererseits enthält es schwierige Passagen - wie die Verstockung des Pharao oder kritische Aspekte der Figur Mose -, die die Rezeption immer wieder vor Probleme stellten. Anhand von Beispielen wie der Deutung von Moses' „weißer" Hand im Koran wird deutlich, wie Interpreten kreative Strategien entwickelten, um solche Spannungen produktiv aufzulösen. Im Zentrum der Analysen steht auch die Frage nach den kulturellen Milieus, in denen die Deutungen entstanden: Rabbinen, Kirchenväter oder frühe muslimische Denker treten miteinander in Dialog oder Abgrenzung, beeinflussen einander oder grenzen sich scharf voneinander ab. So wird sichtbar, dass die Geschichte des Exodus nicht nur ein theologisches Dokument ist, sondern auch ein Schlüssel zur Rekonstruktion interreligiöser Beziehungen und Identitätsbildungsprozesse.

This volume explores the patristic treatment of biblical characters and character. Patristic authors interpret the Bible and use it in the development of their theology and in debates on theological, Christological and ecclesiological issues. The individual contributions deal with the view of the Church Fathers on the person of Moses, with Maximus Confessor’s depiction of King Hezekiah, with the interpretation of the texts on the daughters of Zelophehad, with the theological interpretation of the story of Elijah on Mount Horeb, with the spiritual interpretation of the Psalms in Jerome’s letters, the significance of the Psalms for the Christological argumentation in Cassiodorus, the interpretation of the Book of Job in various commentaries, the Christological interpretation of the Twelve Prophets and the understanding of the nation angels in John Chrysostom. The volume concludes with a summarising response.

Patristic and rabbinic biblical interpretations are significant contributions to the identity construction of late antique Christian and Jewish groups. The contributions in this conference volume illuminate the reception of biblical texts, themes and figures in patristic and rabbinic writings from the 2nd to the 8th century. They reveal processes of mutual demarcation, which are sometimes extremely polemical, sometimes only implicit and indirectly accessible. The correct interpretation of Scripture is claimed for one's own "we", while at the same time distinguishing it from the "others". Nevertheless, similarities and mutual positive references are clearly recognizable. Especially the often so polemical Christian interpretation is from the beginning rooted in the Jewish tradition and based on it. But also the rabbinic interpretation shows traces of the controversy with Christianity.

Biblical women play an important role in various genres of patristic literature and in rabbinical texts: for example as role models for women, sometimes for men, as representatives of certain virtues or vices, as authorities in disputes, as a starting point for certain practices. The images that the (almost always male) authors draw of the biblical women always reflect the contemporary social, cultural and religious context, especially with regard to widespread ancient ideas about women and the relationship between the sexes. The anthology asks about the presence and visibility or audibility and the image of biblical women in the late antique texts. It contains contributions on Rahab, the Egyptian wife of Solomon, the lover of the Song of Songs, Judit, the four daughters of Philip and the myrophores of the Gospels that bring salves to Jesus' grave, and examines the reception of these biblical women in various patristic and rabbinical ones texts.

Exodus 1-2 tells of the oppression of the Hebrews in Egypt and the birth of the future savior Moses. Christian and Jewish interpreters in late antiquity interpreted this text from their own specific perspective, as part of their religious community. They approach the text with partly common, partly different prerequisites, hermeneutics and methods. The religious practice and teaching of one's own religious community are always in the background. This shows processes of reception as well as rejection and demarcation. The Christian interpretation of the Scriptures in particular reveals polemics against Judaism that have continued through the centuries. Nevertheless, there are also numerous points of contact and common motifs that keep recurring - alongside specifically Jewish and Christian traditions. In this way, a multifaceted picture of the biblical text emerges in the patristic and rabbinical interpretation.