Bible Review, August 1992
Special Section
Introduction
I began the interview in his Lexington, Massachusetts home by asking Professor Cross if he recognized the following quotation: “The whole of the ancient Near East has been his bailiwick—its geography and archaeology, its languages and literature, its history and religion. I suspect that he is the...Read more ›
Part I: Israelite Origins
Hershel Shanks: I have heard you speak of Israelite origins but I have not seen in print your belief that the Israelites came out of Egypt and traveled to Canaan via Saudi Arabia. Is that correct? Frank Moore Cross: [Laughter] You have an uncanny ability to put...Read more ›
Features
The Mysterious Copper Scroll
Clues to hidden temple treasure?
The Copper Scroll (3Q15 or 3QTreasure) is an anomaly in the inventory of scrolls from Qumran. It does not fit readily into any of the categories customarily included when the scrolls are discussed. It is not biblical, it is not literary and it does...Read more ›
Tobit
Teaching Jews how to live in the Diaspora
A mix of folktale and prayer, biblical themes and classical motifs, Tobit depicts a fantastic tale of Diaspora life. Containing an angel in disguise, a murderous demon, a magical fish and a young man on a journey to maturity, the Book of Tobit is not told simply...Read more ›
Epispasm—Circumcision in Reverse
For nearly 600 years, some Jews tried to remove the mark of the covenant
“Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised on the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” So said God to Abraham, establishing the covenant of circumcision, a covenant “between me and you and your descendants...Read more ›