The Senses Of Scripture: Sensory Perception In The Hebrew Bible

The Senses Of Scripture: Sensory Perception In The Hebrew Bible

Synopsis

The book discusses the experience and understanding of the senses in the culture represented in the Hebrew Bible. The Senses of Scripture reveals the essence of biblical epistemology, i.e. the ways in which ancient Israelites thought about and used their sensorium. The theoretical introduction demonstrates that scholars need to liberate themselves from the Western bias that holds a pentasensory paradigm and prioritizes the sense of sight. The discussion of the biblical material demonstrates that scholars should follow a similar path. Through examination of associative and contextual patterns the author reaches a septasensory model, including sight, hearing, speech, kinaesthesia, touch, taste, and smell. It is further demonstrated that the senses, according to the HB, are a divinely created physical experience, which symbolised man's ability to act in a sovereign manner in the world. Despite the lack of a biblical Hebrew term 'sense', it seems that at times the merism sight and hearing serves that matter. Finally, the book discusses the longstanding dispute regarding the primacy of sight vs. hearing in the HB, and claims that although there is no strict sensory hierarchy evident in the text, sight holds a central space in biblical epistemology. Over the last 30 years this pioneering series has established an unrivaled reputation for cutting-edge international scholarship in Biblical Studies and has attracted leading authors and editors in the field. The series takes many original and creative approaches to its subjects, including innovative work from historical and theological perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and more recent developments in cultural studies and reception history.

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