Encountering the Divine: (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)

A study of the literary dynamics of the divine-human encounter as reflected in biblical narrative. An examination of the literary and theological dynamics of the divine-human encounter as reflected in theophany narratives in the Hebrew Bible. The point of departure for this study is a type-scene analysis which reveals a common structure to theophany narratives. Beginning with the separation of the protagonist from human society, the text moves to a visual and verbal revelation by the Deity, and records a range of human reactions to the experience. Each of the texts concludes with a description of a more externalized reaction, which marks the carrying over of the experience into a larger societal framework. The analysis develops the underlying structural and contentual similarity among texts which have traditionally been understood as belonging to different literary genres. The discussion offers a nuanced treatment of the range of literary strategies employed by the narrative for addressing these elements. In addition to a detailed analysis of each of the above components of the type-scene, there is discussion of issues such as the idea of the lethal nature of the encounter and intertextual relations between the narratives. This is volume 420 of the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement series.

Table of Contents:
1. Theophany as Type-Scene; Establishing the structure and the motifs of the theophany narrative; examination and critique of the form-critical model; justification for the type-scene model; 2. Preparation for Theophany; The separation of the protagonist from his everyday reality; establishing the location for theophany; the question of prior awareness and human initiative; 3. The Visual Representation of the Divine; The problem of visual representation of the Deity in biblical narrative; strategies for describing the visual encounter; the limitations of seeing and describing God; 4. Human Responses to Theophany; The question of human awareness of the divine and the varying responses; fear and fascination, hesitation and anxiety; the internal. transformation of the protagonist; 5. Externalization; How does the individual take leave of the divine and return to human society? How is the essence of the theophany reflected in a framework which addresses the community to which the protagonist returns? Theophany and prophetic leadership; theophany and ritual; 6. On The Lethal Nature of the Divine Presence; The fear of seeing God face to face; objectivity and subjectivity; fear of the divine and prophetic initiation; 7. Sinai Revisited: Theophany and Intertextuality; How do theophany texts relate to one another, and how can the encounters be compared and contrasted? Moses at Sinai and Elijah at Horeb; 8. From Theophany to Divine Journey; The transformation of the theophany narrative in post-exilic and apocalyptic literature; new trajectories for the divine-human encounter.

About the Author :
George Savran is Senior Lecturer in Bible Studies at the Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem. He is the author of Telling and Retelling (1988) and has published widely on biblical narrative and biblical poetry.

Review :
"...Savran's analysis of theophanic narratives represent carefully reasoned and well-articulated scholarship that advances our understading of divine-human relationships within the Hebrew Bible. No study of theophany narratives is complete without taking this significant work into account."- Steven C. Horine, Vol. 49, no. 2 'The literary analysis is most enlightening...Savran writes clearly and logically, sharing helpful, fascinating insights into plot and character development....I...would recommend it to others interested in a detailed narrative portrayal and character study of the recipients of theophany.' James A. Borland, Themelios, 32/1