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War

Masking Revenge as Self-Defense: Domesticating the Book of Esther

Was the 13th of Adar a day when the Jews successfully defended themselves against their enemies, or was it a day when they could take vengeance against their enemies? Does Mordechai’s edict offset Haman’s edict or replace it?

Prof. Rabbi

David Frankel

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War at the Command of the Gods

The ancient Near East, including biblical Israel, tried to come to terms with the horrific realities of war by understanding the destruction it wreaks as an act enjoined by divine command, whether of YHWH, Dagan, Ashur, Marduk, Kemosh, Teshub, etc., who also participated in the battles.

Prof.

Ada Taggar-Cohen

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Deuteronomy’s Herem Law: Protecting Israel at the Cost of its Humanity

Of all the harsh behavior in warfare known from the ancient Near East, Deuteronomy’s requirement that Israel slaughter all the inhabitants of Canaan is unique. In all likelihood, the law sought to suppress Israel’s inclination to idolatry.

Prof.

Mordechai Cogan

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Justifying War Crimes in the Bible and the Ancient Near East

In the ancient world, as now, indiscriminate violence and mass killing in war is explained as a struggle to defend “our” way of life against those who threaten to destroy it.

Prof.

C. L. Crouch

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The Captive Woman at the Intersection of War and Family Laws

Deuteronomy’s law of the beautiful captive woman protects the non-Israelite woman taken in war from rape and from being re-enslaved after marriage. At the same time, it discourages the man from marrying her, in order to preserve the interests of the Israelite family.

Dr. Rabbi

David Resnick

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Better Slain by Sword Than by Famine

An emotionally evocative window into the suffering experienced by the victims of the siege of Jerusalem.

Prof.

Adele Berlin

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Marrying a Beautiful Captive Woman

If an Israelite wishes to marry a woman taken captive in war, she becomes part of the Israelite community and is protected from future re-enslavement. Uncomfortable with the Torah’s permission of this marriage, the rabbis declare it to be a concession to man’s “evil impulse,” an idea reminiscent of Jesus’ assertion that the Torah allows divorce as a concession to humanity’s “hard heart.”

Prof. Rabbi

Shaye J. D. Cohen

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Dr. Rabbi

Zev Farber

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Israel’s Army: What Is the Basis for the Draft in Jewish Law?

When the State of Israel was established, the leading figures in religious Zionism had to justify Israel’s right to conscript soldiers using Jewish legal sources.

Prof.

Robert Eisen

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The Subverted City (Ir Hannidahat) in the Context of ANE Vassal Treaties

Deuteronomy’s requirement to destroy a city whose inhabitants worship another god and to leave it as an eternally desolate mound, can be understood in the context of ancient Near Eastern vassal treaties. Specifically, Hittite texts describe how kings dealt with rebellious vassal cities, by destroying them utterly and dedicating their land to the gods.

Prof.

Ada Taggar-Cohen

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The War Against Midian: A Study for How the Priestly Torah Was Compiled

In revenge for the Midianite seduction, Phinehas takes the sacred utensils from the Tabernacle and leads the war against Midian. Many details in this story contradict other Priestly texts, giving us a glimpse into how the Priestly Torah was compiled.

Dr.

Ariel Kopilovitz

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Are Trees of the Field Human?

Deuteronomy 20:19 forbids the chopping down of fruit trees during war-time, and offers the cryptic explanation כי האדם עץ השדה (ki ha-adam etz hasadeh), but what does this mean?[1]

Prof.

Shai Secunda

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Keeping Excrement out of God’s Presence

Deuteronomy requires Israelite soldiers to carry a shovel with them for covering their feces, outside the war camp, because God is in the camp. The Qumranites and Karaites assume that feces must be impure, while the rabbis extend the law to include times of prayer and Torah study, and maintaining human decency at all times.

Prof.

Alan Cooper

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Honoring the Death of Soldiers

Praise of heroic death is a trope in ancient Near Eastern and Greek texts, and in modern commemorations such as Israel’s Yom Hazikaron and America’s Memorial Day, yet it is conspicuously absent in the Bible. Why?

Prof.

Jacob L. Wright

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An Ancient Precedent for the Yom Kippur War?

Two Roman conquests of Jerusalem (Pompey in 63 B.C.E. and Sosius in 37 B.C.E.) purportedly happened on “the day of the fast,” during which the Jews barely defended themselves. Is this a reference to Yom Kippur and why didn’t the Jews defend themselves?

Dr.

Nadav Sharon

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What Caused the War Between the Kings? Philo’s Dual Interpretation

In his account of Abraham’s life, the first-century thinker Philo of Alexandria skillfully interprets the bewildering details in the story of the war between the four and five kings. Understanding the tale on a literal and allegorical level, he offers intriguing suggestions about what motivates both powerful rulers and forces within the soul.

Dr.

Ellen Birnbaum

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Maimonides’ Purim and Chanukah Message of Peace

Both Chanukah and Purim are celebrations of Jewish victory over their enemies. Nevertheless, Maimonides turns these into holidays of peace.

Prof.

Menachem Kellner

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The Megillat Esther Massacre

On the 13-14th of Adar, the Jews kill 75,800 people in Shushan and the provinces, including women and children (Esther 9:6, 15–16).

Prof.

Meylekh (PV) Viswanath

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To See the Enemy’s Family

“But… if it came to light, when my rival appeared, that he had a mother waiting for him....”

Dr.

Gili Kugler

Rescuing Captives: From Abraham to David

When his nephew Lot is taken captive, Abram, known for his faith, acts decisively without divine consultation. David, renowned as a warrior, turns to God for guidance before saving his wives and the citizens of Ziklag, captured in an unexpected raid.

Prof.

Edward L. Greenstein

The Flood of Regret

When God sees the evil of humanity, God is sorrowful in his heart (Genesis 6:6) and destroys humanity in a flood, only to regret it afterwards. Promising never to destroy humanity again, God takes a new approach.  

Rabbi

Hanan Schlesinger

Virtue Signaling or Speaking Out: Ezekiel versus Jeremiah

Jeremiah lived among his people and desperately wished to save them from a grievous error. Ezekiel lived far away from Judah and communicated his message for the record.

Dr. Rabbi

Zev Farber