In honor of the BTB’s 50th year, the journal has embraced a theme of “Jubilee,” focusing particularly on how Israel’s sabbatical laws may help readers reflect on issues of sociopolitical justice. The danger of such a theme is, of course, lapsing into an unreflective sermonizing. To combat this danger, BTB has sought essays that explore, in a method consistent with the journal’s rigorous academic standards, topics consistent with the theme of Jubilee. Such topics include the plight of marginalized peoples, the relationship between justice and mercy, and the place of environmental concern in biblical studies and theology.
This theme is more a guiding principle than an absolute rule. But happily a number of the essays in this volume align with it.
Ma. Maricel S. Ibita provides a helpful hermeneutical approach for rereading sacred texts in light of our current ecological disposition. Ibita utilizes a modified ecological triangle, which entails focusing upon the assumptions regarding God, humans, and nonhumans in biblical narratives as well as the interplay between these characters. Applying this triangular hermeneutic to the flood narratives of both the Yahwist and Priestly sources, Ibita draws out key insights that are pertinent to considering the issue of climate change. These insights address the role of the human creature in the midst of ecological degradation; the essentiality of boundaries to creaturely pursuits (especially with regard to consumption); and the importance of humans working together with both God and the nonhuman creation in responding to disasters. Finally, Ibita provides a refreshing acknowledgement of the appropriateness of struggling with the divine identity in the midst of violent tragedy. This text reminds the reader that biblical texts often envision a community of creation. As such, justice (and mercy) extend beyond the anthropocentric limits to which they are so often subjected.
Nelci Nafalia Ndolu and Ezra Tari explore the book of Ezra, specifically chapters 5 and 6, through the lens of religious tolerance. The book of Ezra represents a certain intolerance between the Israelites who returned from exile under Cyrus and Samaritans who opposed their return and the rebuilding of the Temple. In the midst of this tension, the Persian king Darius I epitomizes the possibility of tolerance by securing Israel’s right to their religious identity, particularly with reference to the Temple.
Olegs Andrejevs painstakingly argues for the possibility of reconstructing, within a reasonable degree of accuracy, the Q document purported to be the source of similarities in Matthew and Luke that are not derived from Mark. While there are myriad issues surrounding Q, the bulk of Andrejevs’s focus is on the argument based on the “Reconstructed Mark.” This argument, put forward by Evans and Rodd, maintains that scholars would be unable to reconstruct the Gospel of Mark as it exists canonically relying solely on Matthew and Luke as the source of the reconstruction. Analogously, so goes the argument, the reconstruction of Q from Matthew and Luke is, at best, a problematic endeavor. Andrejevs counters this argument by noting the limitations of the analogy between Mark and Q. The former contains extended narrative that is included in both Matthew and Luke. The latter is purported to be book of sayings (and containing only the type of narrative that is consistent with this genre). Andrejevs backs this argument with a close reading of how Matthew and Luke draw upon both Mark and Q.
David J. Zucker outlines, in a manner cleverly conducive to the BTB’s theme for its fiftieth year, 50 details about the Book of Jubilees. These details include information about the nature of the text, its composition and revision, and how the content compares with that of the Masoretic Text. The title does not oversell these facts with the qualifier “fascinating.” The essay provides an enthralling launching point into further research on book and its themes. For this reader, the most interesting bits of information were the lack of messianic notions and the response to the problem of evil in the Book of Jubilee.
The strength of these essays considered, it is also appropriate on this monumental year of the journal, to note the significant place of book reviews in the BTB. From 1982 until 2006, John Pilch was the journal’s book review editor. In 2006, Zeba Crook took over. From 2013 until the present, Eric Stewart has held the position. These scholars have worked diligently to secure reviews from both well-established and emerging scholars in the field. The result is an impressive and ever-growing vault of reviews of central works in fields related to the BTB’s aim and scope. The BTB is thankful to our editors and all contributors for making this journal an important source for experts and novices alike.
If the reader will indulge, three more acknowledgements are warranted in light of BTB’s 50th year.
First, the typesetting and technical revisions of BTB’s essays have, since 1992, been handled with extreme care and diligence by Michael Meilach, who continues to serve as the journal’s Director of Composition and Layout. Having worked with Michael on multiple occasions, this author can testify that his impressive efforts and efficiency are rivaled only by his warm personality. He is a central contributor to the success of the BTB.
Second, the BTB is indebted to the work of David Boss-man, its editor in chief. Anyone who knows David knows of his many accomplishments—last year he was honored at the 26th Evening of Roses Gala at Seton Hall University for his many contributions at the university. In 1981, David assumed the role of editor in chief of the BTB and has since tirelessly worked to shape the journal into what it is today. His efforts have been and continue to be instrumental in the firm establishment of the BTB as a reliable source in the fields of biblical studies and theology.
Finally, the BTB has thrived because of the efforts put forth by the many extraordinary scholars who have served on the editorial board over the past 50 years. You can find members of our current board at https://journals-sagepub-com-s.web.bisu.edu.cn/editorial-board/btb. It is fitting to recognize these individuals without whom the BTB would not be possible.
