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Texts, Language, and Style in Biblical Literature, the Semitic Literatures...
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Texts, Language, and Style in Biblical Literature, the Semitic Literatures of the Ancient Near East, and Post-Biblical Literature

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2026) | Viewed by 3712

Editors

Prof. Shamir Yona

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of the Arts, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
Interests: Hebrew Bible and ancient near east; Biblical poetry; Ugaritic literature; Biblical wisdom literature; rabbinic literature
Dr. Haim Dihi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Hebrew Language and Sociolinguistics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
2. Kay Academic College of Education, Beer-Sheva 8414401, Israel
Interests: the language of Ben Sira; biblical Hebrew; the language of the Dead Sea Scrolls; Rabbinic Hebrew; the Aramaic language

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a call for papers for a Special Issue devoted to the study of: Texts, Language, and Style in biblical literature, the Semitic literature of the Ancient Near East, and post-biblical literature. This issue seeks contributions that examine the correspondences and divergences between biblical texts and stylistic models and those of the Semitic literary corpus, with particular emphasis on Northwest Semitic traditions, highlighting developments and offering interpretive insights. Additionally, the issue welcomes studies on the interactions between the Bible and post-biblical literature—especially rabbinic writings and the Book of Ben Sira—as well as on the Aramaic translations of the Bible, focusing on transformations prompted by theological and exegetical concerns. We invite submissions that approach these topics from diverse methodological, linguistic, and theoretical perspectives.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Content, linguistic, and stylistic affinities between the religious texts from Ugarit and biblical Hebrew literature;
  • Connections between the Aramaic proverbs of Ahikar and the didactic wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible;
  • Similarities and differences between the Book of Ben Sira and biblical literature in terms of content and language;
  • The efforts of biblical scribes to obscure pagan elements in ancient Near Eastern texts they adapted or incorporated;
  • The Sages’ (Ḥazal’s) engagement with theological problems in the Bible;
  • Theological Modifications in the Aramaic Translations of the Hebrew Bible.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, or to the Assistant Editor (Chelsey Chen, chelsey.chen@mdpi.com) of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Shamir Yona
Dr. Haim Dihi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biblical Hebrew
  • Aramaic
  • Ben Sira
  • Rabbinic Hebrew
  • wisdom literature
  • Ugaritic literature
  • stylistic patterns
  • myth
  • epic
  • polemical texts

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 384 KB  
Article
Nominal Density and Semantic Compression in the Liturgical Style of 4QBerakhot
by Ruth Tzipory, Jonathan Ben-Dov and Tamar Sovran
Religions 2026, 17(7), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17070815 - 8 Jul 2026
Viewed by 353
Abstract
This article examines the stylistic and rhetorical function of the construct state in a liturgical pericope from 4QBerakhot (4Q286, frg. 1a ii, lines 1–11), one of the densest concentrations of construct chains in the Qumran corpus. Through close philological reading, colometric analysis, and [...] Read more.
This article examines the stylistic and rhetorical function of the construct state in a liturgical pericope from 4QBerakhot (4Q286, frg. 1a ii, lines 1–11), one of the densest concentrations of construct chains in the Qumran corpus. Through close philological reading, colometric analysis, and systematic comparison with related Yaḥad compositions—chiefly the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice, the Community Rule, and the Hodayot—it argues that the construct state functions here not merely as a syntactic relation but as a stylistic and theological device. Sequences of construct phrases compress multiple semantic relations into compact nominal units, multiply rare plural forms (“double plurality”), and recast abstract concepts as fixed entities within a heavenly architecture. The suppression of finite verbs produces a non-eventive, static mode of representation: rather than recounting a visionary event, as in Ezekiel’s throne theophany, the text presents the worshipper with a static heavenly reality and a calendar of fixed times for praise. The pericope thereby reworks prophetic vision into nominal liturgy, constructing the community’s presence within sacred space through language itself. The study illuminates how nominal density operates as a constitutive feature of Qumran liturgical style and invites broader comparison across the Scrolls. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Texts, Language, and Style in Biblical Literature, the Semitic Literatures of the Ancient Near East, and Post-Biblical Literature)
23 pages, 549 KB  
Article
Hebrew Diachrony and Jonah: The Periodization of a Linguistically Anomalous Work
by Aaron D. Hornkohl
Religions 2026, 17(7), 754; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17070754 - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 451
Abstract
Despite uncertainties and disagreements, there is broad agreement on the heuristic value of recognizing chronologically distinct language varieties within Biblical Hebrew. The distinction between Classical and Late Biblical Hebrew is based on the linguistic profiles of compositions that prototypically represent their respective categories. [...] Read more.
Despite uncertainties and disagreements, there is broad agreement on the heuristic value of recognizing chronologically distinct language varieties within Biblical Hebrew. The distinction between Classical and Late Biblical Hebrew is based on the linguistic profiles of compositions that prototypically represent their respective categories. Not all texts are prototypical, though. Some deviate from more standard profiles in anomalous ways. One such work is Jonah. Early on assigned by critics to the post-exilic period based on certain linguistic peculiarities, disagreement over Jonah’s linguistic periodization persists. Many assess Jonah’s language as late, whereas others attribute its departures from classical style to non-diachronic factors, including dialect, literary artifice, and early contact with cognate languages. Few biblical compositions are the subject of opinions simultaneously characterized by such divergence and confidence. The present study surveys past attempts to periodize Jonah’s language, highlights methodological challenges and pitfalls in mainstream approaches, proposes a methodological refinement to distinguish between more and less probative evidence without over- or underestimating the value of the latter, and, in rigorous adherence to accepted methodology, pronounces a verdict based on a more comprehensive evidentiary basis than has hitherto been offered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Texts, Language, and Style in Biblical Literature, the Semitic Literatures of the Ancient Near East, and Post-Biblical Literature)
19 pages, 562 KB  
Article
Canaanite Parallelism in Hittite and Egyptian Texts: Transmission and Adaptation
by Noga Ayali-Darshan
Religions 2026, 17(6), 675; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17060675 - 4 Jun 2026
Viewed by 665
Abstract
This article examines selected instances of Canaanite poetic parallelism preserved in two Late Bronze Age texts outside the Levant: the Hittite Elkunirša and the Egyptian pLeiden I 343 + 345. Through comparative analysis, it traces within these parallel structures features characteristic of Canaanite [...] Read more.
This article examines selected instances of Canaanite poetic parallelism preserved in two Late Bronze Age texts outside the Levant: the Hittite Elkunirša and the Egyptian pLeiden I 343 + 345. Through comparative analysis, it traces within these parallel structures features characteristic of Canaanite poetic convention, including distinctive epic formulae, fixed word pairs, graded numerical patterns, and expanded construct expressions. Their analysis not only clarifies difficult philological passages but also recovers early poetic forms, thereby expanding the limited pre-biblical corpus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Texts, Language, and Style in Biblical Literature, the Semitic Literatures of the Ancient Near East, and Post-Biblical Literature)
11 pages, 286 KB  
Article
Arguing Against Death in Biblical Prayer
by Jonathan Yogev
Religions 2026, 17(5), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17050553 - 3 May 2026
Viewed by 542
Abstract
This article examines a recurring rhetorical strategy in biblical prayer in which the supplicant argues against death by presenting it as a loss not only for the self, but also for God. In several texts, the plea for deliverance is grounded in the [...] Read more.
This article examines a recurring rhetorical strategy in biblical prayer in which the supplicant argues against death by presenting it as a loss not only for the self, but also for God. In several texts, the plea for deliverance is grounded in the claim that the dead in Sheol can no longer praise, thank, remember, or call upon God. Death thus becomes rhetorically unacceptable not merely because it ends life, but because it silences worship. The study distinguishes between two biblical conceptions of the dead: one in which the dead retain awareness and communicative capacity, and another in which they are silent, cognitively diminished, and cut off from divine worship. It argues that the latter conception underlies a specific persuasive logic in prayers uttered under mortal threat. Through close readings of Isaiah 38, Psalms 6, 30, 88, and 115, the article shows that this argument functions as a recurring theological and rhetorical strategy within biblical prayer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Texts, Language, and Style in Biblical Literature, the Semitic Literatures of the Ancient Near East, and Post-Biblical Literature)
14 pages, 326 KB  
Article
Priestly and Post-Priestly Voices on Bethel: A Diachronic Analysis of Genesis 28:10–22 and 35:9–15
by Itzhak Amar
Religions 2026, 17(2), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17020274 - 23 Feb 2026
Viewed by 764
Abstract
This article re-examines Gen 28:10–22 through a diachronic analysis informed by its close literary and thematic parallels with Gen 35:9–15. In light of recent developments in Pentateuchal scholarship that question the traditional dating of supposedly pre-Priestly texts, the study adopts a method grounded [...] Read more.
This article re-examines Gen 28:10–22 through a diachronic analysis informed by its close literary and thematic parallels with Gen 35:9–15. In light of recent developments in Pentateuchal scholarship that question the traditional dating of supposedly pre-Priestly texts, the study adopts a method grounded in detailed textual, linguistic, and literary observation rather than reliance on fixed source-critical models. The analysis argues that Gen 28:10–22 is not a unified narrative but a composite text consisting of an early narrative core overlaid by a post-Priestly addition. Particular attention is given to the ritual acts of pillar erection, anointing with oil, and Jacob’s vow, which exhibit strong affinities with Priestly and Deuteronomistic idioms. A comparison with the Priestly account in Gen 35 suggests that the post-Priestly expansion in Gen 28 responds polemically to a Priestly tendency to neutralize Bethel’s sanctity. The article situates this literary development within the religious landscape of Persian-period Yehud. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Texts, Language, and Style in Biblical Literature, the Semitic Literatures of the Ancient Near East, and Post-Biblical Literature)
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