Vol. 40:2

Dr. Zvi Ron reflects on his long friendship with Dr. Shimon Bakon and announces the transition of editorship, with Dr. Bakon taking on the role of Editor Emeritus of the Jewish Bible Quarterly.

Examines military signaling techniques in the Hebrew Bible, focusing on Joshua's use of the kidon as a battle signal at Ai and Moses' upraised hands during the battle with Amalek as a form of military command and signaling.

Explores the Pentateuchal accounts of incest—particularly the stories of Lot and his daughters and Judah and Tamar—to examine how heinous sin paradoxically serves as a harbinger of both catastrophe and ultimate redemption in classical Jewish religious thought.

Interprets Noah's ark as a metaphor conveying significant religious meaning, examining symbolic parallels between the ark narrative and the creation story, and arguing that a metaphorical reading resolves the practical difficulties posed by a literal interpretation.

Examines Ezra's approach to the problem of Judean assimilation following the return from Babylonian exile, analyzing his radical measures against intermarriage and his efforts to maintain Jewish distinctiveness in the Persian period.

Explores the life of the patriarch Isaac through the recurring theme of laughter, from his birth name through the ironic and bitter dimensions of his experiences, examining how laughter—both joyful and sardonic—shapes the narrative of his life.

Surveys the various translations of the Hebrew word shofar across different Bible translations and contexts, analyzing how scholars and translators have handled the term's multivalent connotations and the linguistic challenges it presents.

Examines the phrase 'kotnot or' (garments made for Adam and Eve) in Genesis 3:21, surveying classical commentators, Aramaic targumim, and rabbinic sources to determine whether the word or means skin, leather, light, or conveys another meaning entirely.

Analyzes the Zohar's interpretation of the 'mixed multitude' (erev rav) who left Egypt with the Israelites during the Exodus, focusing on the Zohar's commentary regarding their identity and their participation in the Passover offering.

Investigates the historical and textual basis for the identification of Tishrei as simultaneously the first and seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, examining the shofar sounding on Rosh Hashanah, the Psalms, and the relationship between the new moon and the Jewish new year.