Die "erfindung" der Barmherzigkeit im Alten Israel. Biblische und nachbiblische Perspektiven

Translated title of the contribution: The "invention" of compassion in Ancient Israel. Biblical and post-biblical perspectives

Shimon Gesundheit*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

For quite a long time it has been part of the opinio communis within Hebrew Bible scholarship that compassion and empathy with persona miserae is in its very meaning invented by Ancient Israel. This view has been challenged by a comparative study of Frank C. Fensham. The present article shows on the one hand that care for the poor, widows and orphans is in fact not innovative. On the other hand, a closer analysis is able to show that the biblical and Jewish care for the strangers, slaves and animals is indeed unique.

Translated title of the contributionThe "invention" of compassion in Ancient Israel. Biblical and post-biblical perspectives
Original languageGerman
Pages (from-to)289-306
Number of pages18
JournalBiblische Zeitschrift
Volume63
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh, 2019.

Keywords

  • Alter Orient
  • Armut
  • Fremde
  • Sklaven
  • Soziale Gerechtigkeit
  • Tiere

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