Discourse Analysis Of Biblical Literature

In committing themselves to the study of texts, linguists have taken a long stride in a literary direction. As discourse analysis brings the tools of linguistic analysis to bear on stretches of material larger than the sentence, they come into close contact with the artistry of literature. In the last third of this century, scholars of the Hebrew Bible are gravitating in the same direction. Perhaps even more consciously, they are studying their texts as literature. Cross-pollination between these two groups is now in order. The present volume is intended to help that happen. It originates with biblical scholars and is addressed to our colleagues. Its purpose is to introduce to them the developing field of linguistics known as discourse analysis. In addition to students of the Hebrew Bible, those who study ancient Near Eastern literatures, the New Testament, and early Jewish writings should find the following essays immediately relevant. Students of literatures from other times and areas should also be able to benefit because of the pervasive emphasis on methodology. - Preface.