Sacred Conjectures: The Context and Legacy of Robert Lowth and Jean Astruc

Description

1753 saw the publication of two major works of Old Testament scholarship: Robert Lowth's On the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews and Jean Astruc's Conjectures on Genesis (published anonymously when Astruc was Professor of Medicine at the College Royal in Paris). Both these works have had conisderable repercussions in biblical study down to the present day. Indeed, they may be said to have inaugurated modern critical approaches to biblical poetry and prose, respectively, of the Old Testament. To mark and reflect upon the 250th anniversary of the publication of these volumes, the University of Oxford hosted a "Sacred Conjectures" conference in 2003. An international group of scholars gathered to discuss the context and legacy of Lowth's and Astruc's seminal contributions to the field of biblical scholarship; the majority of the papers presented at the conference appear in this volume. The collection aims to provide for Lowth and Astruc not only an account and evaluation of their life and work but also an understanding of the wider intellectual context of their scholarship and the reception and influence of their work ever since.

John Jarick is Lecturer in Old Testament at the University of Oxford.

"This volume consists of papers from a conference at Oxford in 2003, which celebrated the 250th anniversary of the publication of Robert Lowth's De Sacra Poesi Hebraeorum and Jean Astruc's Conjectures." -Francis Landy, Biblical Interpretation, Vol. 18, 2010 "In April 2003, Oxford University hosted a conference to mark the 250th anniversary of the publication of two seminal works in biblical studies: Robert Lowth's On the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews and Jean Astuc's Conjectures on Genesis, both published in 1753. The conference consisted of thirteen papers presented by scholars from several countries and disciplines. Twelve of those papers are published in the present volume (the missing paper is "Lowth and Politeness" by Alun David)." -David A. Bosworth, Barry University, Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Vol. 8 (2008) -- David A. Bosworth "Watson, well known for his own contribution to the study of Old Testament poetry, offers a survey of recent contributions to this field of research." Contributor Wilfred G.E. Watson's essay reviewed in International Review of Biblical Studies, 2007. Contributor Markus Witte's essay reviewed in International Review of Biblical Studies, 2007. "An illuminating book, fundamental to all theological libraries. " Reviewed in International Review of Biblical Studies, 2007. "In doing so, this volume makes an important contribution to the history of the discipline of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies. It sketches for a new generation of students of the Bible part of the genesis of our discipline, helping us to appreciate the heroes of the past and their interactions with neighboring fields of study. Not least, the volume has resurrected from near obscurity some of the heirs of Lowth and Astruc, such as Hermann Hupfeld, Henning Bernhard Witter, and Charles-Francois Houbigant...The volume is well edited. It opens with an informative preface by John Jarick, the editor (vii-viii), as well as abstracts of all the contributions (ix-xvii). The backmatter includes indices of references and authors. Typing errors are virtually absent, even in the German and French contributions. This volume is a joy to read and a treasure to keep." - Knut M. Heim, Review of Biblical Literature, May 2008 -- Knut M. Heim "The book as a whole is well-conceived...I strongly recommend the book as an introduction to and reflections on two of the most important ideas in biblical scholarship." - Allan Rosengren, Review of Biblical Literature, May 2008 -- Allan Rosengren "Twelve essays are collected here from a distinguished group of scholars and together they offer richly detailed reflections on the context and legacy of these fascinating works whose importance has if anything been increasingly recognized in recent decades." 32.5 (2008) -- H.S. Pyper * Journal for the Study of the Old Testament *