The Reformers on the Authority of the Septuagint

TCI has a new article out on the Reformers and the authority of the Septuagint that is an interesting read. Apparently, they held varying views on whether/how often the Septuagint could be used to correct the Hebrew text, which eventually morphed into the Protestant/Catholic discussions about the authority of the text in later generations.

Hindy Najman on Sommer's Revelation and Authority

Hindy Najman has a glowing and interesting review of Benjamin D. Sommer's Revelation and Authority in Marginalia.

HT Agade

RBL Review of Jassen's "Scripture and Law in the Dead Sea Scrolls"

The most recent RBL has a review by Ian Werrett of Alex Jassen's Scripture and Law in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The review is long, but a good (generally appreciative) summary of the important points of the book. In particular, Jassen stresses how nonpentateuchal texts can also be used as prooftexts in legal debates, demonstrating an authoritativeness (even if secondary to the Pentateuch) for these texts as well.


According to Werrett:


"Some of the more notable observations in this chapter include: (1) that the legal material in the Dead Sea Scrolls is reflective of a broad and lively discussion on halakah in ancient Judaism; (2) that any study on legal-exegetical trends in the rabbinic corpus must take into consideration the legal positions and exegetical strategies of the Second Temple period and vice versa; (3) that the Dead Sea Scrolls community was seemingly content to use nonpentateuchal sources as legal prooftexts, thereby implying a degree of authority approaching that of the Pentateuch; and (4) that many of the documents from the Second Temple period appear to modify the wording of the biblical passages they employ as prooftexts, thereby indicating that the authors of these texts had an effect on the overall shape of the canon."

Enoch Seminar review of Satlow's "How the Bible Became Holy"

Isaac Oliver de Oliveira has pointed out a review of Michael Satlow's How the Bible Became Holy, for the Enoch Seminar. Gregory Paulson's review of Satlow is fairly critical of his treatment of the Christian literature, which follows on Ron Hendel's critical review focusing on the treatment of the Septuagint and Qumran materials. I have not read the book myself, but many of the quotes and conclusions cited in the reviews do seem somewhat overstated. Have any others read the book?