Reinhard Achenbach

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Reinhard Achenbach (born August 12, 1957 in Biedenkopf ) is a German Protestant theologian and professor of the Old Testament at the Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster (WWU) .

Life

Career

Achenbach grew up in Biedenkopf, attended the primary / city school there and then the Lahntalschule high school , which he completed in 1976 with the Abitur. From 1976 to 1983 he studied Protestant theology in Göttingen , Tübingen and Uppsala . From 1983 to 1986 he was a scholarship holder of the Luther Foundation and a research assistant at the University of Göttingen . Between 1986 and 1991 Achenbach completed his pastoral training and worked in the pastoral service. In 1989, with a thesis on Deuteronomy with Lothar Perlitt, he became a Dr. theol. PhD.

From 1992 to 1994 Achenbach taught the Old Testament at the ecclesiastical college of the University of Medan / Pematangsiantar on the Indonesian island of Sumatra . After returning from Indonesia, he held a repentent position at the University of Mainz from 1995 to 1996 . In 1996 he moved to the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich as an academic adviser , where he lectured in Biblical Hebrew until 2005. In 2001 he completed his habilitation there with a thesis on the genesis of the number book . In 2006 he was appointed to the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , where he has been a full professor since the 2006/07 winter semester .

Achenbach is one of the main applicants for the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics in the Cultures of Pre-Modernism and Modernity”, established in 2007 at the University of Münster, and a member of the board. He is also a member of the board and spokesman for the Center for the History and Culture of the Eastern Mediterranean.

In 2008 he received an honorary professorship from the Pemetangsiantar Church College, Indonesia.

Research priorities

His research interests include biblical legal history , the literary and editorial history of the Old Testament, the emergence of the Pentateuch , the history of Judaism in the Achaemenid period and the history of the Second Temple .

Following the dissertation, Achenbach looked for a way out of the aporias of the newer document hypothesis , especially in his habilitation thesis entitled The Completion of the Torah . In this context, he and his teacher Eckart Otto designed their own model to explain how the Pentateuch came into being. Unlike numerous studies on the origin of the Pentateuch, the thesis does not begin with the books of Genesis and Exodus , but consistently makes Deuteronomy (D) the starting point of the study. Achenbach's investigation begins in the numerical book , whose classification in the paradigm of the newer document has caused considerable difficulties from the start, since their sources J, E and P can hardly be assigned or differentiated here. The analysis aims in particular to explain the dependency of the duplicates found in the numeric book and Dtn 1–3. According to Achenbach, a key text is the representation of the scout narrative in Num 13f and Dtn 1.19-45. He works out that Dtn 1 presupposes Num 13f in an earlier version than is found in the Masoretic text and Dtn 1 accordingly has a pre- dtr. And revised the version. In the course of the connection of priestly scriptures (P) and Deuteronomy (in connection with a preliminary stage of the Book of Joshua ) by a Hexateuch editor (HexRed), he had the template of the dtr. Texts inserted into the emerging context of the numeric book and also revised. While HexRed was active around the time of Nehemiah (around 445 BC), a later Pentateuch editor (PentRed) at the time of Ezra (around 398 BC) incorporated the law of holiness (H) into the synthesis of P and D. incorporated. With Dtn 34,10-12 an end of the Pentateuch was created and the Joshua scroll was cut off. The Pentateuch editorial team sees Achenbach as a final editing in the sense of the positional formation of larger, independent corpora, D, P and H, whereby the editor , insofar as he does not only compile texts, but intervenes in the texts at hand in an editing and productive manner, integrates his own concerns .

In his opinion, this final editing is followed by three post-end-reading arrangements, the so-called "Theocratic arrangements" (ThB I-III), which can be found primarily in Numbers 1-10 and Numbers 27-36 and by Achenbach in the first half of the 4th century BC To be dated. These adaptations establish the model of a priestly rule restricted by the Torah of Moses (Ex 19.6). Num 16 – ƒ18, for example, represents a program text. Through the Theocratic treatment, a heading system is also entered in the Pentateuch, which for the first time divides it into five scrolls (Gen, Ex, Lev, Num and Dtn). Achenbach is currently (as of 2020) working on the application of this model to all books of the Pentateuch.

In addition, Achenbach developed an explanatory model for the correlation of the editorial developments in the Pentateuch and in the Rear Prophets .

Another area of ​​research and interests of Achenbach is Old Testament social legislation and the rules for dealing with widows, orphans and strangers, the so-called Personae Miserae. In this context he participated in the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” in the project “Distinction and Integration in the Charter of Israel”. In particular, the project explored the topic of the foreign in Old Testament texts. As part of this project, Achenbach also made a deciphering proposal for an ostracon from Khirbet Qeiyafa , which offers one of the oldest Northwest Semitic texts on the protection of Personae Misaere (widows, orphans and strangers).

Current research project

Achenbach is currently head of the project “Religious Policy in the Ancient Persian Empire. Comparative cultural studies and legal history studies on the situation of the Jews in the multi-religious society of the Achaemenid period ”. Its aim is to present the religious policy of the Achaemenids "in Mesopotamia (especially in Babylon ), Asia Minor ( Halicarnassus ), Egypt ( Elephantine ) and Palestine ( Samaria , Jerusalem )" and to shed more light on dealing with local shrines in particular.

Teaching

University teaching is a special concern of Achenbach. His didactic approach aims to develop the Old Testament texts through thorough philological analysis and contextualization of the editorial history . At the same time, he places particular emphasis on translating the intentions of the texts into contemporary discourses and thus making them fruitful for preaching in lessons and sermons. Achenbach vehemently emphasizes the complementarity of the Old and New Testaments and the images of God developed there .

Editorial activity

Together with the ancient orientalist Hans Neumann from Münster , Achenbach publishes the magazine for ancient oriental and biblical legal history (ZAR) founded by Eckart Otto in 1995 .

Private

Achenbach is married and has two children. He sings in the chamber choir of the WWU Münster and preaches regularly in Protestant university services.

Selected publications

  • Israel between promise and command. Literary-critical studies on Deuteronomy 5–11 . Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, Frankfurt am Main / Berlin 1991, ISBN 978-3-631-43847-3 (442 pages, limited preview in the Google book search - also: dissertation, University of Göttingen 1989).
  • Completion of the Torah. Studies on the editorial history of the numerical book in the context of Hexateuch and Pentateuch (=  supplements to the magazine for ancient oriental and biblical legal history (BZAR) . No. 3 ). Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2003, ISBN 978-3-447-04602-2 (699 pages, limited preview in the Google book search - also: habilitation thesis, University of Munich 2001/2002).
  • With Martin Arneth and Eckart Otto : Tora in the Hebrew Bible: Studies on the editorial history and synchronous logic of diachronic transformations (=  supplements to the magazine for ancient oriental and biblical legal history (BZAR) . No. 7 ). Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2007, ISBN 978-3-447-05634-2 (387 pages, limited preview in the Google book search).
  • gêr - nåkhrî - tôshav - zâr: Legal and Sacral Distinctions on Foreigners in the Pentateuch . In: Reinhard Achenbach, Rainer Albertz , Jakob Wöhrle (eds.): The Foreigner and the Law. Perspectives from the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East (=  Supplements to the Zeitschrift für Altorientalische und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte (BZAR) . No. 16 ). Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2011, ISBN 978-3-447-06470-5 , p. 29-52 (180 pp.).
  • The Pentateuch, the Prophet, and the Torah in the Fifth and Fourth Centuries BCE In: Gary N. Knoppers, Oded Lipschits, Rainer Albertz (Eds.): Judah and Judeans in the Fourth Century BCE Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake 2007, ISBN 978- 1-57506-130-6 , pp. 253–285 (423 p., Limited preview in Google Book search).
  • “A Prophet like Moses” (Deut 18:15) - “No Prophet like Moses” (Deut 34:10): Some Observations on the Relation between the Pentateuch and the Latter Prophets . In: Thomas B. Dozeman, Konrad Schmid , Baruch J. Schwartz (eds.): The Pentateuch. International Perspectives on Current Research (=  research on the Old Testament . No. 78 ). Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2011, ISBN 978-3-16-150613-0 , p. 435-458 (578 pp.).
  • The Sermon on the Sabbath in Jer 17: 19-27 and the Torah . In: Jan Christian Gertz, Bernard M. Levinson, Dalit Rom-Shiloni, Konrad Schmid (eds.): The Formation of the Pentateuch: Bridging the Academic Cultures of Europe, Israel and North America (=  research on the Old Testament . No. 111 ). Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2016, ISBN 978-3-16-153883-4 , p. 869-886 (1204 pp.).
  • Ban on alliances and mixed marriages. On the ban command in Deuteronomy 7: 1-2 and its history of effects . In: Christoph Berner, Harald Samuel (Ed.): The Reception of Biblical War Legislation in Narrative Contexts (=  supplements to the journal for Old Testament science (BZAW) . No. 460 ). De Gruyter, Berlin / Boston 2015, ISBN 978-3-11-034973-3 , pp. 87-108 (203 pp.).
  • “The Unwritten Text of the Covenant”: Torah in the Mouth of the Prophets . In: Richard J. Bautch, Gary N. Knoppers (Eds.): Covenant in the Persian Period - From Genesis to Chronicles . Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake 2015, ISBN 978-1-57506-356-0 , pp. 75-89 (452 pages).
  • How to Speak about GOD with Non-Israelites. Some Observations about the Use of Names for God by Israelites and Pagans in the Pentateuch . In: Federico Giuntoli, Konrad Schmid (eds.): The Post-Priestly Pentateuch. New Perspectives on its redactional Development and Theological Profiles (=  research on the Old Testament . No. 101 ). Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2015, ISBN 978-3-16-153121-7 , p. 35-51 (351 pp.).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ ACHENBACH, Reinhard, Prof. Dr. theol. In: uni-muenster.de. Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Protestant Theological Faculty, accessed on August 12, 2017 .
  2. ↑ An interview by Michèle Lemarchand, Julia Schäfer and Julia Stahl with Prof. Dr. theol. Reinhard Achenbach on June 24, 2008. Accessed August 13, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Board of Directors. In: uni-muenster.de. Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Evangelical Theological Faculty, Center for History and Culture of the Eastern Mediterranean (GKM), accessed on August 12, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Eckart Otto : The Deuteronomy in the Pentateuch and Hexateuch. Studies on the literary history of Pentateuch and Hexateuch in the light of the Deuteronomy framework. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2000, ISBN 978-3-16-147388-3 , p. 326 .
  5. ↑ Reinhard Achenbach: The story of the failed conquest of Kadesch Barnea (Num 13-14) as a key text in the editorial history of the Pentateuch . In: Reinhard Achenbach, Hans Neumann, Eckart Otto (Hrsg.): Journal for ancient oriental and biblical legal history . tape 9 . Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2003, ISBN 978-3-447-09357-6 , pp. 56-123 .
  6. ↑ Reinhard Achenbach: The completion of the Torah. Studies on the editorial history of the number book in the context of Hexateuch and Pentateuch . In: BZAR . tape 3 . Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2003, ISBN 978-3-447-04602-2 , p. 37-172 .
  7. ↑ Reinhard Achenbach: The Protection of Personae miserae in Ancient Israelite Law and Wisdom, and in the Ostracon from Khirbet Qeiyafa . In: Semitica . No. 54 , 2012, p. 91-123 .
  8. ↑ Hebrew text: Researcher deciphered the 3000 year old inscription. In: Spiegel Online . June 5, 2012, accessed August 12, 2017 .
  9. ↑ Berthold Seewald: Bible Archeology: So much welfare state was in the kingdom of David. In: Welt Online . June 6, 2012, accessed August 13, 2017 .
  10. ^ Anne-Christine Scherer: Israel: 3000 year old social law. In: Spektrum.de . June 16, 2012, accessed August 13, 2017 .
  11. ^ Anne-Christine Scherer: Archeology in Israel: 3,000 year old social law. In: Zeit Online . June 8, 2012, accessed August 13, 2017 .
  12. ↑ Religious Policy in the Ancient Persian Empire. Comparative cultural studies and legal history studies on the situation of Jews in the multi-religious society of the Achaemenid period. In: uni-muenster.de. Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Religion and Politics - Cluster of Excellence, accessed on August 12, 2017 .
  13. ↑ https://www.uni-muenster.de/Altoriental/forschung/ao/ZAR.html
  14. ↑ Words of Life. In: frommverlag.de. Fromm Verlag, accessed on August 13, 2017 .
personal data
SURNAME Achenbach, Reinhard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Protestant theologian
DATE OF BIRTH August 12, 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH Biedenkopf