Banned Birds

Abstract

sub-area of study for this expansive project, happily shared with Anna Angelini of Lausanne and Abra Spiciarich of Tel Aviv, focused on the dietary laws from zooarchaeological, composition-critical, philological, ancient Near Eastern comparative, text-critical, and Second Temple reception-historical perspectives. Needless to say, the range of approaches far exceeds my own limited expertise. As I began researching the birds of Lev 11/Deut 14, I quickly came to the end of modern scholarship on them: we know little, and limits to research abound, especially on attempts to penetrate the identifications of the birds. However, I suspect that these creatures may provide more than a mere footnote on the dietary prohibitions and perhaps on larger conceptions of developments in Israelite religion as well. I am grateful to the leaders of the Sinergia project, especially Konrad Schmid and Christophe Nihan, who invited me to take part in the larger project and allowed me to investigate the dietary laws as a specific focus. Christophe Nihan has led our subgroup with enthusiasm and scholarly insight, while allowing us to develop the research questions (and answers!) according to our own understandings of the data. I have enjoyed the many hours spent with Abra Spiciarich and Anna Angelini discussing the detailed questions surrounding these seemingly distant prohibitions. They are both brilliant women! I have had the opportunity to work out various ideas and reflections of this volume in earlier venues, especially at the Sinergia meeting in Tel Aviv in Dec. 2016 and in a joint paper with Abra Spiciarich in the "Meals in the HB/OT" session of the Nov. 2017 SBL Annual Meeting in Boston. The discussion that follows has benefited from the expertise of many friends and colleagues; conversations with Jonathan Greer, Deirdre Fulton, Jürg Hutzli, and Dalit Rom-Shiloni on specific questions have significantly improved the study. Aren Wilson-Wright was especially kind to review my philological investigations. His insights have benefited the discussion greatly. Rebekah Walton generously read the entire manuscript and provided feedback. Walter Houston was kind enough to read the finished manuscript and indicate a number of weak points in the argument and language. Any remaining infelicities certainly arise from my own shortcomings. The unflagging curiosity of my wife, Birgit, and children, Elianah and Reuben, about the animals in our own immediate surroundings-rabbits, mustangs, quail, field mice, coyotes, geese, owls, hawks, and blue jays-have helped me develop eyes to see and the desire to understand the ways in which the realia and meanings of animals, and birds in particular, seep into the biblical texts. I experience a richer life as a result of their vision. The gift-challenges and all-provided by the return to living close to my parents, Fred and Jill Altmann, and sister, Niki Kobs (and John, Mia, and Calder of course!), has created and safeguarded the time, space, and energy to undertake this project far from the traditional academic...