Inner-Biblical Exegesis and Inner-Biblical Allusion: The Question of Category

The literary roles of Reuben and Judah in Genesis narratives: A ‘reflection complex’

“… 3. The terms ‘source-story’ and ‘reflection’—indicating earlier- and later-appearing episodes, respectively—are employed as a convention but imply no historical priority, a consideration usually irrelevant to interpretation of reflection stories (Zakovitch, 1995: 14). Along similar lines, see Eslinger (1992: 56). …”

Intertextuality in Old Testament Research

“…More likely, it is a reflection of the author's reluctance to expose him or herself to the harsh critiques levied against those who have articulated principles of intertextual reading. Scholars from both camps have traded barbs with one another, each dismissing the approach of the other as either incongruous with biblical scholarship, or built upon faulty premises (e.g., van Wolde 1989;Eslinger 1992;Schoors 2000;Leonard 2008). The consequent timidity in defining one's methodology is not surprising, although a small number of scholars are trying to ameliorate the problem by forging a middle path between these allegedly antithetical approaches.…”

“…The more diachronic, author-oriented approach indebted to traditional methods of biblical criticism should be given a different name, as many scholars have tried to do. Although none of these alternatives has achieved consensus, the two with the greatest appeal seem to be 'inner-biblical exegesis' (Fishbane 1985;Wedye 2005) and 'inner-biblical allusion' (Eslinger 1992;Sommer 1998;Noble 2002;Boda and Floyd 2003;Leonard 2008). It would behoove scholars to agree upon some such option, in order that that the fruits of the studies surveyed here can continue to blossom, and not be encumbered by the methodological murkiness that has beset this research for so many years.…”

Inner-Biblical Allusion

“…But only the most exhaustive review of the literature would bring this conversation to light, since these claims are isolated from general methodological discussions of literary dependence. Such Volume 2, number 2 • December 2009 methodological work as is done appears rather in journal articles than in book-length treatment (e.g., Sarna 1965;Eslinger 1992;Leonard 2008). Second, this customary looseness of jargon-whereby one work is said to "correspond to," "reflect the meaning of," "go back to," or "be best explained by" another, for some examples-has tended to persist in the field even as allusion in the Bible comes under more focused study, especially where the scholar is hesitant to date the two texts relative to one another.…”