Research

Abstracts of Monographs

The Beginning of the Biblical Canon and Ben Sira (2022)

Abstract of "The Beginning of the Biblical Canon and Ben Sira" (2022; published in print and as an open access ebook funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), see https://www.mohrsiebeck.com/en/book/the-beginning-of-the-biblical-canon-and-ben-sira-9783161619922 for full open access):

The Book of Ben Sira, written in Hebrew in the early second century BCE, is often regarded as containing the earliest references to the canon of the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament. In contrast, Alma Brodersen examines methodological and historical issues regarding the beginning of the biblical canon and Ben Sira, and demonstrates that the book itself – as distinct from the later Prologue to its Greek translation – does not actually refer to texts as canonical. In addition, a systematic analysis of key passages in Ben Sira 38–39 and 44–50 in Hebrew and Greek uncovers similarities with other ancient texts which are not canonical today but preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Far from proving the existence of the biblical canon in his day, Ben Sira's book indicates instead the importance of oral teaching and the relevance of a wide range of traditions.

The End of the Psalter (2017)

Abstract on Back Cover of "The End of the Psalter" (2017, Paperback 2018):

The End of the Psalter presents new interpretations of Psalms 146-150 based on the oldest extant evidence: the Hebrew Masoretic Text, the Hebrew Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Greek Septuagint. On a sound methodological foundation the book analyses and compares these sources including their intertextual references, and concludes that Psalms 146-150 were at first separate texts which only in the Masoretic Text form the end of the Psalter.

The Significance of Creation References for the Theology of Psalm 147 (2013)

English Abstract of the German Monograph "Die Bedeutung der Schöpfungsaussagen für die Theologie von Psalm 147" ("The Significance of Creation References for the Theology of Psalm 147") (2013):

Psalm 147 praises God not only as the saviour of Israel, but also as the ruler of nature. Through the references to creation, the Psalm's image of God is expanded to include constant care, strength, and reliability. This study of the individual Psalm 147 explains, with translations, the form and content of the Hebrew and Greek versions of the Psalm as well as its numerous intertextual references within the Old Testament which also allow for a chronological placement of the Psalm.