Hebrew Studies at Fifty

HEBREW STUDIES AT FIFTY Marvin A. Sweeney Editor, Hebrew Studies Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University Welcome to the Golden Anniversary Edition of Hebrew Studies: A Journal Devoted to Hebrew Language and Literature! Hebrew Studies is the journal of the National Association of Professors of Hebrew (NAPH). Hebrew Studies publishes scholarly articles and book reviews on all aspects of Hebrew language and literature from antiquity through the present. Hebrew Studies has a rich history of publication beginning with the first volume of the journal, then known as Hebrew Abstracts, in 1954. One of my predecessors as editor of the journal, Keith N. Schoville of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provided an overview of the history of the journal in the Silver Anniversary Edition from its inception through the publication of Hebrew Studies 25 (1984).1 Following the founding of the NAPH in 1952 under the leadership of Abraham I. Katsh of New York University, the first issue of Hebrew Abstracts appeared in 1954 in conjunction with The Shane Quarterly of the Butler University School of Religion. The first editor of the journal was Katsh, and he was assisted by Toyozo W. Nakarai as associate editor together with an editorial board of four scholars. The purpose of the initial eighteen-page journal was to provide English-speaking scholars summaries and reviews of books and periodicals published in Modern Hebrew and other languages containing research on “the Hebrew language, literature, philosophy, exegesis, bibliography, and methodology.” Abraham Katsh remained as editor of the journal through volume 12 (1968–1969) as it grew in length and scope. Associate editors during this period included Israel T. Naamani, Shlomo Marenof, Toyozo W. Nakarai, David Rudavsky, and Aaron S. Citron. A change in the editorship of the journal took place with volume 13 (1972) for which Israel T. Naamani began his service as editor with Werner Weinberg of the Hebrew Union College— Jewish Institute of Religion as associate editor and Abraham I. Katsh as chair of the board of editors. During Naamani’s term as editor from volume 13 (1972) through volume 19 (1978), the journal changed its focus and name. Following the publication by NAPH of The Journal of Hebraic 1 K. N. Schoville, “Editor’s Preface,” HS 25 (1984): 4–6. Hebrew Studies 50 (2009) 8 Sweeney: Hebrew Studies at 50 Studies 1/1 (1969) and 1/2 (1970), which published scholarly papers based on the research of its members, the decision was made to expand the scope of Hebrew Abstracts from a review journal into a full scholarly journal that would publish research papers as well as reviews. Thus with volume 17 (1976), Hebrew Abstracts became Hebrew Studies: A Journal Devoted to the Hebrew Language, the Bible and Related Areas of Scholarship. Menahem Mansoor joined Naamani as co-editor with volume 19 (1978), and began his service as editor with volume 20–21 (1979–1980), which regretfully was dedicated to the memory of Naamani. Mansoor continued as editor through volume 22 (1981), and Keith N. Scoville began his service as editor with volume 23 (1982). With the same volume, Michael V. Fox began his service as associate editor. Keith Scoville and Michael Fox made quite a mark on Hebrew Studies, beginning with the 1982 issue, which was dedicated to Menahem Mansoor. Volume 23 included 276 pages with twenty-eight research papers, three of which were published in Hebrew, and fourteen reviews. Contributors to the issue included luminaries in the field, such as Nahum Sarna, Cyrus H. Gordon, William G. Dever, Jacob Neusner, Bernard Grossfeld, Lewis H. Glinert, Werner Weinberg, Eisig Silberschlag, Aaron Lichtenstein, Leon J. Weinberger, David Freedman, Edna A. Coffin, and many others. Topics ranged through the Cave of Mahpela in Genesis 23, archeological studies concerning the cult of Asherah, translating the Palestinian Talmud, Targum Rishon to Esther, the poetry of Moses Ibn Ezra, the work of Aharon Appelfeld, Agnon’s use of the dream as a literary device, Hebrew literature on the Holocaust, the work of A. B. Yehoshua, and more. Volume 24 (1983) included 243 pages with sixteen research papers and fifty-three book reviews . Paper topics included Harold Hosch on Exod 12:41, John J. Schmitt on the...