Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preliminary Material / J. Hoftijzer and G. van der Kooij -- Preface and Acknowledgements / J. Hoftijzer and G. van der Kooij -- Bibliographical Abbreviations / J. Hoftijzer and G. van der Kooij -- Deir ʿAlla Re-Visited / H.J. Franken -- The Archaeology of Deir ʿAlla Phase IX / Moawiyah M. Ibrahim and Gerrit van der Kooij -- Les Inscriptions Sur Plâtre de Deir ʿAlla et Leur Signification Historique et Culturelle / André Lemaire -- The Plaster Inscriptions From DEIR ʿAlla: General Interpretation / Baruch A. Levine -- Response to Baruch Levine and André Lemaire / Jo Ann Hackett -- The Dialect of the Deir ʿAlla Texts / P. Kyle McCarter -- The Linguistic Classification of the Deir ʿAlla Text Written on Plaster / Dennis Pardee -- Philological Observations on the Deir ʿAlla Inscription / Jonas C. Greenfield -- What Did the Gods Say? Remarks on the First Combination of the Deir ʿAlla-Plaster Texts / J. Hoftijzer -- Response to J. Greenfield and J. Hoftijzer / G.I. Davies -- The Balaam Text From Deir ʿALLā and the Study of the Old Testament / Manfred Weippert -- Die Funktion Divinatorischen Redens und die Tierbezeichnungen der Inschrift von Tell Deir ʿAllā / Hans-Peter Müller -- Response to H.-P. Müller and M. Weippert / Meindert Dijkstra -- Approches Paléographiques de L’Inscription Sur Plâtre de Deir ʿAllā / Emile Puech -- Book and Script at Deir ʿAllā / Gerrit van der Kooij -- Response to Lectures of Prof. E. Puech and Dr. G. van der Kooij / Meindert Dijkstra -- Deux Observations à Propos des Rapports Entre le Texte de Deïr ʿAlla (Combinaison I) et la Bible / J.-M. Husser -- Remarks on the Classification of the Northwest Semitic Languages / John Huehnergard -- Aspects of the Literary Structure of Combination I / Al Wolters -- Reflexions Methodologiques Sur le Classement Linguistique de Dapt / Felice Israel -- List of Contributors / J. Hoftijzer and G. van der Kooij -- Biblical Quotations / J. Hoftijzer and G. van der Kooij.

The Balaam text, written in ink on wall plaster, was discovered during archaeological excavations at Deir 'Alla in the Jordan Valley in 1967 and published in 1976 by Brill ( Aramaic Texts from Deir 'Alla ). The importance of this badly damaged inscription, which is dated either ca. 800 BC or the first half of the 8th century BC, was clear from the beginning and many studies have been published about it since. It was the aim of the International Symposium in Leiden 1989 to evaluate these studies and to advance the understanding of the text by a meeting of scholars who had worked extensively with it. The Proceedings include all the lectures (often reworked and annotated) as well as the prepared responses to them, some short communications and an additional note based on the discussion of one topic. Six different aspects of study of the Balaam text are dealt with: the archaeological context, the palaeography, the general interpretation, the language, interpretation of a number of details, and its relation to Old Testament studies. In this way the book is not just an addition to the current discussions concerning the Balaam text, but it also includes new data and new proposals and well as evaluations and attempts at scholarly agreements.

English

Description based on print version record.