There are seven texts often cited by Christians to condemn homosexuality: Noah and Ham (Genesis 9:20–27), Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1–11), Levitical laws condemning same-sex relationships (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13), two words in two Second Testament vice lists (1 Corinthians 6:9–10; 1 Timothy 1:10), and Paul's letter to the Romans (Romans 1:26–27). The author believes that these do not refer to homosexual relationships between two free, adult, and loving individuals. They describe rape or attempted rape (Genesis 9:20–27, 19:1–11), cultic prostitution (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13), male prostitution and pederasty (1 Corinthians 6:9–10; 1 Timothy 1:10), and the Isis cult in Rome (Romans 1:26–27). If the biblical authors did assume homosexuality was evil, we do not theologize off of their cultural assumptions, we theologize off of the texts we have in the canon. The author attempts to introduce some new arguments into this long-standing and passionate debate.
are not events which were completed in the past and are then static. Rather, it is all part of continuum; process is the very basis of life -be it biological life, intellectual life, or spiritual life. And yet, to facilitate this process, and to be part of it, means to be immersed in its organic symbol-system. The medium must be in tune with the message, otherwise there are only two alternatives; either the ossification caused by static rigidity, or the rupture caused by radical shift, i.e. translation into an alien symbol System. There is a constant tension between the two. The Aramaic version of the bible constitutes the ongoing attempt of a people to remain true to its ancient Book, and yet to live äs a creative, evolving, self-aware community. The targum represents an attempt par excellence at communication: with the past, the present, and in a sense, with the future.The Aramaic Version of the Bible originated during the Hellenistic period, and evolved conrinuously thereafter. Some individual elements can be shown to contain even Moslem influence. Due to its extremely paraphrastic rendering, the Palestinian Aramaic >targum< is more of a commentary on the Bible than it is a strict translation of the Hebrew original.This study traces the development of the Aramaic >targum<: the controversies surrounding the translation of Scripture, the methods of translation and transmission, the various purposes behind the paraphrases, additions and changes found in the Aramaic, and the characteristics which typify the evolution of the targum. It does so on the basis of the linguistic and conceptual elements found in the targum itself, and the early literature (juridical and homiletic) concerning the targum.
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