The Abduction of Dinah

Description

Understanding a text from the narrator’s point of view is crucial for the tasks of interpreting and translating the Bible. In this volume, Ethiopian scholar Daniel Hankore clarifies the reading of Scripture by studying it in the light of African Hadiyya culture and relevance theory, which facilitate Scriptural interpretation and translation. Hankore’s analysis of Genesis 28:10-35:15 recognises the text as a literary document or discourse while also considering its cultural context. He demonstrates that a correct understanding of the concept of the ancient Israelite vow in the framework of a social institution is key to facilitating an accurate reading and translation of Genesis 28:10-35:15. The conclusion we can draw from this understanding is that the narrative of Jacob is a coherent whole. Furthermore the Dinah story is of vital importance to the narrative, a fact which has frequently been overlooked as has the connection between its different parts. Genesis 28:10-35:15 is revealed in a new light in this detailed study which focuses on relevance theory informed by an Ethiopian cultural context and provides original theories about the place of the Dinah story in the narrative of Jacob.