Friday, February 23, 2018

Divination and the Torah

DR. JONATHAN STÖKL: Ancient Israelite Divination: Urim ve-Tummim, Ephod, and Prophecy (TheTorah.com).
In the Prophets, Israelite leaders such as Joshua, Saul, David, and Ahab use divination to help them make decisions, just as their ancient Near Eastern counterparts did. Why then, does the Torah sidestep the divinatory character of these objects and practices, and instead, emphasize their ritual and religious character?

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.