By Marc Brettler

Ancient texts are dangerous (1). The Bible, by which I mean the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, is especially dangerous when it informs political and ethical decisions. It would be irresponsible for us as teachers of the Bible and other ancient literature to teach only the sections that we find beautiful, uplifting, or morally just—but what should we do with the problematic parts? I would like to explore this matter by looking at the biblical texts that command the ethnic cleansing of the Amalekites, an issue that resonates with contemporary discourse. Read on:

The Future of the Past and the Center for Premodern Studies have received an Interdisciplinary Collaborative Workshop Grant through the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota to sponsor visiting fellowships through 2027 in a series titled "Exploring the Assumptions of Cultural History".