Tanakh vs. Bible: Critical Textual Scholarship and Orthodox Judaism in Israel and the United States

The study of Biblical texts by Orthodox scholars utilizing critical tools is not a wholly new phenomenon. While most authorities dismissed such approaches as heretical, from the mid-nineteenth century onwards a select group of Orthodox scholars did made use of them. Even then, however, this was generally limited to professional academics or to those Orthodox figures whose goal was to undermine theologically challenging scientific conclusions.

Over the past three decades, however, rigorous Bible study has gained a normative foothold within Orthodox Jewish life. Today, yeshivot and midrashot include Bible study as central features of their curriculums, sometimes even as an alternative to the traditional focus on cultivating Talmudic erudition. Indeed, annual Tanakh study weeks in which Orthodox scholars present their novel approaches to the broader public attract thousands of lay participants both in Israel and abroad.

My paper will examine this phenomenon from a geographic perspective – to what degree is this a global phenomenon and in what ways has location defined distinct paths? Specifically, it will explore commonalities and distinctions between developments in Israel and the United States: Who are the main constituencies and institutions? What are the dominant critical methods that are adopted (literary analysis, comparison to other ancient texts, higher criticism etc.)? What, if any, are the limitations placed on such study – age, method, context, secondary literature, background of teachers, theological implications? This research is part of a broader study on the relationship between Israeli and American Orthodoxies.