A pillar of cloud to guide

The present volume is intended as a special present on the occasion of Professor Marc Vervenne’s retirement from the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven). It intends to honour Marc Vervenne as an academic scholar, deeply engaged in the research of Ancient Hebrew literature. The book opens by the editors’ presentation of Marc Vervenne’s scientific biography and bibliography. Thereafter, and against the background of his own main interests in textual criticism, redaction criticism and linguistic-grammatical research, predominantly on texts of the Pentateuch, this volume equally presents a selection of contributions in those three domains. In admiration, respect and true friendship for Marc Vervenne, more than thirty colleagues from all over the world have contributed to this volume.0In the first part, ‘The Pentateuch in Texts, Themes, and Methods’, scholars focus on Pentateuch texts from a multiplicity of methods and perspectives: historical research, historical-critical exegesis, literary criticism, redaction-criticism, themes and theology, reception history and narrative criticism. The second part, entitled ‘Textual Criticism’, deals with text-critical approaches of the text, on the basis of different textual witnesses with their own respective redaction and theology; it also discusses the close relationship and methodological intertwinement of textual and literary criticism in the current scholarly debate. In the third and final part, several perspectives on ‘Hebrew Language and Linguistics’ are offered against the background of Marc Vervenne’s interest in grammar and linguistics.