In this episode, I spoke with Ed Greenstein who is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Bar-Ilan University, where he served as Professor since 2006, headed the Institute for Jewish Biblical Interpretation and held the Meiser Chair in Biblical Studies. He also serves as Chair of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Hermeneutics and Cultural Studies.
We spoke at length about his research into the Near Eastern Fugitive Hero narrative or pattern, which was an ancient Near Eastern story-telling pattern that appears in Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and is found in nearly all of the stories of the Hebrew Bible's major heroes. You can read a recent paper he's written on the topic below and watch one of his lectures:
The Fugitive Hero Story Pattern in Mesopotamia
A Fugitive Aramean Was My Father