The Biblical Annals

Critical Editing and Philological Analysis of the First Chapters of Trito-Isaiah (Isa 56–57) Based on the Coptic Manuscript sa 52 (M 568) and Other Coptic Manuscripts in the Sahidic Dialect and the Greek Text of the Septuagint

2026-01-29T14:06:58+01:00

This article presents a critical edition and philological analysis of the first two chapters of Trito-Isaiah (Isa 56–57), drawing primarily on the Coptic manuscript sa 52.2 alongside other extant manuscripts in the Sahidic dialect. The initial section provides an overview of the relevant portion of codex sa 52 (M 568) containing the text under study, followed by a concise list and description of additional manuscripts that preserve at least some verses from Isa 56–57. The core of the article features the Coptic text in the Sahidic dialect, accompanied by an English translation. A tabular comparison highlights deviations between the Sahidic text and the Greek Septuagint, its source, including additions, omissions, lexical variations, and semantic shifts in the Coptic translation. The final section addresses complex philological challenges, whether inherent to the Coptic text or arising from its relationship to the Septuagint, aiming to resolve interpretive difficulties.

The Presence and the Role of Senses in Proto-Apocalyptic Book of Joel

2026-01-29T14:06:57+01:00

The proto-apocalyptic Book of Joel attracts attention with a multitude of sensory references. They not only provide the dynamics of the text but also create an experience of interpersonal contact that is elusive in cursory reading. The synergy in which they remain and the mutual reinforcement raise the question of the role of the senses in the process of persuasion undertaken in the apocalyptic context and text. Analyses of the semantic layer, with the application of the methods of literary analysis, with reference also to the theory of affect, conducted on the biblical text in synchronicity, reveal the radical turns of thought, marked by references to the senses, as well as counterpoints highlighting the main points of the message. They make it possible to perceive the various stages of the communicative exchange, its coherence, and the specificity of affect, where the removal of blockages in the interpersonal relationship is located. The application of the guidelines of the theory of affect reveals, among other things, the space of perception offered in the Book of Joel through references to the senses, in accordance with the culture of the recipient. The power of persuasion, pointing to the active work of God, conveyed through the language of the senses, becomes graspable to the recipient who experiences trauma and adversity.

King David as a Righteous Man in the Light of Qumran Literature and Post-Biblical Texts of Early Judaism

2026-01-29T14:06:56+01:00

The present paper analyses the picture of David as a righteous man depicted in non-biblical Qumran texts and the literature of Early Judaism. The choice of such a broad research field results from the fact that no articles have been published so far that would examine this theme in detail based on the above compositions. Thus, undertaking this task is a justified endeavour. The paper will be divided into three parts. The first part will present the biblical background, mainly based on post-exilic literature. In the second part, fragments of four Qumran manuscripts – 4QMMT, CD, 1Q33 and 11Q5 – will be analysed. Finally, the literature of early Jewish writings containing depictions of David will be discussed. A thorough analysis of all these texts will show that David was a righteous man.

What Is the Sin of Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and Why Is It Unforgivable (Mark 3:28-30 and Parallels)?

2026-01-29T14:06:55+01:00

This article is a comprehensive examination of the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Despite numerous attempts to definitively answer the question of the nature of this sin in Christian history and today, it still appears to be a crux interpretum. The first step is to comprehensively present the status quaestionis and attempt to systematise existing research. The lack of consensus among scholars justifies the need to address this topic from a broader research perspective. The first step in exegetical analysis is a meticulous examination of the synoptic passages in Mark 3:28–30, Matt 12:31–32 and Luke 12:10 in their narrative contexts. This article argues that the essence of the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the rejection of the revelation offered by God in Jesus Christ and of God Himself as the revealed God, i.e. apostasy. However, each Evangelist approaches this issue differently, placing emphasis on different aspects. This article also asserts that Luke, probably inspired by Q 12:10, attempts to remove this teaching from its local narrative context and make it universal. This article also examines other texts (Heb 6:4–6, 1 John 5:16, and Gos. Thom. 44) that broaden the theological and cultural context for interpreting the gospel teaching on blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but they do not add much new content.

John’s Farewell Discourse under the Shadow of Mark

2026-01-29T14:06:52+01:00

The lengthy discourses of John’s Gospel are a feature of the Evangelist’s writing which has contributed to the idea that he wrote independently of other Gospels. The absence of such discourses in the Synoptics might suggest that John’s discourses are idiosyncratic vehicles for theologizing, wherein Jesus’ speech mirrors Johannine idiom. In this article, I re-examine Jesus’ farewell discourse in John 13–17 in light of the view that John is dependent on Mark’s Gospel. Although John 13–17 is not often considered a connection between these Gospels, I argue that John built this material from Mark 12–14, seeking to improve and expand Mark in a competitive literary marketplace and to persuade his readers to view Jesus and themselves in a particularly Johannine way. John’s compositional practices in his farewell discourse material be compared with two Jewish texts (Chronicles and Jubilees) which reinterpret earlier source material to create farewell discourses.

Verifying Biblical Allusions in John 1:51: A Methodological Framework for Genesis Reception Studies

2026-01-29T14:06:51+01:00

Current methodologies for identifying biblical allusions in the Fourth Gospel, while extensive, often struggle with texts that operate through imagery and metaphor. This study applies a tripartite framework – textual flow analysis, image analysis, and intertextual verification – to demonstrate that John 1:51 constitutes a deliberate allusion to Jacob’s dream (Gen 28:12). The methodology reveals that the allusion operates through recontextualization: the Son of Man replaces both Jacob’s ladder and the divine figure, creating a new christological revelation theology. While multiple intertextual connections may be present (including Dan 7), the Genesis reception proves central to the text’s mystagogical function. The applied verification shows semantic, structural, and functional correspondences between the texts, confirming systematic Genesis reception in the Johannine narrative. This synchronic approach, though it yields specific insights into the text’s faith-formational purpose, represents one methodological option among others. The framework contributes to ongoing discussions about allusion verification in biblical texts, particularly for passages where imagery carries the primary allusive weight. The results demonstrate that authentic allusions function not through simple borrowing, but through deliberate theological recontextualization that preserves original narrative function while establishing new meaning paradigms.

Polish Bibles from the 16th Century: A Review of Copies, Characteristics and Factors Affecting Prices on the Polish Antiquaria Auction Market

2026-01-29T14:06:53+01:00

This article discusses the copies of 16th-century Polish Bibles on the antiquarian auction market in Poland. It aims to expand the knowledge of surviving copies of old Polish Bibles, which, often, due to being held in private collections, have not been described and catalogued. This study identified 59 offers for Bible copies, with the largest number concerning the Wujek Bible. In turn, the rarest were the 1st edition of the Leopolita Bible and the Brest Bible. The descriptions were supplemented for the 2nd edition of the Leopolita Bible and a brief mention of the Budny Bible. This article also seeks to identify the factors that influenced the prices of the copies discussed earlier. The most important of these included the broadly understood condition of the copy, while the least important was the inclusion of illustrations in the editions of the Bible under discussion.

Samuel Hildebrandt – Ekaterina E. Kozlova (eds.), Loneliness in the Hebrew Bible (Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 718; London: T&T Clark 2025)

2026-01-02T10:10:55+01:00

Book review: Samuel Hildebrandt – Ekaterina E. Kozlova (eds.), Loneliness in the Hebrew Bible (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 718; London: Clark 2025) Pp. 248. £ 64.60 (E-Book); £ 108 (Hardback). ISBN: 978-05- 67-71445-9 (E-Book); 978-05-67071444-2 (Hardback).

Tadeusz Rubik, Biblia Wujka, Rabba i Grodzickiego. Historia powstania jezuickiego przekładu (ok. 1579–1599) w kontekście kulturowo-konfesyjnym epoki (Reformacja w Polsce i Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej 8; Warszawa – Truskaw: Uniwersytet Warszawski Wydział „Artes Liberales” – Wydawnictwo Naukowe Sub Lupa 2024)

2026-01-03T17:50:08+01:00

Book review: Tadeusz Rubik, Biblia Wujka, Rabba i Grodzickiego . Historia powstania jezuickiego przekładu (ok. 1579–1599) w kontekście kulturowo-konfesyjnym epoki (Reformacja w Polsce i Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej 8; Warszawa – Truskaw: Uniwersytet Warszawski Wydział „Artes Liberales” – Wydawnictwo Naukowe Sub Lupa 2024). Pp. 763. PLN 90. ISBN: 978-83-68194-03-6.