Ehud and Eglon in Moab: Judges 3:12--30 in the Bible, the Old Versions and Ancient Jewish Literature

With the collaborative works of Yair Zakovitch and Avigdor Shinan as its methodological model, this dissertation presents the history of Jewish exegesis on Judges 3:12-30 (Ehud and Eglon) as discerned from the Bible, the Old Versions and Ancient Jewish Literature. This study is in three parts.; The first chapter is a description of the Zakovitch-Shinan approach. Five books are discussed: Abram and Sarai in Egypt: Gen. 10:10-20 in the Bible, The Old Versions and the Ancient Jewish Literature. (1983); The Story of Reuben and Bilhah: Gen 35:21-26 in the Bible, etc., (1983); The Story of the Mandrakes: Gen. 30: 14-18 in the Bible, etc., (1985); The Story of Judah and Tamar: Gen 38 in the Bible, etc., (1992); and That's Not What the Good Book Says. (2004). All five books are written in Hebrew. That's not What the Good Book Says is currently in the process of being translated for an English-reading audience.; Generally speaking. Zakovitch-Shinan's method is to collect, assemble, and present all the occurrences within Jewish interpretive literature from ancient times through Abarbanel (1437-1508) that address a given biblical text, to discern how different Jewish interpreters have understood these verses, and in so doing, to present a vivid picture of the history and development (both ancient and afterwards) of the biblical story.; Chapter 2 of this dissertation presents the biblical text of Judges 3:12-30, followed by a selection of ancient versions (Septuagint, Targum Jonathan, Peshitta, Vulgate), Josephus's recapitulation (Antiquities of the Jews) and the six Jewish exegetes included in Menahem Cohen's Mikraot Gedolot HaKeter (Rashi, Radak, Kara, Isaiah of Trani, Caspi, and Ralbag). Except for the Peshitta, all twelve texts are presented both in their original language and in English Translation. For technical reasons, the Peshitta is presented in English only.; Chapter 3 of this dissertation is an application of the Zakovitch-Shinan methodology on Judges 3:12-30. Verse by verse, each of the twelve texts presented in Chapter 2 is discussed so as to present a history of Jewish exegesis on Judges 3:12-30.