The Divine Handclasp in the Hebrew Bible and in Near Eastern Iconography

by David Calabro

Overview

Abstract: David Calabro explores what he describes as the "divine handclasp" in the Hebrew Bible. The term refers to a handclasp between God and his human servant that had a place in ancient Israelite temple worship. Calabro indicates it was a ritual gesture that was part of temple rite performance with a priest acting as proxy for God in close interaction with mankind. While other scholars have suggested the gesture was indicative of deity transporting mankind to "glory," Calabro's research proposes the clasping of right hands while facing one another was ritually indicative of God granting access to His chosen rather than transporting him.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940162310228
Publisher:	Interpreter Foundation
Publication date:	05/01/2021
Series:	Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship , #45
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	874,540
File size:	737 KB

About the Author

David Calabro is Curator of Eastern Christian Manuscripts at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library at Saint John’s University. He holds a doctoral degree in Near Eastern languages and civilizations from the University of Chicago. His research deals with the languages and cultural history of the Near East. He lives in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, with his wife Ruth and seven children.