Season 2: Episode 52
David and Goliath Like You’ve Never Read It Before
Date Aired: 2/05/2024
Heroic stories like David and Goliath were told for centuries before they were written down. But the creative storytelling process didn’t end there. Written texts were performed and improvised upon, creating new variations that made it into later texts. The Bible that we have today was the product of ongoing conversations between oral and written traditions. Helen and Dave are thrilled to welcome Jonathan Friedmann back to the podcast to introduce the exciting field of performance criticism. Jonathan uses the example of David and Goliath to show how artifacts of oral storytelling are found throughout the Hebrew Bible, and how texts may have even been written with an eye toward improvisation and performance.
Listen to the episode on the Biblical Time Machine website or wherever you get your podcasts.
Disclaimer: The Society of Biblical Literature is not responsible for the content of this podcast. The opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Society of Biblical Literature, its members, or its staff.
