The Kingdom and Sodom in the Testament of Benjamin

2026/03/10 by Tom de Bruin · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Biblical Studies and Interpretation #Religion, Theology, History, Judaism, Christianity #Walter Benjamin Studies Compilation

paper · doi:10.1163/15685365-bja10116

Abstract

Abstract This article responds to JM Na’s recent “Echoes of the Kingdom” published in this journal. It argues that the parallels Na highlights between 1 Cor 6 and T. Benj. 9.1 are untenable. This article examines the themes of the kingdom of the Lord and the fornication of Sodom in T. Benj., arguing for a different reading. The kingdom of the Lord refers to the ancient Israelite kingdom—not Paul’s eschatological kingdom. Examining the literary and historical context of T. Benj., this article argues that the fornication of Sodom most likely refers to heteroerotic sexual excess driven by the pursuit of pleasure—not homosexuality or homoeroticism.

Discussions

• Exciting news! I just had an article published calling out a homophobic article Novum Testamentum published last year. It’s open access and free to read thanks to my employer. Get it here doi.org/10.1 [bsky, 21 points, 1 comments]

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