This lecture examines the biblical portrayal of King Saul through the lens of 20th-century Israeli poetry, with a focus on the works of Yehuda Amichai, Amir Gilboa, Dan Pagis, and Saul Tjernikovskij. Using the methodology of “reception exegesis”, the lecture will illustrate how a study of their poems about Saul reverses the interpretative flow. They not only interpret the biblical text, but they also, simultaneously, shed light on the interpretative potential that is inherent in the biblical text. Particular attention will be given to four events in the Saul narrative: his anointing, his rejection, his visit to Ein Dor, and his death on Mt Gilboa.
Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer is an expert on the Hebrew Bible, with a focus on the prophetic literature and the narrative texts. She has also published widely on the reception of biblical texts in music, art, and literature. Her most recent publications are a commentary on the book of Jonah (published by Wiley Blackwell) and a monograph devoted to the literary afterlives of the character of Jonathan (published by Oxford University Press). She is also the editor of many collections of articles and is currently editor-in-chief of Brill’s flagship monograph series Vetus Testamentum Supplement. In the summer semester of 2026, Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer will be a senior fellow at the Alfried Krupp Wissenschaftskolleg Greifswald.
Moderation: Professor Dr. Stefan Beyerle