Speaker:

Saul Olyan

Any attempt to reconstruct biblical views of consensual male homoerotic sexual relations must contend with three texts: the restrictive laws of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 and David's praise of Jonathan's love for him in 2 Sam 1:26. Though Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 are often assumed to proscribe all male homoerotic sexual relations, a reconsideration of their terminology and syntax suggests that their precise meaning is more restricted. Similarly, a contextual analysis of the Hebrew idioms used in David's lament leads to some striking observations.