In order to solve the problem that arises from that short sentence, various solutions have been offered, of which it is not irrelevant to say that none of them has settled it in a satisfactory manner. The book tries to show under which conditions historico-critical exegesis and philosophical hermeneutic can meet together. They meet at the intersection between the history of reception and a poetic of reading. For each of those texts, the study endeavours to show the complementarity of, and also the tensions between exegetical and philosophical trading of the Bible. The literary and epigraphic documents are rare, as is the iconographic evidence.
Archaeological documentation is better represented.
The main games were common to adults and children. The diverse roles appropriate to the patriarchal society of Ancient Palestine were respected. The discussion centers on placing this brief list of regulations in a certain social context, not in a specific chronological one. The method of analysis is comparative by nature and draws upon ethnographic research in tribally organized cultures from Nigeria to Pakistan. After outlining the distinction between lineage and clan, the discussion pursues a detailed examination of the social units and inter-group relationships located within each of these two levels.