Messaging Brothers in Distant Lands

The discussion of the social context of a composition represents an attempt to go beyond historical-critical considerations, and to consider the social location of those who composed the text, the issues arising from within their particular social circle and the historical situation that motivated their composition, as well as the interests and situation of a receiving audience. While the bulk of Biblical literature exhibits a pronounced Judean orientation, some texts seem to address multiple audiences including Diaspora communities. This paper will discuss criteria for uncovering the social and historical location of target audiences, and will investigate the Diaspora orientation of various Biblical texts that might have been conceived as a means to maintaining ethnic ties with Diaspora communities.