1 See Y. Hoffman, A Blemished Perfection: The Book of Job in Context (Sheffield, 1996); E.L. Greenstein, „The Language of Job and Its Poetic Function,“ JBL 122 (2003), 651–666.

2 The development of this framework and the connection between it and the poetic portion was already discussed in the nineteenth century. See: D.B. MacDonald, „The Original Form of the Legend of Job,“ JBL 14 (1895), 63. The issue has not yet been resolved. For a survey of the various opinions and the attempt to reconstruct the core story in the prologue and epilogue, see: A. Pinker, „The Core Story in the Prologue-Epilogue of the Book of Job,“ The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 6 (2006), 1–27.

3 N.H. Tur-Sinai, Book of Job: A New Interpretation (Jerusalem, 1967). D.J.A. Clines, Job 1–20 (World Biblical Commentary, 17; Dallas, Texas, 1989, lvii.

4 S.R. Driver and G.B. Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Job Together with a New Translation (International Critical Commentary; Edinburgh, 1921), lxx-lxxi; H.H. Rowley (ed.), Job (The Century Bible: New Series; Aylesbury, Bucks, 1970), 22; A. Hurvitz, „The Date of the Prose-Tale of Job Linguistically Reconsidered,“ Harvard Theological Review 67 (1974), 17–34; J.L. Crenshaw, „Job, Book of,“ in D.N. Freedman (ed.), Anchor Bible Dictionary III (New York, 1992), 863–864; Greenstein, „The Language of Job,“ 651–666.

5 M.H. Pope, Job: Introduction, Translation and Notes (The Anchor Bible; New York, 1965), xxxvii; J.E. Hartley, The Book of Job, (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament; Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988), 20.

6 N.C. Habel, The Book of Job: A Commentary (Old Testament Library; London, 1985), 40–42; Clines, Job, lvii.

7 See R.Gordis, The Book of Job: Commentary, New Translation and Special Studies (New York, 1978), 498.

8 Pope (Job), xxii-xxv; Rowley, Job, 9–10; Habel, Job, 35–36; Hartley, Job, 24; Clines, Job, lvii-lviii.

9 This possibility is raised by E. van Wolde, in Mr. and Mrs. Job (translated by John Bowden; London, 1997), 148–9.

10 Hartley, Job, 542; van Wolde, Job, 149; N. Whybray, Job (Sheffield, 1998), 173.

11 1:1 and 42:13. In neither case are the sons mentioned.

12 M.D. Coogan, „Job's Children,“ in T. Abusch, J. Huehnergard and P. Steinkeller (eds.), Lingering over Words (Harvard Semitic Studies 37; Atlanta, Georgia, 1990), 139.

13 See Rowley, Job, 29–30; Hartley, Job, 69; Clines, Job, 15.

14 See Rowley, Job, 29–30; Clines, Job, 15; Coogan, „Job's Children,“ 138ff.

15 Habel, Job, 87; Clines, Job, 15.

16 Apparently they are not married and live together with their father in one house; See Driver and Gray, Job, 7; Pope, Job, 8; Clines, Job, 15ff.

17 That same verse informs us that she was „tender-eyed“ (Gen. 29:17). Since that unclear expression appears in contrast with Rachel's beauty, and since from what we know of Jacob's love (ibid., 18) for Rachel in comparison with his lukewarm feelings for Leah (ibid., 31), we may conclude that the term „tender-eyed“ was in contrast to Rachel's beauty. see H. Gunkel, Genesis übersetzt und erklärt4 (Göttinger Handkommentar zum Alten Testament, 1/1; Göttingen, 1917), 328; J. Skinner, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Genesis2 (The International Critical Commentary; Edinburgh, 1994). Onkelos translated the word „tender“ as nice-looking, and similarly, V.P. Hamilton in The Book of Genesis: Chapters 18–50 (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament; Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1995), 258–259. Nonetheless, he attributes Jacob's love for Rachel to her extraordinary beauty (ibid., 259).

18 See e.g., P. Pollack, „The Narrative in the Bible: Its Structure and Art“ in The Biblical Encyclopedia Series 11 (Jerusalem, 1994), 275–276: „Indeed there is something in the image of a person and her appearance that contributes to her image in the eyes of others and in her own eyes…“ Rachel „was shapely and beautiful“ (Gen. 29:17), and therefore Jacob loved her (ibid., 18), and according to that very same characteristic the text explains why David was attracted to Abigail and to Bathsheba (I Sam. 25:3; II Sam 11:2; see parallel in Esther 2:7). The praise „shapely and beautiful“ was applied to Joseph as well, the focus of attention by the wife of Potiphar (Gen. 39:6–7). In contrast, the narrator stresses, Leah's appearance did not excite others because she was „tender-eyed“ (ibid., 29:7).

19 In Arabic. See, e.g., Tur-Sinai, Job, 352; Gordis, Job, 498. Habel, Job, 585, adds that in the Bible a dove is a symbol of beauty and love; he refers to the Song of Songs 2:14. Pope, Job, 292 views the dove as a symbol of fertility. The Rabbinic authorities and the ancient Targums interpreted the Aramaic word to mean „day“ (See the Septuaginta and the Vulgate in situ and the Babylonian Talmud: Baba Batra 16b). They mean that Jemimah was as beautiful as the day, and in a similar vein it is interpreted by M. Garsiel, in Biblical Names: A Literary Study of Midrashic Derivations and Puns, 2nd enlarged and revised edition, trans. by P. Hackett (Ramat-Gan, 1991), 45.

20 Pope, Job, 292; Habel, Job, 585. Compare Exod. 30:24, Psalms 45:9; BT: Kritut 6a. Some proposed that this name was derived from the word tvq „qsht,“ meaning the name intimated the shape of Keziah's body (Hartley, Job, 543).

21 Pope, Job, 292l; Habel, Job, 585. Compare Jer. 4:30. The author of Metzudot explained it to mean the beam of life of a precious stone (compare I Chronicles 29:2).

22 Cf. Pope, Job, 292: „The names of Job's daughters represent natural feminine physical and spiritual charms enhanced by perfumer's and beautician's art.“ See also Garsiel, Biblical Names, 45, too, and also Rashi in situ: „their names were given them because of their beauty.“

23 P. Machinist, „Job's Daughters and Their Inheritance in the Testament of Job and Its Biblical Congeners“ in W.G. Dever and J.E. Wright (eds.), The Echoes of Many Texts: Reflections on Jewish and Christian Traditions (Atlanta, Georgia 1997), 71–72.

24 The versions differ with regard to the length of Job's life and the period of time between his gift of property to his daughters and his death. The Masorah (as well as the Peshitta and the Vulgate), state that Job lived 140 years afterwards. According to the Septuaginta, he lived 170 years afterwards, and altogether 240 years. In the Testament of Job, the length of his life is not mentioned.

25 Abraham's division of his property (Gen. 25:5–6) was near his death (ibid., 7–8), and the will of King Jehosaphat appears in the Bible (II Chronicles 21:2–3) close to his death (ibid., 1). Many wills from different times and from different areas in the ancient Near East attest to this; they are too many to enumerate here, and there's no reason to do so.

26 Machinist, Testament, 77.

27 J. Milgrom, Numbers (The JPS Torah Commentary; Philadelphia, 1990), 483.

28 The gift of fortified towns was a means of bestowing a substantial livelihood upon those of his children who did not merit becoming kings. So it was explained by J.M. Myers in II Chronicles (The Anchor Bible; New York, 1965), 120.

29 „Give not thy son and wife, thy brother and friend, power over thee while thou livest, and give not thy goods to another: lest it repent thee, and thou entreat for the same again. As long thou livest and hast breath in thee, give not thyself over to any. For better it is that thy children should seek to thee, than that thou shouldest stand to their courtesy“ (Ben Sira 33:20–24 [19–21 in English translation]).

30 This was how the story was understood by D. Daube, „Inheritance in Two Lukan Pericopes,“ Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte 72 (1955), 326–334; J. Nolland, Luke 9:21–18:34 (World Biblical Commentary; Dallas, Texas, 1993), 782; A. Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Luke (International Critical Commentary; Edinburgh, 1922), 372; J.A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke: X-XXI (The Anchor Bible; New York, 1985), 1087. In contrast, some are of the opinion that the issue at this point is the division of a substantial inheritance during a father's lifetime. See also B.S. Jackson, „The Jewish Background to the Prodigal Son: An Unresolved Problem“ [forthcoming].

31 Machinist, Testament, 77.

32 Milgrom, Numbers, 483.

33 F. Brown, S.R. Driver and Ch.A. Briggs (eds.), A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford, 1953), 635; E. Lipinski, Nāḥal, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament IX (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Cambridge, UK, 1998), 323–324; D.J.A. Clines (ed.), The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew V (Sheffield, 2001), 659.

34 B. Levine, Numbers 1–20: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary, (The Anchor Bible; New York, 1993), 449–450: „In biblical Herbrew the verb nahal means ‚to possess, appropriate‘… Initially the verb nāḥal and the term naḥalāh, had nothing to do with inheritance …“; L. Köhler, W. Baumgarten and J.J. Stamm (eds.), The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament translated by M.E.J. Richardson, vol. II (Leiden, New York, Köln, 1995), 687: „dwelling place, right of residence.“

35 „And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation“ (Num. 18:21). See in situ G.B. Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers, (International Critical Commentary; Edinburgh, 1903), 233: „According to Numbers“ (International Critical Commentary; Edinburgh 1903), 233, „According to Lev. XXVII 30–33 tithe was taken on both cattle and crop.“ See in situ P.J. Budd, Numbers, (Word Biblical Commentary, 5; Waco, Texas 1984): „… Levites, like priests, are not endowed with land, and must be supported by the giving of the people generally“. See especially B. Levine, Numbers 1–20 in situ, 449–450.

36 See, e.g., in situ: T. Longman III The Book of Ecclesiastes (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament; Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998): „…wisdom is a good thing, especially when accompanied by money (with an inheritance)“.

37 „That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures“ (Prov. 8:21). See: R.J. Clifford, Proverbs: A Commentary (The Old Testament Library; London, Leiden, 1999), 91. He translates לחנחיל ישׁ lhanhil yesh as: „to endow with riches,“ not ‚to inherit a land‘. Similar to this is the translation of B.K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament; Grand Rapids, Michigan, Cambridge, UK, 2004), 406

38 J. Milgrom, Numbers, 484.

39 Z. Ben-Barak, Inheritance by Daughters in Israel and the Ancient Near East: A Social, Legal and Ideological Turning Point (Hebrew; Jerusalem, 2003), 130.

40 For another discussion of the issue of a daughter inheriting in the ancient Jewish society, see Z. Falk, „The Inheritance of a Daughter and Widow in the Bible and Talmud,“ Tarbiz 23 (1951; Hebrew), 9–15; Milgrom, Numbers, 230–233, 296–298, 482–484; Elon, Jewish Law: History, Sources, Principles II (Philadelphia, 1994), 573–80, 828–9, 835–46; T. Ilan, Jewish Women in Greco-Roman Palestine (Texte und Studien zum Antiken Judentum 44; Tübingen, 1995), 167–72

41 Ben-Barak, Inheritance by Daughters of Israel, 129.

42 Ben-Barak, Inheritance by Daughters of Israel, 129. [LOC. CIT.]

43 Ben-Barak, Inheritance by Daughters of Israel, 149. [IBID., 149.]

44 Machinist, Testament, 74.

45 Coogan, „Job's Children,“ 144–147.

46 Published in M. Dietrich, O. Loretz and J. Sanmartín, The Cuneiform Alphabetic Texts from Ugarit, Ras Ibn Hani and Other Places, 2nd enlarged edition (Abhandlungen zur Literatur Alt-Syrien-Palästinas und Mesopotamies, 8; Münster, 1995), 36–46.

47 For parallels between Kirta and Job, see: D.J. O'Connor, Job: His Wife, His Friends, and His God (Dublin, 1995) 159–165.

48 Coogan, „Job's Children,“ 145.

49 Coogan, „Job's Children,“ 145. [LOC. CIT.]

50 Coogan, „Job's Children,“ 146–147. [IBID., 146–47.]

51 Recently published by S.P. Brock (ed.), Testamentum Iobi (Pseudepigrapha Veteris Testamenti Graece II; Leiden 1967).

52 The English translation is from R.P. Spittler, ‚Testament of Job: A New Translation and Introduction‘, J.H. Charlesworth (ed.), The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha I: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments (New York, 1983), 829–868.

53 Machinist, Testament, 75.

54 Machinist, Testament, 76. [IBID., 76.]

55 Machinist, Testament, 76. [LOC. CIT.]

56 For a broader discussion of the possibilities, see Machinist, Testament, 75–78.

57 J. Fleishman, „Inheritance of the Dowry in ancient Near Eastern Law Codes and in Early Jewish Law,“ Dine Israel 23 (2005), 93–135 (Hebrew).

58 J. Fleishman, „A Daughter's Demand and a Father's Compliance: The Legal Background to Achsah's Claim and Caleb's Agreement,“ ZAW 118 (2006), 354–373.

59 R. Westbrook, Property and the Family in Biblical Law, (JSOT Sup., 113; Sheffield, 1991), 157.

60 S.E. Lowenstamm, „Law, Biblical Law,“ Encyclopedia Biblica 5 (Jerusalem, 1968), 619–620.

61 S. Greengus, „Filling Gaps: Laws Found in Babylonia and in the Mishna But Absent in the Hebrew Bible,“ Maarav 7 (1991), 149–171.

62 Greengus, „Filling Gaps,“ 171.