Lamentation (The Shardlake series, 6)

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Scholars are divided over whether the book is the work of one or multiple authors. [19] One clue pointing to multiple authors is that the gender and situation of the first-person witness changes – the narration is feminine in the first and second lamentation, and masculine in the third, while the fourth and fifth are eyewitness reports of Jerusalem's destruction; [20] conversely, the similarities of style, vocabulary, and theological outlook, as well as the uniform historical setting, are arguments for one author. [21] Later interpretation and influence [ edit ] A commentary considering each of the five chapters of Lamentations in turn, paying particular attention to the literary features of the text. a This chapter is an acrostic poem, each 3–verse stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The fifth poem, corresponding to the fifth chapter, is not acrostic but still has 22 lines. [3] [12]

Lamentations is recited annually by Jews on the fast day of Tisha B'Av ("Ninth of Av") (July–August), mourning the destruction of both the First Temple (by the Babylonians in 586BCE) and the Second Temple (by the Romans in 70CE). [3] [4] [22] Assis, Ellie (2007). "The Alphabetic Acrostic in the Book of Lamentations". The Catholic Biblical Quarterly.While the author of Lamentations remains nameless within the book, strong evidence from both inside and outside the text points to the prophet Jeremiah as the author. Both Jewish and Christian tradition ascribe authorship to Jeremiah, and the Septuagint—the Greek translation of the Old Testament—even adds a note asserting Jeremiah as the

a This chapter is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Provides an overview of the major issues in the history of Lamentations scholarship, focusing not only on 20th-century scholarship, but also including interpreters from late Antiquity onward. Pays particular interest to the relationship of Lamentations to Mesopotamian literature (see Ancient Near Eastern Comparative Studies). Parr did indeed write a confessional tract, entitled “ The Lamentation of a Sinner”; though there is no evidence that it was stolen or that any of its contents could be considered heretical. Yet the interpretation of heresy was as changeable as the wind in the 1540s, and the mere fact that the king’s wife should write a compromising religious work without his knowledge could be counted as a treasonable offence. The pain so evident in Jeremiah’s reaction to this devastation clearly communicates the significance of the terrible condition in Jerusalem. Speaking in the first person, Jeremiah pictured himself captured in a besieged city, without anyone to hear his prayers, and as a target for the arrows of the enemy (3:7–8, 12). Yet even in this seemingly hopeless Shardlake, still haunted by events aboard the warship Mary Rose the year before, is working on the Cotterstoke Will case, a savage dispute between rival siblings. Then, unexpectedly, he is summoned to Whitehall Palace and asked for help by his old patron, the now beleaguered and desperate Queen.Lamentations consists of five distinct (and non-chronological) poems, [3] corresponding to its five chapters. Two of its defining characteristic features are the alphabetic acrostic and its qinah meter. However, few English translations capture either of these; even fewer attempt to capture both. [8] Acrostic [ edit ] Landy, Francis. “Lamentations.” In The Literary Guide to the Bible. Edited by Robert Alter and Frank Kermode, 329–334. Cambridge, MA: Belknap, 1987. The original name of the book in Hebrew, ekah, can be translated “Alas!” or “How,” giving the sense of weeping or lamenting over some sad event. 1 Later readers and translators substituted in the title “Lamentations” because of its clearer and more evocative meaning. It’s this idea of lamenting that, for many, links Jeremiah to the book. Offers a highly accessible overview of the text in its ancient context, the interpretive tradition, and contemporary Jewish and Christian communities. In Lamentation, Joe Clifford displays the same muscular prose, unsparing insight and generous heart he exhibited in his stunning debut, Junkie Love. This is a tale of small-town secrets and the troubled, unfathomable, unbreakable bond of brothers." —David Corbett, award-winning author of The Art of Character

From its compelling opening through its stunning climax, Lamentation is deftly plotted, immensely readable and artfully executed. This story is as chilling as a winter day in Northern New Hampshire. Jay Porter is a character worth rooting for, and we will be hearing much more from Joe Clifford. Highly recommended." —Sheldon Siegel, New York Times best-selling author of the Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez novels Gwaltney, William C., Jr. “Lamentations.” In Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation. Vol. 2. Edited by John H. Hayes, 44–48. Nashville: Abingdon, 1999. His unease deepens when a messenger arrives from Whitehall Palace: the Queen is in trouble, and asking for his help. Unwilling to put himself in danger again, he almost declines - but his loyalty to her permits no refusal. Not only does the author of the book witness the results of the recent destruction of Jerusalem, he seems to have witnessed the invasion itself (Lamentations 1:13–15). Jeremiah was present for both events. Where are we?A standard scholarly introduction to the major issues in Lamentations research, though now somewhat dated; particularly useful for historical-critical issues. A breathtaking BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of the sixth novel in C. J. Sansom's best-selling Tudor crime series, featuring lawyer-detective Matthew Shardlake