New Books in Biblical Studies Daniel K. Falk and Rodney A. Werline, "Prayer in the Ancient World Vol.1" (Brill, 2027)
Dec 17, 2025
Daniel K. Falk, a distinguished professor at Penn State and an expert in Jewish prayer, dives into the intriguing world of ancient prayers across cultures. He discusses the absence of formal prayer laws in the Hebrew Bible and reveals how the Dead Sea Scrolls showcase communal prayer practices. Falk critiques narrow definitions of prayer, offering an inclusive view that encompasses various human acts of communication with the divine. He emphasizes the significance of studying prayer today as a way to highlight shared human experiences across different traditions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Broad Functional Definition Of Prayer
- Prayer should be defined broadly as intentional communication with a superhuman agent to solicit benefit or connection.
- This broad definition includes nonverbal, third-person, and non-deity directed acts, allowing cross-cultural comparison.
Everyday Prayers In Graffiti
- Graffiti prayers appear across cultures, from funerary inscriptions to rock prayers in the Arabian desert.
- These informal texts reveal ordinary people's prayer practices often absent from elite literary sources.
Church Walls As Prayer Conversations
- Ancient church walls were often covered with prayer graffiti forming a centuries-long conversation among visitors.
- People likely read and engaged earlier inscriptions aloud, creating layered communal prayer practices.