Although one cannot deny that chiasmus was one structuring device used by ancient Hebrew composers, the explosion of identification of this device in the past half century has made many scholars sceptical. This study draws together recent research on the criteria for identifying and denying the presence of chiasmus in Hebrew litera ture and then applies those criteria to a recent study of one composition. It reveals that Loren Bliese's identification of chiasmus in Nehemiah 9 is only in the eye of the beholder.
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