The article presents the genealogy and maps Iconographic Exegesis or Biblische Ikonographie. From social-material lenses, it addresses the foundation and development of the perspective, often construed as the explanation of the Bible with contemporary pictorial material. Starting with Othmar Keel and the Fribourg Circle's works and reaching scholars from other academic environments, such as South Africa, Germany, the United States, and Brazil, the paper describes the transformation of the perspective from research interest to research circle and its formalization as a subspecialization within Biblical Studies. The outlook highlights commonalities and particularities of the perspective and its enabling factors and comments on its characterization and definition.
Keywords: Fribourg circle; Fribourg school; Othmar Keel; archaeology of the ancient near East; bible and iconography; biblical iconography; biblical studies; history of religion of Israel; iconographic exegesis; iconography of the ancient near East; image and word; interpretation of the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament.
© The Author(s) 2023.