Herring Divine Substitution

Humanity as the Manifestation of Deity in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East
1. Auflage 2013
ISBN: 978-3-647-53612-5
Verlag: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, Band Band 247, 244 Seiten

Reihe: Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments

Divine Substitution is an investigation of ancient conceptualizations of divine presence. Specifically, this thesis investigates the possibility that the ancient Mesopotamian conceptualization of cultic and royal statues, thought to actually manifest the presence of gods and kings, can likewise be found in ancient Israel. Despite the overly pessimistic view of the later biblical authors, material objects were almost certainly believed to extend and manifest the presence of God in pre-exilic Israel (e.g., standing stones). Likewise, the later polemics against such cultic concepts demonstrate Israel's familiarity with this type of conceptualization. These polemics engaged in the rhetoric of mutilation and destruction of cultic representations, the erasure and re-inscription of divine names, and the rhetorical deconstruction of the specific Mesopotamian rituals thought to transform the dead statue into a living god. Though the biblical reflection of these concepts is more often found in the negative commentary regarding 'foreign' cultic practices, S. Herring demonstrates that these opinions were not universally held. At least three biblical texts (Gen 1:26f.; Ex 34:29-34; and Ezek 36-37) portray the conceptualization that material images could manifest the divine presence in positive terms. Yet, these positive attestations were limited to a certain type of material image - humans.

Dr Stephen Lane Herring is Biblical Hebrew Lector at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Herring, Stephen L.

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Jüdische Studien Jüdische Studien Jüdische Studien: Theologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Jüdische Studien Jüdische Studien Heilige & Traditionstexte: Torah, Talmud, Mischna, Halacha
• Geisteswissenschaften Jüdische Studien Jüdische Studien Jüdische Studien: Kult, Riten, Zeremonien

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Cover
;1
2;Title Page;4
3;Copyright;5
4;Table of Contents;6
5;Body;10
6;Abstract;10
7;Acknowledgments;12
8;1. Introduction: Representation and the Real;14
8.1;1.1 Summary and Outline;14
8.2;1.2 Cultic Images and Semiotics in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies;15
8.2.1;1.2.2 Methodological Notes;22
9;2. Image and Presence in Mesopotamia;26
9.1;2.1 Introduction;26
9.2;2.2 Images and Presence in Mesopotamia;27
9.2.1;2.2.1 Mis pî/ pit pî Ritual;27
9.2.2;2.2.2 Divine Abandonment and Abduction;30
9.2.3;2.2.3 Images of Humans;32
9.3;2.3 Humans as the Image of God in Mesopotamia;38
9.3.1;2.3.1 King as Image;39
9.3.2;2.3.2 Priest as Image;45
9.4;2.4 Conclusion;48
10;3. Iconic Israel: Divine Representation, Idol Polemics, and the Awareness of the Relationship between Image and Presence in the Hebrew Bible;50
10.1;3.1 Introduction;50
10.2;3.2 Representation in the Israelite Cult;50
10.2.1;3.2.1 High Place Worship;55
10.2.2;3.2.2 Standing Stones;57
10.2.3;3.2.3 Asherah;64
10.2.4;3.2.4 The Ark;68
10.3;3.3 Iconoclasm;75
10.3.1;3.3.1 Hosea and the Deuteronomistic Reform Movement;75
10.3.2;3.3.2 Prophetic Parodies;78
10.4;3.4 Conclusion;85
11;4. The Image of God in the Hebrew Bible;88
11.1;4.1 Genesis 1: Humanity as the Image of God;88
11.1.1;4.1.1 Introduction;88
11.1.2;4.1.2 History of Research;88
11.1.2.1;4.1.2.1 History of Scholarship before 1960;89
11.1.2.2;4.1.2.2 History of Scholarship After 1960;93
11.1.3;4.1.3 ~yhla ~lcb;97
11.1.3.1;4.1.3.1 Near Eastern Background of Genesis 1;97
11.1.3.2;4.1.3.2 Genesis 1:26–27;106
11.1.3.3;4.1.3.3 Genesis 5:3 and 9:6;122
11.1.4;4.1.4 Conclusion;125
11.2;4.2 Exodus 34:29–35: Moses as the Image of God;128
11.2.1;4.2.1 Introduction;128
11.2.1.1;4.2.1.1 The Priestly Redaction and Literary Arrangement of Exodus;129
11.2.1.2;4.2.1.2 Exodus 34:29–35 and the Priestly Redaction of Exodus 32–34;134
11.2.2;4.2.2 Divine Representation in Exodus 32–34;139
11.2.2.1;4.2.2.1 Introduction;139
11.2.2.2;4.2.2.2 The Calf as Image of God;140
11.2.2.3;4.2.2.3 The Calf as Image of YHWH;146
11.2.2.4;4.2.2.4 Moses as Image of God in Exodus 32–34;151
11.2.2.5;4.2.2.5 Moses as Image of God in the Book of Exodus;158
11.2.3;4.2.3 Conclusion;163
11.3;4.3 Ezekiel 36–37: Israel as the Image of God;165
11.3.1;4.3.1 Introduction;165
11.3.1.1;4.3.1.1 Composition;166
11.3.1.2;4.3.1.2 Setting;172
11.3.1.3;4.3.1.3 Mesopotamian Background and Influence;174
11.3.2;4.3.2 Israel as YHWH's Image in Ezekiel;182
11.3.2.1;4.3.2.1 Images of Idolatry in Ezekiel;184
11.3.2.2;4.3.2.2 Images of Restoration in Ezekiel;194
11.3.2.2.1;4.3.2.2.1 Spirit in Ezekiel;202
11.3.3;4.3.5 Conclusion;208
12;5. Conclusions;210
12.1;5.1 Summaries and Conclusions;210
12.2;5.2 The Concept in Later Judaism;217
13;Abbreviations;220
14;Bibliography;224
15;Back Cover
;246

Über Autor(innen)

Herring, Stephen L.
Dr Stephen Lane Herring is Biblical Hebrew Lector at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies.